This semester, in my intermediate Listening/Speaking class, I had my students sign up throughout the semester to present their own listening activities.
Objectives:
Engage in a listening passage that interests students
Listen to a passage in a more meaningful way, in order to create comprehension and discussion questions for their classmates
Apply presentation skills in delivering the activity to the class
Sample:
Here is one of the activities my students created.
Here is an activity that I have implemented this semester into my advanced/speaking course. I had my students sign up in pairs on Thursdays throughout the semester.
Objective: Prepare my advanced listening/speaking students for mainstream classes where they will may have to lead a group discussion- either a study group or an in-class assignment.
Skills Practiced:
Presentation skills
Formulation of discussion questions
Eliciting comments
Responding to comments
Asking follow-up questions
Summarizing the discussion
Synthesizing ideas from multiple groups
This semester, topics my students have chosen so far were engaging: Domestic abuse, environmental issues, robotics, to name a few. Below is the most recent video clip my students used (last week).
This past semester, I implemented our first Level 3 Panel Q&A with Former ELP Students. I also invited two domestic students to join us to give their perspective. My Level 3 students spent days working on their questions, editing the grammar and categorizing them. I videotaped the entire discussion, which lasted over an hour. This video here is an edited version lasting about six minutes.
For the past few years of teaching Advanced Listening/Speaking, our semester project has been the "Charity Contest." After a listening activity on George Soros, the philanthropist (from our textbook, Consider the Issues, from NPR), I assign my students to create their own idea for a charity organization. Turning it into a contest to compete for a $10 million grant from the Soros Foundation makes it especially exciting for the students.
*I must give the credit to my colleague, Pamela Martin, for coming up with this idea and first implementing it in her classes.
Here are excerpts from my worksheets, which outline the project:
STEP 1: Which groups of people need help from charities? What else in our world needs to be fixed? Consider people, social institutions, animals, and the environment. Brainstorm in groups of 4. Write your ideas below.
STEP 2: With a partner—Now, design a charity with your group. Answer the following questions:
What is the problem that your charity would help solve?
Why would your charity be important or special?
What specific services would your charity provide?
What people would you need to provide these services? (Eg, volunteers, paid employees?) What kind of training would you to do?
What materials and supplies would your charity need?
How much money would your charity need for one year?
STEP 3: Presenting Your Ideas. Homework Assignment-Due in class, Wednesday, March 24 Individually, create an outline for your presentation. Type your outline and bring it to class. (You will compare your outline with your partner(s) outline in class and combine them.)
Step 4: Get feedback from your classmates. In pairs, ask your partner about his/her project.
What problem are you focusing on?
Why did you choose this problem to solve? + Follow-up questions
Why is this problem more of a priority than others? + Follow-up questions
How important is this problem to other people/groups like George Soros? + Follow-up questions
How would your organization go about solving this problem?
What services would your organization provide?
Where would your organization get people/workers from?
Where would your organization get materials from?
How would your organization manage the money ($10,000,000)?
How long would your organization take to get results?
How practical is your plan?
After your discussion, get back with your group and talk about areas you identified that need further planning.
Step 5: Finish your outline and create your powerpoint Compare your outline with your partner(s). Decide together how to combine your ideas into one amazing outline.
Step 6: Presentation Skills Day
Give a Lecture Plan
• First we’re going to talk about… • Then, we’ll go on to… • And then we’ll move on to…. • We’ll • tell you about… • explain.. • discuss… • show… • After that… • Finally, we’ll tell you…
Transitioning Between Speakers
Choose one transition.
____ Okay, now Johnny is going to tell you about… ____ I’ll take us through…. (the goals and objectives of our charity)… ____ Thanks, Jill. Let’s move now to…. ____ Now that we’ve talked about….. I’ll explain….. ____ Okay, I’m going to let Jack tell you about….
Dealing with Q&A
1. Inviting Questions at the end of the presentation:
• Okay, we have about ___________ minutes for questions. • We’ll take your questions now. • Who has the first question? • Now, what questions do you have?
2. Answering Questions
to a good question • That’s a very good question. [+ Answer]
to a difficult question • I don’t know that off the top of my head. • That’s a really good question. I’m not sure I can answer that… • I’m sorry… I’m afraid I don’t have that information with me. • Can I get back to you on that? • I’m afraid I can’t answer that.
to an unnecessary question • I think we answered that question earlier. • Well, as we mentioned earlier,….[repeat answer]
to an irrelevant/confusing question • I’m afraid I don’t see the connection. • Sorry, I don’t follow you. • I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question.
3. Moving to another question: • Okay, let’s move on to the next question. • Who has the next question? • Let’s move on to the next question.
4. Near the end of your Q&A time: • We’re almost out of time. • We’ll take 1 more question. • We have time for 1 more question.
At the end of your Q&A time: • Thanks for all of your questions and attention.
Contest Day!!!
This semester, we only had two sections of Advanced Listening/Speaking, so I had to find two different audiences for the presentations.
Section 1 - Panel of judges consisting of 2 other teachers and staff workers from the International Programs Office. To make it nice, I reserved a conference/board room for the presentations. The change of scenery was rather effective.
Section 2 - One of our Intermediate Listening/Speaking classes served as the audience and selection committee.
This is a video from my advanced listening/speaking class last semester. I need to credit my coworker, Katy Montgomery, for spearheading this actually. It was her idea to do a major debate with a lot of preparation and organization. Our two classes split into two teams each-For and Against Gun Ownership. On Debate Day, she led one debate, while I led the other. Here is a video of the highlights.
I just wanted to share some of my recent and ongoing efforts to help students prepare for mainstream classes after the ELP. Two activities that I am spearheading this semester are:
Class Visits - Three times during the semester, my students find a regular university class they want to observe, take notes, fill out an observation report, and then report back to the class. The assignment consists of:
Navigating the online course schedule and evaluating possible options. I require students to get my approval signature before moving forward with this. I want to make sure that all my students aren't bombarding the same professor, as well as ensure that the class is an is appropriate for them to observe.
Contacting the professor via email to request permission. Composing emails is always a challenge for ESL students. To help them with this stage, I give them a template they can copy. If the professors have any questions, they can email me. Occasionally, some do, but for the most part, professors at my university do not seem to mind.
Visiting the class and completing an observation report. What I want them to look for is phrases and key language the professor uses in the lecture to introduce topics, give examples, definitions, signal topic changes, and so forth.
Writing a reflection.
Presentation to the Class. Occasionally, I like to have students report back to the class in the form of a mini-presentation, although this depends on time constraints.
Click here to see the observation report and material.
Level 3 Panel Discussion - This is something I am in the process of organizing at the moment. I have invited former ELP students, now in their mainstream undergraduate programs in the university, to come to a panel discussion for all our advanced ELP students. In my listening/speaking classes, we are compiling questions about how to succeed in academic courses outside the ELP. This is set for April 25, if all goes well.
