Action Research

 "USING PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATABLE TOPICS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS AND CRITICAL THINKING IN A HIGH SCHOOL SETTING"

    For this activity, I had to start developing a research study, which I titled “Using Public Speaking and Debatable Topics to Improve English Speaking Skills and Critical Thinking in a High School Setting.” The task required writing sections of an academic study and due to the fact that it was an action research study, we had to apply our theories into practice.  Throughout the study I revised each section to strengthen the structure and improve the academic quality of the study.

    Working on this research study taught me how complex academic writing really is. I learned how each section has a specific purpose. Revising the abstract helped me understand how to summarize a long study in a clear and concise way. I learned to think more critically about how research is structured and how ideas must flow logically from one step to the next; Plan, Act, Observe and Reflect. One of the biggest challenges was maintaining an academic tone throughout the entire document. At first, some sections sounded too informal or descriptive, so I had to rewrite them using more precise and objective language. Writing the abstract was also difficult because I had to condense a lot of information into a short paragraph without losing important details. 

    After checking my work, I improved my ability to write academically and structure research more effectively. I also improved my ability to summarize information, especially when rewriting the abstract. The feedback helped me refine my arguments and clarify the purpose of the study.. Overall, this activity helped me grow as a writer and as a future language teacher giving me a better understanding of how research supports classroom practice.

TBL Lesson Plan (In-pairs Online)

    We worked in pairs to design a Task‑Based Learning (TBL) lesson plan for beginner students. The goal was to create a class where learners could use English in real communication rather than just study grammar or vocabulary. My partner and I had to choose a topic, set clear objectives and organize the lesson into pre‑task, task, and post‑task stages. We discussed how each part would help students build confidence and use language meaningfully.

    We had to balance simplicity and communication. It was hard to make sure the task was achievable for beginners while keeping it meaningful. Another difficult part was deciding how much support to give since too much guidance can make the task mechanical, but too little can leave students lost. Working with a partner also meant learning to combine ideas and compromise on structure and timing. Because of this, working collaboratively helped me see how planning a TBL lesson is different from a traditional one. I learned that the focus is not on teaching isolated structures but on guiding students toward completing a communicative task. It was interesting to think about how each stage supports the next stage. For instance, the pre‑task prepares students, the task lets them use language actively, and the post‑task helps them reflect and improve. I also realized how important it is to design activities that are simple enough for beginners but still encourage real interaction.

    By the end, I improved my ability to plan lessons with a clear communicative goal. I learned to think about language use, not just language form and to include scaffolding that helps students succeed. I also became more confident in using TBL principles and in collaborating effectively with others to design lessons that are both creative and practical.

Learning What is an Abstract

    In this activity, we had to write an academic abstract for a small research project and then receive feedback from our teacher. The goal was to include all the main parts of an abstract like the title, purpose, research question, methodology, results, and theoretical framework. After getting feedback, we reviewed our work and made corrections to improve clarity, structure and academic quality.

    Through this process, I learned how important it is to be clear and concise when writing an abstract. I understood that an abstract should summarize the research idea, not tell the whole story. I also learned how each section connects: the purpose explains why the study matters, the research question shows what is being investigated and the methodology explains how it will be done. The feedback helped me see that academic writing needs precision and theoretical support, not just description. One of the biggest challenges was keeping the abstract short while still including all the required parts. It was also difficult to write a formal research question and connect it to a theoretical framework. At first, my writing sounded more like a problem statement than an academic abstract, so I had to rethink how to express ideas more formally and objectively.

    After revising, I improved by adding a clear title, defining the purpose more directly and making the research question more specific. I also learned to use academic language and avoid unnecessary details. The feedback guided me to focus on structure and clarity, which made my final version more professional and aligned with academic standards.

 

Our History Learning English

    In this activity, we worked in small groups to talk about our experiences learning English as a second language. We answered guided questions about when we started learning, what helped us improve and what difficulties we faced. After sharing our stories, we had to choose the most interesting experience from a classmate and record a short audio message on WhatsApp describing their story. Later, we listened to everyone’s recordings in class and reflected on our speaking skills and areas for improvement.

    This activity helped me understand how different everyone’s language‑learning journey is. Listening to my classmates made me realize that we all struggled with similar things like pronunciation, confidence and vocabulary, but we also had unique experiences that shaped how we learned. I also learned how important it is to listen actively, because I had to retell someone else’s story clearly and accurately. Recording the audio made me more aware of my own speaking habits, especially how I organize ideas and how I speak. A challenge for me was choosing the most interesting story because everyone shared something meaningful. Also recording the audio felt a bit difficult since I felt a bit nervous knowing that the whole class would listen to it. I also noticed that when I speak spontaneously, I sometimes hesitate or repeat words. Retelling someone else’s experience required me to think carefully about vocabulary and structure so the message was clear.

    By the end of the activity, I felt more confident speaking in a more natural and organized way. Listening to my classmates’ recordings helped me compare different speaking styles and notice what makes a message clear. I also improved my ability to summarize information and focus on the main idea of a story. Reflecting on my own audio helped me identify specific things to work on, like slowing down, pronouncing certain words more clearly and connecting my ideas more smoothly.

From Textbook to TBL

    For this assignment, we had to take a textbook lesson and adapt it into a Task‑Based Learning (TBL) lesson. The original material focused mainly on vocabulary and simple questions, so my goal was to redesign it into a sequence with a pre‑task, a main task, and a post‑task. I created a lesson where students first activate job vocabulary, then prepare language for talking about interests and finally complete a job‑interview role‑play as the main communicative task. The lesson ends with a fun Pictionary activity and a short reflection.

    Working on this plan helped me understand how TBL is not just about doing activities but about building toward a meaningful task. I learned how important it is to prepare students with the right input before the task. I also realized that the task must feel realistic and purposeful, so the job‑interview role‑play worked well because students can connect it to their own interests and future goals. One challenge was making sure the activities were not too difficult for students while still keeping the task meaningful. Another challenge was deciding how much scaffolding to include without turning the task into a controlled exercise. I also struggled a bit with timing making sure each stage fit within the one‑hour lesson.

    Through this process, I improved my ability to break down language support into simple steps. I learned to improved my understanding of how to design a TBL sequence that flows naturally and keeps the communicative task at the center. Overall, this assignment helped me become more intentional with planning, more aware of student needs and more confident in adapting textbook lessons into communicative, task‑based lessons.

AI FEEDBACK:

Clear communicative purpose: Students talk about real preferences and future goals.

Strong personalization: Students connect jobs to their interests (“I like to…”).

Good scaffolding: Visuals, verb lists, and guided questions support A1+ learners.

Balanced skills: Vocabulary, speaking, spelling, and pronunciation are all addressed.

Engaging activities: Pictionary and role‑play keep motivation high.

Homework connects to the task: Students describe a classmate’s dream job, which aligns with the rubric provided.

Areas to Improve (With Practical Fixes)

A. Make Objectives More Measurable

B. Add Explicit Language Targets

C. Strengthen the Main Task With Role Cards

D. Add a Clear Post‑Task Reflection

E. Homework Needs a Model

LibreMente SanaMente

    The course SanaMente LibreMente focuses on mental health, emotional well-being, self-awareness and the importance of developing healthy habits in daily life. This activity allowed me to reflect on my emotions, understand the importance of mental health and recognize how these topics can positively influence students and teachers in educational environments. It also helped me connect the course content with real-life situations that many university students experience, such as stress, anxiety, emotional pressure and the need for balance between personal and academic life.

    Through this activity, I learned that mental health is just as important as physical health and that taking care of our emotions can improve our performance, relationships and quality of life. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of listening to others without judgment and creating safe spaces where people feel comfortable expressing themselves. I also learned strategies for emotional regulation, stress management and self-reflection that I can apply both in my personal life and in my future career as a teacher. One challenge was understanding how mental health issues can affect people differently depending on their circumstances. However, as I continued with the course I became more open-minded and empathetic toward others.

    I believe I improved my self-awareness, communication skills, and ability to reflect critically on my own well-being. This activity helped me understand that as a teacher, I should not only focus on students’ academic performance, but also care about their emotional and mental health. Overall, this experience was meaningful because it encouraged me to grow both personally and professionally and it reminded me that maintaining a healthy mind is essential for learning and living well.

A New Learning Age (Speaking)

    In this speaking activity, I was asked to share my personal point of view on the question: Should technology replace teacher training? The goal was to express my ideas clearly, support them with reasons, and speak for three to five minutes. This task helped me practice organizing my thoughts, speaking fluently, and defending my position or point of view.

    During the activity, I presented my opinion that technology should not replace teachers or teacher training. I explained that technology can be a helpful tool for organization, grading and improving teaching materials, but it cannot take over the human aspects of teaching. I argued that there are qualities that are essential in education and cannot be fully provided by technology. I also mentioned that teachers understand what students go through and can support them during stressful or difficult moments, something technology is not capable of doing. After giving my speech, I received AI feedback that highlighted my strengths and offered recommendations.

    This activity helped me understand how important it is to express my ideas in a structured and convincing way. Speaking about a topic like technology in education made me think more deeply about the role of teachers and why human qualities matter in the classroom. The AI feedback was useful because it showed me what I did well and what I can improve, especially in terms of organization and delivery. Overall, this activity helped me grow as a speaker and reflect on the balance between technology and human connection in education. It also showed me how AI can support my learning by giving immediate, specific recommendations without replacing the teacher’s role.

⭐ Overall Feedback

Your speech shows strong reasoning, a clear stance, and a deep understanding of the human elements of teaching. You explained why technology cannot replace teachers using emotional intelligence, empathy, and human connection — all excellent points for this topic.

📌 Recommendations & Feedback (Organized)

• Stronger organization — Your ideas are excellent, but grouping them into 2–3 clear sections (e.g., “emotional intelligence,” “human relationships,” “teacher support”) would make the speech easier to follow.

• Clearer transitions — Adding phrases like “Another important reason is…” or “In addition to that…” helps guide the listener smoothly from one idea to the next.

• Add a brief personal example — A short story about a teacher who supported you or a moment when empathy mattered would make your argument more memorable.

• Slow down key points — Some ideas came quickly. Pausing after important statements gives them more impact.

• Summarize your argument at the end — A strong closing line like “Technology can support teachers, but it cannot replace the human heart of education” would reinforce your message.

• Use more signposting — Phrases like “First… Second… Finally…” help structure a 3–5 minute speech clearly.

• Tighten your thesis statement — Early in the speech, clearly say: “I believe technology should support teacher training, not replace it.”

• Add a counterargument — Briefly acknowledging the benefits of technology (e.g., organization, grading, access to resources) makes your argument stronger and more balanced.

• Improve sentence variety — Mixing short, impactful sentences with longer explanations keeps the listener engaged.

• Practice tone and emphasis — Emphasizing words like “empathy,” “connection,” and “human support” strengthens your delivery.

🎤 Strengths You Already Showed

• Clear and firm stance

• Strong emotional reasoning

• Good understanding of teacher–student relationships

• Natural speaking flow

• Relevant examples (empathy, emotional support, motivation)

A New Learning Age (Reading Comprehension & Writing)

    In this lesson we explored how technology influences education and training using both reading and writing tasks to help us, as students, to develop critical thinking and language skills. We worked with a text about innovations in medical training and then connected those ideas to a writing task where we had to express our own opinions about the role of technology in learning. These activities encouraged us to analyze information, justify our ideas, and communicate clearly in English.

    We began by working with a reading material that described how immersive technologies are transforming medical education. We then answered comprehension questions with multiple choices. This helped us practise essential reading skills such as inference, scanning for details and interpreting meaning in context. After the reading, we moved into a writing task where we discussed about the ways technology can impact training: making learning more practical, increasing motivation, and the challenge of accessibility. We then chose the factor we believed was most important and wrote an opinion essay explaining with reasoning. This activity allowed us to apply ideas from the reading, organize our thoughts into a clear structure, and use formal language appropriate for academic writing.

    Overall, the combination of reading and writing activities created a meaningful learning experience that encouraged us to think critically about technology’s role in education. We not only practised comprehension and essay writing but also engaged with real‑world issues that affect modern learning environments. With the use of AI tools, it added an additional layer of support by providing immediate feedback, grading guidance and targeted recommendations. This allowed us to reflect more deeply on strengths and areas for improvement. AI did not replace the learning process, but instead, it enhanced it by offering clear explanations, alternative perspectives and suggestions for future development. In this way, technology became not just the topic of the lesson, but also an active participant in the learning process.

CO-PILOT FEEDBACK

Question	Student’s Answer	Correct Answer	Explanation
1. How does Ted Milmorrow feel about the new technology?	B	✅ B	Ted says the health industry is testing new devices “following an irritatingly slow start,” showing frustration that progress has been slow.
2. What is the purpose of using mixed reality headsets?	C	✅ C	The text explains that the headset allows students to practise surgical procedures without cadavers — replacing traditional teaching tools.
3. In the third paragraph, the writer admires…	(not marked)	✅ B	The writer describes the trainee’s enthusiasm and says, “It’s incredible and far more realistic than I’d ever imagined,” clearly admiring the student’s excitement.
4. What does this refer to in line 36?	(not marked)	✅ A	“This” refers to “convincing people that using immersive technology in medical training is a worthwhile cause,” as Tony Reed explains.
5. Carol Brigsea’s idea of the future is that…	C	✅ C	Carol Brigsea wants to “shake up surgical training and substitute traditional approaches,” meaning traditional teaching methods will be replaced.
6. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?	D	✅ D	The writer concludes that “educational possibilities seem endless,” showing that new technologies will change learning environments.

Criterion	Comments	Score (out of 5)
Task Achievement	The student addresses all three points (practical learning, motivation, cost) and clearly states an opinion. However, the discussion of “expensive to introduce” and “increasing motivation” is brief. The essay focuses mainly on practicality.	4
Organization & Cohesion	The essay has a logical structure (introduction, body, conclusion). Transitions like “In conclusion” and “For instance” help coherence, though paragraphing could be smoother.	4
Language Range & Accuracy	Vocabulary is appropriate (“accessible,” “technological tools,” “human needs”). Minor repetition (“technology,” “access”) and some awkward phrasing (“if not quickly, slowly”) slightly reduce fluency.	4
Style & Tone	The tone is mostly formal and suitable for an academic essay. The phrase “in my opinion, I think” is redundant, but overall style fits the task.	4
Word Count	Approximately 190 words — within the required range.	5

Estimated CEFR level: B2 (Upper Intermediate) Feedback summary: The essay is well-structured and clearly communicates the writer’s opinion. To reach a higher band, the student could expand on the other two points and use more varied linking expressions.

📘 Reading Task Recommendations

Based on the first set of questions about “A New Learning Age”:

✅ Strengths

• Students demonstrated good understanding of main ideas and specific details.

• They correctly identified Ted Milmorrow’s attitude, the purpose of mixed reality headsets, and Carol Brigsea’s vision.

• Their answers show they can infer meaning and connect ideas across paragraphs.

💡 Recommendations

• Focus on inference skills: Encourage students to justify answers with evidence from the text (“What sentence shows this?”).

• Practice reference words: Use short texts to identify what pronouns like this, it, or they refer to.

• Develop vocabulary for attitudes: Teach adjectives that describe feelings toward technology (e.g., enthusiastic, frustrated, uncertain).

• Include timed reading tasks: Help learners manage comprehension under exam conditions.

✍️ Writing Task Recommendations

Based on the essay about technology in education:

✅ Strengths

• The student clearly structured the essay with introduction, body, and conclusion.

• They expressed a personal opinion and supported it with examples.

• Vocabulary and grammar are mostly accurate and appropriate for B1–B2 level.

💡 Recommendations

• Expand supporting ideas: Encourage students to give one example for each point (motivation, practicality, cost).

• Improve linking devices: Introduce connectors like on the other hand, in addition, as a result to improve flow.

• Refine formal tone: Replace phrases like “in my opinion, I think” with “I believe” or “It seems clear that”.

• Peer review activity: Have students exchange essays and give feedback on clarity, coherence, and argument strength.

TBL, PPP, CLIL, PBL Methods

  

Introduction

    As a university student preparing to become a teacher, it is important to understand different teaching methods that help students learn in active and meaningful ways. Methods such as Task-Based Learning (TBL), Presentation, Practice, and Production (PPP), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and Project-Based Learning (PBL) are used in modern education because they focus on communication, participation, and real-life learning. Each method has a different purpose and teaching style, but all of them aim to make students more involved in the learning process. By studying these approaches, we, as future teachers, can develop strategies that improve student motivation, critical thinking, collaboration, and language development. During these topics, the class was divided into groups to present each topic to the class and this is a summary of what I learned. 

Task-Based Learning (TBL)

Task-Based Learning (TBL) is a teaching method where students learn through completing meaningful tasks. Instead of focusing first on grammar rules students use the language to solve problems, discuss ideas, or complete activities related to real life. The teacher acts as a guide while students actively communicate and work together. For example, students may plan a trip, debate a topic, or create a presentation using the target language. Through these tasks, learners naturally practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. TBL encourages communication, confidence, and student participation because learners focus more on meaning than on memorizing grammar. TBL can help create a classroom environment where students feel more engaged and less afraid of making mistakes while speaking.

Presentation, Practice, and Production (PPP)

Presentation, Practice, and Production (PPP) is one of the most traditional and structured teaching methods, especially in language teaching. This method has three stages: Presentation where the teacher introduces new language, grammar, or vocabulary. Practice where students complete controlled activities to practice the new content and Production in which students use the language more freely in conversations or activities. PPP is useful because it gives students clear guidance and helps them build confidence step by step. It is mostly effective for beginner learners who need structure and support before using the language independently. For teachers, PPP can provide organization and classroom control. However, it is important to combine it with more communicative activities so students can also develop creativity and real communication skills.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a method where students learn a subject, such as science or history, through a second language. In this approach, students develop both content knowledge and language skills at the same time. CLIL promotes critical thinking, communication, and cultural awareness. It also helps students see language as a tool for learning rather than only as a school subject. CLIL can help prepare students for authentic communication and academic learning in multilingual environments.

Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered method where learners work on projects over a longer period of time to solve problems or answer important questions. Students usually work in groups, research information and create a final product such as a presentation, poster, video or report. This method encourages teamwork, creativity, independence, and critical thinking. Instead of memorizing information, students apply knowledge to real situations and develop practical skills. For example, students may create a campaign about environmental protection or design a community project using English as the main language of communication. Through the process, students improve language abilities and learn how to collaborate effectively. This method can make learning more motivating and meaningful for students.

Reflection

    As a student studying to become a teacher, learning about TBL, PPP, CLIL and PBL has helped me understand that there is not only one correct way to teach. Every method offers different benefits depending on the students’ needs, learning styles, and classroom context. TBL and PBL encourage communication, collaboration and active participation, while PPP provides structure and support for language learning. CLIL, on the other hand, connects language with real academic content and prepares students for real-world communication. These methods show that modern teaching should focus not only on memorization, but also on helping students think critically, communicate confidently, and participate actively in their own learning. As a future teacher, I believe it is important to be flexible and combine different approaches to create engaging and meaningful lessons. Understanding these methods also motivates me to become a teacher who supports creativity, interaction and student growth inside and outside the classroom.