STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Advanced English Skills for Non-Native Faculty
Oral Presentation

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EFS 698C: Week 1 Notes
 

I. Class introduction.

• The informal <-----------------------------> formal continuum

• The general <-----------------------------> expert continuum

II. Group discussion: What are your current concerns about presenting your research?

III. Describing your research informally & generally: conversation. http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1964 (start @ 0:50); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9lVfYwGDiY (start @ 5:00); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeGMBSqdgvw

• Discussion: when do you (or might you) have to talk about your research informally?

• Practice: talk about your research to others in the class; ask about their research

IV. Describing your research more formally & generally: presentation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHxrspmjbwI; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYR60qaIhfM; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdig5XXwchY.

• Discussion: when might you have to present your research to a general audience? Have you ever done it?

• Practice: present your research to the class

V. Group discussion: What are your current concerns about writing your research?

VI. Describing your research informally and/or generally: writing

• Discussion: when do you have to write about your research informally?

VII. Questions?

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Homework:

1. Prepare 1-minute and a 5-minute talks on your research project, accessible to a group of non-specialists, like your classmates. Be sure the talks include the following information:

• Your basic topic or research question

• Why it’s important or useful

• What you did

• How you did it

• What you found (or expect to find)

Note -- no notes, no visual aids. The one-minute talk can be more informal. However, do not write the talks out and memorize them. Practice as much as you want (the more, the better), but make sure that it sounds like spoken English.

   2. Meet with me individually to discuss your current research and your goals for the class

   3. Write an informal, description of your research (~200-300 words) suitable for a non-specialist audience. Send it to me before your first meeting in the body of an email to efs@stanford.edu. Try to complete it in 30 minutes or less.