24. Complete the sentences choosing the best variant corresponding to the contents of Text 6B.
1) Posters and oral presentations are an effective means of scientific work because they...
a) involve a sound methodology and novel ideas.
b) allow scientists to be in contact with their audience.
c) give valid and trustworthy results.
2) A poster is...
a) less visual than any other forms of presentation.
b) an exhibit at a museum.
c) a pictorial representation.
3) When designing a poster, charts, graphs and tables are more important than...
a) references and acknowledgements.
b) wordy abstracts and introductions.
c) the scientific method and the audience.
4) A successful poster presentation is characterised by...
a) the message you want to deliver.
b) fun.
c) clear language and a good poster design.
5) Scientific ideas should be presented...
a) in a simple manner.
b) in a complex manner.
c) in a technical manner.
6) To give a successful presentation, the presenter should... a) convey scientific information in as few as five minutes.
b) be prepared and organised about the work being presented, c) do it in a particular format.
Section 5. SPEAKING
This reference chart provides a guide to giving a research presentation in English. Each section begins with the presentation section concerned, then the language formulas appropriate to giving a presentation. Learn these expressions.
| Introducing yourself | • Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! • First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming here today My name is and I am a -year postgraduate student • We haven’t all met before, so I’d better introduce myself, I’m from • I hope you’ll excuse my English I’m a little out of practice |
| Introducing the topic | • The theme of my talk is.. • My presentation concerns • This presentation focuses on the issue of • I’m going to talk about • I will be looking at the following areas: |
| Justifying the topic | • There are many concerns regarding •... has been the subject of much debate recently and this is the topic of my presentation • Recent research has shown that... •... so the purpose of my presentation today is to inform / discuss / present / analyse • is a growing problem in the world |
| Ordering information | • I am going to divide my presentation into two main parts. • I’ll start / begin with • Then! Next I’ll look at • And in this part of my presentation I’ll be showing you some data/charts/ tables... • Now I’ll move on to... / turn to... • I’ll also try to explain my findings. |
| •... then I’m going to suggest some possible measures to solve these difficulties. • Finally, I’ll talk about / I’m going to... • Please feel free to interrupt me with any questions you may have during the presentation • At the end of my talk, which will last about minutes, I’ll be happy to answer any questions. | |
| Delivering the message | • Firstly,.... Secondly,... • This brings me to my next point • I must emphasize • This means that. • At this point we must consider.. • I’d like to take a minute or two to define what exactly we mean by • I’d like to mention three points here.. • Finally |
| Referring to research | • Researchers have shown that • A number of recent studies, notably the ones by and..., have shown that.. • A study by shows that • Research suggests / indicates that.. • According to... • Figures from show / suggest / indicate that... • One of the most interesting studies carried out in this area by. showed that.. |
| Referring to visual aids | • Have a look at this slide. • This graph / diagram / table / slide shows • If you look at this table you can see that • There are some handouts coming round on |
| Presenting a point of view | • Those in favour of.. argue that. • Some people claim that but others • Most people / scientists would argue that... • I think it’s fair to say that • Personally, 1 think there is overwhelming evidence that |
| Analysing an argument | • Let’s take a closer look at the argument put forward by • Even if we accept the point that that still leaves the question of... • The argument put forward by doesn’t explain |
| • The weakness in this argument is that. | |
| Making recommendations | • In order to solve these problems, the following action should be considered: • The most important thing that should be done to combat the problem of... is.. • Other possible solutions would be to. |
| Checking understanding | • Is that clear? • Are you with me? • OK so far? |
| Making conclusions and summarising | • I’d like to quickly go over the main points of my presentation • Before closing I’d like to summarize the main points • To conclude my presentation, / In conclusion, • To summarise the main points of my presentation. |
| Finishing | • That’s all I have to say for the moment • OK We’re coming to the end of the presentation so I’d like to thank you for listening • I hope you found it interesting. |
26. Match the typical expressions used in presentations (1-26) with the appropriate heading (a-m), as in the example.
a) Introducing yourself. _4_______
b) Introducing the topic.________
c) Justifying the topic.__________
d) Ordering information.
e) Delivering the message.
f) Referring to research._________
g) Referring to visual aids.__________
h) Presenting a point of view._________
i) Analysing an argument.
j) Making recommendations.
k) Checking understanding._________
l) Making conclusions and summarising.___________
m) Finishing.
1. Recent research has shown that...
2. Before closing I’d like to summarize the main points.
3. This graph I diagram / table / slide shows...
4. First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming here today. My
name is... and I am a...-year postgraduate student.
5. And in this part of my presentation I’ll be showing you some data...
6. In order to solve these problems, the following action should be considered:...
7. At this point we must consider...
8. This presentation focuses on the issue of...
9. Most people / scientists would argue that...
10. Research suggests I indicates that...
11. 1 hope you found it interesting.
12. Is that clear?
13. Even if we accept the point that... that still leaves the question of...
14.1 hope you’ll excuse my English. I’m a little out of practice.
15. I’ll also try to explain my findings...
16. There are some handouts coming round on...
17. My presentation concerns...
18. Are you with me?
19. Let’s take a closer look at the argument put forward by...
20. This brings me to my next point...
21. To summarise the main points of my presentation...
22.... so the purpose of my presentation today is to discuss...
23. Figures from... show / suggest / indicate that...
24. That’s all I have to say for the moment.
25. Personally, I think there is overwhelming evidence that...
26. Other possible solutions would be to...
27. Read a sample presentation. Study its structure and standard phrases to be used in research presentations.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming here today. Before I start, let me introduce myself. My name is Hikaru Honda, and I am from Japan. I am a first- year postgraduate student of the University of Tokyo. I hope you will excuse my English. I am a little out of practice. The title of my presentation is “The Implementation of the Platform for Learning the Japanese Language with Videos”.
I am going to share my research findings with you. I have divided my presentation into five parts. The first part concerns the background of my research. The second part relates to the system I am developing. In the third part, I will describe what 1 have already done. In the fourth part, we will discuss the future prospects. And finally, I will summarise my presentation. At the end of my talk, which will last about fifteen minutes, I will be happy to answer any questions.
Well, I’d like to begin with the definition of two terms: mobile learning and podcast. Mobile learning or m-learning is any sort of learning that happens when a learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when a learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies, such as mobile phones and PDAs. Let’s take a closer look at some advantages provided by the use of a mobile phone. Firstly, mobile phones are always with us. Recent studies have shown that there are three things people almost always carry with them: keys, a wallet and a mobile phone. Secondly, the mobile phones are a sort of social devices. So they are potential tools for collaborative learning. Mobile phones are very useful in informal learning, which means that you can learn anywhere and at any time.
Now I’ll move on to a podcast. According to the website of the Apple Company, a podcast is a free video or audio series — like a TV or radio show — which you download from iTunes and play on your computer, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. Obviously you can use the other companies’ products. In fact, podcasting can be categorized as an m-learning strategy for teaching and learning. For example, teachers and students can share information by podcasting. If you are absent, you can download the podcast of the recorded lesson. As the podcasting is becoming increasingly popular in education, there are a lot of podcasting websites we can make use of, for instance, iTunes, Room 208 Podcast, Radio Willow Web and others.
Next, I will look at the system named LOCH 1 am developing now. The abbreviation LOCH stands for Language Learning Outside of the Classroom with Handhelds. It is a mobile learning system, and it is being designed to assist foreign students to learn Japanese in real life situations with the help of portable devices.
Have a look at the slides showing the flow of the system. The teacher is assigning the tasks to his students. If you look at this slide, you can see the boy asking about the price of the ticket from the city of Tokushima to the city of Osaka. Then this boy is talking to a local man. He is asking the way to the station. Now he is talking to the staff of the station to ask for some information. Meanwhile, the teacher, sitting in the classroom, can instruct the students with the help of the system. When all the tasks are done, the students will come back and have a discussion about what they have learned. As you see, by taking part in such activities, the students improve and develop their communication skills; they also have a good experience of the local culture.
Even though the system is a great idea, there are some disadvantages of it. For example, the users of the system are very limited. Only foreign students studying in Japan can be the users of this system. There is another problem about it. It is difficult for students to review their performance and identify their mistakes. To solve this problem 1 suggest using video recordings of learners’ conversations in Japanese. These videos can be shared with all learners and their contents can include all kinds of activities. For example, when a learner is making a presentation or a speech in Japanese, he or she can record a video. With the help of videos, learners can review their performance easily and their teacher can help them to identify the mistakes. So I designed a new flow of the system. First, the learners will record a video of their conversations in Japanese. Then, they can upload the materials to the server and categorize them according to the kind of the activity. The learners can ask any questions that may arise. The teacher, in his turn, will answer them and point out the mistakes they have made. Finally, the learner can share his or her videos with other learners and comment on other learners’ performance if he likes.
There are two targets of the system. The first target is to create a platform where Japanese language learners can share videos or audios about their learning. Meanwhile, a teacher can correct their mistakes. The other target is to design such a system which can be a podcast and an m-learning system where learners can subscribe the contents to be delivered to the mobile phone and PDA. So it makes it possible for a student to learn anytime and anywhere.
Now I’d like to take a minute or two to discuss some future prospects. The release of Apple’s new iPhone really has a great impact on mobile learning. It is so amazing and inspiring that someone even said, “The real mobile learning device is coming”. It does give us a good glimpse of the future. More and more scientists and doctoral students do research with iPhones. They use phones for RSS feeds, podcasts and class materials linking to iTunes, address books, campus events, online payments, voice recorders, text alerts and messages from teachers and schools, timetables and schedules.
To conclude my presentation I’d like to quickly go over the main points. I explained two terms in the first part. Then I briefly talked about the LOCH system. Considering the disadvantages of the system, I introduced the new flow and targets of the system. And finally, we discussed the future prospects.
And now I am coming to the end of my presentation. So I’d like to thank you for listening to it. I hope you found it interesting.
28. Say which of Hikaru Honda’s statements are true and which are false. Correct the false ones.
a) I am a first-year undergraduate student.
b) I am fluent in English.
c) 1 will summarise my presentation in the fourth part.
d) Mobile learning is offered by computer technologies.
e) Mobile phones can hardly be used for collaborative learning.
f) A podcast can be downloaded from iPhone.
g) Podcasting is applied for teaching and learning.
h) I have developed the LOCH system.
i) The LOCH system is considered to be a learning system.
g) The flow of the system shows different types of activities.
k) The system does not have any disadvantages.
l) The students can share videos, using mobile phones.
29. Complete the sentences of the beginning of Hikaru Honda’s presentation (1 — 12) with their endings (a-l). Practise it.
1. Before I start,...
2. I am going to share...
3. The first part concerns...
4. The second part relates to...
5. In the third part,...
6. At the end of my talk,...
7. Recent studies have shown that...
8. Let’s take a closer look at...
9. Now I’ll move on to...
10. Have a look at the slides...
11. Now I’d like to take a minute or two...
12. To conclude my presentation...
a)... the system I am developing.
b)... showing the flow of the system.
c)... I will describe what I have already done.
d)... I’d like to quickly go over the main points.
e)... my research findings with you.
f)... there are three things people almost always carry with them.
g)... some advantages provided by the use of a mobile phone.
h)... to discuss some future prospects.
i)... let me introduce myself.
j)... I will be happy to answer any questions.
k)... a podcast.
l)... the background of my research.
30. Practise the following dialogue.
A.: Irina, can I run the new presentation for you?
Certainly, I’d love to hear some of the new concepts.
A.: OK, here goes... Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming here today. My name is Alexey Stepanov. I am a doctoral student. I’d like to outline some new concepts I have recently developed in the field of civil engineering.
Excuse me, who was invited to this conference?
A.: All the postgraduate students of our university were asked to come. I think some professors were also invited.
I.: I think you will have a good chance to discuss your research.
A.: So, I will continue. You will be given the background and I will talk you through the results of the experiments I have conducted.
1.: How many experiments have you conducted?
A.: Twelve. My research supervisor is pleased with the results.
B.: OK, continue.
A.: The presentation has been divided into three parts. First, our past approach. Secondly, the recent data we have obtained. Thirdly, future prospects.
I.: That sounds good.
A.: If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. At the end of this presentation, a slide film will be shown to give you an idea of where we are going.
/.: Good job, Alexey. I hope you have already put all the graphics together.
A.: Of course, I have.