Module 3

Module 3: What is it about?

This module covers:

• Reflecting on characteristics of academic presentations
• Listening strategies for academic presentations
• Analysing spoken academic texts
• Building academic language through listening
• Implementing academic oral presentation skills

Module 3: What is it about?

Chapters include:

• Reflecting on characteristics of academic presentations
• Listening strategies for academic presentations
• Analysing spoken academic texts
• Building academic language through listening
• Implementing academic oral presentation skills

What is an academic presentation?

Activity 3.3

Listen to Professor Einstein, a specialist in Language and Communication. He is going to introduce what academic presentations are and the types of presentations you will be doing at university. Then take notes by filling in the gaps

What is an academic presentation?

demonstrate knowledge

make sound arguments

What is an academic presentation?

Informative

understanding

convey

new concept

What is an academic presentation?

What is an academic presentation?

Persuasive

beliefs

attitudes

behaviour

free choice

What is an academic presentation?

inform

action

What is an academic presentation?

Understand

visual aids

research

scripts

Deliver

What is an academic presentation?

Summary: Preparing for academic presentation

Key to success:

• Learn the basic structure, language, as well as non-verbal gestures and expressions needed for a presentation
• be well-prepared

The scope and structure of presentations

The scope of presentations

The area to be covered

Don't try to include too much information in your presentations. Why?

Try Activity 3.6 to find out the reasons

The scope and structure of presentations

Activity 3.6

Try to complete the answers

imit

nterest

ttention

oo

uch

The scope and structure of presentations

echnical

ables

xplanations

igures

xamples

llustrations

uestion-and-answer

The scope and structure of presentations

Have you watched the videos and read the article provided for Assignment 2?

Whether you have done so or not, I would like you to prepare a presentation on them.

It will be a group presentation. Treat it as an oral practice. Each member of the group has to have the chance to speak.

The scope and structure of presentations

Preparation for the presentation

• Select one of the sources: one of the videos or the article
• Watch it or read it.
• Jot down key ideas.
• Next Tuesday, you will have a meeting with those who have watched or read the article to discuss how the presentation should be conduct.

The scope and structure of presentations

In your meeting,

• Compile all the ideas that you are going to present.
• Discuss about the division of labour.
• Presentation will take place next Wednesday.
• Each group will have no more than 10 minutes.
• If possible, present with visual aids such as ppt.

The presentation will only be on the ideas conveying in the sources. DO NOT include your own opinions and judgement.

The scope and structure of presentations

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

The above 20 questions can be divided into 4 categories and these 4 categories are the 4 areas of listening strategies. They include Perceptive strategies, Cognitive strategies, Meta-cognitive strategies and Socio-affective strategies.

They correspond to various listening challenges experienced by many. Understanding what these four areas are will help you identify your own area(s) of weakness in listening comprehension.

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Perceptive strategies (Questions 1-5)

• encoding, mapping and making use of sounds and related features of English to convey meaning such as
• stress, intonation, connected speech, strong forms and weak forms and even accents

Thus the way a presenter speaks, in terms of speed, clarity and volume are also factors affecting listeners

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Cognitive strategies (Questions 6-10)

• mental processes that help listeners to understand and make sense of what they have heard
• effective listeners use a range of cognitive processes to accomplish a task e.g.
• attending to specific information
• relating what has been said to prior knowledge
• understanding when a presenter moves on to a new topic
• summarizing what the presenter has said

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

thinking about one's own mental processes

Meta-cognitive strategies (Questions 11-17)

• listeners plan, monitor and evaluate the listening process
• awareness of one's problems in listening
• the ability to manage and act on these problems using specific and targeted strategies e.g.
• preparation done on a topic before the lecture to help the listening and learning process such as doing some reading beforehand

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

socio: social

affective: emotional

Socio-affective strategies (Questions 18-20)

• managing social relationships and negative emotions during listening
• 5 categories of socio-affective strategies for listening:
• questioning for clarification
• cooperation
• lowering anxiety, self-encouragement
• taking emtional temperature

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

According to this result, all of you do not find the 4 areas very challenging.

It seems that many of you do not find Meta-cognitive strategies challenging.

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

1. Understanding presenters' accents

2. Understanding presenters' use of connected speech

3. Keeping up with the pace and speed of presenters

4. Dealing with presenters' intonation or stress

5. Understanding unfamiliar or technical vocabulary

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

6. Distinguishing main points from supporting ideas

7. Understanding meanings that are not directly stated

8. Using my own knowledge to fill in any missing information

9. Summarizing inforamtion from a presentation

10. Understanding when the presenter moves to a new topic

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

11. Doing topic-related tasks (i.e. reading, video) before the lecture to increase background knowledge

12. Rehearsing pronunciation of topic-related vocabulary lectures

13. Using the purpose, scope and main topic of the lecture to help understanding

14. Using the overall structure of a lecture (i.e. how it starts, continues and ends) to help understanding

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

15. Observing the presenter's body language to help understand what he/she is saying

16. Correcting my understanding of a presentation immediately if my understanding is incorrect

17. Paraphrasing the presentation content to take notes

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

18. Listening to presenters who mix English with Cantonese

19. Encouraging myself to listen to the presentation despite difficulty/boredom

20. Asking presenters for clarification

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

This questionnaire help you to identify your own listening challenges.

Please download the google form from the folder, complete and submit it.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeddZeqLR9OuJv53_mBBlA13j2ss-Vy6FH9qxpeXFOUK_jrag/viewform?usp=pp_url

What is an academic presentation?

Purpose:

• To demonstrate knowledge of the subject area
• To showcase your ability to make sound arguments

Two common types:

• informative
• persuasive

What is an academic presentation?

Informative presentation

• To promote understanding of an idea or convey information
• To provide the audience with information about a new concept or idea

What is an academic presentation?

Persuasive presentation

• To influence a change in the beliefs, attitudes, or behaviour of the audience who have some degree of free choice.
• To inform the audience about a topic or an area
• To get the audience to take specifice and appropriate action

This can be applied to Assignment 2.

What is an academic presentation?

Steps to producing an academic presentation

• Understand, research and plan an academic presentation
• Develop visual aids
• Prepare scripts
• Deliver the presentation effectively

may not be necessary

What is an academic presentation?

Summary: Preparing for academic presentation

Key to success:

• Learn the basic structure, language, as well as non-verbal gestures and expressions needed for a presentation
• be well-prepared

The scope and structure of presentations

Trim the scope of your presentation

• observe the time limit.
• need to hold the interest and attention of your audience.
• provide definitions, examples, explain technical terms, tables and figures.
• include a Q & A session.

The scope and structure of presentations

To a large extent, this needs not be applied to the presentation tomorrow! But to Assignment 2!

The structure of presentations

Like academic writing, a presentation can be divided into three parts:

• an introduction: purpose and structure
• a body: main points
• a conclusion: summarising and highlighting the significance of your presentation

The structure of presentations

Activity 3.7

Listen carefully to the conversation between Jenny, a year 1 student at HKMU and Dr Liu, her English tutor. Then fill in the blanks.

The structure of presentations

story

commentary

Statistics

The structure of presentations

background

concise

purpose

The structure of presentations

logical

sections

The structure of presentations

Pause

outline

examples

visual aids

The structure of presentations

relevant

concrete

interesting

The structure of presentations

conclusion

summary

The structure of presentations

summary

recommendation

positive

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 1: Think about your key message.

Step 2: Come up with three to four main points to

explain or support your key message. Do

research by reading and finding information

from the internet, newspaper, articles, journals,

editorials, books, magazines, etc

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 3: Start planning the introduction once you have

gathered all the main points and supporting

evidence. Begin with an attention getter which

could capture your audience's interest and

attention, followed by the main purpose and a

brief outline of the presentation.

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 4: Plan the conclusion and make sure to begin by

summarizing the main points which are used to

support the key message of your presentation.

Reiterate the purpose of your presentation and

end the presentation with a concluding

statement.

The structure of presentations

Suggested structure

The structure of presentations

The structure of presentations

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

The above 20 questions can be divided into 4 categories and these 4 categories are the 4 areas of listening strategies. They include Perceptive strategies, Cognitive strategies, Meta-cognitive strategies and Socio-affective strategies.

They correspond to various listening challenges experienced by many. Understanding what these four areas are will help you identify your own area(s) of weakness in listening comprehension.

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Perceptive strategies (Questions 1-5)

• encoding, mapping and making use of sounds and related features of English to convey meaning such as
• stress, intonation, connected speech, strong forms and weak forms and even accents

Thus the way a presenter speaks, in terms of speed, clarity and volume are also factors affecting listeners

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Cognitive strategies (Questions 6-10)

• mental processes that help listeners to understand and make sense of what they have heard
• effective listeners use a range of cognitive processes to accomplish a task e.g.
• attending to specific information
• relating what has been said to prior knowledge
• understanding when a presenter moves on to a new topic
• summarizing what the presenter has said

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

thinking about one's own mental processes

Meta-cognitive strategies (Questions 11-17)

• listeners plan, monitor and evaluate the listening process
• awareness of one's problems in listening
• the ability to manage and act on these problems using specific and targeted strategies e.g.
• preparation done on a topic before the lecture to help the listening and learning process such as doing some reading beforehand

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

socio: social

affective: emotional

Socio-affective strategies (Questions 18-20)

• managing social relationships and negative emotions during listening
• 5 categories of socio-affective strategies for listening:
• questioning for clarification
• cooperation
• lowering anxiety, self-encouragement
• taking emtional temperature

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

According to this result, all of you do not find the 4 areas very challenging.

It seems that many of you do not find Meta-cognitive strategies challenging.

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

1. Understanding presenters' accents

2. Understanding presenters' use of connected speech

3. Keeping up with the pace and speed of presenters

4. Dealing with presenters' intonation or stress

5. Understanding unfamiliar or technical vocabulary

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

6. Distinguishing main points from supporting ideas

7. Understanding meanings that are not directly stated

8. Using my own knowledge to fill in any missing information

9. Summarizing inforamtion from a presentation

10. Understanding when the presenter moves to a new topic

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

11. Doing topic-related tasks (i.e. reading, video) before the lecture to increase background knowledge

12. Rehearsing pronunciation of topic-related vocabulary lectures

13. Using the purpose, scope and main topic of the lecture to help understanding

14. Using the overall structure of a lecture (i.e. how it starts, continues and ends) to help understanding

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

15. Observing the presenter's body language to help understand what he/she is saying

16. Correcting my understanding of a presentation immediately if my understanding is incorrect

17. Paraphrasing the presentation content to take notes

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

18. Listening to presenters who mix English with Cantonese

19. Encouraging myself to listen to the presentation despite difficulty/boredom

20. Asking presenters for clarification

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Academic Listening Strategies Needs Analysis Questionnaire

The structure of presentations

Like academic writing, a presentation can be divided into three parts:

• an introduction: purpose and structure
• a body: main points
• a conclusion: summarising and highlighting the significance of your presentation

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 1: Think about your key message.

Step 2: Come up with three to four main points to

explain or support your key message. Do

research by reading and finding information

from the internet, newspaper, articles, journals,

editorials, books, magazines, etc

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 3: Start planning the introduction once you have

gathered all the main points and supporting

evidence. Begin with an attention getter which

could capture your audience's interest and

attention, followed by the main purpose and a

brief outline of the presentation.

The structure of presentations

Preparing for an academic presentation

Step 4: Plan the conclusion and make sure to begin by

summarizing the main points which are used to

support the key message of your presentation.

Reiterate the purpose of your presentation and

end the presentation with a concluding

statement.

The structure of presentations

Suggested structure

The structure of presentations

The structure of presentations

Noticing signposting words and phrases

Signposting words and phrases are used to guide the audience coherently through what is being said.

They show the audience the 'movement' between ideas/points.

They tell the audience how the main ideas support the key message.

Noticing signposting words and phrases

They also tell the audience how each group of ideas follow from the ones before, and whether information is:

• an additional point;
• in contrast to what has been said; or
• an example

Noticing signposting words and phrases

Activity 3.9

Functions of signposting words and phrases. See if you can identify their functions.

Noticing signposting words and phrases

highlight or

emphasize a point

to be

more specific

Noticing signposting words and phrases

change direction

or create a comparison

acknowledge and

move to a different point

add to a

similar point

Noticing signposting words and phrases

follow a line of

reasoning

summarize

Noticing signposting words and phrases

Signposting words and phrases are used to guide the audience through the presentations.

They show the audience how one idea flows to another and how the key message is supported.

Some words and phrases indicate that a new point or a contrasting idea is added. They also inform you that it is an example.

Noticing signposting words and phrases

highlight or

emphasize a point

to be

more specific

Noticing signposting words and phrases

change direction

or create a comparison

acknowledge and

move to a different point

add to a

similar point

Noticing signposting words and phrases

follow a line of

reasoning

summarize

Signposting words and phrases

Activity 3.10

Selecting signposting words and phrases

Download the document posted in the chat box. Complete and upload it here. I will download it and mark it.

Supporting ideas

Look at the picture.

The key idea is like an umbrella and the supporting ideas are covered by it.

Supporting ideas

Activity 3.11

Main points versus supporting details/evidence

Listen to Audio 3.4 and write down the supporting details.

Supporting ideas

Supporting ideas

Supporting ideas

Adjusting pronunciation

Articulation, pronunciation, dialect, tone, pitch and projection play very important roles in a presentation. Each depends on long-term practice for success.

articulation: an action of producing a sound or word clearly in speech or music

dialect: a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area

pitch: how high or low the sound is

projection: causing one's voice to be heard clearly at a distance

Adjusting pronunciation

According to German, there are many different accents and ways of talking, depending on where the speaker is from.

It is useful to listen to different accents and ways of talking because:

• It may be difficult understanding what the speaker is trying to say if you are not familiar with that particular accent.

Adjusting pronunciation

It is useful to listen to different accents and ways of talking because:

• Listening to people speak English naturally teaches you how people actually speak in different parts of the world, not just how they are 'supposed' to speak.
• You can feel more confident about how you speak English from listening to the different ways English is spoken around the world.

Adjusting pronunciation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpVmt8LwxGk

Activity 3.12

Pronunciation can be fun!

Watch the video and appreciate the different pronunciations of words shared by the speakers.

Four speakers who are from US/UK/Australia/South Africa pronounce the words listed on page 23. They include:

Adjusting pronunciation

There are other websites, TV shows and podcasts that you can listen to a variety of accents and pronunciation. They include:

Adjusting pronunciation

Signposting words and phrases

Activity 3.10

Before looking at the answers, let us go over the choices given.

Signposting words and phrases

It is from the iconic commencement speech by Steve Jobs at Stanford University.

What is a commencement speech?

(Br) a speech given at the beginning of an academic year

(Am) a speech given during the graduation ceremony

Therefore, even though it is a speech, it tends to be more formal than talks given in other occasions.

Signposting words and phrases

an important story

tell a story

(1) Today I would like to tell you

to tell a story so

(2) The story began

The doctor told Steve to get his affairs in order so (3) According to

(4) More importantly/ More specifically

one to highlight

the other to be specific?

Signposting words and phrases

(5) From then (after telling his family and making sure everything at home is in order) on

The doctor suggested having a surgery. (6) So/Therefore/ Subsequently/Consequently, he had the surgery.

Signposting words and phrases

No one wants to die but death is the destination we all share. (7) However

At this moment = now (8) Right now

Signposting words and phrases

dogma = a belief

As it (gradually become the old and be cleared away) is true, I want to give you the message ... (9) So/Therefore/Hence

to highlight/to emphasize the courage (10) More importantly Then (4) More specifically

Signposting words and phrases

Hitchhiking: the act of travelling by obtaining free lifts in motor vehicles

Getting almost to the end

(11) Finally

Thanks a lot/Thank you all very much

It is an official occasion so it needs to be more formal (12) Thank you all very much

Signposting words and phrases

Signposting words and phrases

Signposting words and phrases

Signposting words and phrases

Adjusting pronunciation

Articulation, pronunciation, dialect, tone, pitch and projection play very important roles in a presentation. Each depends on long-term practice for success.

articulation: an action of producing a sound or word clearly in speech or music

dialect: a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area

pitch: how high or low the sound is

projection: causing one's voice to be heard clearly at a distance

Adjusting pronunciation

According to German, there are many different accents and ways of talking, depending on where the speaker is from.

It is useful to listen to different accents and ways of talking because:

• It may be difficult understanding what the speaker is trying to say if you are not familiar with that particular accent.

Adjusting pronunciation

It is useful to listen to different accents and ways of talking because:

• Listening to people speak English naturally teaches you how people actually speak in different parts of the world, not just how they are 'supposed' to speak.
• You can feel more confident about how you speak English from listening to the different ways English is spoken around the world.

Note-taking

Activity 3.14

Note-taking strategies

Listen to Audio 3.5 and fill in the blanks. The following note-taking strategies can help you record the most important information and relevant details in a presentation.

having a concise style

Note-taking

telegraphic

prepositions

articles

point form

structure

big picture

organizational tools

main ideas and supporting points

Note-taking

phrases

topic

concept

transitions

pauses

emphasis

key information

Review

Analysing spoken academic texts

Differences between written and spoken academic texts

Written texts:

Spoken texts:

• formal
• non-colloquial
• mainly structured
• spontaneous at times

• more structured, formal,
• impersonal and wordy
• a monologue rather than a dialogue

not planned or arranged

Analysing spoken academic texts

Identifying stylistic features

Activity 3.15

Read the two excerpts (Text A and Text B). Then decide which one is more like a spoken text and try to identify examples of the features below from both texts.

Analysing spoken academic texts

Which text is more spoken like?

... so why do we still use it?

... but how can we still use it without causing negative effects?

none

Analysing spoken academic texts

people; our; we (4 times)

none

Analysing spoken academic texts

society

modern society; increasing public awareness;

scientific investigation

Analysing spoken academic texts

good jobs; modern technology, can't, don't

none

Analysing spoken academic texts

modern technology; environmental pollution

social benefits; provision of goods; increasing public awareness;

scientific investigation into technologies; sustainable

Analysing spoken academic texts

good jobs; modern technology damages the

environment; surely necessary

none

Analysing spoken academic texts

none

the social benefits; environmental destruction; a more

sustainable outcome; modern society will continue

Analysing spoken academic texts

Facts and opinions

In Module 2, academic writing, we have come across facts and opinions.

In Module 3, academic presentations, we are going to do a similar activity which you are going to distinguish between facts and opinions.

Facts and opinions

To remind you,

Facts:

• can be proven true or false

Opinions:

• an expression of the feelings of a person that cannot be proven
• can be based on facts or emotions and
• may deliberately mislead others

Facts and opinions

To distinguish between them in academic presentations, we look for clues like:

• The study by XXX confirms ...
• Researchers from the World Health Organization have recently discovered that COVID-19 is airborne ...
• 'According to [source]' is usually followed by a fact.
• *it can also be followed by an opinion so you need to know the source.

Facts and opinions

To distinguish between them in academic presentations, we look for clues like:

• I think, I believe, I feel, In my opinion, Some people think, My friends think, My parents think, Some people claim, He/she claims
• Always/never, awful/wonderful, beautiful.ugly, better/best/worst/, delicious/disgusting, enjoyable/horrible, favourite, for/against, good/bad, inferior/superior, oppose/support, terrible/unfair, worthwhile

Facts and opinions

Activity 3.16 Facts vs opinions

Write 'F' for facts and 'O' for opinions

Facts and opinions