Speaker
Description
This workshop introduces a sustainable and practical approach to improving students’ pronunciation and intonation in Vietnamese EFL classrooms, particularly in rural or under-resourced areas, through the use of short (1–3 minute), context-rich video clips. Designed for secondary school English teachers, the session draws on communicative language teaching principles (Richards & Rodgers, 2014) and learner autonomy theory (Benson, 2011) to demonstrate how video can model natural speech patterns, stress, and rhythm in real-life communication.
Participants will explore how to guide students to analyze, imitate, and practice selected video segments using low-cost or free tools such as YouTube, Flip, and mobile-based applications with voice feedback or automatic captioning, supporting learner agency through meaningful digital affordances (Lai & Gu, 2021). Strategies for scaffolding peer feedback and encouraging learner reflection will also be covered.
The session includes a hands-on component where participants collaboratively design a mini-lesson using authentic video content and develop a peer-feedback framework suitable for their own classroom context. Through small-group discussion and simulation, they will engage with practical challenges and generate adaptable, sustainable outputs.
This workshop contributes to post-pandemic innovation in ELT by leveraging digital resources, including emerging AI-assisted tools, to improve speaking instruction (Godwin-Jones, 2020), while addressing long-term accessibility. It is particularly relevant for teachers, trainers, and curriculum designers seeking to empower learners and enhance oral communication skills through purposeful use of video.
Biography
Tra Luong has dedicated 19 years to teaching high school students in the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam. She is passionate about innovative educational methodologies and strives to create practical and engaging classroom experiences. Actively exploring new pedagogical approaches, Tra engages students in more dynamic and interactive learning environments. She participates in various projects to enhance her teaching skills and organizes initiatives to help her students improve their language proficiency and soft skills.
In 2019, she was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program scholarship, funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Currently, Tra is pursuing graduate studies through a prestigious scholarship from the British Council and Ulster University, awarded in celebration of 50 years of partnership between Vietnam and the UK.
