FC502-3T
Practice Group Discussion
Spring 2016
Date: Week 3 lesson 2/3

Task: prepare notes for and participate in a group discussion on the question below. Number of students: 3-5; duration of discussion: 10-20 minutes depending on group size (to be confirmed by your tutor).

What are the main reasons for the gender gap in pay and what are the best ways of narrowing the gap?

In your discussion you should • demonstrate an understanding of the gender gap and its consequences; • give specific examples from one or more countries; • present your position on the questions asked above • support your position with examples/evidence from academic sources; • suggest at least one possible method for narrowing the gender gap; • support this method with material from data and text sources.

You may have notes with you during the discussion, but you should not read directly from them; you must be able to speak independently of your notes. You do not have to reach a group consensus (agreement) at the end of the discussion, but you should listen and respond to other students’ point of view. Your group must continue the discussion for the time allotted without help from your tutor.

This discussion is not assessed, but it is a chance to practise the skills you will need for the assessed discussion later in this module. Your classmates and tutor will give you feedback on your individual contribution and performance. We will be paying attention to the following formal discussion skills: • ability to contribute ideas relevant to the topic • ability to express your position and support it with academic evidence • ability to interact with other group members: evidence of listening to the opinions of the other students and responding accordingly • ability to take equal turns (including bringing other participants into the discussion) and use of turn-taking language.