Perfect Phrases for ESL Conversation Skills: for Intermediate students
Perfect Phrases for ESL Conversation Skills
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Group Discussions
Objectives
to lead and manage a group discussion
to participate in a group discussion
An experienced software developer with a strong management background, Abdulaziz has been promoted to the position of business development and solutions manager in a specialist recruitment consultancy. In this challenging position Abdulaziz will have the opportunity to use his management and communication skills to lead an international team of IT and software developers, and to build crucial links with a broad network of partners in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.
During his studies in the United States, Abdulaziz developed a solid command of technical English and he is conversant in business terms. Now that he will be co-coordinating and conducting workshops, seminars, planning sessions, and business discussions primarily in English, Abdulaziz needs a broader range of phrases in order to keep his team on track and to consult with senior management.
Group discussions are an integral part of your daily communication on all levels: personal, business, and political. Through meaningful discussions, you not only exchange ideas and formulate solutions, but you have the opportunity to test them out on others and receive valuable feedback.
Phrases
Openers: Opening the Floor
I now call the meeting to order.
Leading a Discussion
Without a capable leader, a group discussion can easily become a free-for-all that ends in frustration and dissension. To assure that time is used productively and that all participants contribute in a respectful and meaningful way, a skillful leader should be able to:
provide background information, including facts about the situation or problem to be discussed;
give everyone adequate and equal chance to speak;
field and direct questions;
limit the time individuals speak and prevent one person from monopolizing the discussion or interrupting unnecessarily;
keep participants on topic;
ask speakers to support their opinions with facts or arguments and to explain a point that others may not understand;
ask for agreement or disagreement from other participants where necessary;
summarize at intervals or have one of the participants summarize the main points discussed so far;
take a vote on matters that require a decision or motion;
guide participants in arriving at a conclusion or consensus.
Setting the Topic
Today we’re going to discuss / talk about the upcoming trade fair.
We’re here today to discuss the matter of …
Now that everyone’s here, let’s get down to the business of …
As you know, this meeting has been called to discuss …
Our topic for today’s discussion is …
Background Information
We’ll begin with the minutes of the last meeting / a summary of our last discussion / a rundown of what’s happened since last time.
Our last / previous discussion / meeting concluded with the decision to change our website.
Before we get started, let me give you an update on our sales campaign.
As you all know, last time we discussed / talked about / went over the new schedule …
Giving a Speaker the Floor
Asking for Comments
Who has something to say to that last remark / comment / point?
Does anyone else have anything to say / to add / to contribute?
Who would like to make a comment?
Any further comments / points / remarks?
Comments, anyone?
Fielding Questions
Asking for Responses to Questions
Who’d like to answer / take / respond to the question?
Does anyone have an answer / response?
Could I have a response / reply to the question?
Let’s have some feedback on the last point.
Any comments?
Participating in a Group Discussion
As a participant in a group discussion, each member should:
try to make points clearly and concisely;
wait his/her turn to speak without interrupting unnecessarily;
avoid monopolizing the discussion even if he/she has a lot to say on the topic;
respect other people’s opinions and their right to these opinions;
respect the role of the leader and try not to take over.
Stating a Position
To state your position on an issue, refer to “Stating an Opinion” in Chapter 7.
Referring to Other Participants’ Points
As you said / put it / mentioned …
According to your opinion / your comment / what you’ve just said …
To refer to your last comment / point …
Asking a Question
Introducing an Opposing Argument
What you said may be possible / true, but if you look at / consider the facts …
I understand your position, but don’t you think …
I agree in principle, but you should consider …
Your point is well taken, but …
That’s a valid point, but …
I see your point, but …
On the other hand …
Making Contradictions
Your statement / remark clearly contradicts the evidence.
I’m afraid I have to contradict / challenge you on this.
If you look at the facts you’ll see that the opposite / the contrary is true.
Didn’t you know / weren’t you aware that the facts prove otherwise / the opposite?
That’s wrong / false / just not the case.
Contrary to what you said …
On the contrary …
Making Objections
Criticizing Your Opponent
It is clear / obvious to us that you are unable to see the difference between …
I’m afraid you lack a clear understanding of the importance of …
You don’t seem to grasp / realize the full importance of …
How can you possibly propose / believe such an idea!
Don’t you think you should be more open-minded?
Don’t be unfair.
Asking for Justification
I don’t know / see / understand how you’ve come up with that.
On what grounds do you make that assumption?
How did you come up with / arrive at / figure that?
Where did you get that idea / those facts?
What reason do you have to say that?
Why do you think so?
How come?
Responding to a Point or Question
If I may, I’d like to answer / respond / reply to the question / make a comment.
I’d like to address the point / the issue by saying that …
There’s something I’d like to say in response.
I want to / need to make something clear …
Redirecting a Question
What / how about you?
And you?
Yourself?
Interruptions
At some point in the discussion you may want to add a point or ask a question while someone else is speaking. Instead of butting in, there are phrases that you can use to interrupt politely and respectfully. On the other hand, there may be occasions when you need to be more direct.
Interrupting (Participants)
Reacting to Interruptions (Participants)
Handling Interruptions (Leader)
Clarification and Explanations
Asking for Clarification
Giving Clarification
What I mean / meant to say is we need to cut costs to stay competitive.
What I’m trying to say / to get at is …
This is how I see it …
I was really trying to say …
Let me clear this up / make this perfectly clear …
It’s as clear as / as plain as day.
Anyone can see that …
Asking for Explanations
Giving Explanations
Let me explain / put it differently / rephrase that.
To begin with this …
First of all …
For one thing / for another …
It’s like this …
That is to say …
Namely …
(See Chapter 7 for giving examples.)
Rephrasing
What I mean to / intended to say is …
Let me put it this way …
By this / that I mean …
In other words …
Another way to look at it . .
Misunderstandings
Asking for Repetition
Would you please repeat that / say that again / speak up / slow down?
Do you think you could repeat that / go over that again?
Could you run through that again?
I’m afraid we missed that / couldn’t hear / didn’t catch that.
I beg your pardon.
Pardon me.
Depending on the tone of voice, Pardon me or I beg your pardon can also mean I don’t believe what I’m hearing and indicates that the speaker is shocked, offended, or surprised.
Not Understanding
What are you getting at?
I think I’m missing something here.
That doesn’t seem to make sense.
I’m afraid I don’t understand.
That’s beyond me / over my head / all Greek to me.
I can’t make heads or tails of this.
I haven’t got the foggiest / faintest idea.
I don’t get / didn’t get that at all.
Can you say / put that in plain English?
Checking for Understanding
Confirming Understanding
So, what you’re saying is this …
So let me see if I’ve got this right …
So what you’ve said in fact is …
I understand / see / get it / hear you loud and clear.
I get the message / picture / idea / drift.
I see where you’re coming from / you’re going with this.
Right / all right.
Clearing Up a Misunderstanding
Managing the Discussion
When the discussion gets going, the leader will want to make sure that participants stay focused and on track and that not everyone talks at once. In the event of a heated discussion, a good leader may have to calm participants down and restore order.
Focusing on the Main Issue
The main / primary / real problem / issue / concern is how to raise more money.
The essence / crux of the matter / most important thing is …
It all comes down to …
The bottom line is …
Getting Attention
If you’ll excuse me / lend me an ear / pay attention for a moment.
Could I have your attention, please?
Would everyone stop talking for a moment?
Now everyone, listen to / hear this.
Attention, everybody!
Listen up!
Quiet now!
Getting Back on Track
Asking for Brevity
Could you be brief?
Could you get to the point / spare us the details?
How about putting that in fewer words?
What are you trying to say exactly?
What’s your point?
Cut to the chase.
Defusing a Situation
We’d better take a breather / a time-out first.
Maybe we should all cool off first.
Let’s calm down / keep a level head.
Let’s not jump off the deep end / get all wound up / get ahead of ourselves.
Let’s not fly off the handle / get carried away.
Don’t get your shirt / shorts in a knot.
Keep your shirt on!
Would you mind / watch your language?
That remark was uncalled for.
Restoring Order
Could we have some order please?
Will everyone calm down / settle down?
Let’s not all talk at once!
Quiet down!
Silence / order, please!
In Conclusion
Whereas an informal discussion can end in a simple summary or conclusion, a more formal discussion at work or in an organization will probably end in an official decision that requires members to make a motion and to vote.
Summarizing
To summarize / sum up / recap …
In brief / short / summary …
To make a long story short …
Long story short …
So far …
In a nutshell …
Drawing Conclusions
To conclude our discussion, it looks like the project will come in under budget after all.
Therefore / thus / so we can conclude that …
It’s safe to say that …
In conclusion …
All in all / all things considered …
Altogether / overall …
Therefore / thus …
The upshot is …
Last Words
Would anyone like to make one last comment?
Are there any last / final words on the matter?
Now is the chance to make a final comment.
This is your last chance.
Speak now, or forever hold your peace.
Any last comments?
Making a Motion
I’d like to move / to make a motion that we increase our membership fees by 10 percent.
I move / resolve that …
I second the motion.
Asking for a Vote or Consensus
Could we have a show of hands?
Who’s in favor / against?
Are we all in agreement?
All in favor say yes / yea.
All against say no / nay.
Are there any dissenters?
For / against?
Wrapping Up
I’d like to thank the participants for their input / contributions.
I appreciate your input / participation / contributions.
Thanks for coming / being here / taking part.
Good job, everybody.
Ending the Discussion
Dialogue: The Holiday Party
Underline or highlight the phrases from the chapter.
Will: Now that everyone’s here, I’d like to begin by thanking all of you for being on time. As you can see from the agenda, our first topic is this year’s Christmas party. Has anyone got any ideas they’d like to share?
Erin: Sure, I’d like to see us do something a little different this year.
Ken: Why, what’s wrong with going to the place we always go to?
Erin: Just that. It’s the same restaurant, same food, same atmosphere.
Ken: Far as I know you’re the only one who doesn’t like it.
Erin: Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say I didn’t like it.
Ken: Well, that’s what I understood.
Will: Let’s hear from the others, okay? Comments anyone?
Deb: I don’t have any objections to trying something else. Erin, what did you have in mind?
Erin: Well, for one thing we could have the party here—
Ken: Here? In the office? What for? We’re here all the time.
Will: Let Erin finish first, if you don’t mind, Ken.
Erin: As I was saying, we could have the party here, have the food catered, play some games, maybe even some music.
Deb: I think games would liven things up, and we’d all have a better chance to mix than when we’re stuck behind a table for a couple of hours.
Tina: I can see your point, Erin, but somebody would have to organize everything and that’s a lot of extra work.
Erin: I don’t mind.
Will: So, if I understand correctly, Erin, you’d like to take it on.
Erin: If it’s okay with everyone else, sure.
Tina: I’d be glad to give you a hand.
Will: Before we take a vote, does anyone have any further questions or anything to add?
Ben: Actually, if I could get a word in edgewise.
Will: The floor’s yours, Ben.
Ben: I’ve been thinking. If we had the food catered, there’d be more money for drinks, right?
Erin: I’d need an estimate on the catering, but we’d have money left over.
Tina: Will, I’ve got a question.
Will: Go ahead, Tina.
Tina: I don’t know how well games would go over, so I was wondering if you could tell us what you’re suggesting?
Erin: We don’t necessarily have to play games. Maybe I could come up with a contest.
Ken: Like guess the names of Santa’s reindeer?
Deb: C’mon, Ken. You don’t have to be sarcastic.
Will: Okay, everyone. Let’s remember it’s Christmas we’re talking about.
Tina: I know! Why don’t we exchange presents? We wouldn’t need to spend more than five to ten dollars.
Deb: Yeah, and someone can dress up like Santa Claus.
Will: Hey, now wait a minute. Don’t everybody look at me!
Topics for Practice
With a group of friends or classmates, discuss:
1. the details of a trip you’d like to take on a holiday weekend;
2. how you’d like to celebrate someone’s birthday, a wedding, or a special occasion;
3. how you would solve traffic problems in your city;
4. what you would do if you won the lottery as a group;
5. what changes you would like to see at school or work;
6. how you can prepare yourself for an emergency situation such as an earthquake, hurricane, or fire;
7. what steps you can take together to do something for the environment;
8. how you can raise money to support a charitable organization;
9. who you want to vote for in the next election, and what you could do to support the candidate;
10. how you can make the world a better place.