Venus CO #3

 

Date: May 13th, Tuesday

Topic/Skill: Speaking (Advanced Group 4); discussion projects and PechaKucha presentations

Teacher presentation:
The class began with students diving into their discussion project work—each student chooses a topic, develops a speech/discussion prompt, and facilitates conversation with their peers based on expectations for leading and participating. The instructor reviewed these expectations and clarified the roles students would play during these presentations.

The latter half of the session shifted focus to PechaKucha presentations—a speaking format where students deliver a 6-minute, 40-second presentation using 20 slides timed at 20 seconds each. These presentations were tied to either their major or their current work experience, making the assignment personally meaningful. The professor had the students explain the format to me before guiding them through their first draft task, which focused only on the speech outline without slides.

He walked the class step-by-step through what was expected in this initial draft, breaking down the components of the assignment clearly. I also noticed that when the professor spoke to the class, he deliberately slowed his speech and articulated more clearly—an intentional scaffolding move for comprehension. When students made pronunciation errors, he used the prompt “the what?” as a gentle cue to encourage self-correction. After the walkthrough, students worked independently while the instructor moved around the room offering personalized support.

Classroom management:
The class flowed smoothly with strong transitions between instruction and independent work time. The instructor kept the energy supportive and collaborative. His strategic pacing and pronunciation while speaking helped students stay engaged and follow complex instructions. The “the what?” phrase kept the tone light while nudging students toward improvement.

Materials:
Student devices or paper for drafting, PechaKucha assignment guidelines

Student participation:
Students were active in discussion about the expectations for their projects, engaged with explaining the PechaKucha format, and worked on developing the outline for their upcoming presentation. Interaction was both teacher-led and student-driven. Students also asked questions and received feedback during individual check-ins.

Feedback provided:
Feedback was immediate, individualized, and varied between pronunciation correction, content clarification, and assignment guidance. The professor scaffolded support by modeling speech patterns and offering feedback while students drafted their outlines.

Lessons on teaching I learned:

  • Letting students teach a concept (like PechaKucha) reinforces their understanding and encourages active learning.

  • Structuring speaking projects around real-world experiences (majors, jobs) makes the activity more relevant and motivating.

  • Clear pacing and articulation from the instructor can significantly support language comprehension.

  • Gentle prompts like “the what?” promote self-correction in a way that’s humorous and non-threatening.

  • Balancing guided instruction with student autonomy (via project work) creates a dynamic, student-centered speaking classroom.

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