Oral Communication Lab helps students find their voice

Raised in China, Yueqiu Zhang remembers the struggles of adapting to UB when language was a limiting factor.

“As an international student myself, like many others, I’ve experienced fear and anxiety because my English needed to be ‘fixed,’” said Zhang, a doctoral student studying language education and multilingualism. “In my work with international students, I’m aware that there is a need to address their complex communication needs.”

In an effort to meet those needs, Zhang, a graduate assistant and the multilingual specialist at the Center for Excellence in Writing, transformed the CEW’s existing English Conversation Group into the more robust and purposeful Oral Communication Lab (OCL). 

The newly program offers both international/multilingual and domestic students the opportunity to gather weekly to practice professional communication skills, such as networking, interviewing, delivering presentations and cross-cultural communication, with guest speakers and lots of practical activities. 

While the OCL may have been designed with international students in mind, Odette Reid, associate director of the CEW, says its strategies also benefit domestic students — and those students further the program’s mission by getting involved. “Having a room filled with domestic and international students working on their communication skills is ideal because they can learn from each other,” she explained.

When designing the program, Zhang said she shifted the focus from traditional language training to empowerment, giving space for international students to bring sophisticated communication skills shaped by their unique cultural backgrounds and personal experiences to the table so they can authentically represent themselves in diverse settings.

“Instead of viewing their linguistic differences as challenges to overcome, our modules were constructed to amplify students’ existing communicative strengths while practicing nuanced strategies for navigating the intricacy of social expectations, unspoken norms and contextual communication subtleties across the American communication landscapes,” Zhang said.

The program gives students an opportunity to practice and get feedback on effective oral communication in both formal and informal settings. OCL invites guest speakers from the Graduate School and the Career Design Center, as well as UB faculty members, to share their expertise and insights. Whether students are preparing for job interviews, networking events, research presentations or simply looking to improve their conversational English, Zhang says those who benefit most from the program are those who take part regularly.

“Our program is built on a deep understanding that oral communication, like other forms of communication, is fundamentally a socio-cultural experience, not merely a language skill to be ‘improved,’” Zhang explained. “Therefore, we strive to create a safe and supportive space for international students, honoring their unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds while equipping them with nuanced communication strategies for different contexts.”

Program participants are clearly enjoying — and benefiting — from the program.

“I enjoy interacting with different people in OCL in a real way, just like in the first networking session,” one student said. “I can genuinely participate in a face-to-face situation where we talk to each other, get to know each other and don’t have to worry about making a fool of ourselves. It’s a clear process of building courage.”

Another participant commented: “I really look forward to Fridays because it’s the OCL day and because I can talk to real people, and the rest of the week I only interact with models and papers in my lab.”

As the program wrapped up for the semester, students shared their appreciation for the OCL. Some tears were shed, program administrators said, and one student even created a rap song to honor the community.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Rhonda Reid, CEW director. “That’s what was really remarkable about this program: It was just so popular and lively.”

After its successful launch this semester, the program will pick up again in the spring, on Friday afternoons in 128 Capen Hall. Offerings rotate weekly, and meeting times are flexible within the 1-5 p.m. timeframe, so participants can “drop in” as their schedules permit.

Interested students can email writing@buffalo.edu to become part of the OCL mailing list and receive updates.