Improving English Interactional Skills through the Effective Use of Pair Projects

Abstract Book of the 10th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education

Year: 2025

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Improving English Interactional Skills through the Effective Use of Pair Projects

Sakae Onoda

ABSTRACT:

The presenter will first explain the design of an undergraduate English teacher education course based on the CLIL approach and report features of a related pair project along with its theoretical underpinnings.
In this unique instructional design, teaching begins with a teacher-led session in which pre-service EFL teachers learn about teaching approaches and their theoretical underpinnings by reading a specific chapter of the designated textbook and using a worksheet that includes comprehension questions prepared by the instructor. This is followed by a learner-led session in which a designated pair presents the main points of a chapter, elicit answers to the comprehension questions from audience members, comments on them, and engages their peers in small-group discussions as they express their interpretations, opinions, and learning experiences regarding specific aspects of the presentation.
This will be followed by activities that exemplify the major concepts covered in the chapter and a pair buzz session designed to confirm and deepen students’ understanding of them.
Finally, the presenter will report on the benefits of pedagogical strategies designed to enhance students’ interactional skills based on their feedback as well as teacher assessments and discuss scaffolding techniques designed to facilitate pair projects and maximize their potential effects. Time permitting, the presenter will show a video of student performance so as to give participants a feel for how learners engage in a typical task employed in the course.

Keywords: Clil, Pair Projects, Pre-Service English Teachers, Interactional Skills, Pair Presentations, Group Discussions, Scaffolding Techniques