Annalisa_CO3

Today I observed Marilyn Sohan's Group 4 speaking class. It must be some kind of universal plot against me learning about how speech is taught across different levels of english language learners, because today Group 4 was doing a group presentation which was my second time observing presentations in our class observations. This class was drastically different though. Group 4's group presentation was about Ramadan (which you'll get to see a more polished performance tomorrow at tea time!). It seemed to be a sort of dress rehearsal for tomorrow. The class invited other classes to sit in on their presentation. Room 214 was pretty crowded! The presentation covered why Ramadan occurs when it does as well as for how long it takes place as well as the end of Ramadan (Eid al Fitr!). Also, they talked about the importance of Ramadan and why Muslims fast. The group talked about when fasting occurs and the circumstances of when one can break the fast. They also talked about the kinds of foods one eats during Ramadan (between sunset and sunrise). That section of the presentation was met with a lot of groans by the Muslim students seeing pictures of really delicious foods (it made me hungry too)! One thing that I didn't know about Ramadan was Qerqean, which happens in certain countries, like Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. It is kind of like a mix between Halloween and Christmas caroling. Children dress up in traditional dress and go around from house to house and sing a particular song and they are given candies and other sweets. At the end of the presentation, the group opened the floor for questions. They answered each question quickly and very effectively. I thought that it would be the hardest part because the students don't know what questions will be asked and cannot really prepare to answer them before hand. Speaking in front of your own class is one thing, most students seem very comfortable with their classmates, but speaking in front of many people some you may not know, is vastly different. The class really did an amazing job! Everyone contributed to the presentation and seemed to not be very nervous when speaking. After class, one of the students asked me if the presentation was good and if I had any additional questions. The class really impressed me!!