DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/1813-4718.2602.12
UDC: 
378.046
Achkasova Natalia Nikolaevna
Кандидат педагогических наук, Associate Professor, Department of English and Professional Communication, Financial University under the Government of RF, NNAchkasova@fa.ru, Moscow, Russia

To Speak and not to Know: How a Practice Oriented Mini-Course Launches Students’ Public Speaking Skills

Abstract: 
In the context of digitalization and global competition, the ability to express your thoughts clearly, confidently and convincingly in front of an audience has transformed from a useful skill into a key professional and social competence. For a modern student preparing to make a career, the development of public speaking skills in English is a prerequisite for academic and professional success, international realization, and the ability to use the same skills in their native language. The ability to speak effectively in public is a tool for leadership and self–realization in a multicultural world. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to introduce a short-term practice-oriented mini-course aimed at overcoming the communication barrier and developing spontaneous oral speech skills in English among students with fragmentary theoretical knowledge, but a low level of practical language proficiency. Methodology. The course development is based on the principles of communicative and activity-based approaches. The methodology includes: 1) analysis of typical difficulties of students when speaking in public (psychological barrier, insufficient active vocabulary); 2) use of imitation and game methods (case study, dialogue improvisations, simulations of real situations and watching videos with speeches of famous people) with a minimum amount of theory; 3) emphasis on the formation of strategies for successful performances (viewing, analyzing, analyzing strategies, and assigning appropriate techniques). The effectiveness of the tested course model was assessed by receiving feedback from students involved in teaching public speaking, interviewing participants before and after training, involving them in speaker contests, and analyzing recordings of their monologues. Results: The approbation of the mini-course demonstrated significant progress among the participants in overcoming the fear of speaking and increasing speech confidence. A qualitative analysis of the data showed an increase in fluency of speech, an expansion of the functional vocabulary used and readiness for spontaneous interaction. The feedback revealed a high level of motivational satisfaction among the students, who noted the applied value of the course and the tangible practical result. It is concluded that a short-term intensive workshop focusing exclusively on oral communication is an effective tool for “launching” speech skills and forming a solid foundation for further language learning.
Keywords: 
practice-oriented learning, mini-course, public speaking, English, speaking skills, communication barrier, speaker competition.
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