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Be prepared!

Whether you are giving a presentation or taking part in a group discussion, you need to know what you are talking about. Only then will someone want to listen to you.

For Higher it is important to note that your ideas – the things you say – have to be detailed and complex. This is something your teacher will be looking out for

Don't be tempted to 'wing it'. It is very unlikely you will be able to come up with detailed and complex ideas on a given topic without preparation.

Practice to improve your spoken language skills

As with all skills-based activities, you will get better at spoken language the more you do it.

If you are asked to do a presentation and have never done one before, it is going to be nerve-wracking. There will be aspects that you may well need to try several times before you feel comfortable.

Likewise with group discussion: if you are not used to discussing complex topics, you will find a Higher English group discussion daunting. It is a good idea, then, to try to look for opportunities to practice your spoken language skills.

You could practise discussion by:

• get involved with your school debating society
• practise informal debates on (reasonably!) complex topics with your friends and family
• try discussing political topics that interest you or other issues from the news
• get together and discuss texts you are reading in class or topics from other subjects you are studying
• take time to discuss films or tv shows you have all watched

Group discussion

If you are being assessed for group discussion, this will be on a specific topic or question.

You can prepare by:

• making notes on the topic
• think about your opinion on it
• note some information to support your opinion
• think what other opinions people might have
• come up with some questions to ask others on the topic

You may well be asked to talk about some of the texts you have studied for Critical Reading, for example a discussion on themes.

Think about bringing in quotes or direct evidence from the text to back up the points you make. Or, you might want to bring up an important – or difficult – part of the text to talk it through.

This will help you in other areas of the course: discussing a text in this way is a great way to come to a better understanding of it.

It can be an advantage if your topic is on something that you have studied – e.g. your Scottish texts. You will know the texts well and be able to talk about the characters and the themes in a detailed and complex way.

One thing to remember about group discussion is that you do have to say something – it is important that you make a contribution, and you will only be able to do this if you have prepared some relevant ideas and/or information.

Presentation

Your teacher might give you a free choice on what topic to present on. This is your chance to explore something that really interests you, and share your enthusiasm with others.

Research your topic thoroughly to make sure you have enough detail and complexity in what you are saying.

Think about your audience;

• what, if anything, do they know about the topic already
• choose aspects and examples that would interest them most

This process of selection is very important if you want to keep your audience interested during your presentation. No one wants to listen to lists and lists of facts, for example.

And remember, with a presentation especially, all eyes will be on you, and if you have not prepared there will be nowhere to hide!