Be prepared to give your talk in class using the following expressions. Use them as a plan for your presentation.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for inviting me to speak on …
I’m going to divide/ I’ve divided my talk into … parts.
First, I’ll give you some background information/ I would like to start by …
Second/ Then, I’ll tell you …
After that I’m going to talk about…
Lastly/ Finally, I’ll outline…
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me
If you look at the graph/chart …
Let me now move on to …
To sum up/ In conclusion, I can say that…
Thank you all for listerning so attentively/ Before I sit down, I would like to thank you for…
STEP 2. Divide into two groups according to the topic you have chosen. You are participants of two round-tables and you are holding your meetings. Decide who will chair the discussion at each round-table. Read the Tips for participating in a group discussion[58]. Use the expressions from Useful language section while debating. Be diplomatic! The chair opens and runs a panel. If you are not making a presentation, be ready to address a question to the speakers.
TIPS FOR PARTICIPATING IN A GROUP DISCUSSION
listen to each other and don’t interrupt
respond with a polite, intelligent comment
be prepared to support what you say, and try to avoid making 'empty' points
stay calm and be polite, even if you feel strong about the topic under discussion
have a pen and paper handy to jot down any useful ideas
GUIDELINES FOR THE CHAIR
Introduce speakers
Moderate discussions and time keeping
Sum up the session
YOUR USEFUL LANGUAGE
The discussion will focus on the problem of …
Let me introduce Mr. X. He is a specialist in…
I’d like to give the floor to…/The floor goes to…
Next speaker is…
Please, keep within the allotted time/ the time limit.
Dr. Y, is there anything you would like to say?
Does anyone have any further comments?
With respect, I don’t think that is entirely relevant.
We seem to be losing the sight of the discussing issue.
Could we stick to the subject, please?
Perhaps we could come back to that later.
Are there any further points anyone wishes to make?
To sum up, let me say …
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Agreeing:
You're absolutely right about that.
I think so too.
I agree.
Expressing your opinion:
I believe that ...
From what I understand ...
As I understand it ...
This is due to ...
What I mean by this is ...
Interrupting:
Sorry, do you mind if I say something here?
Excuse me, but could I just say ….
Dealing with interruptions:
Could I just finish what I'm saying?
Hold on. Can I finish the point?
I’d like to finish if I may.
Let X finish, please.
Disagreeing:
I'm sorry, I don't see it that way at all.
I can see your point - however ...
I see what you're getting at/ where you're coming from, but ...
I see what you mean - however...
That's not necessarily true because ...
This idea isn't supported by statistics/ evidence ...
Asking for an explanation:
Would you mind telling us what exactly you mean by that?
What exactly are you saying?
Sorry, I don’t follow you.
Can you explain in more detail?
Would you mind saying a little bit more about that?
Clarifying:
Another point I'd like to make is...
No, I was thinking of…
What I mean is…
To be more specific…
UNIT 11
Master’s Thesis: Requirements and Structure
STARTING UP
Ex. 1. Look at these sayings. What do they mean? Which of the ideas do you agree with?
Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.
Zora Neale Hurston (1891 – 1960), American Dramatist
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.
Wernher von Braun (1912 – 1977), German scientist
If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research.
