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: this is about how we speak or write, the speaking or writing style, choice of words/phrases, speed, etc., which varies with the situation and the relationship between us and our audience

• The general <-----------------------------> expert continuum: this is about how we adjust to our audience depending on what we think they know, especially in terms of technical vocabulary from our field

II. Introduce yourself to the class and briefly describe your field of study (not a specific research project). Think about this for a couple of minutes and make some notes if you want.

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: Have you ever presented your research to a general audience? When might you have to?

• Practice: present your research informally to a partner

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

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 two 45-60 second talks, accessible to a group of non-specialists, like your classmates.

   a. Describe your field and explain its goals, what it is trying to contribute to improving our lives or our understanding of some aspect of the world--you can mention the field in general as well as the specific sub-field you work in.

   b. Describe a current or recent research project: be sure it includes 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; present this in an informal style. Do not write the talks out and memorize them, though you can work with notes during yoru practice phase 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 or some other project (~200-300 words) suitable for a non-specialist audience (me). 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.