Session notes:

"Let's start with some food for thought: It is pretty intriguing to consider how our generation and the previous generation were taught English with fundamentally different foundations. While they were told that vocabulary, grammar, and the overall rules of restrictions of English are the core pieces for earning, we have received different highlights such as intelligibility over absolute accuracy, technology integration, and simply being more flexible instead of rigidness. Therefore, as our dear guest, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nurdan Gürbüz has stated that all these changes had a massive impact on how we perceive language, and we might be saying goodbye to certain native speaker forms. Consequently, English has become one of the most common languages worldwide, yet one critical part has been famously problematic for many learners: Speaking!

Although the act of speaking consists of various components such as mimics and body language, most of the students have felt anxious at least once for a speaking activity during their school years due to concerns about grammar errors or not knowing what to say. Nevertheless, Gürbüz has mentioned: "As language teachers, we should be aware of the significance of speaking tasks and focus mostly on intelligibility and the effectiveness of communication."

But how do we do that? How would you work on your students' intelligibility? Gürbüz also asked this question and provided some of her valuable methods, such as giving authentic examples to students for a better understanding of conversational dynamics, observing culture to see how it shapes the way we talk, and even looking at specific corpus research. In addition to the previously mentioned methods, Gürbüz has said that content-related materials are also beneficial where names such as David Crystal and Michael McCarthy shine brightly.

Another new yet critical aspect is the impact of the pandemic and online education. During those difficult times, many educators have dealt with various problems, and two of them, as Gürbüz highlighted their importance, were the willingness to communicate and the anxiety of speaking. "We still have these issues in our classes, and although they are not new, they are still at the top of our list of problems we face. So, being familiar with the related literature and especially working with students individually can be the way to go. It is going to take time, but it can create wonders."

As Gürbüz mentioned, we use many conversational strategies in our daily lives, such as repeating certain words in specific contexts, and they are significant as they sometimes cannot be translated into the other language and can cause a communicational breakdown. The more we enhance our speaking skills, the more we can discover new pathways to manage these communication issues and be more creative in expressing ourselves in English or any other foreign language.

According to Gürbüz, regarding assessment and feedback, variety and flexibility are the key terms for success. When it comes to dealing with speaking anxiety or unmotivated students, the sandwich method is highly advised to create a safe and constructive classroom environment with descriptive feedback being given. Additionally, giving second chances for certain tasks and occasions, providing options in graded assignments, and having detailed rubrics are only some yet precious methods that Gürbüz has provided.

Finally, we would love to give a message to the young educators in the field: Do not be afraid to try new ways, and do not forget to share your teaching journey! The more we communicate, the more we learn. As Gürbüz said, "Language teachers do not only teach a language and 'its' culture, but they are responsible for improving communication across the globe."