KOTESOL International Conference 2016
(Concurrent Session)
Gil Coombe, Korea University
Fear of the Unknown: Ideas for Better Freshman Public Speaking
Abstract
Pity the typical Korean university freshman, tasked with delivering a speech in English in front of classmates they have only just started getting to know and having it graded by you. In an EFL context, we have to be acutely aware of the stressful combination of social, academic, and linguistic anxiety a public speaking assessment generates for lower-intermediate L2 students. This workshop will provide an overview of the four week public speaking unit in my mandatory freshman Academic English course, outlining the homework tasks and in-class activities used to bolster confidence and improve the quality of the final speeches. Demonstrations of key activities will be conducted (be ready!) and other ideas or improvements will be crowdsourced to help improve public speaking instruction at university.
Biographicals
Gil Coombe is currently Invited Professor at Korea University, where he has worked for seven years teaching the Academic English program to freshmen, academic writing for science, and graduate writing for business. He has a particular interest in L2 academic writing, in particular effective feedback practice and the writing process of learners. He is also interested in curriculum and assessment design, especially as it relates to promoting and maintaining the motivation of Korean university learners.
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