10 Years vs. 16 Hours: An Effective Curriculum to Improve Chinese College Students’ English Presentation Quality in Public

Despite the long-term and intensive English learning educations they received, Chinese college students still have to struggle to make an even 2 minutes professional English presentation. Through more than 10 years English study, their vocabulary and language knowledge are enough for delivering an intermediate level English presentation. By observing a mid-sized (38 students) class study in details and one on one interviewing and surveying in Shanghai University of Engineering Science in 2014. The psychological factors are assumed to the top reason to hinder students from being confident and motivated in speaking English in public. A 16 hours task-based curriculum is designed with sufficient practices focusing on solving these psychologically related problems. Upon comparing and analyzing the detailed assessment data starting from the initial evaluation to the final examination, dramatically improved score and highly elevated sense of self achievement and satisfaction of the students were observed. It is evident the curriculum aimed on students’ motivation and interests, as well as the ‘hands-on’ experiences should generate dramatic improvements for most of the Chinese college students.