BBI2420 - ORAL INTERACTION SKILL (NOTE)

Oral Interaction Skills
BBI 2420

By the end of the course, students are able
to:

1. speak with appropriate pronunciation,
stress, and intonation
2. communicate effectively in a range of
formal and informal situations
3. deliver oral presentations with
appropriate content, structure, and style

Learning Objectives
This course involves the learning of correct
pronunciation, appropriate stress and intonation
skills, speaking skills, and strategies in a variety of
formal and informal situations, and making oral
presentations for academic and professional
purposes. It also provides interactive activities
which include using grammar in communicative
context, informal conversation practice, interview
simulations, and outlining and delivering oral
presentations.

Course Synopsis
• Introduction to English Pronunciation
• Conversation Skills
• Discussion Skills
• Oral Presentations
• Language for Oral Interactions

Course Content
This module contains five units.
~notes and activities / exercises / answers
~Lab Activity

Course Organization
You will be assessed in the following manner:
1 Assignment 1 : 10%
2 Assignment 2 : 10%
3 Assignment 3 : 20%
4 Assignment 4 : 30%
5 Final Examination : 30%
____
100%
ASSESSMENT
Assignment 1 - Conversation Report (10%)
This is an individual task.
- report of a conversation that you had
with a friend, colleague, relative, or
stranger.
(Please refer to Appendix 1-
CONVERSATION REPORT GUIDELINE
for details.)

Description of Assignment Tasks
This is an individual task.
You are to write a discussion script with
at least ten exchanges based on a topic
of your choice.
(Please refer to ASSIGNMENT 2
GUIDELINE for details.)

Assignment 2 - Group
Discussion (10%)

Alif: So what do you think of the distance learning programme in UPM?
(ask for opinion)
Najib: Well, I think it’s a great programme ( give opinion). That’s why I
signed up.
Alif: What do you mean by great? (ask for clarification)
Najib: For one, UPM offers good facilities and student support.( explain /
clarify)
Alif: Yes, I do agree with you, but…(show partial agreement)
Example of Discussion
with 5 exchanges
Refer to LAB ACTIVITY STUDENTS’

GUIDE in your Lab Activity Portfolio
Assignment 3 - Lab Activity
Portfolio (20%)
• group task (3 - 4 people per group)
• 15 – 20 minutes ( per group)
• every member must speak. Introduce yourself
and state your matrix number before you
speak
• choose your own topic – Please refer to Unit 4
in your module for examples
• the presentation should be aided by audiovisual
aid (AVA) such as Power-point slides

Assignment 4 - Oral Presentation
(30%)
􀀹Video-tape your presentation (focus on the
presenter as well as the AVA used).
􀀹Convert recording to CD and submit to
Pusat Pendidikan Luar together with a
hardcopy of your slides or transparencies.
􀀹Use the standard cover page for tugasan.

Assignment 4 - Oral Presentation
• 75-minute exam
• 40 - 50 multiple-choice questions
• related to pronunciation, conversation,
discussion and presentation skills
• language for oral interactions
Final Examination (30%)
• Assignment 1 Week 7
• Assignment 2 Week 10
• Assignment 3 Week 14
• Assignment 4 Week 13
• Final Exam Please refer to
PPL.
Submission dates
Submission of Assignments

• Please submit all written assignments to
Pusat Pendidikan Luar. Do not send
direct to lecturer.
• Use the standard cover page for Tugasan
which can be downloaded from the PPL
website.
“Teachers open the door.
You enter by yourself.”
~Chinese proverb

Introduction to English
Pronunciation
Objectives
• learn phonetic symbols and their sounds
• learn correct pronunciation of commonly
mispronounced word
• have an awareness of syllable, word
stress, intonation and rhythm
How do you say these
words?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
development [a] [b]
plumber [a] [b]
correct [a] [b]
faculty [a] [b]
exam [a] [b]
Look at the Phonetic
Symbols
1 development / di'veləpmənt /
2 plumber / 'plʌmə /
3 correct / kə'rekt /
4 faculty / 'fækəltɪ /
5 exam / ɪg'zæm /
Consonants / p / / t / /ʧ/
Vowels /ɪ/ / i: / /e/
Diphthongs /ɑɪ/ /ɪǝ/ /ɑʊ/
Recognising the Phonetic
Symbols
English words can have one or more
syllable.
Eg Cat 1 syllable
Kitten ( kit-ten) 2 syllables
Banana (ba-na-na) 3 syllables
Matching the symbol to the
sound.
consonant + vowel E.g. / p / + / ɪ / = / p ɪ /
Or
consonant + diphthong E.g. / p / + / ɑɪ/ = /p ɑɪ /
Or
consonant + vowel + consonant E.g. / p / + / ɪ / + / n/ = /pɪ n /
Or
consonant + diphthong +
consonant E.g. /p/ + / ɑʊ / + / /ʧ/ = / pɑʊʧ /
Each syllable consists of:
Sounds represented by the
symbols
/ ʧ / as in / ʧeɪn
/ chain
/ ʤ / as in / ʤæm / jam
/ ө/ as
in
/өɪn/ thin
• Dictionary CD-Rom *
• Interactive websites
Eg:
www.elc.polyu.hk*
www.mylanguageexchange.com
Resources
“I have failed over and
over and over again in
my life and that is why I
succeed.”
~ Michael Jordan
1 / di'veləpmənt diVElopment /
2 / 'plʌmə PLUMber /
3 / kə'rekt corRECT /
4 / 'fækəltɪ FAculty /
5 / ɪg'zæm EXAM /
Syllable stress*
He lives in the house on the corner.
he LIVES in the HOUSE on the CORNER.
Word stress in a sentence
Content Words
Which are the content words?
1 Hi, my name is Sara.
2 I enjoy swimming.
3 Can you name five fruits that start with “L”?
4 Could you get me a glass of water?
5 My office is on the first floor.
Word stress and meaning
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
Word stress and meaning
I love you. (... And I want you to know
this).
I love you. ( I don’t love her.)
I love you. ( He doesn’t!)
Stress and Rhythm
􀀹Not every word in a sentence is stressed
equally.
􀀹Content words which carry meaning are
stressed.
􀀹Function words are usually unstressed.
􀀹Paying attention to stress when we speak
helps people to understand us better.
1 To make questions or statements
Statements - falls at the end
I am late.
Yes / No Questions – first drops and then rises
Do you think I can do it?
Wh-questions – rises on the key word and falls at the end
What did he say?
Intonation
IInnttoonnaattiioonn
2 To convey attitude / emotion
“Sure, I can do that.” (neutral)
“Sure, I can do that.” (enthusiastic)
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” (neutral)
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” (enthusiastic)
Intonation
• Intonation helps a listener know when a
question is being asked or when a
statement is being made.
• Listening to the intonation of what was
said can help us to predict the speaker’s
emotion or attitude.
•Listening
•Reading aloud
•Repeating
Pronunciation Strategies
Reasons for working with other people on
speaking are:
~ People can suggest improvements
~ They can tell you if you make a mistake
~ They can encourage you to do better
~ You can share your thoughts and
feelings
Working with Other People
If there is a will there is a way.
Thank You