Topic: Speaking in Small Groups (5)

10-second review: A three-part article taken from my book, Teaching English, How To…., (Xlibris, 2004) consisting of my approach to teaching formal speech, engaging in small-group activities and responding to interview questions, especially job interviews.

Title: “How Can Teachers Help Students Overcome Their Fear of Speaking in Public?” Teaching English, How To…. Raymond Stopper. Xlibris, 2004. pp. 297-305.

Discussion of these small-group roles is always interesting.

To familiarize students with these roles, Litsey suggests having students view a video tape of a group discussion. Each student in the class is assigned to observe one of the members of the group. After viewing the discussion, the students fill out the following evaluation form:

Name of rater:
Name of Participant:

Directions: Circle the number which you think most closely approximates the extent to which the “ratee” has been each of the following:

1. Initiating: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
2. Information Seeking: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
3. Information Giving: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
4. Clarifying, Elaborating: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
5. Summarizing: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
6. Consensus Testing: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
7. Encouraging: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
8. Expressing Group Feelings: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
9. Harmonizing: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
10. Compromising: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
11. Gate Keeping: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
12. Setting Standards: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
13. Blocking: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
14. Aggressiveness: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
15. Seeking Recognition: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
16, Playboy: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
17. Deserter: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal
18. Dominating: Not at all. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) A Great Deal

Another way in which to familiarize students with these roles would be to stage a small group discussion in which each student in the group plays one of the roles.

After participating in a group discussion or project, students could rate themselves, using the above scale, on which roles they think they played.

Litsey also suggests an evaluation form to be completed by each individual at the conclusion of a group discussion or project:

Our Effectiveness as a Group

Scale (from low to high): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Members of the group felt free to state their real opinions: ……….
2. The group defined its task: ……….
3. All members accepted the responsibility for the outcome of the meeting or project: ……….
4. All members of the group were productive: ……….
5. All members of the group feel positive about the work in this session: ……….

Copyright (1969) by the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with Permission.

Teaching students how to work in small groups requires a complete teaching effort. Like it or not, participating cooperatively in small groups is how the work of business and democracy is accomplished. Students need to learn how to help small groups work cohesively.

Comment: After reviewing Litsey’s excellent discussion of roles in small-group work, I think I would initially take time to have students reduce each role to some kind of two or three key words that clarify Litsey's labels before beginning to practice rating the roles in a small-group discussion. RayS.