Effective lecturing skills in English

In this week’s post our trainer Anne talks about her recent experiences of teaching Effective Lecturing Skills in English, taking her from the classroom in London all the way to a conference in Valencia, Spain. Anne tells us more below.

     *           *           *          *           *           *

Our new Effective Lecturing Skills in English course is now officially up and running! This practical course is designed for lecturers working at universities and business schools who want to perfect their lecturing skills in English. Originally designed for lecturers in Germany via the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), this course has been developed for those around the world and I was fortunate enough to teach on our first course in June, when we welcomed participants from Spain, Norway and Turkey.  

It was a pretty intensive week, but this was offset by the wide variety of activities which all built up to the participant-led lectures. We also looked at presentation styles and techniques and analysed lectures through video clips. The participants seemed to benefit most from the opportunity to practise their speaking skills within an academic context, focus on key vocabulary for giving a lecture, and work on pronunciation. It was a lively class and many useful teaching tips were exchanged. I felt really inspired by it, as I learned a lot not only about the subjects which they lecture in, but also their education systems. Above all, it’s always interesting to teach a group of teachers! The next Lecturing Skills course is taking place in September and you can find out more on our website.

In addition to teaching this course at our Holland Park Gardens centre, I had the privilege of participating in the first International Week at CEU Cardenal Herrera University in beautiful Valencia, Spain (home of paella!). The event was well attended by lecturers as well as other professionals from higher education institutions around Europe.

I ran an interactive workshop on introducing and describing a degree programme which was aimed at getting everyone talking as much as possible. Throughout the conference we touched on issues such as the linguistic and cultural challenges faced by both lecturers and international students, and it was great being able to share our experiences and gain new perspectives. Of course, no trip to Valencia would be complete without a visit to the Old Town and cutting-edge City of Arts and Sciences. And it goes without saying the local paella is well worth a try too!

By Anne

Glossary
up and running (idiom) – operating
offset (v) – to balance
built up (n phr) – to work towards sth gradually
tips (n) – advice (informal)
above all (adv phr) – most importantly
take place (phr v) – to happen
higher education (adj+n) – post-secondary or third level education, often delivered at universities, colleges, academies and institutes of technology
touch on (phr v) – to mention a subject while speaking or writing about another one
perspectives (n) – ideas; views
cutting-edge (adj) – very modern and with all the newest features
to go without saying (idiom) – this is obvious but…