ESE Reviewer
ESE Reviewer
- This course aims to enhance the students’ English language skills to adapt to the changing
communication environment. Intensive lessons in listening, speaking, reading, viewing, writing,
and representing will be conducted throughout the course to upgrade the students’ language
proficiency for more effective use of communication resources and platforms.
-
Learning Outcomes
After completing Learning Module 1, Listening Skills, the learners must be able to generate
meaning from texts listened to. Specifically, each Learning Packet targets a respective learning
outcome as follows:
However, in spite of the apparent importance of listening, a lot of people take it for granted
because there are misconceptions about what listening really is. Many believe that listening
skill is too simple that it is negligible, while others think that it is too layered that there is no
way to go about it. Communication experts agree that listening can be better understood by
unraveling its complexities. First, listening is not a natural process. Like speaking, it requires
preparation and practice. As speakers need to prepare to clearly deliver a message, listeners
need to train how to accurately draw meaning from what they hear. Second, listening is not the
same as mere hearing. On the one hand, hearing requires healthy ears that involuntarily receive
sounds. On the other hand, listening requires more than just receiving sounds; it demands
focus, mental processing, storing of information and, in most cases, reacting to stimuli. Even
when the ears are equipped with mechanisms for hearing, it does not entail an understanding
of the message. Lastly, listening requires effort. Notice how some of us complain about getting
tired of listening. While the expression sounds metaphorical, there is a practical explanation
about it. We actually use energy while we sit down and listen. Filtering unnecessary sounds,
thinking about the meaning of the word we hear, remembering information that we find useful,
and preparing to respond to the message we receive are just some of the steps we take when
we do our job as listeners. Thus, when we listen, we go through the various stages of the entire
process of listening.
Listening is fundamental to effective communication, so we should never set it aside. Likewise,
listening is not a simple task, but instead of being overwhelmed, we should challenge ourselves
to develop listening strategies. To do it, we need to begin by exploring the stages we put
ourselves in when we listen. The activity that follows
Brief Lesson. You may have observed that the first three stages of the listening process are
fixed. They should come in the same order all the time. The last two stages, however, can be
skipped. While it is common for the last two stages to occur, remembering can be omitted if a
situation only requires immediate response. Likewise, responding may not be necessary if the
situation only demands you to remember some information.
1. Receiving is a physiological process where the sound waves enter the hearing mechanism.
The ears are usually sensitive to very loud sounds such as screams, explosion, and alarm that
can cause feelings of shock or surprise.
2. Attending is the conscious process of filtering other sounds and paying attention to a specific
sound. It can be done by mentally concentrating, asking the people around to be silent, or
turning down the volume of the music in the background.
3. Understanding refers to the process of making meaning; the listener either gets meaning
from or gives meaning to the message. To ensure accurate understanding, the listener can also
ask questions for clarification.
4. Remembering is the storing in memory the information gathered from listening and
retrieving it when needed. It is an indication that listening is effective.
5. Responding is the reaction to the message listened to. An accurate response also indicates
effective listening. It can be an action to execute a command or an answer to a question.
M1 Course Packet 2: Listening for Information
Introduction
The type of listening individuals employ is determined by their goals. In every situation, we can
set our purpose for listening. If we want to know about important details, learn how things are
done, gather useful data, or identify helpful facts, we are likely to perform informational
listening.
You will encounter other types of listening as you complete this module, but this learning
packet will focus on informational listening alone. Our aim is to develop the ability to record
facts, details, and instructions presented in the texts that we will listen to.
Brief Lesson. Three types of information are presented in the materials we just listened to.
Below, you will find their definitions from some academic references.
Description translates images and other visual information into spoken words so that
listeners can access, enjoy, and learn from works of popular, cultural, or educational
importance.
2. Pay attention to descriptive words. Nouns, adjectives, and verbs carry the central meaning
of a statement. These content words, especially adjectives, will likely lead you to the
descriptions you are looking for.
3. Link descriptions with other words in the material. Connecting the meaning of content
words will help you understand what the material is talking about and where it is taking you.
Descriptions can be implicitly or explicitly stated, so make sure to be sensitive to the meaning of
content words.
4. Organize the descriptions you gather. Writing down the descriptions drawn from the
material or using mental codes will help you organize pieces of the information and make you
remember them better.
5. Prioritize the descriptive details that you need. A single material may contain a lot of
information that are not relevant to your purpose, so it is important to choose those that you
find most helpful to avoid information overload.
Factual Information is information that solely deals with what is supported by pieces of
evidence. It is short and non-explanatory.
1. Identify your purpose for listening to materials that contain facts. Knowing what specific
fact you are looking for is the first step to gathering essential information.
4. Record factual information exactly as stated. Facts need to be handled objectively and
writing down the exact words or numbers will help you remember details as accurately as
possible.
5. Arrange facts according to importance. Factual details may be overwhelming, so you have to
sort the details into the information you need for the purpose you set and the information you
might find helpful for later use.
Instructions are information that contain commands and explanations on how to behave or
to complete a task.
1. Set your mind to the task. Remember that the reason for listening to instructions is to
translate into actions the commands to be given.
2. Focus on imperative verbs. Instructions are expressed as verbs or actions that you need to
perform. Your familiarity with phrasal verbs will help you a lot as they can sometimes be tricky.
3. Be mindful of other details. Prepositional phrases and adverbs are crucial to instructions as
well. They tell you where and how the action should be done.
4. Take note of the sequence. Instructions are to be carried out according to the order the task
should be done, so it is important to take note of chronology markers such as first, second,
then, and the likes.
5. Ask for clarification. To make sure that you will be able to perform the instructions as
required, you may ask for further instructions.
M1 Course Packet 3: Critical Listening
Introduction
The academe is a space for different kinds of messages, from very scholarly and formal to some
random and informal ones. Part of being a good listener is learning how to handle these
messages and distinguish what should be taken seriously and what can be taken lightly.
The type of listening that can help us discriminate messages is critical listening. It is the rational
process of evaluating the information presented by a text. Critical listening involves careful and
systematic reasoning to decide whether a message is valid based on factual evidence.
In this learning packet, we will listen to reports, opinions, and campaigns to test how critical we
are as listeners and how capable we are in making sound judgments.
Lesson Proper
Review. Information materials are everywhere and being familiar with them is the first step to
becoming aware of the potent message they carry. In the pre-assessment activity, three (3)
materials were introduced. These are reports, opinion texts, and online campaigns.
Brief Lesson. Critical listening can be learned with practice but it is a complex skill to develop.
One of the common mistakes when listening to reports, opinions and campaigns is taking the
information as it is even if it conflicts with one’s personal knowledge and values. Worse than
this is when people begin to share the information without discerning the difference between
factual and fake ones. In order to arrive at a sound understanding of information drawn from
reports, opinions, and campaigns, this learning packet offers five (5) helpful strategies.
2. Avoid making assumptions. Some listeners fail to achieve a critical standpoint about an issue
or a topic because they have already formed their own assumptions prior to listening to a
message. Critical listening only works when maintaining an objective viewpoint while listening.
3. Keep an open mind. Being receptive to information allows you to understand and weigh
more ideas. When your mind is clouded with pre-conceived notions, you will not be able to see
new insights clearly.
4. Relate old ideas to new ones. Making effective comparisons between what you already
know and what the new material is telling you can deepen your understanding of a subject.
Relating old ideas with new ones can improve what you already know and add fresh inputs to
your way of thinking.
5. Take Notes. Your attempt to carefully record the important details will help you reflect
accurately on the meanings of information. It will also help you do a little more research about
the matter.
Introduction
Conversation is a significant part of our everyday lives. We always feel the need to converse to
express our thoughts. In fact, there are times when we like to keep the conversation going with
someone who gives us the feeling of great happiness but, without the ability to maintain
interaction and the lack of topics to talk about, that person bids goodbye sooner than we
wants.
Maintaining the conversation flow going and substantive is an essential skill that can be learned
through practice. Conversation flow is the smooth exchange of ideas moving from one topic to
the next continuously as the speakers take turns.
Turn-taking occurs in a conversation when one person listens while the other person speaks. As
the conversation progresses, the listener and speaker roles are exchanged back and forth in the
cyclical process of communication.
The ability to use turn-taking techniques is an essential tool in maintaining social relationships
between parties in a conversation. Using turn-taking techniques will not only make the
conversation smoothly flowing but will also minimize overlapping talk and dead silence in
between. These techniques are especially helpful when the topics are getting out of hand as
they will tell you how to raise a question, how to request clarification, how to accept/decline,
how to agree/disagree, how to give an opinion and how to correct oneself/others. Finally,
carrying a conversation is as important as the ability to terminate a conversation from where
everyone leaves happily and contented.
Get ready to plunge into this packet and learn how to engage in a conversation effectively.
Impress as you express!
Lesson Proper
Review. You have learned various listening strategies from Module 01. You can certainly
understand and organize information better than you used to. After improving your listening
skills, you are now a step closer to effortlessly carrying a conversation with another English
speaker. But how long can you keep the discussion going? The reason this question is important
is that, ultimately, this is exactly what you hope to accomplish: you want to gain the level of
proficiency that will allow you to engage in a meaningful and productive conversation. To reach
this level of proficiency, the ability to take longer turns and turn-taking skills are absolutely
essential.
Before we move to the turn-taking techniques, here are some reminders about conversation
dos and don’ts:
• Keep your purpose in mind. Your purpose must guide you in asking the right questions and
giving correct responses in a conversation.
• Prepare your questions. Make sure that you have prepared an outline of what to ask either
written down or in your mental notes.
• Use deductive approach. After throwing a general question or giving out a broad answer,
follow it up with specific ones.
• Use open-ended questions. This type of question will likely develop an open conversation.
• Connect. Use words from other speaker’s statements in the formulation of your questions or
responses.
• Avoid leading statements. Use unbiased statements to keep the conversation fair for
everyone.
• Never open a topic that is too personal. Respect other people’s privacy the same way you
want yours respected.
• Do not cut speakers. Allow the speaker to finish their statements in order to fully understand
what they want to say.
Brief Lesson. Effective speakers always look for ways to continuously develop their skills in
starting and maintaining good conversation flow, which means engaging in oral communication
effortlessly. A good conversation is where one does not feel anxious at any point, but rather
listens and responds with ease.
As every conversation is unique, you need to increase your awareness on the different
techniques that apply to various types of conversation. Have you experienced being in a group
where one has been talking earnestly alone for almost an hour with all the others just listening
because no one could butt in? Surely, it would be improper to say, “Can you please shut up?” to
stop the person from talking?
Given the situation above, learning how and when to raise a question seems to be the most
basic technique in keeping the conversation engaging. From a single question, everything else
may follow. Finally, the conversation can come to an end by politely closing the discussion. So,
let’s begin talking about these strategies:
A. Turn-Taking Techniques
1. Raising a question. When you ask someone a direct question, they receive a signal that they
are to take their turn and start sharing their thoughts.
Let’s take a look at the conversation between Ja and Lei as an example:
Ja: People in this pandemic time develop different hobbies. What hobby have you
Lei: I give ample time to my paintings. Doing a bit more color. How about you?
Sorry, but I would just like to clarify what you mean by...
In addition, here are some examples of the use of rising intonation as a form of request for
clarification:
Finally, questions can be formulated to ask for clarification just like the ones below:
Jun: We have to decide now whether to put “blended” learning or “flexible” learning
to the title of our essay.
Arwa: Would it be alright if you explain to me the difference between “flexible” and
“blended” learning? Could you explain the difference? May I ask how to distinguish
the two? I’m sorry, but are they different?
3. Accepting or declining. As a member of the group, you do not always have to agree with
everyone. In fact, a productive conversation is where different ideas are brought together to
arrive at a balanced view about a matter, which is possible when the act of accepting and
declining are clearly expressed by everyone. In addition, it is important to note that when you
accept a suggestion or a statement, there is a need to provide an explanation; when you decline
a suggestion or statement, you must give an alternative.
Note that we refer to the idea and not the person when we accept or decline. Some helpful
That was a great idea! What you said was what we needed because...
I appreciate the idea, but as of the moment, what we are looking for is...
Let us consider the suggestion later. Right now, we need more suggestions
When you agree with others, you are giving support to their statements or suggestions. When
you disagree, you invite them to think further and improve their statements and suggestions.
Agreeing or disagreeing will make the conversation lively and engaging. However, we must
remember to always be polite and sensitive to the feelings of others.
Here are some phrases you can use to agree on a statement or suggestion:
On the other hand, here are some phrases you can use to disagree on a statement or
suggestion:
I get the point, but the suggestion contradicts with... so I have to disagree.
The idea was well stated, but it seemed unreasonable at this time because...
Probably, the proposal has advantages, but these are the sure disadvantages...
5. Giving and asking for an opinion. Opinions give new insights and different perspectives to
the discussion. It is essentially beneficial to the group if they will hear various relevant opinions
when making a decision, formulating a proposal, planning a project, and the likes.
When you want to ask for other people’s opinion, you can say:
6. Correcting oneself/others. Conversations are typically free flowing, so lapses are always
possible. Committing mistakes while talking is inevitable and does not make one an ineffective
speaker. What matters is what a person does after making mistakes. People often admire
speakers who are honest if they say something wrong or reacted inaccurately about a
statement because they have the willingness to correct themselves. For others, it takes one
person to realize the mistakes in their statements or ideas, so it is better if a member of the
group will respectfully correct them.
I did not realize that I was wrong until... Sorry about that.
B. Topic Control
Topic control is a communicative strategy used to control and prevent unnecessary
interruptions and topic shifts in a certain conversation. Topic shifting is a diversionary tactic in
which one person in a discussion manages to subtly change the discussion's topic to another
without explicitly announcing the change of subject or reaching any kind of mutual agreement
that such a change is appropriate. Topic control is considered a necessary procedural formality
to ensure relevant development of certain topics in particular discussion or conversation.
May I suggest that the discussion on.... be set as an agendum for another meeting?
I would like to recommend another meeting for the matter brought up by...
C. Terminating a Conversation
Equally important as starting and maintaining the exchange of talk is terminating the
conversation harmoniously. A good conversation flow occurs not only when everybody
smoothly takes their turns and the topic is maintained but also when the conversation ends
with the feeling of satisfaction that something is accomplished and the parties involved feel
good about putting the conversation to a conclusion.
For a casual conversation, using the marker “so” and expressing how you feel about the
conversation is good enough as an ending. You may also add your anticipation of possibly
meeting the person again. For formal meeting, presenting a summary is a perfect way of ending
the discussion. You may say:
Thank you for the very productive discussion. So, it is decided that...
Your contribution to the discussion is definitely helpful. Before we end, please allow
me to reiterate the following...
It is such a breath of fresh air listening to all your ideas. As we end the meeting, let me
read to you my notes to make sure I don’t miss any important details.
• Drop unfamiliar words. Avoid using technical words that are not in the area of your listeners.
Use layman’s terms.
Introduction
Parliamentary procedures is a set of well proven rules designed to move business along in a
meeting while maintaining harmony and order. Its purpose is to help groups accomplish their
tasks through an orderly, democratic process. Parliamentary procedures is not intended to
inhibit a meeting with unnecessary rules or to prevent people from expressing their opinions. It
is intended to facilitate the smooth functioning of the meeting and promote cooperation and
harmony among members.
Lesson Proper
One of the best ways to help us realize the significance of parliamentary procedures is to recall
how many times we have attended a meeting that ran on and on and did not accomplish
anything. The meeting jumped from one topic to another without arriving at a specific decision.
Group members disrupted the meeting with their own personal agenda as arguments erupted
here and there. A few people make all the decisions and ignore everyone else’s opinions.
Everyone leaves the meeting feeling frustrated. These are the same scenarios that can happen
without parliamentary procedures.
Parliamentary procedures is key to turning your unproductive, frustrating meetings into a
concrete and definite step to achieving your group’s target.
The Parliamentary Procedures is an intricate set of rules that govern a formal meeting.
assumed to have the right to participate in the discussion before anyone may speak the second
time around and have the right to know what is going on at all times. It also ensures that
majority will rule and protects the right of the minority and the absentees. To ensure order in
the conduct of the meeting, only urgent matters may interrupt a speaker and only one thing or
Before we continue, it is worth noting that parliamentary procedures require that each decision
to be made by an assembly be presented in the form of a Motion which is expressed by saying:
“I move that...”
- A motion that needs action of the assembly requires a second that is expressed by
saying:
1. Call to Order
- It is the term used to formally announce that the meeting shall begin.
“Good morning/afternoon/evening! It is (state the time) and I shall call the (date)
meeting of the (name of the organization/group) to order. Roll call, please.”
- The secretary calls each member by name, noting their presence or absence at the meeting
then announces to the chair:
- An agenda is essentially a proposed program or listing of the events and items to discuss in the
meeting. Each item in the list can be called an agendum (singular), hence you can also say that,
for example, the list contains three agenda (plural).
- The agenda has to be decided before the meeting and must be circulated to all members.
- The agenda may be amended either before or after they are adopted. The agenda in the list
remain to be a proposal until the meeting adopts them.
- Before the adoption, the motion to make changes in the agenda (i.e. add, delete or rearrange)
can be made but it must have the approval of simple majority (more yes than no) to pass.
- After the adoption, the motion to make changes in the agenda (i.e. add, delete or rearrange)
can be made but it must have the approval of larger majority or two-thirds of the members to
pass.
- Each item on the agenda will come before the meeting unless time runs out. A motion to
discuss the agenda at the next meeting can be made.
- The minutes of the previous meeting shall be read by the secretary if copies are not
distributed to the members to check for errors in or omissions from the minutes.
- If there are no mistakes, a member should make the motion to approve the minutes by saying:
“I move that the minutes of the (date) meeting of the (name of the
organization/group) be approved as printed/read.”
- Should any member notice mistakes in the minutes, it would be proper to point them out. The
secretary then would make the necessary correction. The motion will then be:
“I move that the minutes of the (date) meeting of the (name of the
organization/group) be approved as amended.”
5. Reports of Officers
- In some cases, the summary of the minutes of the previous meeting of the executive
committee are read by the secretary to inform the membership on the matters it handled. Any
member may raise a question that the executives will deal with in their next meeting or will be
set as one of the agenda in the next general meeting. This is unusual yet a positive indication of
the necessary subservience of the executive committee to the membership as a whole. Finally,
the minutes of the executive meeting is for information only and not for adoption during a
general meeting.
- The chairperson can call upon the treasurer to present a report on the finances of the
organization. This may include disbursements, bills and the balance of money held in the
account. A more detailed report is required during the annual meeting where the audited
annual report shall be properly adopted.
- The secretary, in consultation with the chairperson, reads the prepared summary of
correspondence sent to the organization. Those that require action by the meeting may be
delayed until “New Business” or may be discussed after reading as respectively determined by
the chairperson. Each letter that requires action will need a separate motion. Letters that do
not require action is usually summarized and will just need one motion to be received and be
filed.
6. Unfinished Business
- The chairperson shall remind the members of the history of an unfinished (or old) business
before discussion begins. This business is postponed from a previous meeting or pending when
the last meeting adjourned.
- The committee reports should be read from a written form that can be placed in the
organization’s files.
- The adoption of the agenda guaranteed that the report will be heard, hence there is no need
for motion to receive a committee report.
- However, amendments may be recommended by any member and the committee chair may
move any recommendation on behalf of the committee.
8. New Business
- Only the items on the agenda are discussed after all the unfinished business has been
disposed of.
- Various motions usually occur in this part of the meeting (see list below).
- A special speaker is sometimes invited to the meeting of the organization. The talk, however,
may be held before the official business begins to save the speaker from staying too long at the
meeting. In some cases, the chairperson may assign a program chairperson at this point.
10. Announcements
- Committee chairs and others may be given the opportunity to make special announcements
by the chairperson.
12. Adjournment
- To adjourn is a “privileged” motion that is neither amendable nor debatable and is expressed
by saying:
- The motion has to be seconded before the chairperson formally declares that:
Motions
Only one motion may be on the floor at a time, but more than one secondary motion may be
on the floor. Pending motions must be disposed of in descending order of precedence.
• Main Motion. It introduces business to the meeting and can only be made when there is no
pending motion. The purpose of the main motion is to propose a new idea or action to the
group.
There are also main motions that bring back a matter from the previous or present
“Honorable chair, I move that the motion made earlier to (state the motion) be
discussed.”
- Reconsider. It is the motion to reopen and debate a matter after it is voted upon in the same
meeting. It can only be done by a member who voted on the prevailing side. In effect, it can
postpone the action on the motion until another decision is made during the same meeting.
The member making the motion can say:
“Honorable chair, I move that the motion to (state the motion) be reconsidered
(reason may be added).”
- Rescind (Annul or Repeal) or Amend Something Previously Adopted. This motion requires
two-thirds vote to pass the repeal or amendment of an action taken that is too late for
reconsideration. This motion does not work on actions that cannot be reversed. When deemed
proper, a member can say:
• Subsidiary Motion. It is the motion that changes or affect how the main motion is handled
because the subsidiary motion is voted on before the main motion. It may be a motion to:
- Postpone Indefinitely. It is the subsidiary motion to be made when the group does not want
to make a decision hastily about the concern of the main motion because it is either vague or
too serious that it needs further discussion. After being recognized, the member can say:
“Honorable chair, I move to postpone indefinitely the motion to (state the motion).”
- Amend. The purpose of this motion is to change the wording of the main motion for clarity or
correctness before it is voted on. Acceptance or rejection of the amendment leaves the main
motion pending. When the amendment totally changes the main motion, the chairperson must
call for Motion to Substitute instead. When the Motion to Substitute is passed, the substitute is
open to another subsidiary motion or debate and must be the one to be voted upon. To make
the motion, a member can say:
“Honorable chair, I move that the motion be amended by adding the following words
(specify the words and their proposed position in the statement).”
“Honorable chair, I move to amend the motion by striking out the following words
(specify the words and the phrases where they can be found).”
“Honorable chair, I move to amend the motion by replacing the words (specify the
words) with (state the replacement).”
- Refer (Commit). It sends a pending motion to a standing or ad hoc committee and may
include specific tasks to be done by the committee members identified by the same person who
made the Motion to Refer. The member can say:
- Postpone Definitely. It is the motion to delay action until a specific time but not beyond the
next regular meeting. After being recognized, the member can say:
“Honorable chair, I move to postpone the question/matter until (state the specific
time)”
- Limit or Extend Debate. When the speeches permitted need to be decreased or increased in
number and time, the motion to Limit or Extend Debate is made, which requires two- thirds
vote to pass. After being recognized, the member can say:
“Honorable chair, I move to limit the discussion to two minutes (or any specific time)
per speaker.”
- Previous Question (Call for the Question). It is the motion that immediately closes a debate
on a pending proposal when two-thirds vote in its favor. It is done when the discussion goes on
for too long and voting is necessary. To make the motion, a member can say:
- Lay on the Table/Table the Motion. It is the motion to temporarily set aside a motion because
something more urgent arises. However, it is out of order if its intention is to avoid relevant
scrutiny of the pending motion. A member can say:
• Privileged Motion. It puts the focus on a new but urgent matter without the need for
debate. It can be:
- Call for the Orders of the Day. Any member can interrupt a speaker to Call for the Orders of
the Day that requires the assembly to conform to the agenda or discuss a special order. To
make the motion, a member can rise and say:
- Raise a Question of Privilege. It is the motion made to ensure that the rights of the- assembly
or any of its members are duly exercised. To be recognized, say:
- Fix the Time to which to Adjourn. It is the motion to schedule the time and place of the next
regular meeting.
“Honorable Chair, I move to set the next meeting on (state the details).”
• Incidental Motion. This motion is made when there is a question about the procedures,
hence it must be addressed before other motions.
- Point of Order. Its purpose is to call out a violation of the rules of the procedures. Say:
The member can state the matter. For example: “Honorable Chair, the speaker has
been talking for 18 minutes.”
- Appeal. It is used to challenge the decision of the chair when a member believes that a
violation of the procedures occurred with regard to the decision made. To make the motion, a
member can say:
“Honorable Chair, I move to appeal the decision because (state the reason).”
- Suspend the Rules. This motion requires the vote of larger majority and can only be used
when the constitution and bylaws of the organization has provisions to temporarily make a rule
inoperative in a certain situation such as that of the meeting. A member can say:
“Honorable Chair, I move to suspend the rules.”
- Withdraw. It allows the motion to be withdrawn by the one who makes it. The member can
say:
- Point of Information. This is a request in the form of a question to the chair or a member thru
the chair to clarify the business at hand. When the question is about parliamentary procedures
or rules about handling the business at hand, it is called Parliamentary Inquiry. A member can
rise and say:
The member can state the point. For example: “The respectable speaker was only
given two minutes, Honorable Chair. I believe the body agreed to set the time to three
minutes.”
- Objection to the Consideration of a Question. The purpose of the motion is to do away with
irrelevant and inappropriate discussions. It must be done immediately and requires two-thirds
vote. A member can say:
“Honorable Chair, I move to drop the discussion and proceed with the next business.”
- Division of the Assembly. It is the motion to ensure that votes are properly counted. A
member can ask for vote by actual count when voice vote is inconclusive and say:
- Division of a Question. The purpose of this motion is to divide a motion that has two or more
propositions to ensure that each is decided properly. This motion is made by saying:
• A member can state a motion when given the floor by the chair.
• Modification or rejection of the motion can be proposed by another member before the
motion is seconded or restated by the chair. The proposition can be stated without being
recognized or
seconded.
• If the motion is already in order, the chair shall restate it and open the debate when
necessary.
• The maker of the motion is given the first turn in the debate.
• When the discussion ends, the chair shall restate the motion and clarifies the consequences
of affirmative and negative votes.
• The chair shall call for a vote and shall announce the result.
• A member cannot speak for a second time unless everyone who wishes to speak has been
given the turn.
• Cross debated is not permitted, hence all remarks must be addressed to the chair.
• A member shall not criticize one’s own motion but can vote negatively against it.
• The chair cannot participate in the debate unless the role is temporarily dropped. The role
cannot be reassumed unless the pending main motion is acted on.
• The chair shall ideally give the floor to the affirmative and negative alternately.
• A list of speakers prepared by the chair is necessary when the number members who wish to
speak is too large.
• Remain impartial
• Participate only in vote by ballot, otherwise vote only to break or create a tie
• Recognize speakers
Voting
• Majority Vote. It refers to the votes of more than half of the members present who are
allowed to vote excluding abstentions
• Two-thirds Vote. It is the two-thirds of the members present and are allowed to vote
excluding abstentions.
• Voting by the Chair. It is the vote coming from the chair that creates or breaks a tie or that is
permitted during voting by ballot.
Methods of Voting
• Voice vote. This method of voting is typically done when a large difference in voting results is
expected. The chair states the motion and asks first those in favor to say “aye”. Then, the chair
asks those who oppose to say “nay”. Finally, the decision will be done by the chair based on
estimate of the count.
• Show of hands or rising vote. This method of voting is done when a motion requires two-
thirds vote or to verify an inconclusive voice vote.
• Ballot. It is usually done for election of officers or when approved by a majority vote.
• Roll call vote. It is done to record how each member votes as approved by a majority vote or
when the bylaws specify.
• Proxy voting. It is a vote cast by a member on behalf of another. It is usually prohibited unless