The best aspect of the course was the practical and hands-on learning experience. Students were given flexibility to work at their own pace and to do projects of their choosing. The worst aspect of the course was the independent assignment. The course would improve if the students had more support and resources from the professor, in addition to a clearer and better structured course syllabus. Prospective students should know that the course is independently driven and they wil get what they put into the course.

This seminar offered its students the opportunity to listen to guest speakers from varied backgrounds and have conversations with them. In addition, the course informed students about state-of-the-art research in the language/speech related field. However, some students complained about the environment being disrespectful and some of the speakers were boring. It was suggested that food be available at all presentations and not just student-led ones. Prospective students should have a background in speech and language processing.

The best aspects included the relatable and effective professor, the 1-on-1 feedback sessions, and the obvious student progress made throughout the semester. Many students agreed that the method of working on different iterations of the same speech was an effective approach, and that the professor’s guidance was very helpful. Some students felt the semester course was too short and would have benefited from a full semester of work. Suggestions for improvement included having opportunities for individual presentations. Prospective students should be prepared for a significant amount of speech preparation every week and the opportunity to improve public speaking and presentation skills.