Initiating a Peer Support Centre for English Language Presentations: Issues and Challenges

This paper reports on an action research to initiate a peer support centre at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities for enhancement of English Language presentation skills. The aim of the support centre is to create a platform for limited users of the English Language to receive additional coaching from more competent peers and senior students to carry out simple presentations and discussions in English. A group of 30 low-proficient students participated in this research with the help of 10 senior students as peer support. Peer support is well-known as a cooperative learning strategy that provides peer interaction. It also helps in the development of language. The role of peer support is to boost the mastery of English among low-proficiency students via planned activities. The peer support group received constant coaching and feedback from the team of researchers to sustain their efforts to support the students. This paper ends with the issues and challenges that were faced throughout the study in initiating a peer support centre.