College of Social Sciences Promotes Bilingual Communication Skills Through English Speaking Lecture with International Expert
Date :
2026-10-21
Department :
College of Social Sciences
【Article by the College of Social Sciences】
The English-Taught Program (ETP) of the College of Social Sciences (CSS) held its first ETP Talk of the semester on the evening of October 15, 2026 in Room 270112, South Wing, General Building of Colleges. The event featured Anne Marie Strauss, an internationally recognized communication coach, who joined online from New York to share practical strategies for developing effective and confident speaking skills. The talk was moderated by Professor Jack Wen-Chieh Wu of the Department of Public Finance, Director of the International Master’s Program of Applied Economics and Social Development (IMES), who has extensive experience teaching in English at the university. The event attracted 50 students interested in communicating more confidently in English.
Strauss is the founder and president of iSpeak Clearly, Inc., a communication coaching firm based on Long Island, New York. She is a New York State-licensed speech-language pathologist and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. With over 25 years of experience in communication training, she has helped people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds communicate and present effectively in English. Through Stony Brook University’s Center for Corporate Education and SUNY Korea, she has also coached corporate leaders from South Korea.
Professor Wu opened the event by encouraging students to strengthen their second-language skills and highlighting CSS’s commitment to bilingual learning. He then welcomed Strauss, whose online participation across time zones gave students a valuable opportunity to learn practical communication techniques.
Strauss began by inviting students to say “Hello” to those around them, encouraging them to speak and become more comfortable using English aloud. She explained that many students read and write English well but find it harder to express their thoughts aloud, particularly during presentations or conversations with professors. Often, the problem is not a lack of ideas but difficulty finding the right English words fast enough.
Strauss introduced Communication H.U.E.™ (Hear, Understand, Engage), the framework she developed at iSpeak Clearly, Inc. It looks at communication from the listener’s point of view: Can the audience hear you clearly, understand your message, and stay engaged? She then shared three habits that support clear speaking: know your message, prepare yourself, and practice out loud.
In a short activity, Strauss asked students to write down one personal interest without explaining it. She then guided them in developing that word into a meaningful message, asking: “If your audience could hear only one thing, what should it be?” By observing listeners’ body language and reactions, students learned to identify their key message and develop it into sentences they could comfortably express. This structured approach also helped them recognize and manage nervousness or moments of mental blankness.
Strauss shared additional tips for practicing spoken English, including sitting tall, taking deep breaths, speaking aloud, and recording themselves to review and refine their delivery. She emphasized accepting imperfections and improving through repeated practice.
She also noted that communication expectations may differ across cultures. In many English-speaking classrooms and workplaces, speaking up is often expected, and quieter contributions may go unnoticed. She encouraged students to make their knowledge visible by expressing their ideas clearly and confidently.
Following the presentation, students actively participated in a Q&A session, raising a range of concerns, including how to overcome moments of mental blankness, how long a presentation should last, and how to capture professors’ attention during class presentations. Strauss offered professional advice and practical suggestions in response to their questions.
The CSS ETP program organizes various English-medium learning activities each semester to strengthen students’ communication and presentation skills. This semester’s activities have included the ETP orientation, an exchange student sharing session, English tutoring sessions, and the ETP Talk. An English-language guided walking tour and further ETP Talks are planned for late November and beyond. Students are encouraged to follow program announcements and participate in upcoming activities.
The English-Taught Program (ETP) of the College of Social Sciences (CSS) held its first ETP Talk of the semester on the evening of October 15, 2026 in Room 270112, South Wing, General Building of Colleges. The event featured Anne Marie Strauss, an internationally recognized communication coach, who joined online from New York to share practical strategies for developing effective and confident speaking skills. The talk was moderated by Professor Jack Wen-Chieh Wu of the Department of Public Finance, Director of the International Master’s Program of Applied Economics and Social Development (IMES), who has extensive experience teaching in English at the university. The event attracted 50 students interested in communicating more confidently in English.
Strauss is the founder and president of iSpeak Clearly, Inc., a communication coaching firm based on Long Island, New York. She is a New York State-licensed speech-language pathologist and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. With over 25 years of experience in communication training, she has helped people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds communicate and present effectively in English. Through Stony Brook University’s Center for Corporate Education and SUNY Korea, she has also coached corporate leaders from South Korea.
Professor Wu opened the event by encouraging students to strengthen their second-language skills and highlighting CSS’s commitment to bilingual learning. He then welcomed Strauss, whose online participation across time zones gave students a valuable opportunity to learn practical communication techniques.
Strauss began by inviting students to say “Hello” to those around them, encouraging them to speak and become more comfortable using English aloud. She explained that many students read and write English well but find it harder to express their thoughts aloud, particularly during presentations or conversations with professors. Often, the problem is not a lack of ideas but difficulty finding the right English words fast enough.
Strauss introduced Communication H.U.E.™ (Hear, Understand, Engage), the framework she developed at iSpeak Clearly, Inc. It looks at communication from the listener’s point of view: Can the audience hear you clearly, understand your message, and stay engaged? She then shared three habits that support clear speaking: know your message, prepare yourself, and practice out loud.
In a short activity, Strauss asked students to write down one personal interest without explaining it. She then guided them in developing that word into a meaningful message, asking: “If your audience could hear only one thing, what should it be?” By observing listeners’ body language and reactions, students learned to identify their key message and develop it into sentences they could comfortably express. This structured approach also helped them recognize and manage nervousness or moments of mental blankness.
Strauss shared additional tips for practicing spoken English, including sitting tall, taking deep breaths, speaking aloud, and recording themselves to review and refine their delivery. She emphasized accepting imperfections and improving through repeated practice.
She also noted that communication expectations may differ across cultures. In many English-speaking classrooms and workplaces, speaking up is often expected, and quieter contributions may go unnoticed. She encouraged students to make their knowledge visible by expressing their ideas clearly and confidently.
Following the presentation, students actively participated in a Q&A session, raising a range of concerns, including how to overcome moments of mental blankness, how long a presentation should last, and how to capture professors’ attention during class presentations. Strauss offered professional advice and practical suggestions in response to their questions.
The CSS ETP program organizes various English-medium learning activities each semester to strengthen students’ communication and presentation skills. This semester’s activities have included the ETP orientation, an exchange student sharing session, English tutoring sessions, and the ETP Talk. An English-language guided walking tour and further ETP Talks are planned for late November and beyond. Students are encouraged to follow program announcements and participate in upcoming activities.