THE THIRD YEAR
ENGLISH
MICROPROJECT
Coordonateur M. Denny PACKARD
[email protected]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Short FAQ on the English Microproject
p. 4
2. Important Dates
p. 6
3. Written Text
3.1 The Organization of a Formal Report
3.2 Writing Style
3.3 Basic Word Functions
3.4 Written Correction Symbols
3.5 Writing Exercises
p.
p.
p.
p.
p.
p.
4. The Oral Presentation
4.1 Oral Presentation Techniques
4.2 Oral Language Exercises
p. 25
p. 25
p. 27
5. Microproject Grading Sheets
p. 33
6. Bibliography
p. 36
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1. SHORT FAQ ON THE ENGLISH MICROPROJECT
What is the microproject?
..
The microproject is a popularised account in English of a 'technical' subject
linked to students' courses at INT Management or Télécom INT. Even if the
report is about a technical subject, that does not mean you have to just look at
technical apsects. You could look at the economic, business, social and human
aspects. It is not supposed to be a specialised research paper but rather a
synthetic report aimed at providing a description/explanation/comparison
of given topic(s) to a non-specialist readership. The role of the specialist
teachers (from both the management and scientific departments) is to help the
English teachers evaluate whether you make a good job of this.
The purpose of the microproject is to give you the opportunity to practice
writing a “short” formal report (a longer text than you are used to writing which
you may have to do in a professional context) and giving an oral presentation on
a technical subject in front of a jury. These two types of communication are
specific and require specific treatment.
The texts are supposed to be original.
Any case of plagiarism will be automatically refused.
What is most important in terms of grading?
1
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The English microproject, although perhaps based on a fairly specialised
topic is essentially an English exercise. Credit will be given to students who
display good writing and presentation skills.
How long should it be?
..
The report should be about 6 pages of text (1500 words).
Who chooses the subject?
..
Students are free to choose the topic of their micro-project. However, the
title must be approved by both the English and specialist teachers supervising
the project. You should then post that information on the dedicated Web site.2
Choose a subject that interests you. It does not have to be linked to your
third-year option. If, for example, you are doing an option in the computer
department but are interested in researching a topic on finance or on satellite
communication, go ahead!
1
2
See Règlement intérieur.
See your school’s intranet.
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You are not expected to spend a great deal of time doing research but it is
a good idea to spend some time looking at a variety of sources and authors.
Your technical teacher may advise you on sources.
What sort of subject works best? ..
Some specialist teachers may give you specific suggestions for a subject.
Ask your teacher for advice once you have decided on the general field.
Don't try to make an absolutely exhaustive account of your subject
because it is not possible given the required length of the microproject. Establish
a framework, either, for example, a comparison between system X and system
Y or recent developments in X systems. It could be a short benchmarking
study or a technical background report.
Who supervises the project?
..
Your assigned micro-project English teacher will help you decide on a title
for your project and will then meet you at a tutorial session to check on your
progress and give you any assistance.
It is up to you to find a specialist teacher in either the Management or
Engineering school to collaborate with the English teacher concerned in
supervising your project. This person will also have to approve your choice of
subject and attend your final presentation.3
How is the oral organised? ..
The oral presentation will take place on one of the dates as specified in
Part 2 Important Dates. at: 9:00, 9:45, 10:30, 11:30, 12:15. The English
teacher is present on all of those dates at those times. We would ask you the
student to contact your specialist teacher and set up the appointment with him
or her on one of those dates. Then inform your English teacher. A list will be
posted in the LFH department with the room number and equipment available in
the room.
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This piece of information also needs to be posted on the intranet.
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2. IMPORTANT DATES
4 March (9am-12:15pm) - Class on the microproject. The task, revision of
writing, writing a formal report and oral presentation techniques.
1 April - Microproject title to be submitted online with the name of the
specialist teacher (with his/her approval).
1 April - Tutorial (9:00am-10:30am) Approach, title, outline, and resources to
be presented and discussed with your English teacher
29 April - Rough draft of written text to be submitted for correction and
comment. Teachers will give it back to students as soon as possible.
May- Make an appointment with your English teacher if you have any specific
problems or questions with the corrections.
27 May - Final draft of written text to be turned in to the English teacher and the
technical teacher.
10, 17, or 24 June - Oral presentations - Thursdays between 9 am and 12:30
pm in place of class. Student contacts and makes an appointment with the
technical specialist and informs the English teacher.
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3. WRITTEN TEXT
The type of writing you are asked to do is a popularised account in English
of a ‘technical’ subject and not a piece of scientific or academic writing. The
objective is to produce a good, original, ‘short’ formal report in English for a nonspecialist readership. Generally speaking, be clear, and concise. Limit and define
the subject very precisely.
Writing is a process. After finding a subject, think about the audience you
are aiming at. Think about the purpose of your paper and how you want to
approach the subject. Then look for resources, chose and sort information and
put it into some kind of order. Next you can make an initial outline and then
begin to write your rough draft. However, your work does not end there. You will
have to carefully reread what you have written, write more, eliminate, change
the order of the text, rewrite, and recheck spelling and grammar.4 Here are
some points to consider:
Content
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Is the purpose clear?
Is the message clear? Are the thesis and text logically developed?
Is this what I wanted to say?
Will the reader understand?
Is there a sufficient amount of information?
Is the information appropriate?
Is there sufficient detail?
Did I forget anything? Do I need to add anything?
Is the content clear, imaginative and original?
Organization
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Does the paper have an overall strategy?
Are the introduction and conclusion interesting?
Does the text flow smoothly from one part to another?
Are the subheadings of the same form and logically presented?
Are there clear transitions linking the different parts?
Does the report contain proper paragraphs with good topic sentence?
Style - Language
þ Is the language appropriate, correct and concise?
þ Did you proofread and polish the text?
When you have finished your draft, please hand it in to your English microproject
teacher whose job is then to give you some help in the writing process.
4
For many good tips on actually writing on your computer – drafting, organizing, revising,
editing, and proofreading – see “Writing With Computers” –
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/general/gl_computer.html (retrieved June 2003)
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Acknowledging Sources
Your data will most likely include ideas from many sources or ideas that
have been developed by experts and people in the field; the amount of his
type of text, however, should be limited. These outside sources should be
acknowledged. You may use the person’s exact words; this is called quoting
or a quotation, which should be footnoted. A footnote gives recognition to
the “owner” of his/her property. N.B. Not giving credit in the form of a
reference constitutes plagiarism. A footnote also enables the reader to
identify, trace or check the source. Informatio n considered as general
knowledge, however, does not need to be footnoted. For example: The
mobile phone market in France has reached its peak. The penetration rate is
roughly 60%.
A footnote contains the author’s name, name of work, place of
publication, publisher, date of publication and page or pages where the
information was found. It is numbered and often put at the bottom of the
page. Look at the following example for the content and the punctuation:
"Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of
legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical
concepts… A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of
every computer in the human system." 5
Another style, which is popular in many academic and scientific texts, is
sometimes used: (Gibson 1984: 51) or (Gibson, 1999: 51). This refers to
material from the work published in 1984 by Gibson. See page 51. This type
of reference is put directly in the text and the full reference must be put in the
bibliography.
Any supplementary information you want to include anywhere in the text
should also be put in a note at the bottom of the page so as not to distract
the reader from the focus or the main idea of the text. For example: a
detailed explanation, a definition, a personal comment, further reading, etc.
References also play another role; they reflect the extent of your research,
and how well you have read up on the subject.6
5
William Gibson. Neuromancer. New York: Ace Books, 1984, p. 51.
For more details how exactly to handle quotations in your text (the form depends on the type
of work: magazine, encyclopedia, notes etc.) see “Handling Quotations In Your Text”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/ (retrieved June 2003). For the last type, you
can also look at “A Note on Footnotes and Endnotes” at the same Web site.
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3.1 Organization of the Text ..
A microproject, since it is a formal report, should contain the following:
ü a cover page
ü table of contents
ü text (introduction, body, conclusion)
ü bibliography
ü appendixes/appendices – glossary and any other pertinent documents.
N.B. An abstract, which is a brief summary of a text, is not necessary. It is,
however, appropriate in the case of a long text, e.g. a paper or a research
article.
Cover page
Give the title, your name, the teachers’ names, school (logo)7 , date.
Outline or table of contents
The purpose of the outline is to aid the writer to write and the reader to
quickly see the development of the text. The language of the headings in the
outline can be varied, but it should be consistent: noun phrases, verbs in the
infinitive form, full sentences or question form. Main headings should be of equal
importance. There should be at least two subheadings under each main heading.
As for the form there is also a variety of Roman numerals, Arabic numbers or
letters (capital or small) or any combination thereof.
The rough outline may not be the final outline. However, it is a good idea to
make a rough outline to help you start. As you do research and think more
about what you want to say, you will need to modify your outline.
Text
A written text should include a beginning (introduction), a middle (body) and a
conclusion.
Introduction
In the introduction give your main point or hypothesis (what you want to
show) and define the limits. You may also situate the subject, explain its
importance, relevance to you and /or your studies, describe your approach,
specify how you are going to go about it (i.e. give your outline) and acknowledge
those who have helped you. The introduction should not only introduce the
subject and paper but also encourage the reader to read on!
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In the future you will want to put the name of your co mpany or department.
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4 Body
The body should develop key ideas in a logical manner. Relations between the
parts must be clear for the reader. You should provide concrete examples,
explanations or applications. Figures (graphs, tables, diagrams, etc.) should be
used to present or summarize important information.
The objective of the report is to provide a popularised account in English of a
'technical' subject linked to students' courses. This requires the inclusion of
specific content and language: defining, comparing and contrasting (since it is
important to make the audience understand), describing a process,
history/evolution, classifying, summarizing. These "functions" require specific
language.8
4 Conclusion
The conclusion signals the end of the paper. You may summarize the main
points, make conclusions from what you have written and end with a
recommendation, a question about the future, etc.
4 Glossary
You should include a glossary of the main technical terms, including
abbreviations and acronyms, used in the text.
4 Bibliography
The bibliography should include the sources you actually used to write your
report. There are many acceptable styles of bibliography. A very popular one is
the American Psychological Association’s Style, especially for scientifc texts.9 The
purpose of the bibliography is to allow the reader to be able to have a look at
your sources if he/she wants to read more about the subject, and to check the
specific footnotes mentioned in the text. The bibliography also allows the reader
to see what and how much you have read up on the subject.
The bibliography is organized in the form of a list in alphabetical order
according to the author’s last name, followed by the title of the work, place of
publication, publisher, and date of publication. Very simply the reference should
contain the information necessary to find the book.10 For example:
Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York: Ace Books, 1984.
OR
Gibson, William. (1984) Neuromancer. New York: Ace Books.
8
See RR Jordan. Academic Writing Course. Third edition. Harlow: Pearson, 1999.
Others include: The Modern Language Association or MLA used for more literary
writing.Turabian, Chicago or American Medical Association or AMA. For any one of these you can
find more information on the Web. Each one also publishes a complete manual of the style.
10
As is the case for footnotes, there are different forms for different types of works. See “Your
Reference List” at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html (retrieved June
2003). For information on electronic references see http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
(retrieved June 2003).
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3.2 Writing Style ..
3.2
Paragraphs and Paragraphing
A text is organized in sections and sub-sections. Each part should contain one
or more paragraphs; each paragraph should develop one basic idea. There is
usually one sentence that expresses that idea; it is called a topic sentence. The
following sentences should relate to and further develop that idea in some way:
definition, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, sequencing, etc.
Paragraphs may begin by indenting the first word five spaces or directly at the
beginning of the line.
Sentence Structure
•
•
•
There are three types of sentences in English:
simple (subject + verb + complement),
compound (two simple sentences joined with a connector word like and or
but, or by a semi-colon (;))
complex (a simple sentence with one or more relative clauses).
A variety of the above styles should be used, not just one. Telegraphic style
(short phrases, incomplete sentence without a proper subject, verb and
complement or a series of simple sentences) is not acceptable.
Register
Register should be formal. Avoid using contractions, get, slang, informal or
colloquial expressions. (The spellchecker or your teacher can help you.)
Vocabulary
Use accurate specialized terms when necessary. Some technical terms,
especially abbreviations and acronyms, may need to be explained in the text or
in a footnote. There should also be a glossary in the annexes.
Also try to be consistent in using either American or British English. Your spell
checker will help you here too.
Spelling
Use your spellchecker to proofread your text for spelling mistakes. Use either
British or American English.11
Grammar
Check your grammar. Use a grammar checker or your grammar book. The
Resource Center (E103) can also provide you with a grammar book. There are
many Web sites with such information: http://cctc2.commnet.edu/grammar/ or
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html (retrieved June 2003).
11
You can look up a word in an online dictionary such as http://www.merriam-webster.com.
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Layout
We would also like to strongly recommend that you take care of the actual
presentation of your written text. Please type and print on good quality A4 paper
on one side only. Each page should be consecutively numbered.
Please provide one final corrected copy for the English tutor and one
for the technical tutor. You should also keep a copy on your computer or
floppy disk.
3.3 Basic Word Functions ..
Some excellent on-line guides to basic Word functions are available on the Web.
Here is a selection in English:
http://home.earthlink.net/~sclark98/sscc/labs/MSword/Lesson4bsicwdfunctn.ht
ml
http://tltc.shu.edu/handbook/word/03-Basic%20Functions.htm
(retrieved June 2003)
and in French:
http://coolmicro2.free.fr/index.php?redir=tipsoff.php
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jean-paul.miny/HTML/somword.htm
(retrieved June 2003)
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3.4 Written Correction Symbols ..
Writing is a process; to produce a good text requires several drafts. That is
why we ask for a rough draft early on. (A “final” draft full of mistakes is
unacceptable and you will be asked to make corrections.) Below are the symbols
used to correct your text. For your final draft try to make the necessary
corrections yourself. If you do have any problems in correcting yourself, do not
hesitate to contact your English teacher.
ü
Good point.
GR = Grammar
P = Punctuation
SP = Spelling
STY = Style (register or awkward English style)
VF = Verb form
WF = Word form
WM = Word missing
WO = Word order
WW = Wrong word
? = I don’t understand what you mean.
/ = This word is not necessary.
^ = Add this word.
Move this word to…
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3.5 Writing Exercises
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As was previously mentioned, one of the purposes of the microproject is to
give you the opportunity to practice writing a “long” text (as you may have to in
a professional context). Formal writing has specific features. Below are a series
of activities to help you with these features.12 Often the formal style is
contrasted with informal style or written features are contrasted with spoken
language ones.
Paragraphs and Paragraphing
Task: Indicate where you would make a paragraph (paragraphs) in the following
trip report by using a slash (/). Explain why. Is it a good introduction?
This report enables the ENJC to evaluate how GET Télécom, the JuniorEnterprise of TICT, works. I went to Brest on 2 February with Philippe T. to
observe their organisation and accountancy. I checked the studies completed by
31/12/2002. I was specifically given the responsibility of auditing their
organisation. In this report I will sum up the positive and negative points I noted.
Before that, I will briefly recall some rules which a Junior-Enterprise (JE) has to
respect in order to keep JE certification. My opinion about this JE is that GET
Télécom is a fairly well organised team which has improved since last year. A
Junior-Enterprise is an association (1901 Law) which provides a number of
services in its school’s fields of competence. It employs only students
matriculated in the school in which it is based. It may only carry out studies; that
is to say, a JE cannot offer a job which does not require qualifications. For
example, in the INT, the Junior-Enterprise SPRINT offers computer science
studies, market analysis, and telecommunications studies. A JE must respect
many rules in terms of document quality (specifically the contracts and the
reports). The goal is to make these associations work like companies.
12
Many of these exercises are based on texts written by (former) INT students. I have
made a few modifications to fit specific purposes. I thank them for their contribution.
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Sentence Style
Task: Rewrite the following sentences to make more them more typical of good
writing style. The first one has been done for you.
1. The INT is made up of two schools. The first school is Telecom INT. The
second school is INT Management.
Answer: The INT is made up of two schools: Telecom INT and INT
Management.
2. Information is an important commodity. It can be the main activity of a firm
or a department.
3. Value added is still at the heart of social and economic development. We used
to consider human resources highly. Nowadays it is difficult to keep good
talent.
4. Many agreements are being signed at the moment in Europe between
European Telcos.
5. Bluetooth permits to connect different pieces of communications equipment.
The equipment should not be more than 10 meters apart.
6. Bluetooth products have been rapidly developed. Today more than 2000
Bluetooth products are available. All electronic equipment makers are
concerned. To have an idea of the use of Bluetooth technology, here are
some of the products developed: (…)
7. The first norm of Bluetooth technology was 1.1 norm (…) Then on June 20,
2003, the Bluetooth consortium presented a new version of the technology.
The version 1.2 of Bluetooth is an improvement over the preceding one. This
new version corrects (…)
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Being Precise, Using Qualifiers
To be clear and precise a good writer uses qualifiers to give more information on
a topic.
Task: Look at the following texts and underline the adjectives and qualifiers.
MMS provides the potential for the realisation of future-proof services by
meeting the requirements of various business models as the Internet and the
mobile telecommunications environment merge. Contrary to SMS, MMS does
not theoretically have a size limit.
MMS value-added services can thus be seen throughout multimedia contents on
a wide range of mobile devices (location-based services, mobile commerce,
online photo albums, etc.). The provision of MMS value-added services will
undoubtedly offer appealing business opportunities for content providers and
service developers.
The provision of compelling content and applications will be the key to the longterm success of Multimedia Messaging.
…. (paragraphs missing)
Today, it is possible to send an SMS (which is nothing new as the standard was
approved in 1994) or an MMS from a computer. The associated services are the
topic of current research (studies related to service deployment). Briefly, MMS is
more user-friendly and provides a much better quality of contents.
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Formal Written Style
The type of language used in the written report, however, will be fairly formal.
This formality is expressed not only in the choice of vocabulary but also in the
types of grammatical structures used.
Personal pronouns are rare (I, We), since in scientific methodology the approach
is non-personal. Sentences beginning with ‘It’ and ‘There’ are common and verbs
in the passive form are frequent.
It should be noted, however, that not all materials respond in the same
way.
It is expected that technological innovation will lead to advances in …
Several tests were performed ..
As can be seen from Table 1…
Task: Given the context of good technical/professional writing, change anything
in the following sentences to improve their style (e.g. formality, register,
efficiency, concision, British/American English) as necessary. Text in ( ) gives
you a precise context or more information.
1. Any professional should be able to express his/her ideas clearly and concisely.
2. To get an idea of the job market I went to the forum.
3. (instructions) Turn on phone. Dial number. Talk. Hang up when finished.
4. (instruction) The computer must be turned on first by the user.
5. Mobile phone rate plans are organized differently in different countries. The
mobile market can also be analyzed differently according to the purpose of the
study.
6. A little bit more time spent on using a spellchecker and peer proofreading is a
big help.
7. e.g. there were problems of spelling, punctuation, layout, and inaccurate facts.
8. You can use it for printing, for sharing files and for communicating.
9. The forum is an event organized ever year by the students of the INT.
10. 100 students answered the questionnaire.
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11. To use the Internet, to access vast quantities of information, communicating
with the world, word processing, computers are handy.
Cohesive Devices or Link Words13
They are used to articulate a text to express the relationships between ideas, or
parts of the text. Try to use a variety of them.
Task: What words can you think of that express the following concepts?
Ø Comparing
Ø Emphasizing
Ø Expressing time
Ø Illustrating or exemplifying
Ø Ordering
Ø Reformulating
Ø Summarising
Words Used to Refer
Task. Correct the following sentences by changing the word which is used to
refer to an idea as necessary.
1.
They (the USA) are the market leader.
Answer: It is the market leader.
2.
Graphics are often very useful as technical writing support. It can help us
make our points.
3.
The speaker presented his paper about different P2P topologies.
4.
Market researchers surveyed 500 customers: these ones stated they prefer
the Big O brand while the others had no preference.
5.
This types of problems have to be dealt with on a daily basis.
6.
Mobile telephony market penetration must differentiate between fixed rate
plan users and pre-paid card users. This is a very important difference in
considering our next marketing strategy.
7.
Cross selling, which is an important concept in e-commerce, gives the timepressed, demanding consumer, an efficient means of making all his/her
purchases from one site.
13
For more examples see also our online oral presentation resource, the section called
«The Middle or Body » at http://www.int-evry.fr/lfh/ressources/presentations/ops3.htm
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8.
It is in the operating system where you will find the origin of many conflicts.
9.
Information is an important commodity. It can be the main activity of a firm
or a department.
10.
Mr. Gree is the CIO; Mr. Gree also works as a consultant.
11.
The IS was deployed three years ago. At ____ time, we did not know that
so many people would be made redundant. (This) was an unforeseeable
situation.
12.
A hub is not the same as a router. The former broadcasts a message to all
terminals on a network while and the latter is sent on to the specified
recipient.
13.
Knowledge management: knowledge workers are the new strategic assets
of the company. She must attempt to keep and develop them.
14.
Globalisation. Human resources have to respond to two constraints:
international ones and local ones. The former create difficulty in managing
multicultural teams, members of which receive different salaries.
Bibliography
Below are some references used in a paper called “Secure Communications and
Virtual Private Networks.” (June 2003)
Task: Organize the references and bibliography into appropriate order and form.
Some information may be missing.
http://compnetworking.about.com/library/weekly/aa010701a.htm
www.zyxel.com/support/supportnote/zywall10/faq/vpn_faq.htm
Ulysses Black, “Internet Security Protocols”, Prentice Hall Series, 2000
L. Katcharian, E. Stanley, T. Winget, “Managing Cisco Network Security”, Cisco
Systems, 2002
M. Maknavicius-Laurent, “La sécurité internet”, INT/LOR, 2003
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Grammar and Grammatical Accuracy
Writing reflects the writer. Try to use accurate grammar.
Task: Look at the following sentences and make any necessary corrections.
1. Information is a precious resource.
2. The Scan Programs menu is scanning all the programs that the antenna
receives.
3. Since several hours, a new radio is born.
4. The more the auditor gets older the more he is getting responsibility.
5. Currently (in 2003) in the US, E-business technology is definitely used in a
significant way. However, in Europe, we only begin now to consider Ebusiness.
6. At the beginning, the Web was not enough secured to provide reliable services
for every citizen.
7. (During the summer of 2002), I have learnt how to undergo the difficulties of
language.
8. Mobile phones did generate quickly profits.
9. A peripheral is an equipment.
10.
(at the Forum Feb. 2003) The presentation has been made by the
campus manager, from Human Resources (HR), and 4 auditors, more or less
experienced.
11.
To prepare to write a report, you need to think about the audience, tone,
writing the right style, making an outline.
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Punctuation Marks
1. What punctuation marks are used to separate sentences? Independent
clauses?
2. How are …(ellipses) used in English?
3. Where are punctuation marks placed?
Spelling 1
Try not to mix British and American spelling forms (or vocabulary).
Task: What is the American form of the following British spelled words (Tip –
American spelling is simplified)?
analogue
___________________
___________________
centre
____________________
____________________
organisation
_______________
__________________
organise
______________________
colour
travelled
programme
Spelling 2
Many words are similar in French and English but may be spelled slightly
differently. Here are some that pose problems to French learners of English.
Task: Write the English form for the following:
adresse ___________________
____________________
caractéristique ________________
_____________________
développement ____________________
_______________________
évoluer ___________________________
____________________
gouvernement _____________________
____________________
logistique
progrès
trafic
théorique
transfert
Capital Letters
What words are capitalized in English? What types of words are not?
How are capital letters used in titles of publicatio ns?
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Spelling and Capitalization Exercise
Task: Put in the correct punctuation and capital letters in the following sentences
or phrases. Text in ( ) gives you the precise context or other important
information.
1. there are many things we need to know such as reader purpose problem
2. i wanted to know what exactly the job concerned
3. this user manual is certainly very user friendly
4. (title of a report) market analysis quantitative study about network games on
cellphones
5. (bibliography) reep diana c technical writing principles strategies and readings
4 th edition needham heights MA allyn & bacon 2000
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25
4. The Oral Presentation
In this section we have kept the text on oral presentation short, as you have
probably already studied oral presentation. Following this text, you will find some
exercises on oral presentation and oral language. Many exercises compare
written language to oral language.
4.1 Oral Presentation Techniques
After having written your microproject you will have to present your work
orally in front of a jury of two people, your English microproject tutor and the
technical tutor. The main purpose of the presentation is to give you the
opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate ideas orally to an
audience in 15 minutes using appropriate techniques. You will need to carefully
prepare and structure your speech using:
Ø language to articulate the structure;
Ø correct pronunciation, intonation, qualities of your voice (volume, pitch,
different speeds);
Ø visuals to illustrate and make your message clear;
Ø body language and attitude to reinforce not only your own ideas but your
own image;
Ø imagination to create a relationship with your audience.
The second purpose is to check your ability to use aspects of the oral
communication, which is different from written communication. To be successful
you will need to appropriately deal with all of these constraints.
The actual presentation is made up of two parts: a fifteen-minute oral
presentation of the project and a ten-minute question and answer session. The
jury may make a few comments on the presentation and content.
The content of the oral presentation does not have to reproduce exactly
what you have written, especially since the jury will have already read your text.
You may choose to speak about one specific point in particular or points and
ideas that you did not have time to develop in the written text.
Concerning visuals, the INT is equipped with videoprojectors. It is strongly
advised to use PowerPoint to make your slides as many professionals do use
them. It might be a good idea to bring a backup floppy disk in case there is a
problem. You could also put your work on the INT network, but connection does
also sometimes fail. If you choose not to use PowerPoint, professional quality
transparencies are required. You are not responsible for equipment. A laptop
computer and videoprojector will be set up (depending upon availability). It is
also a good idea to make a paper version of your visuals for the audience.
Other tips, include rehearsing your presentation and arriving before the
presentation to check the equipment (especially if you are the first in a timeslot).
For other information on the techniques of “Oral Presentations” have a look at
the LFH Web site:
http://www.intevry.fr/lfh/ressources/presentations/oral_presentation_skills.htm
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26
It is up to students to make an appointment with the technical teacher during
one of the regular class timeslots on oral dates. Then inform your English
teacher.
Any problems or questions please contact the coordinator in advance.
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27
4.2 Oral Language Exercises
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28
Certain grammatical structures occur with a greater frequency in speech than in
writing.
In oral presentations, for example, ‘wh’ clefts and rhetorical questions are
common.
So, what is the X protocol?
Well, what do we mean by pulse
sharpening?
What we’re talking about is pulses in the voltage range of …
What this diagram shows is …
Inversion of the usual subject/verb order is also frequent, particularly if the
speaker is describing a series of visuals.
On the left are the measurements of the DC and RF current…
In the spoken language sentences are sometimes incomplete.
Enough about X –
Moving on to Y now.
Three important reasons for this.
There can also be a great deal of repetition. Compare the two following
sentences:
Spoken language. Windows XP is an operating system. It is made by
Microsoft. It is more user-friendly or intuitive than their other OSs.
Written language: Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system is more user
friendly or intuitive than their other OSs.
In writing we talk about sentences and in speaking about utterances. When
we speak, even in the most carefully prepared speech, we do not "speak like a
book"! In most types of speaking, we all use words that have little or no
meaning. These types of words and expressions are obviously not to be used
formal writing.
uh, um, er, erm: to indicate hesitation etc.
right, well, OK
now, fine, great, so
yeah, yes,
in other words, that is to say
as it were, so to speak
Contractions too (didn’t, they’ve, etc.), an essential part of speech, should be
avoided in your written report as should any familiar language (e.g.: lots, kids).
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Many phrasal or prepositional verbs are also often more appropriate in speech or
informal registers and should be used sparingly in formal writing.
FORMAL
to investigate
to contact
to reduce
INFORMAL
to look into
to get in touch with
to cut down (on)
The written language is on the whole relatively more concise compared to
speech. (See repetition above.)
1. Another important difference is that oral presentation is spoken and involves
using your voice and pronouncing words and phrases correctly.
The written form of words does not indicate the actual spoken form.
Task: How are the following pronounced?
Dates - March 13, 2000 or 13 March 2000
Numbers – 1950, 2001; 1,950, 1, 950,000; £4.80, $2.45; 2km; version 2.1;
2.58; 1/3, 2/3
Abbreviations: Mr. Ms.; LA; CA; NATO, LANs; UN, OECD, IEEE, OSI.
Mathematical symbols: + -
π
r2
x
÷
%
< >
≤
[
]
α
b2
Words
Task: Pronounce the following words.
1. use, to use, used to
5. stopped, joined, ended
2. image, camouflage
6. service, mobile, opposite, engine,
determine, promise, compromise, website
3. thesis, theses
4. thinks, rings, watches
Some words have several pronunciations e.g.
data
mobile
an increase
to increase
Some words are spelled differently but have the same pronunciation: to, too,
two.
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30
A vs. An
The choice of using a or an depends on the first sound of a word (not the
spelling)!
e.g. an apple
a good apple
a hotel
an old hotel
Task: Choose “a” or “an” for the following:
____ FT agency
____ MMS service
____ IP address
____ European company
____ SMS message
_____ university degree
Connected speech. Linking
Words are not usually pronounced individually. There are no blanks or
separations between words in spoken language. Words are linked when they end
with a consonant sound and the following word begins with a vowel sound.
For example: an FT agency
Task: Pronounce the following:
thousands of applications are announced
one or two minutes of analysis
It works in 3 R & D areas.
in its drive to give its customers optimal attention
Connected speech. Thought Groups, Stress, Pauses and Intonation
In spoken English words are not said individually but grouped together in
meaningful phrases which are then separated from other groups by a pause.
Each group will most likely contain one important word which is stressed. Note
also that the voice goes down at the end of a statement (intonation).
Task: Look at the opening of the introduction to a talk on digital management
rights and then try to do the same with the rest of the text.
Written form
Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. I'm here today to speak to you about
digital rights management or DRM.
Spoken form
Good afterNOON ladies and GENTLEmen.
you about
DIgital rights MANagement
or
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I'm HERE today
to speak to
DRM.
31
Connected Speech Exercise
Task: Continue doing the same for the rest of this introduction:
I have just come back from an internship in the United States where I did
extensive research on DRM and submitted a report. DRM is a very important,
topical subject for many reasons. Data and information are widely available in
digital format. Intellectual property rights do not fully protect digital content.
With the Internet, it is now very easy to share, copy or alter content in digital
format. My objective in doing this talk is to give you an overview of DRM. If you
are an author putting documents up on the Internet or a professional using these
types of documents, you should be aware of the problems encountered and
possible solutions. I have divided my talk into three parts. First I'll give a few
definitions and compare them to show what exactly DRM covers. Then I'll have
a
look at four main products available on the market, describing their advantages
and disadvantages. I'll finish with a few of the issues that still have to be
addressed in this field.
How do you make groups of words?
Which word in a group is stressed?
When should you make a brief pause?
What do you know about intonation?
Voice- How can you use your voice to be an effective communicator? Think
about volume, pitch, speed, pause/silence.) (See online resource on oral
presentation, Part VI Voice.) 14
14
For additional practice see Powell, Mark. Presenting in English. Hove: LTP, 1996, sections 3.8
and 3.12.
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Writing Vs Speaking
Task: Are the examples below more likely to occur in an oral presentation or a
formal written report? Justify your answers.
1. As can be seen from the table below the majority of accidents occur in
the workplace.
2. I really believe that it’ll be a success.
3. It is not clear why such terrible conditions were tolerated for so long.
4. Here’s a diagram of a BC device. (pointing to a slide)
5. What we’re going to look at now is…
6. The voltage and wave forms are shown in Fig. 3.
2. A major difference between written and oral communication is that oral
presentation is live, on the spot and interactive.
The oral presentation is interpersonal. You will address your audience:
• greet the audience and introduce yourself in the introduction: hello, good
morning ladies and gentlemen; welcome colleagues. My name is…
• speak to the audience throughout speech: you may already know, if you see
what I mean
Written text is, however, usually more impersonal.
During the presentation and especially during the question and answer part, you
will interact and be more personal. You may even express your ideas forcefully: I
really feel, I honestly do believe, I mean, I hope, I don't know, or make
comments certainly, apparently that is what is happening, whereas in the written
text you will present ideas and facts in a more neutral manner.
What paralinguistic features are important in oral communication? How can body
language, for example, be used effectively?
(See online resource on oral presentation at http://www.intevry.fr/lfh/ressources/presentations/oral_presentation_skills.htm Part V. Body
Language.)
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5. GRADING
The written microproject text represents 25% of the overall English UV
grade; the oral presentation also represents 25 % of the overall English UV
grade. The following two pages are the actual grading sheets that will be used.
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34
Microprojet :
INT 2003-2004
Nom de l'Elève :
Filière :
MICROPROJET – TEXTE ECRIT
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Projet accepté ou refusé (donner la raison)
___________ ______ _______________________
_ _ SPECIALISTE :
Recherche : documentation, choix des articles, dépouillement des informations
pertinentes :
Traitement du sujet (longueur) :
Organisation et développement du contenu :
Vocabulaire spécialisé :
Qualité de synthèse :
NOTE :
/8
__________________ ______________________
_ PROFESSEUR DE LANGUE :
1. Dossier :
- Plan
- Bibliographie
- Lexique
/4
2. Présentation :
- Mise en page
- Notes de renvoi
- Schémas
/2
3. Texte :
- Syntaxe (utilisation des structures complexes)
- Organisation et enchaînement logique du discours
- Correction du langage (temps verbaux, prépositions etc.)
- Registre approprié
- Vocabulaire
- Orthographe
/6
NOTE :
/12
________________________________________
__
NIVEAU (Expression écrite) 1 2 3 4
DATE
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NOTE GLOBALE :
/20
SIGNATURE
35
Microprojet :
INT 2003-2004
Nom de l'Elève :
Filière :
SOUTENANCE DU MICRO-PROJET
______________________ ________________
Soutenance acceptée ou refusée (donner la raison)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SPECIALISTE :
1. Contenu
Préparation du sujet :
Organisation et structure de la présentation :
Quantité et qualité
Maîtrise du vocabulaire spécialisé :
Compréhension et qualité des réponses aux questions :
NOTE :
/6
_ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ PROFESSEUR DE LANGUE :
2. Langue
Prononciation et intonation
Correction du langage (temps verbaux, prépositions etc.)
Vocabulaire
Registre approprié
NOTE :
/6
_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ SPECIALISTE ET PROFESSEUR DE LANGUE :
3. Présentation orale
Structure et métalangage
Relation avec le public
Voix
Supports visuels
Langage corporel (contact visuel)
Communication (message)
Durée
NOTE :
/8
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _
_
NIVEAU (Expression écrite) 1 2 3 4
/20
NOTE GLOBALE:
DATE
SIGNATURE
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6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
* = strongly recommended reference
1. Writing
Day, Robert A. How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper. Cambridge: CUP,
1989.
Jordan, RR. Academic Writing Course. Third edition. Harlow: Pearson, 1999.
Online resources
http://webster.commnet.edu/hp/pages/darling provides a great guide for all
kinds of grammar, punctuation etc. Also see “Principles of Composition on the
writing process, patterns of composition (text types). etc.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu. Purdue University Writing Lab. See especially
“Writing with Computers” for tips on how to make best use of your computer.
There is also information on the structure of written texts, bibliography and
footnotes, and language information including grammar, punctuation, and capital
letters.
http://www.powa.org/infofrms.htm for great information on text types for
native speakers.
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/techniquesmenu.html Also for
native speakers.
http://www.englishclub.net for all kinds of advice, links, etc. for learners of
English
http://cctc2.commnet.edu/writing/writing.htm for many other sites.
All links checked as of February 2003.
2. Oral Presentation
Comfort, Jeremy. Effective Presentations. Oxford: OUP, 1995.
Ellis, Mark & Nina O' Driscoll. Giving Presentations. Harlow: Longman, 1992.
Howe, Brian. Visitron, the Language of Presentations. Harlow: Longman, 1985.
Powell, Mark. Presenting in English. Hove: LTP, 1996. Good exercise on using
the voice in the context of a presentation.
Rodenburg, Patsy. The Right to Speak: working with the voice. London:
Methuen, 1992.
*Sweeney, Simon. English for Business Communication. Cambridge: CUP, 1997.
Online Resources
http://www.intevry.fr/lfh/ressources/presentations/oral_presentation_skills.htm
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3. Grammar
Biber, Douglas et al. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Harlow:
Longman, 1999. Very complete and very accessible. Clearly shows differences
between academic writing and conversation.
Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: CUP, 1985. (Basic
grammar with explanations exercises and answers.)
4. Vocabulary
General dictionaries.
Hornby, A.S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: OUP, 1989. (Any
learner’s dictionary will give you valuable information on how words are used and
in what context, plus, of course, pronunciation and meaning.)
Telecommunications Dictionaries
Hildebert, Jacques. Dictionnaire d'informatique. (anglais/français,
French/English) Paris: Langue pour tous. 1995.
Lexique de la communication et de médias. Paris: Lexus Ltd (Foucher), 1994.
Pesses, Georges and Guitta Pessis Pasternak. Dictionnaire français-anglais,
anglais-français de l'audiovisuel et des nouvelles technologies. Paris: Editions
Dixit, 1995.
*Porteu de La Morandière, H. Dictionnaire télécoms et réseaux. (English-French,
French-English). Paris: Dictem, 1996. (term to term translation without
definitions of cable, computers, Internet, mobile telephony, satellite, telecoms
and television terminology).
(There are many other technical dictionaries in the Technical Library.)
Online resources
www.merriam-webster.com
http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict
www.yourdictionary.com avec des liens aux dictionnaires importants de la langue
anglaise
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