MUET GROUP DISCUSSION

Tips on knowing what should go on in a group discussion and how to take

part successfully in one.

Round 1 (INITIATION)

First Speaker
Greetings
Good morning again to examiners and fellow candidates.

Introduce the topic

Today we will discuss about the most difficult thing while growing up.

Initiate the discussion (state your viewpoint but don’t elaborate yet. Get
everyone else to state their viewpoints first).
For me personally, the most difficult thing while growing up is getting people to
understand us. Before I explain further on this maybe we could get everyone to
share first what they think is the most difficult while growing up. We can maintain
or change the viewpoints we presented in Task A earlier. So, what do you think is
the most difficult thing while growing up?
__________________________________________________________________

** What happens after the initiation stage:

1. Take turns to maintain viewpoints, provide further justification and persuade
others to agree with you.
2. Take turns to indicate a change in choice of viewpoints, provide justification
and persuade others to agree with you.
Style 1
Speaker 2 (Choose 1 most important view points)
Thank you Candidate A.
I think that the most difficult thing growing up is getting people to understand us. I
said this because of a few strong reasons.
Or
As I said in Task A, and I will say it again, the most difficult thing while growing up
is getting people to understand us.

Style 2
Speaker 3 (Combined/Classify the viewpoints according to order of
importance).
Thank you Candidate A.
Personally I think the most difficult things while growing up for me are meeting the
expectations of others and coping with disappointments. I find these 2 things to be
the most difficult because
first,_______________________________________________.
Secondly,
_____________________________________________________________
Thirdly,
_______________________________________________________________.

Style 3
Speaker 4 (Express agreements with points/Distinguish points you don’t
agree with).
For me, I agree with points 1,2 and 3 as the most difficult things we have to deal
with while growing up but I don’t think Point number 4 is the main difficulty we face
while growing up.
ROUND 2
MAINTENANCE
Respond to team members’ points.
Example : Compromise with other speakers
First Speaker
I agree with all of you. All four points are indeed very difficult to deal with while
growing up and after listening to Candidate B, I also feel that meeting the
expectations of others and coping with disappointments are more difficult than
getting people to understand us.
Second Speaker : Acknowledge other speaker’s contribution/thoughts.
Yes, Candidate A. Getting people to understand us is also a common difficulty but
we tend to outgrow the need for people to understand us as we grow older. We will
still be left with the feeling of having to meet the expectations of others especially
of our parents, teachers, friends and siblings all throughout our lives. And as we
grow older our rose tinted psychological lenses by which we see the world will start
to face as we have to learn to cope with numerous disappointments. We learn to
heal from heartbreaks, from academic failure and from friendship problems. All
these issues are real and they will either make or break us.

Third speaker: Compliment your team member and expand on your

points/express agreement.
Thank you candidate B for your very clear explanation. I really like the reasons that
you gave. I agree with you wholeheartedly. For me it’s the coping with
disappointments that I find the most difficult. As we grow older we face increasing
number and types of let downs in life and sometimes the disappointment is too
much that we feel broken in spirit and motivation. It is at this time we need the
supports of family and friends to help us to rebound from disappointments.
Fourth Speaker: Comment on other candidates’ points, build up on and
elaborate on points. Prioritize points.
I really enjoy listening to all of you and I can really relate to your explanation on
what you think as the most difficult things while growing up. However, while I do
feel that all 4 issues pose real difficulties while growing up but for me the most
difficult thing while growing up is coping with disappointments. You see I am a very
serious person. I like to plan things. I like to set targets. I always expect the best
from things and people around me. So, sometimes when things go wrong I will feel
very disappointed. When I fail to attain my target marks in exam I will feel so
down. When my friends let me down I will feel so bad. When my parents can’t fulfil
my needs and hopes I will feel so down. And my heart will hurt so badly when the
friends I love or care about hurt my feelings. So for me the most difficult thing
while growing up is coping with disappointments.
Level 3: Negotiate towards a group decision.

RESOLUTION/NEGOTIATION.
First speaker
So, after listening to everyone, why don’t we rank these 4 issues from the most
difficult to the least difficult and then we will come to a group conclusion.
Which one do think is the most difficult?
Candidate B,C and D?

Or
Everyone seem to have differing opinion on this issue. Why don’t we talk about
what in real life would be the most difficult for most people while they are growing
up?

*Each gives answers and justify their answers.

Level 4: Wrapping Up and Closing/Ending

Conclusion
First Speaker,
So it looks like most of us think that the most difficult thing growing up
is___________________________.
Or
So, the 3 of us seem to agree unanimously that ________________________.
Most of us seem to think that ___________________________is the most difficult
thing while growing up.

Closing
Looks like we have come to the end of the discussion. Thank you very much for
your contribution.