SESSION 1 — Diagnostic & Launch

AGENDA (2 hours)

Purpose of the Session (0:00 – 0:10)

• • Orientation (syllabus, website, session page)
  • Reflection questions + synthesis

1 — Focus (0:10 – 0:20)

1.1. Initial Speaking Fluency
1.2. Awareness of Communication Gaps
1.3. Motivation for Improvement

2 — Core Elements (0:20 – 1:20)

2.1. Live Poll Everywhere Diagnostic (0:20 – 0:40)
2.2. Two-Minute Recording (0:40 – 1:00)
2.3. Initial Analysis (1:00 – 1:10)
2.4. Group Work (1:10 – 1:20)

3 — Core EMI Principles (1:20 – 1:30)

• • Clarity over complexity
  • Structured delivery

4 — Language Integration (1:30 – 1:45)

4.1. Natural vs Translated Speaking
4.2. Breakdowns in Speech

5 — EMI Principles in Action (1:45 – 2:00)

5.1. Clarity over Complexity
5.2. Structured Delivery

6 — Outcome (2:00 – 2:03)

• • Strengths and challenges identified
  • Priority defined

7 — Weekly Assignment (2:03 – 2:05)

• • 2-minute structured recording

8 — Optional Work (2:05 – 2:07)

• • TED Talk + reflection

Closing

👉 Clarity + Structure = Impact

SESSION 1 — DIAGNOSTIC & LAUNCH

See your reality. Start your transformation.

Duration: 2 hours

0.1. Orientation

• Syllabus
• Main program website
• Session 1 webpage
• Moodle (brief)

0.2. Reflection Questions

• Think about the best teacher you have ever had. What are their characteristics?
• What makes a teacher easy to understand when communicating in English?

0.3. Synthesis

• Key words: clarity, structure, examples, engagement
• Effective teaching = clarity + structure + understanding

1 — Focus

1.1. Initial Speaking Fluency

• What happens when you explain in English?
  → hesitation / translating / searching for words

1.2. Awareness of Communication Gaps

• Why do students not understand?
  → structure / clarity / pacing

1.3. Motivation

• Awareness (EI) → improvement → progress

2 — Core Elements

2.1. Poll Everywhere Diagnostic  Click HERE

• Questions
• Results
• Synthesis

2.2. Two-Minute Recording

• Explain a concept
• 2 minutes (group A then group B)
• No script
• Natural explanation
  

* This is not about recording quality. It is about capturing how you naturally speak.
* Hold your phone close — like a voice message.

2.3. Self-Analysis (Rubric)

Evaluate your recording

• Fluency
  → flow, hesitation, fillers, sentence completion
• Pronunciation
  → clarity of key terms, word stress, intelligibility
• Structure
  → organization, sequence, clarity of explanation

Identify

• 1 Strength
• 1 Difficulty
• 1 Priority for improvement

Prompt

• What did you do well?
• What made your explanation difficult to follow?
• What is the first thing you need to improve?

2.4. Group Work: 2-3

Task (3–4 minutes total)

Each participant shares 1 strength + 1 challenge

Peer Feedback: Partner(s) provide:

• 1 positive comment
• 1 suggestion for improvement

Focus

• Be specific and constructive
• Focus on clarity, structure, and delivery
• Keep feedback brief and actionable

Bonus/for discussion:
Which version is better? Why?

Version 1:

“So today we are going to discuss inflammation which is a process that occurs when there is some kind of injury or infection and it involves different mechanisms…”

Version 2:

“Today, we will explain inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury.
For example, when the gum is infected, it becomes swollen.
What is one sign of inflammation?”

3 — Core EMI Principles: 2 for today

• Clarity over complexity
• Structured delivery

4 — Language Integration

4.1. Natural vs Translated Speaking: Do you translate before speaking?

• hesitation
• long sentences
• reduced clarity

Example

❌ Translated style:
“Today we are going to proceed to the explanation of the mechanism by which…”

✅ Natural teaching style:
“Today, we will explain how this works.”

4.2. Breakdowns in Speech

• fillers (uh, um, so…)
• sentence breakdown
• loss of clarity

Quick Activity (2 minutes)

• • Take one sentence from your recording
  • Rewrite it in a simpler, more natural way

Focus on:

• • shorter sentence
  • clearer idea
  • easier to understand

Focus: Speak to teach, not to translate

5 — EMI Principles in Action

5.1. Clarity over Complexity

• one idea per sentence
• simple, direct language
• focus on understanding (not sophistication)

Example

❌ Complex:
“The inflammation process is characterized by a series of physiological responses…”

✅ Clear:
“Inflammation is the body’s response to injury. It causes swelling and pain.”

5.2. Structured Delivery

Use this model:

1. Objective
2. Clear idea (step)
3. Example
4. Question

Model (Oral)

“Today, we will explain inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury.
For example, when the gum is infected, it becomes swollen.
What is one sign of inflammation?”

5.3. Mini Practice (Oral)

Use the first 1–2 sentences from your recording

Task

• Improve your opening using the structure:
  • Objective
  • Clear idea
  • Example or Question

Speak (do not write)

• Practice your new version out loud (20–30 seconds)
• Focus on:
  • clear start
  • simple language
  • slow, controlled delivery

Pair Practice

• Turn to a partner
• Each person delivers their new opening

Partner gives: 1 positive + 1 suggestion

Focus

👉 clear start
👉 simple language
👉 structured explanation

Final Reminder

👉 Don’t try to sound advanced
👉 Try to be understood

6 — Outcome

By the end of this session:

• You have identified what you do well
• You have identified what you need to improve
• You have a clear starting point for progress

What is your number one priority after today?

7 — Weekly Assignment

Record a 2-minute explanation of a concept from your course

Requirements

• Start with a clear objective
• Use a simple and clear structure
• Use simple, natural language
• Include at least 1 question to check understanding

Next session, we will work on fluency — so please bring this recording.

8 — Optional Work

8.1. TED Talks

• Choose one (from webpage)
• Focus on how they explain

8.2. Reflection

[Link to Form/pdf] || [Link to Form/doc]

• Clarity
• Structure
• Engagement
• Transfer

End

👉 Awareness → improvement (EI)

This is not a language course.
This is a transformation in how you teach.

Fluency is not enough.
Clarity + Structure = Impact.

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