Post on 28-Dec-2015
STARTING AN ACADEMIC CONVERSATION
What is an academic conversation? How do you start one?
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Warm-Up
Look at the picture. What are these students doing?
Discuss Response
What do you think they are talking about?
Academic or Social?
Academic Conversations Focus on a school subject or
ideas
Often started by a teacher who asks a question about something you are studying
Sometimes, prompted by a student
Also referred to as an “academic discussion”
How do you begin an academic conversation?
Start with a statement about a school subject or idea.
Follow up with a question that can’t be answered “yes” or “no.”
Examples
Statement Follow-Up QuestionI think the main idea of this [book, film, article, etc.] might be ___________.
What do you think?
I think the author is trying to ___________.
What are your ideas?
I think ___________ is one of the lessons we can learn from ___________.
How do you feel about that?
Academic Conversation Tips
In summary …
- An academic conversation is a discussion about a school subject or ideas.
- A teacher often begins an academic conversation by asking a question about something you are studying.
- Follow-up questions should be questions that can’t be answered “yes” or “no.”
For Reference and More Practice …
Refer to the Starting an Academic Conversation Student Reference Sheet.
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