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ECH Program on Oral Communication- EMI

This program is aimed at educators who wish to hone their skills in oral communication in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts.

It develops professors into clear and confident communicators in English, capable of teaching complex concepts using the structure, clarity, and engagement of the American teaching approach.

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ORAL COMMUNICATION
English-Medium Instruction (EMI) Context

Clarity. Confidence. Teaching Excellence.

Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ)

OBJECTIVE

To empower faculty across disciplines to improve oral fluency, communicate clearly and confidently in English, and teach more effectively in an English-Medium Instruction (EMI) context.

CORE EMI PRINCIPLES
Foundation of effective teaching in English.

Focus

    • Communicating content clearly in English
    • Supporting understanding in multilingual classrooms
    • Creating structured and engaging learning experiences

Core Elements

    1. Clarity over complexity
    2. Structured delivery
    3. Scaffolding for understanding
    4. Comprehension checking
    5. Strategic use of language
    6. Student engagement
    7. Psychological safety

In Practice

    • Use simple, direct language instead of complex or translated sentences
    • Organize explanations using clear structure (e.g., What–Why–How)
    • Break down complex ideas step by step
    • Check understanding regularly through targeted questions
    • Rephrase, repeat, and emphasize key concepts
    • Encourage participation and interaction
    • Create a safe environment where students feel comfortable speaking

Outcome

    • Clearer and more effective communication in English
    • Improved student understanding and participation
    • More structured, engaging, and supportive teaching

Session Details

🔴 SESSION 1 — DIAGNOSTIC & LAUNCH

See your reality. Start your transformation.

Focus

  • Initial Speaking Fluency in Real Teaching Conditions: How smoothly and continuously you speak when explaining a concept in English, including hesitation, pauses, and flow.
  • Awareness of Actual Communication Gaps: Identifying the real issues affecting your teaching clarity—such as lack of structure, sentence breakdown, unclear phrasing, or ineffective delivery.
  • Motivation for Targeted Improvement: Building a clear understanding of what needs to improve and why, leading to focused and intentional progress throughout the course.

Core Elements

  • Live Poll Everywhere diagnostic
  • 2-minute recorded discipline-specific explanation
  • Initial analysis (fluency, pronunciation, structure)
  • Demonstration: weak vs strong teaching
  • Introduction to core EMI principles

Language Integration

  • Natural speaking vs translated speaking
  • Identification of hesitation, fillers, and sentence breakdown

EMI Principles in Action

  • Clarity over complexity
  • Structured delivery

Outcome

  • Personal communication profile
  • Clear improvement priorities
  • Weekly practice assignment

🔴 SESSION 1 DETAILS — DIAGNOSTIC & LAUNCH

See your reality. Start your transformation.

Purpose of the Session

This first session establishes the foundation for the entire program. You will begin by examining how you currently explain concepts in English in real teaching conditions. The goal is not to judge your language ability, but to identify your starting point in fluency, clarity, structure, pronunciation, and confidence.

You will move from assumption to awareness: you will see how you actually teach in English and identify the specific areas that need improvement.

1- Focus

1.1. Initial Speaking Fluency in Real Teaching Conditions

You will observe how smoothly and continuously you speak when explaining a concept in English, including hesitation, pauses, fillers, pacing, and flow.

1.2. Awareness of Actual Communication Gaps

You will identify the real issues affecting your teaching clarity, such as lack of structure, sentence breakdown, unclear phrasing, pronunciation challenges, or ineffective delivery.

1.3. Motivation for Targeted Improvement

You will develop a clear understanding of what needs to improve and why, creating the foundation for focused and intentional progress throughout the program.

2- Core Elements

2.1. Live Poll Everywhere Diagnostic

You will respond to interactive questions about your confidence, challenges, habits, and needs when teaching in English. The results will help identify shared priorities and guide the discussion.

2.2. Two-Minute Recorded Discipline-Specific Explanation

You will record a short explanation of a concept from your field. This will serve as your baseline and reflect your natural speaking performance in a real teaching situation.

2.3. Initial Analysis: Fluency, Pronunciation, and Structure

You will analyze your explanation using three key lenses:

  • Fluency: your flow, hesitation, use of fillers, and ability to complete sentences
  • Pronunciation: the clarity of key terms, word stress, and overall intelligibility
  • Structure: how clearly your ideas are organized and how easy your explanation is to follow

2.4. Group Work

You will work in small groups (2–3 participants).

Task

Each participant:

  • Shares 1 strength from their recording
  • Shares 1 challenge

Peer Feedback

Your partner(s) will give:

  • 1 positive comment
  • 1 suggestion for improvement

Focus

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

3. Introduction to Core EMI Principles

You will be introduced to the core principles that will guide your development throughout the program:

  • Clarity over complexity
  • Structured delivery
  • Scaffolding for understanding
  • Comprehension checking
  • Strategic use of language
  • Student engagement
  • Psychological safety

4. Language Integration

4.1. Natural Speaking vs Translated Speaking

You will explore the difference between thinking directly in English and translating from another language, and how translation can lead to hesitation, complexity, and reduced clarity.

4.2. Identifying Breakdowns in Speech

You will learn to recognize hesitation, fillers, sentence breakdown, and loss of clarity in your own explanations.

5. EMI Principles in Action

5.1. Clarity over Complexity

You will begin practicing how to express ideas clearly and directly, focusing on communication that is easy for students to understand rather than linguistically complex.

5.2. Structured Delivery

You will apply a simple and effective explanation model:

  • State the objective
  • Break the concept into steps
  • Give an example
  • Check understanding

6. Outcome

By the end of this session, you will have:

  • A personal communication profile
  • Clear priorities for improvement
  • A stronger understanding of what effective teaching in English requires
  • A clear starting point for your development

7. Weekly Practice Assignment

You will prepare and record a short 2-minute explanation of a concept from your course. In your explanation, you should:

  • Use a clear structure
  • Use simple and natural language
  • Reduce hesitation and fillers
  • Include at least one question to check understanding

8. Optional Work

8.1. TED Talks

To Add: AI + EI + Mastery + Active Listening + Covey + Maslow

8.2. Reflection Task
[Link to Form/pdf]

[Link to Form/doc]

After watching the talk, reflect on the following (you can use the form on the link above):

  • What makes the speaker clear, engaging, and impactful?
  • How is the message structured?
  • How does the speaker connect with the audience?
  • What can you apply to your own teaching in English?

*Focus on how the speaker explains—not just on what they explain.

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Program FAQs

The course is highly interactive, practice-based, and performance-driven.

Each session combines:

  • Short, focused input
  • Guided speaking practice
  • Real teaching simulations (micro-teaching)
  • Immediate feedback from the instructor and peers

Participants will:

  • Record and analyze their own speaking
  • Apply communication strategies to real teaching scenarios
  • Engage in live activities using tools such as Poll Everywhere and Mentimeter

The course follows a progressive structure, allowing participants to build fluency, clarity, and confidence step by step.

The sessions will take place at USJ (on campus), online, or hybrid.

The Main Objective of the Course:

To transform how instructors teach in English by developing their ability to deliver clear, structured, and effective instruction in multilingual classrooms—moving beyond language fluency to achieve real student understanding and engagement in an English-Medium Instruction (EMI) context.

The course is taught by Nada M. Salem, President/CEO of AFEE and IFWE. 

Nada M. Salem is a passionate educator with extensive experience in leading academic institutions in the United States and abroad. Over more than twenty years, she has taught school students, college students, student teachers, teachers, and leaders. She co-created and co- taught a methods course for teachers at The George Washington University Graduate School of Education. Nada is the Co-Editor in Chief of “Teaching World Languages: A Practical Guide- Arabic Edition” (The National Capital Language Resource Center, Washington, DC).

Mrs. Salem holds a teaching diploma, two master's degrees, one in translation and another in education, and has successfully completed most courses (40 credits) towards a doctorate (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction & Educational Technology Leadership at The George Washington University Graduate School of Education. Additionally, she holds an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard University. Mrs. Salem formerly served as Administrative Director and Assessment of Learning Coordinator for AACSB Accreditation at the GWU School of Business’s Master of Science in Finance Program. In September 2019, Mrs. Salem was selected as a WOMAN LEADER by the University of Maryland‘s Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace. She is a member of the Marquis WHO'S WHO® list of Prominent Business Professionals, and she was featured among Marquis Who's Who's Top Executives in Education and Leadership.

Mrs. Salem is the Founding President/CEO of the American Foundation for Educational Excellence (AFEE), an organization whose mission is to help, on a worldwide basis, influencers, leaders, HR professionals, and managers of educational institutions, profit and non-profit organizations and corporations, to pursue excellence by improving leadership skills, managerial competencies and educational programs, namely through face-to-face and online trainings. AFEE is an Approved Provider for both HRCI & SHRM.

Mrs. Salem is also the Founding President/CEO of AFEE’s subsidiaries, the Center for Excellence in Languages: Teaching, Editing, Translating, and Interpreting, and the International Foundation for Women's Empowerment (IFWE) which seeks to empower all women and help them thrive on the personal and professional levels, regardless of nationality and religion.

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TERMS OF SERVICE: We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to reject or remove anyone who has registered or gained access under false pretenses, provided false information, or for any other action or behavior that we deem inappropriate, before, during or after the sessions, with or without prior notice or explanation, and without liability.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All rights reserved. The information on this page shall be considered proprietary information not to be used, copied or reproduced in any way. No part of our presentations / workshops / webinars may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods.