Teaching and Learning through the ELC Instagram Account

Extra-curricular programmes have been a useful asset for students of the General Foundation Programme and the Post-Foundation Programme in the ELC. In this regard, the Students Activities Committee decided to continue its activities by creating an official Instagram account. The purpose of this account is to conduct live teaching sessions for the benefit of the students. The account functions as a platform to assist students with their writing and speaking skills. It provides opportunities for our students to speak, write and learn English through Live Free Discussions, Posters and Tutorial video clips, made by our colleagues. 

To date, five live streams on the ELC Instagram account have taken place. The first Live was a teaching session about Technical Writing 1. Dr Mohsen hosted the session, which focussed on a review of the TW1 course. This goal was to assist students in their preparation for the final examination. The Live was scheduled for 3 May 2020.

The second session was on 1 June 2020. The Students Activities Committee decided to provide a platform for the students to give their input. In this regard, the committee decided to organise free discussions sessions, giving the students the choice to speak on various topics. The first topic for the Online Free Discussion was on “The Challenges of Learning English and Motivation”.Dr Mohsen hosted the session. The session started at 9 pm and ended at 10.40 pm. More than 60 students participated in the Live stream. Three students succeeded to speak and share their experiences on the challenges they face whenlearning or using English. In fact, many students showed an interest to take part in the conversation, but due to the poor internet connection, it was not possible. Three teachers from Iran, Malaysia and Oman attended the Live, and shared their comments on the topic. The session was highly interactive, and students gave good feedback.With each Live, the number of followers increased. Many thanks to Ms Samah Al Ghafri, our most supportive student, who works hard to ensure that the account is updated and managed. The committee wish to thank Dr Abdulsalam for his support in creating the account and supporting the activities. 

The third Live stream was on 12 June 2020, and the topic was on “The Best Ways to Improve Speaking Skills”. Based on votes from the students, this topic was selected. 

We had three guest speakers:

1. Mohammed Al Sikiti (Lecturer at IbriCT)
2. Mansoor Al Balushi (Toastmaster, Public Figure, English Teacher in Oman) 
3. Roya Sadeghimand (English Teacher from Iran) 

All three speakers highlighted important and effective ways and practices for enhancing your speaking skills. The session was interactive and received positive feedback from the students.

During the Live session, six students appeared on the Live video and shared their ideas on the topic. 

In continuation with Live streams, the fourth session was organized for 27 June 2020. The topic of the Live was,“Formal versusInformal English”.  

We hosted two guest speakers:

1. Ms Sandra Bruce (from the USA, Lecturer at IbriCT) 
2. Ghaith Al Ghafri (Public Figure, Translator, Tour Guide) 

Ms Sandra presented a fruitful session by covering theuseful ways of using formal and informalEnglish when greeting people, writing email, and have everyday conversations. The important use of idioms and expressions when speaking English, were also addressed. 

The second guest speaker, Mr Ghaith, spoke about the importance of using informal English, working as a tour guide in the tourism sector. He stated that the learning of English idioms and expressions are ignored. Colleges and students do not realise the importance to this aspect, when learning English.  

Overall, the session received excellent feedback from the students. It has been decided to have another session on the same topic in an upcoming Live stream.

The last Live Instagram was organized on 6 July 2020. The theme of the session was “Personality Development and leadership”. This session received the highest viewers and the feedback showed that 96% of students were satisfied with the session. This session received two guest speakers:

1. Ms Hiyam Al Jabri ( English Language Teacher, Public Speaker and Social Media Influence )
2. Ms Roya Sadeghi (English Teacher & Entrepreneur- Iran) 

Both guest speakers highlighted the most important elements of having an advanced personality with soft skills.