Madeline Corderman

Looking to practice public speaking, learn about leadership, and develop interpersonal skills? Look no further than LOOP! The Leadership and Oratory Online Program, also known as LOOP, is a live, interactive virtual program provided by the English Language Institute. Throughout the program, participants were involved in pronunciation and public speaking workshops, interacting with guest speakers, and International Conversation Circles. 

Guest speakers ranged from faculty from Missouri State University and the English Language Institute, each giving their own valuable pieces of advice from their fields. Director of chorale studies Dr. Cameron LaBarr spoke on the power of storytelling as it relates to bringing people together, speaking from the heart, and appealing to target audiences, using his speech-writing process and delivery for former MSU President Clif Smart’s retirement event as an example. Dr. Gloria Galanes, MSU professor emeritus of communications, encouraged students to think about communication as being more than words that are spoken. In a cross-cultural panel discussion, ELI staff were invited to share with the students their own experiences and advice about living, learning, and working abroad. 

Outside of projects and guest speakers, the program also featured its fair share of interactive activities. International Conversation Circles provided a relaxed environment for people to learn about idioms, practice pronunciation, and share their experiences. High school students from Lebanon, Missouri were invited to participate in the Circles. “It was rewarding watching both groups of students learn about each other from separate hemispheres,” said instructor Elizabeth Barker. In a breakout session discussion on moral and ethical issues, students were presented with a variety of situations and shared, defended, and strived to understand the perspectives of their peers. 

LOOP instructor Terry Barakat commends the participants’ dedication: “They crave opportunities to use their English in a meaningful way. Some of them are attending university, working jobs, AND taking this class at night on top of all that.” Following their end-of-program leadership manifesto presentations, she said, “The quality of critical thinking and the amount of compassion and insistence on justice exhibited by these high school and university students gave me hope about the future of the world.”