International Conference International Conference PresentationsPresentations

Tim KellyTim Kelly

University of WarwickUniversity of Warwick

International ConferencesInternational Conferences

International environment with a multitude of International environment with a multitude of cultural expectations.cultural expectations.

The language will be English.The language will be English. Anglo-American / Western model.Anglo-American / Western model.

Chinese University Teacher Training Chinese University Teacher Training in English (CUTE)in English (CUTE)

Cambridge & Warwick Cambridge & Warwick Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University

Qinghai University, Xinjiang UniversityQinghai University, Xinjiang University

Inner Mongolia University of TechnologyInner Mongolia University of Technology

Qufu Teachers’ University Qufu Teachers’ University

Hebei University of TechnologyHebei University of Technology

CUTE StrandsCUTE Strands

English for Teaching English for Teaching English for PublicationEnglish for Publication English for International ConferencesEnglish for International Conferences

Dr Graham LewisDr Graham LewisCentre for Academic Practice Centre for Academic Practice

University of WarwickUniversity of Warwick

Dr Lewis’s ConclusionsDr Lewis’s Conclusions

““You are entertaining as well as presenting You are entertaining as well as presenting information.”information.”

““Papers are not presentations.”Papers are not presentations.” ““You should throw your paper away and You should throw your paper away and

start again from the key issues.”start again from the key issues.” It is a mistake to simply read your paper It is a mistake to simply read your paper

aloud.aloud.

Reading vs presentingReading vs presenting

Problems with reading aloudProblems with reading aloud

““Reading…sends everyone to sleep.”Reading…sends everyone to sleep.” You don’t engage the audience if you don’t You don’t engage the audience if you don’t

look at them.look at them. Reading aloud in an interesting and Reading aloud in an interesting and

engaging way is a difficult skill to master, engaging way is a difficult skill to master, even in your native language.even in your native language.

OverviewOverview

Prologue & warning: papers are not Prologue & warning: papers are not presentations: beware of reading aloud!presentations: beware of reading aloud!

Useful language to structure the oral Useful language to structure the oral presentation of your paperpresentation of your paper

Conference conventionsConference conventions Data from CUTE 2 projectData from CUTE 2 project

OPENINGS

OpeningsOpenings

Right, well, what I want to try and do is to Right, well, what I want to try and do is to talk a little bit about…talk a little bit about…

The title of my talk is…The title of my talk is… Today I’m going to talk about…Today I’m going to talk about…

OPENINGS

Thanking the ChairThanking the Chair

“ “Thank you (name) for that introduction…”Thank you (name) for that introduction…” “ “Thank you very much (name)”Thank you very much (name)” “ “Thank you for that kind and somewhat flattering Thank you for that kind and somewhat flattering

introduction…”introduction…”

Saying how pleased you are to be presentSaying how pleased you are to be present

“ “I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be here…”here…”

“ “It’s a great honour to be here today…”It’s a great honour to be here today…”

Engaging with previous speakersEngaging with previous speakers

“ “When I wrote this I hadn’t read (name)’s paper, When I wrote this I hadn’t read (name)’s paper, but I think we’re… on the same wavelength…”but I think we’re… on the same wavelength…”

“ “I would like to find a way of engaging with what I would like to find a way of engaging with what (name) has been talking about and link it to (name) has been talking about and link it to some of the issues I’ve been grappling with…”some of the issues I’ve been grappling with…”

Doing down / bigging upDoing down / bigging up

“ “I feel rather humble, given not only the panel, but the I feel rather humble, given not only the panel, but the audience…”audience…”

“… “…who were part of the esteemed Academy before I who were part of the esteemed Academy before I was…”was…”

Breaking the iceBreaking the ice

Giving an overviewGiving an overview

Giving an overviewGiving an overview

““So what I thought I’d do is…”So what I thought I’d do is…”

“…“…discuss (x, y and/or z)”discuss (x, y and/or z)”

““Obviously when discussing (x) we do need to Obviously when discussing (x) we do need to bring in an element of (y)… so I’m going to bring in an element of (y)… so I’m going to discuss that as well…”discuss that as well…”

““And then finally move on to…”And then finally move on to…”

““And then I can touch on my research…”And then I can touch on my research…”

Giving an overviewGiving an overview

Firstly I’d like to talk about…Firstly I’d like to talk about… Then I’m going to discuss…Then I’m going to discuss… Thirdly I’ll say something about…Thirdly I’ll say something about… And finally I’ll try to draw some And finally I’ll try to draw some

conclusions…conclusions…

Limiting scopeLimiting scope

Time limits Excess of Detail Contended areaTime limits Excess of Detail Contended area

Limiting scopeLimiting scope

Time constraintsTime constraints ““I’m not going to show you what the new I’m not going to show you what the new

economy is… because I only have, what, 17 economy is… because I only have, what, 17 minutes left?”minutes left?”

““And I have to move forward because I have And I have to move forward because I have ten minutes…”ten minutes…”

““And to some extent, this is something that And to some extent, this is something that needs more argument than I’ve time to give needs more argument than I’ve time to give here, but to some extent…”here, but to some extent…”

Limiting scopeLimiting scope

Excess of detailExcess of detail

““I won’t bore you in great detail…”I won’t bore you in great detail…” ““I’m not going to talk in detail about this, but I I’m not going to talk in detail about this, but I

do want to mention…”do want to mention…”

Contended area / OtherContended area / Other

““I won’t talk about statistics at all - I know what I won’t talk about statistics at all - I know what a serious bone of contention it is.a serious bone of contention it is.

““Theology is politics; politics is not theology, but Theology is politics; politics is not theology, but I’m not going into this debate here.”I’m not going into this debate here.”

Transitional StagesTransitional Stages(Moving from one part of your talk to the next)(Moving from one part of your talk to the next)

What I want to do now is move away from talking What I want to do now is move away from talking about the epidemic… and start talking about the about the epidemic… and start talking about the virus.virus.

A few featuresA few features DefiningDefining ClarifyingClarifying Comparing and contrastingComparing and contrasting CitingCiting EvaluatingEvaluating Explaining through example / reformulationExplaining through example / reformulation Referring forwards and backwardsReferring forwards and backwards SequencingSequencing Signalling importanceSignalling importance Structuring via rhetorical questionsStructuring via rhetorical questions Summarising and endingSummarising and ending Q & AQ & A

ClarifyingClarifying

Clarifying & reformulatingClarifying & reformulating

““I should clarify that…”I should clarify that…” ““Well maybe I need to explain this. I think it’s Well maybe I need to explain this. I think it’s

because…”because…”

EvaluatingEvaluating

Making evaluative commentsMaking evaluative comments

““The nominal group technique has many The nominal group technique has many advantages.”advantages.”

““I think this argument is convincing (in I think this argument is convincing (in relation to…)”relation to…)”

““I’m sceptical about that.”I’m sceptical about that.” ““I think this is almost a complete fiction.”I think this is almost a complete fiction.”

Signalling importanceSignalling importance

Importance markersImportance markers

““The important message is…”The important message is…” ““Now it’s important of course…”Now it’s important of course…” ““The crucial thing is…”The crucial thing is…” But the main factor is…But the main factor is… That’s the key point.That’s the key point.

ENDINGS

Concluding remarksConcluding remarks

““Let me wind up here…”Let me wind up here…” ““I’m afraid that this is one of those talks I’m afraid that this is one of those talks

which end up by saying there are no simple which end up by saying there are no simple answers.”answers.”

““The story warns against essentialising… The story warns against essentialising… and in favour of taking into account a very and in favour of taking into account a very wide range of factors and looking to a wide wide range of factors and looking to a wide range of solutions.”range of solutions.”

CONVENTIONS

The Importance of the SocialThe Importance of the Social

TipsTips

Avoid speaking too fast or too softly.Avoid speaking too fast or too softly. Avoid engaging with your computer / the Avoid engaging with your computer / the

screen rather than the audience.screen rather than the audience. Avoid putting too much detail on slides. Avoid putting too much detail on slides. There is no point displaying graphs and tables There is no point displaying graphs and tables

if the audience can’t read the data in them.if the audience can’t read the data in them. Keep to time.Keep to time. 100 words a minute maximum100 words a minute maximum Work hard in advance on your pronunciationWork hard in advance on your pronunciation Practice / rehearse your speechPractice / rehearse your speech

The biggest sin of all!The biggest sin of all!

“ “The biggest sin of all is taking time from The biggest sin of all is taking time from another person’s presentation. Never, ever, another person’s presentation. Never, ever, overrun to the point where you are jeopardising overrun to the point where you are jeopardising the presentations of other speakers. If you do the presentations of other speakers. If you do so you have managed to ignore the Chair, so you have managed to ignore the Chair, shown disrespect to the other speakers and shown disrespect to the other speakers and your audience, and demonstrated your inability your audience, and demonstrated your inability to plan or pay attention.”to plan or pay attention.”

[BAAL][BAAL] (British Association of Applied Linguistics)(British Association of Applied Linguistics)

Web addressesWeb addresses www.ease.ac.ukwww.ease.ac.uk http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/projects/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/projects/

current/echina-uk/cute/current/echina-uk/cute/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/projects/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/projects/

resources/base/resources/base/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/

activities/activities/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/staff/kelly_t/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/staff/kelly_t/