Speaking up in class at university can be a challenge. Communication Cafés and Discussion Skills Development are interactive sessions that will help you gain new confidence, while you connect with other students on campus, make friends, learn Academic English, and build oral communication competence – all in a fun atmosphere!
Communication Cafés
Communication Cafés are welcoming, dynamic workshops with games and interactive activities specially designed to help you improve your academic and oral communication skills.
Cafés:
Logical Fallacies
Being able to spot logical fallacies, or flaws in everyday and academic arguments is essential in communication and academic work. The games you play in this session will enable you to learn about fallacies in a fun way, and give you an invaluable experience with using, identifying or avoiding them. You will enjoy discovering how analytical you can be.
Expand your Success Network
Develop your higher-level critical thinking and communication skills through a fast-paced Networking game. You will find yourself seeing new interactions in a different light after this experience and gaining the confidence you need to expand your own success network at university and beyond.
Taking a Position and Developing Strong Arguments
Have you ever wished that you could present your arguments more effectively, both orally and in writing? In this workshop you can learn the skills you need while having a great deal of fun: use your critical thinking skills, learn useful expressions to help formulate arguments quickly and learn to present points in professional ways for oral and written assignments, class discussions, debates, and tutorials.
Interview Secrets
Learn secrets from the ‘other side of the table’ when you participate in this mock interview game. What do interviewers notice? What are interviewers looking for? What skills do you need to present yourself effectively in any interview or situation?
Qualify Yourself
Through this challenging mystery game you will learn how to use hedging strategies more effectively so that your academic communication (both oral and written) will reflect careful thought, precision and analysis.
Bring Out the Critical Thinker in You
Sharpen your critical thinking skills while developing your creativity, evaluative and argumentative skills. Through a lively game of cards and wits, learn more about evaluating evidence and building credible arguments.
What’s Your Story?
How can you present yourself as a confident and competitive applicant for scholarships, exchange programs, co-op positions, graduate school, and more? This interactive Communication Cafe will help you identify the wealth of skills you have acquired through your personal, professional and educational experience. Learn how to organize and synthesize those diverse skill-sets and experiences into a professional life story.
Presentation Skills
Improve your presentations and your presentation skills in this hands-on, interactive small-group Café. No need to worry: we’re here to help you become comfortable with public speaking and to help you work towards improving your presentations, presentational style and communication.
Creative Thinking and the Art of Persuasion
In this popular Café you will have the opportunity to sharpen your persuasive and critical thinking skills. Take some risks as you develop your skills in quick thinking, being persuasive and active listening.
Discussion Skills Development
These informal multimedia workshops explore exciting contemporary topics-- but even more importantly, they provide you with the opportunity to build your English language discussion skills while engaging critically with media and ideas. Bring a cup of coffee and activate your mind!
Sessions:
Social Networks
This session explores issues around the Internet using news broadcasts to explore ideas such as micro messaging, social networks and community action.
Culture and National Mythology
Commercials and video are used to generate discussion about the production of culture and national mythologies.
Busting Stress
Stress—we all feel it. How can we manage it, and could it actually be beneficial?
Rippin’ and Remixing: Music, Culture and Technology
Why is it that so much “current” music and other entertainment is actually a “remix” from earlier artifacts? When is this “art” -- and when is it a problem?
Global Warnings: Debating Science
This session takes a look at the climate change debate: how are debating strategies and vocabulary used by each side to persuade you?
Who Are the Millennials?
How is the current generation the same or different from previous ones?
Online Profiles and the Job Hunt
How do employers use social media to find new employees, and how can you “brand” yourself to take advantage of this?
Are We All Cyborgs Now?
Our use of technology is fundamentally augmenting the way we interact with others, process information, retain memories, and more. Does this make us all cyborgs?
Fan Cultures
Sports, music, movies, TV, video games, all generate enthusiastic fans, and the new technologies can enhance their closeness and can give them a voice. Is there a possible dark side?
How do I sign up?
Review the schedule of upcoming sessions for Communication Cafés and Discussion Skills Development on the right hand side of this page and sign up by clicking on the session title.
