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Description

In this task, a class of English undergraduates in a course on media and communication chose topics for short slide presentations to the class. Using the TED talk premise of “ideas worth sharing,” learners analysed short videos from that website to identify features of the talks that serve to engage the audience, coordinate spoken and visual meaning, and convey a strong message. They were then invited to give a similar presentation in class to persuade their audience on an issue they were personally invested in (as opposed to a standard presentation to demonstrate content learning or language proficiency).

Each presenter recorded their talk during class with a smartphone, and uploaded the recording to their own SoundCloud account for language feedback from the teacher. The rest of the class used a rubric agreed on in earlier discussion to provide feedback on other aspects of communication. Each student thus received two types of feedback which they summarised and reflected on in a final reaction paper at the end of the course.

Clips

In the second clip, we see the same student give her class presentation and it is interesting to compare the homework version and the second, live version, with the benefit of feedback. It is clear Sonia has rehearsed the presentation carefully, since she speaks without notes and is able to anticipate a coming slide to cover the transition without pause. She uses the images to remind her of the different points in her argument, thus providing the illusion of spontaneous speech which is often apparent in TED talks in general.

Details

Pedagog Learners using their own resources;Real-world outcome;Reflection on linguistic form
Target Language English
Technology Mobile Phone
Area Life and Culture Oral Presentation
Age 17-21
Level B2 Upper Intermediate
Education Sector Higher Education

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