1. King’s College London Pre-Sessional Programme
Seminar Skills : Debating and Argument Building Skills

2. Lesson Overview
Reflecting on what is involved in preparing for a seminar
Ways of establishing and supporting your opinion
Reviewing the texts
Activating language
Seminar discussion

3. Reflecting on Preparing for a Seminar
On Monday you were given two texts about ‘happiness’ and this morning you wrote an essay:
Should happiness be a political concern? In what ways could politicians and governments improve a country’s happiness?
Now you are going to participate in a seminar discussion about what you read.
Have you reflected on your reading? Have you added any other ideas or opinions you have?

4. Establishing and Supporting Your Opinion (1)
Once you have thought about an issue , listened to a lecture and/or done some background reading, you can form your own opinion on the subject.
What is our subject for today?
What do you understand by ‘happiness’ and ‘political concern’?
Should happiness be a political concern?
In no more than 3 sentences, explain why you believe happiness SHOULD or SHOULDN’T be a political concern.
Try to develop just one point in these 3 sentences, giving your opinion and supporting points and/or evidence.
Compare your texts in your pairs.
Have you developed just one point?
Have you given your opinion?
Have you provided supporting points and/or evidence

5. Establishing and Supporting Your Opinion (2)
When you participate in a seminar discussion you need to decide what your opinion is on the main issues and provide evidence to support these opinions.
You need to give:
an explanation
arguments to support your point of view
examples
Look at the following example about cloning.

6. Read the opinion below and complete the first entry in the table.
“In the past, biological diversity has prevented species from being eradicated by diseases such as the Black Death. Clones decrease the diversity of animal and plant life because they are identical to the parent organism. I believe that cloning would reduce the adaptability and could even threaten the survival of many species.”
Argument / Issue
For / Against
Explanation
Effect
Evidence or Examples
cloning would reduce biological diversity
clones are genetically identical to the parent organism so lack diversity
survival will be threatened if organisms have less diversity

7. How useful are your notes?
Spend 5-10 minutes thinking about this question (and what you argued this morning) and note your ideas in the table. Remember that you should consider arguments against your position too so that you are prepared for the discussion.
Argument / Issue
For / Against
Explanation
Effect
Evidence / Examples

8. Referring to Research
Sometimes during a discussion it is necessary to refer to what other people (experts) have said about a topic.
Why do you think this is?
Referring to expert sources gives your argument support and credibility.
It also shows you have read around the topic and are well informed of the most up-to-date research and/or issues.
How do you think you can refer to expert sources during a seminar discussion:
if everybody has read the same texts?
if you are referring to an additional text which the other students do not have?
E.g. As Jones points out in his 2008 paper entitled ‘The Moral Objection to Cloning’, the biggest obstacle to legitimising cloning is the abuse of science.

9. Referring to Research
Look back at your notes. Have you written down the authors of the sources anywhere?
Now look at your table. Add the author’s name where you have used an example from a source to support your argument. This will help the other people in the class to understand your argument during the seminar discussion.

10. Language Activation
Think about the language we have looked at so far for participating in a seminar. How well can you do the following?
Try to think of at least two expressions for each role:
Introducing a topic to a group
Agreeing
Disagreeing
Asking for repetition
Asking a question
Interrupting
Making an excuse
Returning to the point
Encouraging someone to join in
Summarising points

11. Seminar Discussion on Happiness
Now you have done all the preparation for the seminar, you need to carry it out!
You are going to spend at least 15 minutes discussing the material you have prepared.
Should happiness be a political concern? In what ways could politicians and governments improve a country’s happiness?

12. What kind of contributor am I?
Think about your contribution to the debate.
Evaluate how well you did the activities on the left and how you could improve your skills and performance. Try to identify the areas where you need to improve.
How good am I?
1= improvement needed
5= excellent
Action needed
Am I well-prepared?
Do I contribute?
Am I a good listener?
Can I argue a point?
Do I support others?
Do I ask relevant questions?
Do I say enough?
Are my language skills good?
Do I work well with others?
Do I use appropriate strategies, e.g. to interrupt, ask for clarification...

13. Monitoring your participation: the tutor’s viewpoint
On your programmes next year, tutors are likely to assess how much and how well everybody participates in a seminar.
Seminars help tutors to evaluate students’ knowledge and academic skills.
In some cases, you might be formally assessed on your performance, so it is very important that you take the opportunity to participate fully.

14. Communication and Participation
Look at the list below and decide how well you do these things.
The student...
arrives on time.
has the necessary paperwork with them.
has done the required preparation.
uses appropriate language strategies, e.g. asks someone to repeat what they have said to clarify a point.
asks relevant questions.
agrees and disagrees and can give full reasons.
supports opinions with suitable arguments.
listens well.
works well with others.
takes notes.
presents points fluently and uses accurate English.
understands the main points of the seminar.
does the required homework.
Which of these points do you think are most important from the tutor’s point of view?
Adapted from Task Module 3, Unit 5