Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

Thank you for joining me today.

My name's Mrs. Butterworth and I will be guiding you through your English lesson today.

Now in this lesson, we're going to be thinking about effective discussion.

Now discussion is something that we do a lot in lessons, but it's also a very important skill to have outside of lessons, outside of school.

So today's focus is all about working together in productive discussions.

So we're gonna be thinking about our active listening skills and how we can respond effectively in discussions.

Sound good? Great, let's get started.

In this lesson, you'll be able to explain what makes a productive discussion and understand what also makes an effective active listener.

Now before we delve into the lesson, let's look at those all important keywords that will be popping up throughout today's lesson.

These are spontaneous, productive, respectful, active listening and body language.

Now spontaneous in speaking and discussions, it refers to the idea that you are saying things without prior planning or preparation.

So in that sense, we can say that discussion is a form of spontaneous speaking.

Now to be productive means to achieve a lot or producing good results in an efficient way.

So we want to think today about what makes a discussion productive, what makes it work well and run smoothly.

Now respectful is very important in terms of our environment for discussions because respectful means to show consideration and kindness for others feelings and opinions.

So it's about being polite and that's really important in discussion because it can feel daunting to talk about your ideas, so we want to be respectful towards each other.

Now active listening is going to be very important for this lesson because we're going to work on our active listening skills.

And what active listening means is that you are fully concentrating, understanding, and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying.

And part of active listening is body language.

Now body language refers to all of those non-verbal cues.

So anything where we're thinking about.

Not the speaking part.

So we're thinking of things like gestures and facial expressions and posture.

So the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by considering what a productive discussion looks like and then we're going to move on to look at developing our active listening skills.

So let's jump in with the first part of that lesson.

Okay, so to begin with, I'd like to gather your thoughts and your opinions and your ideas on the following question.

So discuss, why might it be important to be able to discuss effectively? So to help you with this, you may want to think about situations where you'd be required to discuss and things like that.

So pause video so you can discuss your answers to this question or think quietly to yourself if needed.

Pause the video and off you go.

Great, thank you, everyone.

It's really interesting, isn't it? When you start to think about discussions and where they happen and how often they happen and how important it is to be able to discuss effectively.

But let's just listen to some of our Oak pupils and see what they said and you can compare to your own answers.

So Laura says that, "Many subjects rely on discussions in lessons," and that's a really good point.

Because it is relied on a lot in schools and it can be a great way to form ideas and opinions clearly.

And Andeep said, "I think discussion is an important life skill.

Being able to express yourself clearly and an in spontaneous way takes practise." And that's a really valid point from Andeep because discussion happens a lot and being able to articulate yourself clearly is such an important skill.

And also that spontaneous aspect of discussion, you know, being able to think quickly and know what to say, again, takes practise.

Okay, so we've thought about why discussions are important.

Now I want you to think about what a productive discussion might look like.

So in a moment you're going to pause a video and discuss what do you think is meant by a productive discussion and how do we achieve this? So to help you maybe think about the specific skills that you might need to have a productive discussion and we'll share some thoughts in a moment.

Pause the video and off you go.

Okay, great.

Thank you for your answers there.

Now I want you to keep that in mind all of those ideas as we look at the next part because I want us to think about specific spoken language skills and these will really help you to have productive discussions.

So you may find these linking to the discussions that you've just had.

So one important spoken language skill to ensure that you have productive discussions is your brain thinking.

We need to get those brains thinking because a productive discussion will mean you are contributing ideas, you are posing questions, or having insights that help move the discussion forward in a meaningful way.

So I think I had someone say, "Oh, you shouldn't give one word answers." And that's a really good point because again, if you are not developing your answers using your brain to develop your answers, it's not going to move the discussion forward, is it? It's going to kind of stand still.

Ears listening a very important one.

So productive discussion means that you are staying on topic and you are waiting to take your turn.

And using your ears to listen is one way that you can do this.

Speaking clearly.

Now this doesn't just mean being heard, okay? Although that is very important.

So we don't want any mumbling.

But it also means that you should make sure your contributions can be understood.

So what that means is that you are able to explain yourself in a clear way.

You're not confusing the person that you are speaking to.

So it is about speaking so that you can be heard, but it's also about what you say as well.

Are you making your point clear? And then finally eyes looking.

So it's really important that you make eye contact when you are discussing to show that you are present and it can also help you focus too.

If you are looking at someone and listening, it can just really help you to focus on exactly what it is they are saying, which will help you to be able to respond, which in turn makes a productive discussion.

Okay, so we have our key spoken language skills here, those images, and I would like you please just to label them.

So what are the key discussion skills, A, B, C, and D? You may want to pause the video to give yourself time to do this, but we will share our answers in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, lots of you feeling confident.

Okay, let's see.

Hopefully, we've got our answer right.

So we've got our image there of brain thinking, we've got ears listening, speaking clearly, and eyes looking.

So well done to everyone that got those answers right.

Okay, so what I would like us to do now is just to look at a scenario involving two of our eight pupils, Izzy and Alex.

So we're going to read the scenario together first and then I have a task you to do on that.

So Izzy and Alex are discussing a text they are studying.

Both are speaking clearly and making excellent points to develop the discussion in a meaningful way.

However, Alex feels very strongly about the topic and keeps interrupting.

So I'm sure this is a scenario that some of you have been in and can understand.

So I want us just to think about that scenario and how we could help Alex improve.

So I'd like you to discuss, please, what feedback could you give Alex to help him improve? So I'd like you to give him please a what went well and an even better if.

Okay, so you may want to just spend a moment rereading that scenario and then discuss or think quietly to yourself if needs be or even jot down some ideas.

What feedback could you give Alex to help him, give him a what went well and an even better if, and we'll share some of our answers in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

So I'm going to give you an example now and you can compare it to your own.

So you might have considered in terms of the what went well.

So that Alex is contributing ideas that move the discussion along.

He's speaking clearly, okay? So we can see here it says both are speaking clearly and making excellent points.

So that's what Alex is doing well.

He's contributing ideas that move the discussion along and he is also speaking clearly.

Now what Alex needs to improve is even better if is Alex needs to listen and wait for his turn to speak instead of interrupting.

So if you are interrupting someone, you are not being respectful to the other speaker in the discussion.

So it is really important you wait your turn.

It's fab and fantastic when you feel really strongly about something or enthusiastic.

But getting good at discussion is also about waiting to speak, waiting for your turn, and listening to the other person.

Okay, so we are on our first practise task and you are going to look at another scenario.

This time it will be Sam and Sofia.

So let's read that scenario through together and then it will be over to you to complete the task.

So Sam and Sofia are in the middle of a discussion.

Sam is offering lots of relevant contributions and asking Sofia questions to try and move the discussion along.

Sofia is waiting for her turn to speak, but is looking at the floor and giving one word answers.

Okay, so what I would like you to do please, is to discuss what feedback could we give to Sofia to help her improve and you need to give her a what went well and an even better if.

Now remember those key skills that you might want to refer to.

So brain thinking, ears listening, speaking clearly, and eyes looking.

These might help you to formulate that what went well and an even better if.

So, it is over to you now, so you'll need to pause the video to complete that task.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

Thank you, everybody, for your suggestions and ways that Sofia could improve.

So I'm going to show you an example now, some feedback, so you can compare to your own discussions and responses.

So what went well? Sofia is carefully listening.

So in that scenario it did say that Sofia is carefully listening for her turn to speak and she wasn't interrupting.

So she's done well.

She's used her listening skill.

Her ears listening to make sure that she is waiting for her turn to speak.

An even better if is Sofia tried to develop her answers beyond one word, so she needs to do a little bit more thinking because this will make the discussion more productive.

So it will move it forward, won't it? If she just does one word answers, that might stop the discussion.

So using her brain to do some thinking will help to move that discussion forward.

Sofia could also try making eye contact with Sam to focus to show that she is present in the discussion and to help her focus.

So in the scenario, it said that Sofia was looking down to the floor so it could help if she just tried to look up and make some eye contact to help her focus and be present in the discussion and create that supportive and respectful environment for Sam, her discussion partner.

Okay, so I would also like you to do the following feedback task.

So I'd like you to use the spoken language skills to set your own target for future discussions.

So think about those scenarios.

Perhaps, they will help give you some ideas, but think about what you need to do in future discussions.

So you may wish to use these sentence starters, I want to ensure that, I want to get better at, I would like to improve, to set yourself that target for your future discussions.

Pause video to give yourself time to do this.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

We have reached the second part of our lesson and this part is all about developing our active listening skills.

So let's keep up the good work and keep going, okay? Right, okay.

So working together.

So listening, speaking, discussing.

Working together is such an important element of this.

And having effective and product and productive discussions rely on us being able to work together.

So thinking about this, it is important to create a supportive and respectful environment.

It can feel quite daunting to discuss your ideas with someone.

So it's really important that we consider that when we are discussing with other people.

So one way that we can do this is to be an active listener.

So before we even begin considering speaking in a discussion, we are going to work on our active listening skills, to be the best listeners that we possibly can be.

Because it isn't just in discussion, is it, that we listen, we need to listen day to day to lots of things.

So I would like you to discuss, please.

Thinking about what we have just talked about and your own ideas, why is listening so important for productive discussions? Pause the video so you've got time to discuss your ideas or if needs be, you can think quietly to your self.

Off you go.

Okay, great, thank you.

Some excellent ideas there.

Let's share some of your answers with our Oak pupils.

And this is what they said.

They said, so Sam has said, "It can be nerve wracking speaking out loud." Absolutely.

"So being an active listener creates a supportive and respectful environment." That's a really thoughtful answer from Sam and something we really need to consider.

Jun has said that, "Listening is an important skill to ensure you hear everything that is being said." Absolutely, so in a discussion, if we want our discussion to be productive and move forward, we need to listen to what's being said so that we can stay on topic, we can keep it relevant, we can ask questions.

But also, not just in discussions like day to day, being able to listen to things and being able to hear what is being said is a really important skill.

And Sofia has said, "Being a good listener makes you better in discussions.

You can respond in a relevant way and then develop or even challenge comments." So Sofia agreeing with me there and making that really specific point that links to this lesson about how it can make you better in discussions.

So Lucas has made this statement, let's read it through together.

"I'm always quiet in discussions and wait my turn.

I don't need to improve my listening skills." Hmm, this is something I hear a lot.

Now it's important to be quiet when listening.

Absolutely, but you also need to ensure you are actively listening.

And what that means is this, that active listening means that you are completely engaged and focused on what is being delivered.

So your brain is thinking as well.

Yes, you may be quiet and looking, but it's really important that we're thinking about that active listening too.

And there are ways that can help you demonstrate and improve your active listening skills.

So let's look at some of those now.

True or false.

As long as you are quiet, you are being an active listener.

Is that true or false? Okay, who thinks I've got the right answer? Well done.

That is false.

But now you need to say why the answer is false.

So come up with your answer now.

Okay, so hopefully you have something similar to being quiet is important, but being an active listener means being engaged and focused on what is being delivered.

There are specific ways you can demonstrate this.

So one way to demonstrate active listening is to use positive body language.

Now before I tell you, I would like you to discuss, please, what do you think this might look like? So what might positive body language look like in a discussion and when you are listening? Pause a video to give yourself time to discuss this question.

If you need to, you can think quietly to yourself or even jot down some ideas.

Off you go.

Thank you for those great suggestions.

I'm now going to give you some specific ways to think about that when we're thinking about showing our active listening.

So I've got an image here of lips closed.

Now this isn't the only thing we're thinking about, but yes, having your lips closed or your mouth relaxed can really help to show that you are quiet.

But also we're thinking alongside this, this idea about facial expressions as well and gestures.

So nodding your head can also be a really positive gesture and positive body language to show that you are listening.

It's also helps to create a supportive environment too because if you are a speaker and someone is nodding along or nodding along to what you are saying, you feel good about yourself because you're like, "Oh, they're listening.

They understand what I'm saying." The next thing is eyes looking.

Okay, so another way that you can demonstrate your active listening skills is to make eye contact if appropriate.

So if you are speaking one-on-one or in a small group, you can obviously make eye contact.

If you are watching a speech being delivered or someone is standing in front of you, it might be difficult to make eye contact, but you can track the speaker so you watch them as they move and look at them as they are delivering.

So this ensures that you are following everything that is being said and it shows that you are present too.

And body still.

Now this is one I struggle with too, but it is so important that you avoid fidgeting because it can be very distracting for the person speaking.

But also thinking about that idea of positive body language, sitting up and leaning forward demonstrates positive body language.

But it can also help you focus too.

If you're sat up, it can just give you that little bit more focus that is needed when you are needed to listen.

Okay, so A, B or C, positive language can demonstrate active listening.

This can look like.

Is your answer A, B, or C? Pick now.

Okay, lots of you feeling confident.

Absolutely, tracking the speaker is an excellent way to demonstrate your active listening skills.

Okay, we have reached our second and final practise task.

So we have another scenario here.

Let's read it through together.

We have Izzy.

So Izzy is watching a speech being delivered.

She's enjoying it and is tracking the speaker.

However, it has been a long day and she begins yawning and checking her watch.

Izzy also begins to stare out the window.

I've definitely been in that situation before.

I'm sure lots of you can recognise that scenario as well.

So this is why I would like you to discuss, please, what feedback could we give Izzy to help her improve her active listening skills? So you may want to reread that scenario again and then I would like you please to give her a what went well and an even better if.

So remember as you are considering this, the idea about lips closed, so those positive facial expressions and gestures.

Your eyes looking, so think about tracking the speaker and eye contact, and that body still, the fidgeting and the positive body language that we need to be showing in order to demonstrate our active listening skills.

Okay, great.

So hopefully you have everything you need to complete the task.

So you'll need to pause the video and to discuss that question and give Izzy a what went well and an even better if.

If you need to, you can think quietly to yourself or jot down some ideas.

Off you go.

Thank you, everyone.

Some excellent feedback being generated for Izzy there and also some things to think about for ourselves as well.

So I'm gonna give you an example here.

You may have considered some of these ideas.

It's a really good opportunity to compare your own thoughts.

So what went well? Izzy is tracking the speaker, which is a great way to engage with the speech and create a supportive environment.

So Izzy has done that well.

Even better if.

Now even better if Izzy used positive body language to demonstrate active listening rather than staring out of the window.

It's interesting, isn't it? Because it describes Izzy actually enjoying the speech, but her body language is suggesting otherwise.

So this is an important thing to remember when you are listening.

Just check in on your body language.

Is it positive? Is it showing those active listening skills? So for Izzy, it says she's yawning so she could try to keep her lips closed, her body still, and she could try nodding along just to show that she's listening.

Because if you've had a long day or a long lesson, it can be really difficult to stay focused, but using that positive language can really help with this.

So sitting up straight, making sure that your posture is upright, can just help give you that little boost to help you focus and also show the speaker that you are listening, you are present, you are active.

So thinking about those spoken listening skills and the feedback that you gave to Izzy, I would now like you to set your own target to improve your active listening.

So you may wish to use the sentence starters to help.

So I want to ensure that, I want to get better at, or I would like to improve, can help you with setting that target.

So do pause a video so you've got time to think about your target and get that written down somewhere.

Off you go.

Excellent work, everybody, and thank you so much.

We have reached the end of the lesson.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything we have looked at.

We know that a productive discussion means thinking, listening, and speaking clearly to develop it in a meaningful way.

Listening is an important discussion skill.

It helps to create a supportive and respectful environment.

Active listening means you are completely engaged and focused on what is being delivered.

And using positive body language can help demonstrate active listening and keep you focused on the content.

Again, I've really enjoyed working with you today and cannot wait to do it all again with you in another lesson soon.

So I'll see you then.

Goodbye.