This lecture discusses group discussions, debates, and one minute presentations. It defines group discussions as an exchange of ideas between participants on a topic. The key aspects checked in group discussions are communication skills, open-mindedness, leadership, and social confidence. Debates involve a formal discussion where opposing sides argue the pros and cons of an issue. Debate rules require affirmative and negative teams to take turns giving constructive and rebuttal speeches to support their positions using evidence and logic.

1. L E C T U R E 2
G R O U P D I S C U S S I O N , D E B A T E A N D O N E
M I N U T E P R E S E N T A T I O N
UNIT 3

2. GROUP DISCUSSION
 Group discussion means the exchange of ideas by
participated candidates on a specific subject or topic.
 The whole concept is to bring collectively a unit of
people on a common platform to share their ideas.
 Group discussion (GD) is a comprehensive technique
to judge the suitability of an individual and his
appropriateness for admission, scholarship, job, etc.

3. GROUP DISCUSSION
 Group discussions may be defined as an activity in
which a small number of persons meet face to face
and exchange and share ideas freely or attempt to
reach a decision on a common issue.
 In a group discussion, each participant is free to
speak his views. A successful discussion involves
both listening and speaking

4. GROUP DISCUSSION-PROCESS
 GD assesses the overall personality – thoughts, feelings and
behaviour - of an individual in a group.
 GENERAL TOPICS:Current Affairs, Historical topics,
Sports, Arts & Literature,Data crunching etc.
 1. INTRODUCE Participants and rules
 2.Explain topic
 3.Ask questions
 4.Facilitate and encourage participants
 5.Handle problems and wrap up discussion

5. IMPORTANCE IN EDUCATION
 Enhance Critical Thinking
 Help with Understanding
 Improve Communication Skills
 Improve Interest
 Provide the Feedback

6. IMPORTANCE IN BUSINESS
 Suggestions
 Wide Approach
 Decision Making
 Exchange of Ideas
 Productive Activity

7. WHAT IS CHECKED IN GD?
How good you are at communicating with other
• How easily you behave and interact with the other
group members
• How open minded you are
• How flexible or rigid you are in accepting the view-
points of others in the group
• Your leadership skills
• Your skills at putting forth your ideas in an unbiased
manner
• Social attitude and confidence

8. WHAT TO DO?
 Think before you speak.
 Pick up clues from the discussion and intelligently add points
that come to your mind with regards to the topic, in case you
don’t know much about the topic.
 Back up your points with facts and figures if needed
 Speak to-the-point and make sure that you do not repeat the
points.
 Be calm and composed while speaking.
 Listening to others is also an important aspect of
participation in the group discussion, so listen to others.
 Have respectful attitude towards the viewpoints of others.
 Your body language should convey your ease of behaviour.

9. WHAT NOT TO DO?
 Do not initiate the discussion if you do not know the
topic well.
 Do not go overboard in exhibiting your knowledge even if
you know the topic well.
 Do not interrupt other members when they are speaking.
 Do not change your opinion about the topic just because
most of the other participants are having an opinion
different from yours.
 Do not ask irrelevant questions.
 Do not let your personal biases about the topic enter the
discussion

10. ADVANTAGES
 It provides a deeper understanding of the subject.
 It improves the ability to think critically.
 It provides different approaches to solving a
problem.
 It helps the group in taking a decision.
 It gives an opportunity to hear the opinions of other
persons.

11. PHRASES TO BE USED
 We have assembled here to discuss …
 We are here today to discuss …
Can you please give your views on?
 Sorry to interrupt you …
 Excuse me, but …
 Could I make a suggestion, please?
 Sorry to disagree with you …
 Please don’t interrupt. Let me finish
 Can you wait till I finish?
 I think we are moving away from the main point.

12. DEBATE
The definition of a debate is a formal discussion of the
opposing sides of a specific subject or a formal
contest of arguments. An example of debate is when
two people have a discussion about the pros and cons
of the death penalty and each person takes a
different side of the argument.

13. RULES OF DEBATE
 There are two teams, each consisting of two or three speakers.
 Each team has two or three constructive speeches, and two to three rebuttal
speeches. The affirmative gives the first constructive speech, and the
rebuttals alternate : negative, affirmative, negative, affirmative. The
affirmative has both the first and last speeches of the debate.
 When worded as a proposition of policy, the topic requires the affirmative
to support some specified action by some particular individual or group.
The affirmative has the right to make any reasonable definition of each of
the terms of the proposition.
 The affirmative must advocate everything required by the topic itself. No
revision of position of a team is permitted during the debate.
 He who asserts must prove. In order to establish an assertion, the team
must support it with enough evidence and logic to convince an intelligent
but previously uninformed person that it is more reasonable to believe the
assertion than to disbelieve it.
In the questioning period, the questioner may ask any fair, clear question
that has a direct bearing on the debate.