Now we have come to the end of the term, and the English 3 students have finished up making their websites for their second project and taking their final speaking test. Here’s an example of one of the websites that students created using Google sites.
It was a challenge for them because none had made a website before, but most students put a lot of time and effort into creating them and recognized that the first step in learning something new is to just try it.
While great emphasis is placed on standardized tests like the TOEIC, the English 3 class aimed to offer students a way to use English as a means of thought and communication. To assess students’ ability to use English actively and to determine how well students are communicating in English, students took a group speaking test. This test evaluated students’ speaking ability in terms of their pronunciation, fluency, grammar/vocabulary, and communication skills. The communication skills section is weighted the heaviest, and this is why most of the focus during the class is spent developing them. This includes things like asking follow-up questions, sharing the floor, synthesizing one’s own ideas with others, and using circumlocution when vocabulary is lacking. Overall, the students performed quite well on the test compared to the first time they took it at the beginning of the term. Hopefully, doing well on the test coupled with overcoming the challenge of making their own websites showed students that learning can be fun and engaging, and that trying new things is something to be embraced.