ELP English for Science Holds PechaKucha Days

ELP English for Science Holds PechaKucha Days

by Elaney Tedder

PechaKucha, which is Japanese for “chit chat,” is a storytelling format where a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each, totaling 6 minutes and 40 seconds, on any topic. On Tuesday, June 9th and Wednesday, June 10th, the ELP English for Science Class, led by Language Specialist Michael Sullivan, held their first PechaKucha Days where students were tasked with creating a PechaKucha-style presentation on any science-related topic they were interested in. The students presented on topics such as: gravity, robots in space, biomedical engineering, communications technologies, dark matter, artery stents, genetic engineering, and uses of bacteria.

Sullivan stated that he had heard of PechaKucha nights a few years ago, and “I always thought it would be something fun to do at the ELP, but it takes a lot of preparation and it’s hard to squeeze that into our existing courses.” However, he saw the opportunity to implement this presentation style when the English Language Programs started offering remote courses, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Going remote at the ELP offered an opportunity to try something different, since many aspects of the existing English for Science curriculum weren’t going to work well remotely (like hands-on science activities). Plus, my group was really advanced and I thought they would do well with a more self-directed project.”

The students all did a great job with their presentations, despite a few technical difficulties. This project is just one example of the creativity our teachers at the ELP are using to make the remote learning experience more enjoyable for our students, and we look forward to seeing what other innovative solutions come to light!