Classroom?Discussion：Activities?to?Enhance Speaking?and?Listening?in?the?ESL?Environment

Abstract：This paper introduces ways of fostering a communicative environment，focuses on the methodology employed by teachers and mentions the advantages of classroom discussion. The discussion highlights the necessity for students to have activities that foster this atmosphere and give them the tools for meaningful communication.

Key words：classroom discussion，communicative environment，methodology

Introduction

When students talk in discussions there is potential for them to develop their communicative competence（Bachman，1990；Canale，1983；Canale and Swain，1980）. Having discussions in class is important. It allows students to develop their speaking and listening skills and gives them a chance to interact with faculty and other students on a personal level. Discussion is a superior tool for helping students learn how to think，because it encourages passive recipients to become active participants. It can motivate students to work harder. Students appreciate having their ideas and independence encouraged. Discussion allows the students to try problem-solving or come to grips with an idea，with the advantage of receiving immediate feedback from their lecturer（and classmates），before "flying on their own".

1.Ways of fostering a communicative environment

1.1 Set clear expectations for student participation in discussion sessions

Firstly，it is important to keep the class roster handy during discussion sessions and mark who speaks and who doesnt. Secondly，specify a class rule："You are not allowed to say ‘I dont know in this class when asked a question. You are not required to know，but you are expected to think. So if I ask you a question and you dont know the answer，you are responsible to think of an answer，to guess，to speculate，to wonder aloud." In addition，foster effective discussions by agreeing and disagreeing with what the previous speaker said，such as adding new ideas，wondering，compromising，telling jokes，questioning，complaining，telling stories，challenging，and analyzing.

1.2 Break the ice with informal talk outside of class

Enter the classroom five minutes early each day，and while the students file in，ask them about their other classes，their progress on writing，reading & speaking and current events in an informal manner. Informal "small talk" may help break the ice before a discussion，and a relaxed and comfortable student will feel more inclined to add her or his opinions to the conversation.

1.3 Use eye contact purposefully and strategically

When the teacher breaks eye contact with the speaking student，he or she will follow the teachers gaze and seek out someone else to talk to. The teachers scanning eye also signals other students that they should be paying attention to the speaker. If we are making eye contact with all the students in class，they are more likely to stay involved—and if they are not involved，we will know it immediately.

1.4 Ask good questions

The kinds of questions we ask can make all the difference between an engaging and fruitful discussion and the verbal equivalent of pulling teeth. It is a good idea to write down questions you want to ask during a class discussion.

2.The methodologies employed by teachers

2.1 Peer Teaching & Learning

In order to involve students more actively in their own learning，teaching students to learn from each other as well as from the teacher. The starting point should be breaking the class up into pairs or small groups. Each group may be assigned a topic，or they may be allowed to develop their own projects. Within groups，all the students may work together without specialization，or work can be divided so that each member has specific tasks. Ongoing progress reports may be used to help students stay on schedule and to ensure that work is divided fairly.

2.2 Class debate

To increase students' public speaking and presentation skills，including the ability to think quickly，to develop students' research skills and give them a chance to become the expert on a particular subject and to encourage students to organize their thoughts in a critical or argumentative way，students can have class debate. This technique may be used with either large or small groups.

2.3 Role-playing

Role-plays may be done as a whole class or in small groups. The instructor begins by describing a context and a situation within the context. Students are either given roles or allowed to choose them. Students are given some time to prepare，then they enter their roles and act out the situation. Some instructors add student observers to their situations. These observers observe and analyse the performances of the actors and provide feedback both to the actors，and to the instructor and class.

2.4 Case studies

This helps to encourage students to integrate theory with practice and facilitate integrated understanding of complex interconnected issues. Students are given specific cases to study which illustrate general principles being studied in the course. Students may be asked to write an analysis of the case，to report on it orally or be prepared for detailed questions from the instructor.

3.The advantages of classroom discussion

Discussions offer students a chance to express opinions and exchange information safely within the classroom.

3.1Discussion can help build a positive classroom climate.

In order to engage in discussion and debate，students have to do a lot of reading beforehand. They have to go to the library to prepare for the subject or topic which is going to be discussed in class. They have to form their own ideas and find answers themselves. They can develop the analytical shills which benefit both students academic career and future life.

3.2Discussion can help students to achieve a richer，deeper understanding of content

As we know，discussion can help students approach materials from different perspectives to get fuller understanding，students can learn a lot in a relaxed，comfortable communicative atmosphere.

Most importantly is that its a good way to enhance students speaking and listening skills in ESL classroom.

Conclusion：

There had been an expectation among students from particular education systems that the teacher was to provide all information in the classroom. Now it has changed. Teachers can use classroom discussion to enhance speaking and listening in ESL environment. The key is that teachers should find effective ways to foster a communicative environment and use appropriate methodology to arouse students interests. If so，classroom teaching will be more efficient and successful.

References：

[1]Bean John C.，Engaging Ideas：the Professors Guide to Integrating Writing，Critical Thinking，and Active Learning in the Classroom（2001，Jossey-Bass）

[2]Blount Jackie M，：Leading Classroom Discussion（Sept.20，1999）

[3]Brookfield Stephen and Preskill Stephen，Discussion as a way of teaching：tools and techniques for democratic classrooms（1999，Jossey-Bass）.

[4]Caughlan Samantha：Classroom Discussion：Teachers Perspectives on Obstacles and Strategies

[5]Dashwood Ann：Alternatives to Questioning：Teacher Role in ClassrooDiscussion，Asian EFL Journal，Volume 7. Issue 4

[6]Davis Barbara Gross，Tools for Teaching（1993，Jossey-Bass）.

[7]Karl Krahnke：This person is mentioned in the paper Fostering Effective Classroom Discussions

[8]McKeachie Wilbert J.，Teaching Tips：Strategies，Research，and Theory for College and UniversityTeachers（1999，Houghton Mifflin）

作者簡介：

章蘊，女，副教授（1965-），研究方向：英語教學(xué)法、跨文化交際研究。