How to Become an Active Participant in Classroom Discussions

The IELTS preparation schemes are crucial parts in attaining your desired band score. Lack of adequate IELTS preparation time and resources can negatively affect your performance in the actual examination. Hence, it is essential to enroll in IELTS online training courses to ensure maximum build-up for the high-stakes demands of the test. The IELTS online training sessions bridge the gap between the student’s instilled knowledge and the aspects they still need to improve in terms of English language proficiency.

Active learning is among the keys in leveraging your linguistic potential – especially if you are planning to take higher education courses in an English-speaking country such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. According to The President’s Council for Advisors on Science and Technology, active learning promotes information retention and exercises critical thinking. Thus, it is important to engage in lectures actively.


Ways to Boost Classroom Participation

1. Be prepared. Ensure that you have studied or at least browsed through your notes before your class. Lectures often start with the recall of previous subjects. Your professor will either conduct a brief discussion or engage students in question-and-answer. Coming to class ready saves you from asking inappropriate and less though of questions.


2. Build your arsenal. Actively listen to lectures and other student’s insights. Jot down notes and pose questions on your mind. Moreover, make sure that all your queries are answered before the lecture ends. Another strategy is to bank on your questions and reserve them for future discussions. Meanwhile, you can do research after class to save feed your curiosity.


3. Speak up. Forget your fears and do not be afraid to raise your hand or call the attention of your lecturer if you have questions in mind. Just ensure that your query is related to the topic. A lot of students are afraid of asking questions in large class because of insecurities fueled by fear. Keep in mind that there are no stupid questions. Speak up, and be heard.


4. Sit on the front row. Sitting in front increases concentration. With the instructor near you, it would be more difficult to be disoriented during discussions.


5. Do not overdo it. Though it always pays to ask questions and share your insights, over participation such as asking irrelevant topics and being too proud of your claims can give a poor impression. Stay active and reserved at the same time. You should know when to speak up and when to remain silent.


6. Keep an open mind. Classroom discussions can lead to heated debates especially if topics are prominent. Be sure to keep your cool, stand firm on your claims, but also critical in addressing other issues, and open in accepting other people’s opinion. After all, not everyone shares the same sentiment as you.

Classroom discussions open doors for new knowledge and wider perspective. Boost your courage and maximize your participation in lectures with the above mentioned tips.