Tutor HuntResources Communication Skills Resources
Module 1: Professional Oral Communication – Example: How To Give A Proper Presentation And Module 2: Intercultural Competences – Where To Start?
Seminar given in English, on Saturday 1st July 2023
Date : 20/08/2023
Author Information
Uploaded by : Delphine
Uploaded on : 20/08/2023
Subject : Communication Skills
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Module 1: Professional oral communication – Example: How to give a proper presentation:
Why? To inform, to persuade, to entertain? What is your purpose? State what result you would like to achieve, state it in one sentence. Who are you talking to? Define the audience profile, how many people, what do they know, what do they want to know? Anticipate the questions they will be asking at the end. What? Use signposts, being organized in your message: Use “firstly”, “before moving on to”, the beginning (brief and clear), the middle (three or four points), the ending (brief, and extremely well-prepared). What? à The beginning: Capture interest (sharing an anecdote, for instance), give purpose, be brief.à The middle: Three or four main points (80% of the presentation)à The ending: Write it first, summarise the main points, be brief. To avoid: Jargon (except if the audience are specialists), complex/long phrases, and being too formal. Recommended to use: Link words/concrete words, conversational-like style, emphasis, anecdotes, pauses, check-up/rhetorical questions, dramatic structure. Some further useful content, regarding the introduction: My purpose today is to… This presentation is divided into four main parts: To start/Firstly, I would like to look at… Then/Secondly, I will be talking about… Finally, I will be discussing about… My talk will last about twenty minutes to half an hour. Should you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time. Or, I’ll be delighted to answer any questions you might have at the very end of the presentation. Some further useful content, regarding the presentation itself:
So far, we have looked at… Now I would like to turn to…Let’s now move on to…Which brings me to…Is this point clear to everyone?Let me give you an example:What I am aiming to say is…Rhetorical questions: “So, what should we do now?”Dramatic structures: We have a revolutionary product – What we have is a revolutionary product.Stressed auxiliaries: Research is time-consuming. We do believe that… Some further useful content, regarding the external visuals:Body language: Being open and confident.Now, I would like you to have a look at…As you can see...On that note, this slide explains the following point:On the right/left side you can see…At the top/bottom of the slide, there is…I will let you read this one. Some further useful content, regarding the conclusion:In order to conclude, I would like to say:To sum up/to summarize, we should say that…What I would suggest is that we…I would like to conclude by insisting on the following points:Thank you for your attention, and for your time. Module 2: Intercultural competences – Where to start? Intercultural communicative competence, or ICC, refers to the ability to understand cultures, including your own, and use this understanding to communicate with people from other cultures successfully. Intercultural communicative competence could include understanding how gestures and the distance between speakers vary from culture to culture. What is Intercultural Communicative Competence? Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has been endorsed by many important educational organizations around the world (ACTFL, 2006, Council of Europe, 2001, UNESCO, 2009) and, given that many people use English to communicate with others coming from different cultural backgrounds, it is essential that Intercultural Communicative Competence be integrated in language teaching, including English Language Teaching. The Council of Europe’s (2001) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is an important document, used worldwide that highly recommends the integration of cultural dimensions in language teaching.Defining that one main goal of interculturality is to help language learners to interact with speakers of other languages on equal terms, and to be aware of their own identities and those of their interlocutors (Byram, Gribkova Starkey, 2002, p.7). In essence, when language learners develop intercultural awareness, they can convey information effectively, alongside developing human relationships with people of other languages and cultures (Byram et al., 2002, p.7).This implies that any native English speaker wishing to communicate with individuals from different cultural background needs to develop intercultural awareness for effective communication. Cultural concepts, if learned in English classrooms, need to be treated with caution as the spread of the English language around the world implies that many non-native English speakers use the language to communicate with other non-native speakers. Discussions about culture in the English classroom need to go beyond references to the native speaker who is part of a monolingual community, that is, learning about American or British cultural aspects which could reduce the possibilities of acknowledging other less dominant cultural groups. For example, varieties of English used in certain geographical locations and social groups, as well as in English-speaking (for instance, South Africa) and non-English speaking countries (for instance, Brazil) need to be acknowledged.As well, considering one of the functions of the use of English is to facilitate communication among speakers from different cultures and languages (McKay, 2002), exploring cultures that are not related to the English language – for instance, indigenous and immigrant languages in Brazil, varieties of Portuguese, amongst other factors is another goal of Intercultural Communicative Competences. Reflections on the integration of Intercultural Communicative Competence in the English Language Teaching Discussions of culture and the integration of Intercultural Communicative Competence in English learning must include cultural relativism as a pivotal parameter. Nieto (2010) points out that cultures can be interpreted in relation to many aspects, including “the other”, traditions, and values.In the case of English Language Teaching in Brazil, this means that teaching about dominant cultures related to the English language, such as in North America (the United States, as well as Canada) and in Britain is to maintain the dominant of these cultures in the classroom, and to not allow fewer dominant ones to be explored and validated. An ethnocentric view of culture, which considers a given culture to be more less valuable in relation to another, isn’t accurate, according to Bennett (1993), and drawing students’ attention to relations of power in Intercultural Communicative Competence is important. A reasonable consideration is to address culture as dynamic, multifaceted, embedded in context, influenced by social, economic, and political factors, created, and socially constructed, learned and dialectical (Nieto, 2010, p.137). Bickley, Rossiter, and Abbott (2014) have identified six areas in which there may be different value orientations across cultural groups: time conceptions, power relations, communication styles, task focus, concepts of universality, and feelings of individuality. Bennett (1993, 1998) has pointed out that when individuals encounter different languages, behavioural norms and values, there is the possibility that these differences may result in negative feelings and miscommunication.Particularly, these negative feelings might arise during an intercultural interaction in case the situation is difficult to control, or that it may be unlikely that the interaction will result in a fair outcome for both parties. In Bennett’s eye, the concept of intercultural competence is related to the ability to cope successfully with these types of cultural differences. This ability to cope ranges across six stages in Bennett’s (1993) developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS): from ethnocentric perceptions of difference involving: - Denying difference- Defending against difference- Minimizing difference to ethnorelative perceptions of difference that involve accepting difference- Adapting to difference- Integrating difference. World Englishes: Conceptual Underpinnings and Concerns Kirpatrick (2007: 5-15) distinguishes the sociolinguistic and linguistic dimensions of World Englishes, sub-categorizing the former as follows: 1. Native varieties vs. nativized varieties vs. lingua franca2. The native speaker vs. the non-native speaker3. The functions of language and the identity-communication4. Pidgins vs. creoles vs. varieties of Englishes5. Linguistic prejudice. On language varieties, Kirkpatric (2007:7) suggests that the “difference between varieties of English can be explained by the fact that they are all nativized”, because they have all been influenced by the local cultures and languages of the people who have developed the particular variety (Okhoh, 2009), but he also recognises that different varieties of English may often in practice be classified and ranked based upon prejudice towards particular language varieties and their speakers. Linguistic prejudice towards accent, is one area that has been extensively research, in relation to higher education for example (Mahboob, 2009), and studies conducted by Giles and Powesland (1975) suggest, for example, that speaking with certain accents can make people sound intelligent to other people regardless of the rational persuasiveness of their arguments (Kirkpatrick, 2007: 14-15). Certain accents may also seem more correct, acceptable, pleasant or familiar than others (Jenkins, 2007: 162). Two areas of interest within the field of World Englishes thus seem to be the equalisation in status of language varieties and their speakers, and the problematization of linguistic prejudice: for instance English accents, particular British and American accents, can be preferred in all respects by a certain group of circle respondents. They are also highly valued for their perceived correctness and intelligibility… although not necessarily as much in terms of their aesthetic qualities. (Jenkins, 2007: 186).
The five knowledges of Intercultural Communicative Competence
1. Attitude relativizing self, valuing other (savoir être)
2. Education: political education, critical cultural awareness (savoir s’engager)
3. Skills: discover and/or interact (savoir apprendre/faire)
4. Knowledge of self and other, of interaction: individual and societal (savoirs) 5. Skills: to interpret and to relate (savoir comprendre) Descri ption automatically generated" style="width: 452pt height: 161pt visibility: visible">Descri ption automatically generated"> Open discussion: Your own experiences of Intercultural Competences?
Why? To inform, to persuade, to entertain? What is your purpose? State what result you would like to achieve, state it in one sentence. Who are you talking to? Define the audience profile, how many people, what do they know, what do they want to know? Anticipate the questions they will be asking at the end. What? Use signposts, being organized in your message: Use “firstly”, “before moving on to”, the beginning (brief and clear), the middle (three or four points), the ending (brief, and extremely well-prepared). What? à The beginning: Capture interest (sharing an anecdote, for instance), give purpose, be brief.à The middle: Three or four main points (80% of the presentation)à The ending: Write it first, summarise the main points, be brief. To avoid: Jargon (except if the audience are specialists), complex/long phrases, and being too formal. Recommended to use: Link words/concrete words, conversational-like style, emphasis, anecdotes, pauses, check-up/rhetorical questions, dramatic structure. Some further useful content, regarding the introduction: My purpose today is to… This presentation is divided into four main parts: To start/Firstly, I would like to look at… Then/Secondly, I will be talking about… Finally, I will be discussing about… My talk will last about twenty minutes to half an hour. Should you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time. Or, I’ll be delighted to answer any questions you might have at the very end of the presentation. Some further useful content, regarding the presentation itself:
So far, we have looked at… Now I would like to turn to…Let’s now move on to…Which brings me to…Is this point clear to everyone?Let me give you an example:What I am aiming to say is…Rhetorical questions: “So, what should we do now?”Dramatic structures: We have a revolutionary product – What we have is a revolutionary product.Stressed auxiliaries: Research is time-consuming. We do believe that… Some further useful content, regarding the external visuals:Body language: Being open and confident.Now, I would like you to have a look at…As you can see...On that note, this slide explains the following point:On the right/left side you can see…At the top/bottom of the slide, there is…I will let you read this one. Some further useful content, regarding the conclusion:In order to conclude, I would like to say:To sum up/to summarize, we should say that…What I would suggest is that we…I would like to conclude by insisting on the following points:Thank you for your attention, and for your time. Module 2: Intercultural competences – Where to start? Intercultural communicative competence, or ICC, refers to the ability to understand cultures, including your own, and use this understanding to communicate with people from other cultures successfully. Intercultural communicative competence could include understanding how gestures and the distance between speakers vary from culture to culture. What is Intercultural Communicative Competence? Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has been endorsed by many important educational organizations around the world (ACTFL, 2006, Council of Europe, 2001, UNESCO, 2009) and, given that many people use English to communicate with others coming from different cultural backgrounds, it is essential that Intercultural Communicative Competence be integrated in language teaching, including English Language Teaching. The Council of Europe’s (2001) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is an important document, used worldwide that highly recommends the integration of cultural dimensions in language teaching.Defining that one main goal of interculturality is to help language learners to interact with speakers of other languages on equal terms, and to be aware of their own identities and those of their interlocutors (Byram, Gribkova Starkey, 2002, p.7). In essence, when language learners develop intercultural awareness, they can convey information effectively, alongside developing human relationships with people of other languages and cultures (Byram et al., 2002, p.7).This implies that any native English speaker wishing to communicate with individuals from different cultural background needs to develop intercultural awareness for effective communication. Cultural concepts, if learned in English classrooms, need to be treated with caution as the spread of the English language around the world implies that many non-native English speakers use the language to communicate with other non-native speakers. Discussions about culture in the English classroom need to go beyond references to the native speaker who is part of a monolingual community, that is, learning about American or British cultural aspects which could reduce the possibilities of acknowledging other less dominant cultural groups. For example, varieties of English used in certain geographical locations and social groups, as well as in English-speaking (for instance, South Africa) and non-English speaking countries (for instance, Brazil) need to be acknowledged.As well, considering one of the functions of the use of English is to facilitate communication among speakers from different cultures and languages (McKay, 2002), exploring cultures that are not related to the English language – for instance, indigenous and immigrant languages in Brazil, varieties of Portuguese, amongst other factors is another goal of Intercultural Communicative Competences. Reflections on the integration of Intercultural Communicative Competence in the English Language Teaching Discussions of culture and the integration of Intercultural Communicative Competence in English learning must include cultural relativism as a pivotal parameter. Nieto (2010) points out that cultures can be interpreted in relation to many aspects, including “the other”, traditions, and values.In the case of English Language Teaching in Brazil, this means that teaching about dominant cultures related to the English language, such as in North America (the United States, as well as Canada) and in Britain is to maintain the dominant of these cultures in the classroom, and to not allow fewer dominant ones to be explored and validated. An ethnocentric view of culture, which considers a given culture to be more less valuable in relation to another, isn’t accurate, according to Bennett (1993), and drawing students’ attention to relations of power in Intercultural Communicative Competence is important. A reasonable consideration is to address culture as dynamic, multifaceted, embedded in context, influenced by social, economic, and political factors, created, and socially constructed, learned and dialectical (Nieto, 2010, p.137). Bickley, Rossiter, and Abbott (2014) have identified six areas in which there may be different value orientations across cultural groups: time conceptions, power relations, communication styles, task focus, concepts of universality, and feelings of individuality. Bennett (1993, 1998) has pointed out that when individuals encounter different languages, behavioural norms and values, there is the possibility that these differences may result in negative feelings and miscommunication.Particularly, these negative feelings might arise during an intercultural interaction in case the situation is difficult to control, or that it may be unlikely that the interaction will result in a fair outcome for both parties. In Bennett’s eye, the concept of intercultural competence is related to the ability to cope successfully with these types of cultural differences. This ability to cope ranges across six stages in Bennett’s (1993) developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS): from ethnocentric perceptions of difference involving: - Denying difference- Defending against difference- Minimizing difference to ethnorelative perceptions of difference that involve accepting difference- Adapting to difference- Integrating difference. World Englishes: Conceptual Underpinnings and Concerns Kirpatrick (2007: 5-15) distinguishes the sociolinguistic and linguistic dimensions of World Englishes, sub-categorizing the former as follows: 1. Native varieties vs. nativized varieties vs. lingua franca2. The native speaker vs. the non-native speaker3. The functions of language and the identity-communication4. Pidgins vs. creoles vs. varieties of Englishes5. Linguistic prejudice. On language varieties, Kirkpatric (2007:7) suggests that the “difference between varieties of English can be explained by the fact that they are all nativized”, because they have all been influenced by the local cultures and languages of the people who have developed the particular variety (Okhoh, 2009), but he also recognises that different varieties of English may often in practice be classified and ranked based upon prejudice towards particular language varieties and their speakers. Linguistic prejudice towards accent, is one area that has been extensively research, in relation to higher education for example (Mahboob, 2009), and studies conducted by Giles and Powesland (1975) suggest, for example, that speaking with certain accents can make people sound intelligent to other people regardless of the rational persuasiveness of their arguments (Kirkpatrick, 2007: 14-15). Certain accents may also seem more correct, acceptable, pleasant or familiar than others (Jenkins, 2007: 162). Two areas of interest within the field of World Englishes thus seem to be the equalisation in status of language varieties and their speakers, and the problematization of linguistic prejudice: for instance English accents, particular British and American accents, can be preferred in all respects by a certain group of circle respondents. They are also highly valued for their perceived correctness and intelligibility… although not necessarily as much in terms of their aesthetic qualities. (Jenkins, 2007: 186).
The five knowledges of Intercultural Communicative Competence
1. Attitude relativizing self, valuing other (savoir être)
2. Education: political education, critical cultural awareness (savoir s’engager)
3. Skills: discover and/or interact (savoir apprendre/faire)
4. Knowledge of self and other, of interaction: individual and societal (savoirs) 5. Skills: to interpret and to relate (savoir comprendre) Descri ption automatically generated" style="width: 452pt height: 161pt visibility: visible">Descri ption automatically generated"> Open discussion: Your own experiences of Intercultural Competences?
This resource was uploaded by: Delphine