No books, no lectures, no education?

ENGLISH

FOR PROFESSIONAL

COMMUNICATION

Учебное пособие для магистрантов

Саратов 2014

УДК 811.111 (075.8)

ББК 81.2 Англ я 73

Е56

Е56 English for Professional Communication: учеб. пособие / Вислобокова О.И., Дубровина И.И., Дубровская О.Н., Кленова А.В., Харламова Т.В. – Саратов: СГУ, 2014. – 200 c.

Рецензент:

Хижняк С.П., доктор филологических наук, профессор, зав. кафедрой английского языка, теоретической и прикладной лингвистики Саратовской государственной академии права

Учебное пособие предназначено для магистрантов 1-2 курсов, обучающихся на направлениях «Филология» и «Журналистика». Пособие состоит из 12 разделов, каждый из которых включает 4 части (развитие устной речи, стратегии эффективного чтения, задания на перевод, обучение письменной речи) и направлен на формирование общекультурных и профессиональных компетенций. Пособие позволит студентам развить навыки устного и письменного общения в профессиональной сфере, перевода, а также умение адекватно их использовать при решении профессиональных задач.

УДК 811.111 (075.8)

ББК 81.2 Англ я 73

CONTENTS

UNIT 1. Aspiring to an Academic Degree ……………………………………..5

A Exploring a Topic ………………………………………………………...5

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………..8

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………11

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..17

UNIT 2. Research Skills ………………………………………………………20

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………….20

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………24

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………28

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..31

UNIT 3. Time Management …………………………………………………...36

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………….36

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………41

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………44

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..46

UNIT 4. Knowledge Management …………………………………………….53

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………….53

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………57

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………61

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..63

UNIT 5. Effective Presentations ………………………………………………69

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………….69

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………71

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………75

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..78

UNIT 6. Psychology and Communication …………………………………….87

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………….87

B Practising Skills …………………………………………………………89

C Translation / Interpreting Skills …………………………………………94

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………..97

UNIT 7. Work-Life Balance …………………………………………………102

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...102

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..105

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..109

D Effective Writing ……………………………………………………....111

UNIT 8. Leadership ………………………………………………………….117

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...117

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..121

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..124

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………127

UNIT 9. Team Building ……………………………………………………...132

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...132

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..135

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..139

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………141

UNIT 10. Teaching Skills ……………………………………………………144

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...144

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..147

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..151

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………157

UNIT 11. Culture Skills ……………………………………………………...163

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...163

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..167

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..171

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………175

UNIT 12. Making a Change ………………………………………………….179

A Exploring a Topic ……………………………………………………...179

B Practising Skills ………………………………………………………..184

C Translation / Interpreting Skills ………………………………………..188

D Effective Writing ………………………………………………………191

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING ……………………………..194

ANSWER KEY ……………………………………………………………....199

UNIT 1. ASPIRING TO AN ACADEMIC DEGREE

A EXPLORING A TOPIC

I Expressing an opinion (B1/B2/C1)

1. State your academic ambitions. What do you think will be the most complicated part of gaining your master’s degree?

2. S. Joseph Levine is Professor Emeritus of Adult Education/Extension Education at Michigan State University. He has degrees in music education, guidance and counseling, and curriculum research. Read the introductory fragment of his guide on Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation. What is the main focus of the guide?

Introduction

This guide has been created to assist my graduate students in thinking through the many aspects of crafting, implementing and defending a thesis or dissertation. It is my attempt to share some of the many ideas that have surfaced over the past few years that definitely make the task of finishing a graduate degree so much easier. (This Guide is a companion to the Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal.)

Usually a guide of this nature focuses on the actual implementation of the research. This is not the focus of this guide. Instead of examining such aspects as identifying appropriate sample size, field testing the instrument and selecting appropriate statistical tests, this guide looks at many of the quasi-political aspects of the process. Such topics as how to select a supportive committee, making a compelling presentation of your research outcomes and strategies for actually getting the paper written are discussed.

Of course, many of the ideas that are presented can be used successfully by other graduate students studying under the guidance of other advisers and from many different disciplines. However, the use of this guide carries no guarantee - implied or otherwise. When in doubt check with your adviser. Probably the best advice to start with is the idea of not trying to do your research entirely by yourself. Do it in conjunction with your adviser. Seek out his/her input and assistance. Stay in touch with your adviser so that both of you know what's happening. There's a much better chance of getting to the end of your project and with a smile on your face.

II Related information (B1/B2/C1)

1. Define the meaning of the following terms: a graduate/postgraduate program, advisor, thesis, dissertation, academic requirements.

2. S. Joseph Levine in his Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation describes the process of preparing the proposal, writing the thesis or dissertation, thesis or dissertation defense. The first part of the guide is devoted to the ‘Thinking about it’ stage. Read this fragment and answer the questions:

Why is this stage important?

What expectations should be?

Define the six stages of writing a thesis or dissertation suggested by the author.

THE "THINKING ABOUT IT" STAGE

The "thinking about it stage" is when you are finally faced with the reality of completing your degree. Usually the early phases of a graduate program proceed in clear and very structured ways. The beginning phases of a graduate program proceed in much the same manner as an undergraduate degree program. There are clear requirements and expectations, and the graduate student moves along, step by step, getting ever closer to the completion of the program. One day, however, the clear structure begins to diminish and now you're approaching the thesis/dissertation stage. This is a new and different time. These next steps are more and more defined by you and not your adviser, the program, or the department.

Be inclusive with your thinking. Don't try to eliminate ideas too quickly. Build on your ideas and see how many different research projects you can identify. Give yourself the luxury of being expansive in your thinking at this stage -- you won't be able to do this later on. Try and be creative.

Write down your ideas. This will allow you to revisit an idea later on. Or, you can modify and change an idea. If you don't write your ideas they tend to be in a continual state of change and you will probably have the feeling that you're not going anywhere. What a great feeling it is to be able to sit down and scan the many ideas you have been thinking about, if they're written down.

Try not to be overly influenced at this time by what you feel others expect from you (your colleagues, your profession, your academic department, etc.). You have a much better chance of selecting a topic that will be really of interest to you if it is your topic. This will be one of the few opportunities you may have in your professional life to focus in on a research topic that is really of your own choosing.

Don't begin your thinking by assuming that your research will draw international attention to you!! Instead, be realistic in setting your goal. Make sure your expectations are tempered by:

... the realization that you are fulfilling an academic requirement,

... the fact that the process of conducting the research may be just as important (or more important) than the outcomes of the research, and

... the idea that first and foremost the whole research project should be a learning experience for you.

If you can keep these ideas in mind while you're thinking through your research you stand an excellent chance of having your research project turn out well.

Be realistic about the time that you're willing to commit to your research project. If it's a 10 year project that you're thinking about admit it at the beginning and then decide whether or not you have 10 years to give to it. If the project you'd like to do is going to demand more time than you're willing to commit then you have a problem.

I know it's still early in your thinking but it's never too early to create a draft of a timeline. Try using the 6 Stages (see the next item) and put a start and a finish time for each. Post your timeline in a conspicuous place (above your computer monitor?) so that it continually reminds you how you're doing. Periodically update your timeline with new dates as needed.

If you're going to ask for a leave of absence from your job while you're working on your research this isn't a good time to do it. Chances are you can do the "thinking about it" stage without a leave of absence. Assuming that there are six major phases that you will have during your research project, probably the best time to get the most from a leave of absence is during the fourth stage - the writing stage. This is the time when you really need to be thinking well. To be able to work at your writing in large blocks of time without interruptions is something really important. A leave of absence from your job can allow this to happen. A leave of absence from your job prior to this stage may not be a very efficient use of the valuable time away from your work.

Stage 1 - Thinking About It

Stage 2 - Preparing the Proposal

Stage 3- Conducting the Research

Stage 4- Writing the Research Paper

Stage 5- Sharing the Research Outcomes with Others

Stage 6- Revising the Research Paper

It can be most helpful at this early stage to try a very small preliminary research study to test out some of your ideas to help you gain further confidence in what you'd like to do. The study can be as simple as conducting half a dozen informal interviews with no attempt to document what is said. The key is that it will give you a chance to get closer to your research and to test out whether or not you really are interested in the topic. And, you can do it before you have committed yourself to doing something you may not like. Take your time and try it first.

(From Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation by S. Joseph Levine Ph.D. Michigan State University)

III Developing background knowledge (B1/B2/C1)

1. Study the webpage How To Write a Thesis Statement produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington.

2. Summarize the information in a form of pieces of advice on How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement.

IV Exchanging views and ideas (B1/B2/C1)

1. Study the How to Write a PhD Thesis guide presented at the website of The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and discuss the following issues with your partner:

- how to meet the deadline of writing a thesis;

- what may be the consequences for your mental and physical health and how to improve the situation;

- why there is a risk of giving up writing;

- why is writing thesis tough work.

2. Share your ideas with the group.

V Summarizing the topic (B1/B2/C1)

1. Give a talk on Writing The Thesis Or Dissertation. Develop the following ideas of S. Joseph Levine Ph.D., Michigan State University in your talk.

Begin writing with sections you know the best.

Rewrite your proposal into dissertation sections.

Use real names/places in early drafts of dissertation.

Print each draft on a different color paper.

Use hand drawings of graphics/tables for early drafts.

Make your writing clear and unambiguous.

Review other dissertations before you begin to write.

Introduce tables in the text, present the table and then describe it.

Use similar or parallel wording whenever possible.

Let your Table of Contents help you improve your manuscript.

Write real conclusions and implications - don't restate your findings.

Make your Suggestions for Further Research meaningful.

Chapter One should be written last.

2. Give a talk on The Thesis/Dissertation Defense. Develop the following ideas of S. Joseph Levine Ph.D., Michigan State University in your talk.

Attend some defenses before it's your turn.

Discuss your research with others.

Don't circulate chapters to committee.

The defense should be team effort - you and adviser.

Don't be defensive at your defense.

Organize your defense as an educational presentation.

Consider tape recording your defense.

Prepare an article on the outcomes of your research.

VI Project work (B1/B2/C1)

1. Write an essay on one of the following topics:

1) Do I need a Master’s degree?

2) My ambitions at the University.

3) Why I have chosen this field of study.

4) For whom is a thesis written?

5) How to survive a thesis defense?

2. Create a web-page with resources on the topic How to Write a Thesis and Defend it Successfully.

B PRACTISING SKILLS

READING TIPS

· To know whether you should read the reading passage first or the questions first, experiment with both strategies and see what works best for you. Many students have found it helps to skim through the questions first to get an idea of what to pay attention to in the reading passage. This method may work for you too, but in reality, it depends on a number of factors. These include how well or how quickly you read, the type of questions, how difficult they are, how much time you have, and so on. So, never mind what your teacher recommends, or what your best friend is going to do. Try both ways and see what helps you the most.

· Read the reading instructions carefully. Don’t try to save time by skipping this part. The instructions give you critical information about how many words the answer should be, what exactly you need to do, and so on.

· In many cases, the questions follow the order of the information in the reading passages. This will help you find the required answers quickly.

· Spelling matters, so take care while writing in the answers. You will lose points for incorrect spelling.

· Grammar counts too, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect as well.

· In sentence completion tasks, focus on the meaning to select the right answer.

· Read widely from a variety of sources to strengthen your general reading skills and enrich your vocabulary.

· Look out for key synonyms used in the text or question, to help you identify where to find the answer quickly.

TEXT 1 (B2)

Choose ONE phrase from the list of phrases A-J below to complete each of the following sentences 1-9. Remember, ONE phrase is extra here.

A at a college level

B in their knowledge base

C for independent study

D it was entirely untaught

E after you complete an undergraduate degree

F on the level of study

G planned out for me by the university

H it can make all the difference

I have a very specific set schedule

J is not overseeing my course of studies

Undergraduate courses are courses you take in your first 4 years of college to get your undergraduate degree (BS, BA). These include both general college and those classes in your major. They tend to be very broad 1. __________________________________.

Postgraduate courses are those classes you take to obtain a Masters degree. Postgraduate courses are commenced 2. __________________________________. They tend to be more focused, giving you a speciality within your field (which is generally determined by the studies you did as an undergraduate).

You can also continue higher education to a Doctorate degree, also postgraduate classes, which will take a couple of years longer in school. The degrees build. Of course, a Masters degree makes you more qualified in your field. And a Doctorate enables you to teach 3. __________________________________.

An undergraduate degree is your first degree. It's a course of study that gives a thorough grounding in a field or subject and usually takes three years of full time studying to complete.

Part time studying can take longer. If you are finishing your A Levels, you will need to apply for an undergraduate degree. On successful completion, you will be awarded a Bachelors degree. Depending on your subject, you will be awarded either a BA (Bachelor of Arts), BSc (Bachelor of Science), LLB (Bachelor of Laws), or BEng (Bachelor of Engineering).

A postgraduate degree allows you to further explore a subject to attain a high level of proficiency, with an opportunity 4. ________________________________. Postgraduate degrees can be taught courses or research based. Taught courses usually take one year's full time study to complete after which you get awarded a Masters degree (MA, MSc, MEng, etc.) based on your subject of study. Research degrees get awarded BPhil, MPhil, PhD based 5.___________________________________.

I think the main difference between undergraduate work and postgraduate work is how much more structured the undergraduate experience is, even when compared to my MPhil, which was unique in some respects because 6. ______________________________. It was purely a research course so the degree comprised pretty much of me meeting with my supervisor, meeting various writing deadlines, but it was unstructured in the sense that I didn’t have any courses. I didn’t formally have to attend any seminars, whereas, of course, when you’re an undergraduate you 7. __________________________________.

When I was an undergraduate I had a certain number of hours per week. I had designated times when I had to meet with various professors and everything was 8. ________________ _________________. When I came to Cambridge for my MPhil, my course did require me to meet specific deadlines, and I did have to attend some training sessions and various seminars but it was pretty much all untaught.

The PhD has just magnified that. Now it’s really on me to figure out what I need to be doing with my daily schedule, what I need to be reading… and even my supervisor 9. __________________________________________, day in day out. It’s really up to me.