Alanna Felton CO #4

For my fourth class observation, I attended Professor Olivia James' advanced level speaking class on Wednesday, May 18th. This was my time observing an advanced class, and I noticed that, like our textbook suggested, the lesson appeared to focus more on the content of conversations than other speaking classes, which placed more emphasis on learning grammar and sentence structure. Professor James began the class by showing students a TED Talk on the topic of loneliness. She used the video as an introduction to a class conversation about loneliness and the difficulty of making real connections in the digital era. Professor James for the most part let students guide the conversation, pausing to correct their mistakes or answer questions students had about vocabulary. The topic of loneliness also had specific relevance for the students, who may be homesick or struggling to form new connections in the US. It created a strengthened sense of community in the classroom. 

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