Tips for Being A More Effective Tutor

Managing Discussion Activities

Discussion activities help your learner practice listening and speaking skills in English. To help your learner get the most from these activities, we suggest: 

• That you give learners time to understand and think about each question before expecting an answer.  Consider that learners from some cultures need more “wait time” than others (at least 5 seconds) before feeling confident enough to speak. 
• If some learners continue to be silent, stop and make sure that they understand the question. You may need to rephrase the question or speak more slowly.  It may be helpful to give learners a few minutes to prepare their answers before the discussion activity begins. 
• If you assign groups of learners for the discussion, remember that pairs often produce more discussion than groups, especially when working with more reticent learners.  When you do assign groups of 3 or more, assign a group discussion leader who is responsible for making sure that everyone in the group takes a turn talking.

http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/cooplearning.htm