Placement Readiness Weeks
The quiet students are not the weak ones. They have not been asked.
In a large class, a few students do the speaking. In a group discussion round, that is not enough. This session splits the batch into small groups, so that each student speaks, listens and gets feedback from a person who has sat on the other side of the table.
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Students who know the subject often cannot say it aloud.
Many students understand their subject well and still struggle in a round that asks them to speak in front of others. The reasons are ordinary: no practice, fear of being wrong, a second language, a habit of waiting to be asked.
A group discussion is not a debate and not a contest. A reader of the discussion looks for people who listen, who add something, who stay calm when disagreed with, and who help the group reach an end. None of these is a talent. All of them can be practised.
The session is built so that a quiet student gets the same practice as a confident one.
What the session practises
21 topics across 5 areas. Five parts, with a short round of practice after each.
Speaking UpSaying the first sentence.4
- Starting a response without apologising
- Speaking in short sentences
- Pace, volume and where to look
- Using the language you are comfortable in, and building from there
The aim is clear speech, not an accent or a fluent-sounding speech.
ListeningHalf of a group discussion.4
- Hearing what has been said before adding to it
- Referring to another person's point by name
- Disagreeing without raising your voice
- Noticing who has not spoken, and inviting them in
Taking Part in a Group DiscussionWhat those watching are looking at.5
Practice topics are ordinary ones, such as current events or workplace situations. Students are not expected to know special facts. They are expected to think aloud, in an order.
- Starting, adding, summarising and closing
- Making a point with a reason and an example
- Staying on the topic
- Handling someone who talks over everyone
- Handling silence in the group
Explaining YourselfThe short answers that come up everywhere.4
- Introducing yourself in under a minute
- Describing a project in three sentences
- Saying what you do not know without losing the room
- Asking for a question to be repeated
FeedbackSpecific and kind.4
- One thing that went well, said to each student
- One thing to practise before the real round
- Notes the student can keep
- A way to practise alone or with friends
Feedback is about the speaking, not the person.
Habits we usually see, and work on
- Waiting for a perfect sentence and never speaking
- Speaking first and loudest to be noticed
- Memorised answers that do not fit the question
- Looking at the floor, or only at the volunteer
- Not listening, because the next point is being prepared
What students leave with
- Experience of at least one full practice round
- A personal list of two or three habits to work on
- A short introduction they have spoken aloud
- A way to practise with friends in the weeks ahead
How the session runs
The batch is divided into small groups of about the size that lets everyone speak. A working professional sits with each group, observes a short discussion, and gives feedback. The group size, the number of volunteers and the time are agreed with the college beforehand. Volunteers may describe their own work and how they judge a discussion. They may not sell anything.
What your students leave with
- Students have spoken in a group, not only watched one
- A clear idea of how a group discussion is observed
- Practice starting, adding to a point and closing a discussion
- Feedback from a working professional, in plain words
- A few habits to practise on their own before the real round
- A view for the college of how the batch speaks, as a whole
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Every student should have spoken in a group before the group discussion that counts.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.