Using Genially to Foster Oral Interaction through English-Speaking Celebrations

 

In this activity, students worked in groups of 2-3 to plan, develop, and present a mini-project in English about celebrations and popular festivals in English-speaking cultures, using Genially as the main tool. The main objectives were to improve speaking skills, enhance presentation abilities, and encourage active listening and interaction among classmates.

Activity Planning

Stage 1: Topic Selection and Group Formation
Students chose a specific celebration such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, or Guy Fawkes Night. They worked in groups of 2-3 students.

Stage 2: Introduction to Genially
Students were introduced to Genially and learned how to create interactive presentations using images, videos, and clickable elements.

Stage 3: Research and Planning
Students researched their chosen celebration, focusing on history, traditions, food, and fun facts. They used a project planner to organize their ideas and structure their presentation.

Stage 4: Creation of the Genially Project
Each group created their interactive presentation, including visual elements, short texts, and interactive questions to involve the audience.

Stage 5: Final Presentations (Two Days)
Students presented their projects in class using Genially. Due to the number of students (30), presentations were divided into two sessions, allowing enough time for each group to present and interact with their classmates.

Grouping Decisions and Timing

Groups were formed taking into account both students’ preferences and their level of English, in order to create balanced and cooperative teams.

The timing of the project was organized as follows:

  • Two 50-minute sessions for research and preparation
  • Two 50-minute sessions for presentations

Students were encouraged to manage their time autonomously within each stage, promoting responsibility and teamwork.

Additional Materials

  • Project Planner: students used a worksheet to organize their content (topic, structure, key ideas, and interactive elements).
  • Genially Guide: A simple guide with instructions on how to use Genially and include interactive features.

Results

  • Selected student projects: https://view.genially.com/69c6ae753a9214b9bdf096b4

On the use of Genially...

The use of Genially as the main tool for this mini-project significantly enhanced the students’ learning experience and helped achieve the main objectives of the activity. First of all, it supported the development of speaking skills, as students had to present their projects orally in front of the class. The visual support provided by Genially helped them feel more confident and organized during their presentations.

In addition, Genially encouraged active listening and interaction, since many groups included interactive elements such as quizzes, questions, and clickable content. This made the presentations more dynamic and prevented them from becoming simple monologues. Students were more engaged and participated actively during their classmates’ presentations.

Another important aspect was the improvement of presentation skills. Students learned how to structure information clearly, use visual elements effectively, and capture the audience’s attention through images, animations, and interactive features. Working in groups also promoted collaboration, communication, and shared responsibility.

From a teaching perspective, Genially proved to be a motivating and effective digital tool. However, one possible improvement would be to dedicate more time to guiding students on how to use interactive elements meaningfully, as some groups focused more on design than on communication. In future implementations, I would also provide a model example to clarify expectations.

Overall, Genially helped create a more engaging, interactive, and student-centered learning environment, supporting both language development and digital competence.

Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog

Final Task Proposal: “Cultural Festivals Around the English-Speaking World” Using Genially

Imagen
  For my final activity, I chose the Genially speaking project from the Owl About English blog because I liked how it combined creativity, research, collaboration, and presentation skills . I will adapt it to focus on cultural festivals in English-speaking countries , which allows students to explore traditions, food, music, and celebrations while practicing English. Objective of the Task Practice speaking in English in a structured but interactive format. Improve presentation and digital storytelling skills. Encourage collaboration, research, and active listening. Learn about cultural festivals from different English-speaking countries. Proposed Stages Day 1: Planning and Research Form groups of 3-4 students (mixed abilities to encourage peer support). Each group chooses a cultural festival from a provided list (e.g., Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras, Diwali in the UK, Australia Day, etc.). Decide on a Genially template and plan which interactive elements to include. ...
Leer más
Imagen
  ON READING Two of the images clearly reflect the evolution of reading practices. In the first one, a grandmother is reading with her grandson. They are probably sharing a storybook chosen by the adult, and the moment seems warm and meaningful. This image represents reading as a social and emotional activity, closely linked to family bonding and early literacy development. The child is likely to associate reading with comfort and positive emotions. In contrast, the image of the woman using an iPad represents digital reading. She may be reading an e-book or an online article, possibly chosen through digital recommendations. Unlike the previous image, this situation shows reading as an individual and technology-mediated activity. While it offers accessibility and immediacy, it may also involve more distractions. These two images highlight the shift from traditional, shared reading experiences to more individual and digital practices. From a personal perspective, I enjoy reading nove...
Leer más

USING EDPUZZLE IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

  USING EDPUZZLE IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM I carried out this activity last Friday, just a few days before Saint Patrick's Day, using a short authentic video about the history and traditions of the celebration. I chose this video because it connects with a real cultural event that we will celebrate in class on Tuesday 17th. In this way, students can start becoming familiar with the celebration beforehand and gradually learn about its origins, traditions and symbols. I think this makes the listening activity more meaningful, as students can see a clear connection between what they learn and what we will later do in class. The learning objectives of the activity were to develop students’ listening comprehension skills through authentic material, help them identify both the main ideas and specific information in a video, and increase their cultural awareness by learning about an important celebration in the English-speaking world. I edited the video using Edpuzzle, inserting several qu...
Leer más