Presented by IrshatMadyarov,

Teaching assistant inthe Intensive English Program,

West VirginiaUniversity

irshat@yahoo.com

SuccessfulConsultation Skills Activity

The idea was adapted from the Unfortunate Teacher Typesactivity offered at a Teacher Training Seminar facilitated by Kevin McCaugheyat Orenburg State University, Russia, March, 2001.

Level: intermediateto advanced.

Time: 50 min.

The purpose of thisactivity is to provide students with necessary skills for an effectiveconsultation and give an opportunity to practice these skills in acollaborative task.

Procedure:

1.   Open a discussion aboutconsultation skills. A situation where such skills will be needed would behelpful (e.g., a family of 3-4 people deciding how to spend their summervacation; friends thinking where to go on the weekend, etc.). You might haveyour students brainstorm some qualities that would facilitate a healthyconstructive consultation (e.g., beingclear when explaining your opinion, listening to others, not being selfish,respecting opinions of others, etc.).

2.   Students read the descriptions ofthe unfortunate negotiator types (attached). Make sure they understand eachdescription.

3.   Divide the students into groups of4 to 6. Each student chooses a piece of paper on which is written onenegotiator type. Ask students not to reveal their negotiator type.

4.   Each group role-plays aconsultation, each student taking on the role of his/her unfortunate negotiatortype. Topics and situations can be chosen depending on the theme of the lessonand distributed on paper to each group.

      Example:You are a group of tourists visiting Paris. None of you speaks French, and youhave only one guide. You have time to visit one of the following places: 1)Disney Land; 2) The Grand Louvre, 3) Cityrama tour: Notre-Dame Cathedral,Square Sarbonne, Eiffel Tower, Opera square; 4) going to the Opera Notre-Damede Paris).

      When finished,the students try to guess who was acting which negotiator type.

5.   Once all the groups perform,students get a collaborative task which is similar to the previous activityexcept that in this case the students should try to consult in a most efficientand successful way. Again, the situations can be tailored to the current themeof the lesson, but complicated enough to inspire the students for a longerconsultation.

Unfortunatenegotiator types

The pushy ones arealways bursting with ideas, but are too enthusiastic and preoccupied withthemselves to let anybody else suggest anything different from their own ideas.They might get offended when interrupted or opposed by others. However, theyhave immense potential to be successful negotiators if they are encouraged tolisten to others and respect their opinions.

The conformistsdread suggesting anything new. Rather, they tend to agree with others. Mostlikely, these negotiators underestimate their capacities. They should bereminded that however crazy or silly their ideas might sound they allcontribute to the solution of the problem. In fact, these types of negotiatorscan be excellent peace-makers in the group, provided they learn how to beindependent of others.

The side-trackersmight seem like the Pushy ones in that they are often full of energy. However,the trick about these negotiators is that they enjoy unpredictably switchingthe main topic of the discussion to a completely unrelated area ending upsharing a story or a joke they heard the other day. Their enthusiasm should beused for the benefit of the consultation. So make sure you politely interruptthem and bring them back on the right track.

The under-explainersseem to know something important but either for the lack of confidence orcommunicative skills nobody can get their point. Its a good idea to be patientwith them, encourage, and support them by asking clarifying questions. Despitetheir indecisive look, they might suggest unexpectedly valuable ideas.

The over-explainersare the opposite of the previous. They indulge in getting across their ideas.Their explanations are too long, detailed, confusing, and often discourageothers. They should be politely reminded to stick to the point.

The hurriers go muchtoo fast. This can make the consultation tense and panicky. Sometimes, they arebig troublemakers. They should be calmed down and reminded that hurrying wontdo any good. In fact, their participation can be really helpful when theconsultation gets bogged down in useless details or is affected by theSide-tracker. Here, they can significantly accelerate the flow of thediscussion.