The aim of Oral Training II is to help students advance their academic speaking skills. Building on the foundations of Oral Training I, Oral Training II is designed primarily for second year English majors whose speaking level is at CEFR B2 or above (or at least upper B1 level).

In the fall semester, we looked into the art and science of speaking by going through some key features that make speaking distinct from other language skills (i.e., writing). The main bulk of the semester involved important speaking activities that are commonly found in academic settings. These include 1) giving effective presentations, 2) participating in – and conducting – interesting interviews, and 3) facilitating in-depth discussions. At the end of the semester, we also conducted group projects that helped us make connections between what we learned in class, and what speaking skills are often required and valued in different professions.

Following the activities in the previous semester, in the spring semester we will turn to aspects of speaking that are more challenging and dynamic: 1) responding to different prompts spontaneously, 2) building strong arguments through debates, and 3) telling engaging stories to a bigger audience.