Recognising lecture structure - Exercises

Listen for the signals in the following extracts. These signals can help you understand the lectures.

1. Introducing

At the beginning of a lecture, or a section of a lecture, the lecturer will give you some idea about the structure of the lecture. Listen for these signals as it will help you understand what the lecturer is saying.

What I intend to say is What I'd like to do is to discuss What I intend to do is to explain In my talk today, My topic today is Today, I'm going to talk about I'm going to talk to you about My colleagues and I are going to give a short presentation on Today I want to consider In this talk, I would like to concentrate on The subject of this talk is The purpose of this talk is to This talk is designed to

...

The lecturer will then often be explicit about the order in which the points will be mentioned. To make the order clear we use various links and connectives.

Firstly Secondly Next Then Thirdly Lastly Finally				...
First of all In the first place For one thing To begin with In the second place For another thing
The	first second next last	point I'd like to make	is
My		point

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

 

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. The title of this little talk is taxes, that's taxes not taxis, quality of life and happiness. Now, that's a rather odd bunch of things but I think you'll see the connections as we go. So by way of introduction, let me just indicate the structure of the talk. It's in five parts, roughly. First, I'll talk about politics and the so-called quality of life.Secondly, I'll contrast this new language with traditional economic views of so-called rational economic man. Thirdly, we'll have a discussion about the connection between money and happiness. Then, I'll make some remarks about human welfare and what it is. So, you see, the topics are not too narrow or too small. At the risk of silliness, we'll press on, though, with a summary of some of these things and a discussion. And finally, I'll suggest something by way of conclusion and a concluding question.

 

Well. Good afternoon.

The title of this little talk is "What is language?" and of course it's a question that linguists and philosophers and so on often spend time on.

Well. I'll just sketch a strategy towards trying to answer the question. So, by way of introduction, first of all, let me just suggest that language, whatever it is, is certainly a word, the word "language". Well, how do we explain it? How do we explain this particular word, or perhaps any word? But let's stick to "language".

Well here are three possible ways we might go about it. Let's call them A, B & C.

 

Well, good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Good to see you again.The title of this talk is "English: Its making and its modes."

It's a talk about language. And languages don't just crop up; they develop in response to forms of life, people's circumstances. And they develop, of course, over a very long period of time, unlike computer languages. So this talk really is about the history, aspects of the history, simplified a bit, of the English language. And we'll see that the people and the history are will make up a complex whole. And that's why English itself is a rather complex language.

First, just a note on the meaning of the key terms. By the making I mean the business of the history of the people who brought the various elements of the language with them, to England and to Britain. What you might think of as the roots of the language. And by modes I mean what are often call registers, the registers or different styles of English and we'll come on to that.

So the registers are different ways of speaking or writing English according to the circumstances. So let me just say again by way of introduction something about the structure of this talk. We'll have a look at the various roots, origins, of the English language, and the different cultures that have contributed to it. And we'll see that these are Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Norman French, by way of ethnic groups, linguistic groups, and of course things like the Christian culture which was a great transformation of the way in which many people thought, behaved, spoke and so on. As to the registers of the language, the modes of the language, I'm going to simplify it and just talk about two broad registers, as we'll see in due course. I then raise the question in the third part, it's a question often implicitly raised, which register is better, the higher, so to speak, or the lower and I'll suggest perhaps that it's the wrong question to ask. There can be no unqualified answer to it, no unqualified answer to it, each register has uses then appropriate to itself. And finally, I'll sum up a bit and we'll see where we've got to.

2. Giving background information

Before the new information is given, the lecturer will often summarise what you are expected to know about the subject to be covered. This could refer back to a previous lecture or to some background reading you should have done.

As we know As we have already seen As we have all read It's clear that It goes without saying We all understand It is understood You'll remember

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:
 Incomes, as we know, in recent years, have risen, for example, in European Union countries.
 Let's just take some examples. First the legalisation of, so called, leisure drugs of various sorts. A very topical issue, as we all know.
 Well now, it's fairly clear - we all are told this, realise it I think - we're told almost to the point of being sick of hearing of it that certain changes must come about if sustained economic development is to be achieved.

 You'll remember William the Conqueror from Normandy came in 1066. Twenty years later he set about making a sort of inventory of all the wealth in the country he had conquered.

3. Defining

In a lecture, it is often necessary to define the terms that will be used. This is important as familiar words can have specific meanings in different subjects.

X	is is called is known as may be defined as is a type of Y that/which	...
By X, I mean
This term is used generally to mean In the field of Y, the term refers to
A type of Y which . is X.

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

 

The area of philosophy traditionally known as ethics or moral philosophy is the attempt to arrive at an understanding of the nature of human values.

 Now in the case of the word language, we have a definition, from R. H. Hall, this one, in 1964. Here we go: "Language is", I quote, "the institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other."

 First, just a note on the meaning of the key terms. By the making I mean the business of the history of the people who brought the various elements of the language with them, to England and to Britain. What you might think of as the roots of the language. And by modes I mean what are often call registers, the registers or different styles of English and we'll come on to that. So the registers are different ways of speaking or writing English according to the circumstances.

4. Enumerating/Listing

The lecturer will often be explicit about the order in which new points will be mentioned. To make the order clear we use various links and connectives.

Firstly Secondly Next Then Thirdly Lastly Finally				...
First of all In the first place For one thing To begin with In the second place For another thing
The	first second next last	point I'd like to make	is
My		point

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:
 Now, Mill went on to distinguish three sorts of freedom and he argued in favour of each of them. First there was freedom of thought and expression. Freedom to think what you like and freedom to express what you think in writing or in speech. Secondly, freedom of action, freedom to behave as you wish. And thirdly, freedom of people to associate together, to meet together. I suppose it would, these days, include the Internet, wouldn't it? I don't know.
 
Another example, of course, again very different, would be the use of language to record data, to record facts.
 
OK. Let's come next then to some examples of GM foods.

5. Giving examples

In lectures, it is common to make generalisations. These generalisations are often supported with examples. These signals can help you to understand which generalisations the examples refer to.

This ...	is	shown exemplified illustrated	by	...
For example, For instance, You only have to think of Remember,

A key experiment	shows exemplifies illustrates	this.
		...

This is shown by the following examples: The following are examples of this: The following is a case in point: Let me give you a couple of examples:

...

X	is a case in point.

Take

X

for example for instance

...

such as

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

... or it cannot indicate many of the aspects of language. For example, the rich range of the functions of language.

It also controlled, the state also controlled, the people's total environment. It used drugs, for instance, to keep them happy and productive.

Now, let's have an example of that. A scholar called C. F. Hockett in 1960 offered 13 different design features, as he called it, of communication.

So you might, for example, take yourself to a dictionary of quotations or something like this and look up the word "language". And see, in the case of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, you could look up the word "language" and you'll find quotations there from people such as Shakespeare or the more recent poet Auden and so on in relation to language.

6. Showing importance/Emphasising

When you are taking notes, you cannot write down every word. You need to distinguish between important and less important information. The lecturer can use these signals to draw your attention to the important points.

I want to stress I want to highlight I'd like to emphasise I'd like to put emphasis on It's important to remember that We should bear in mind that Don't forget that The crucial point is The essential point is The fundamental point is

...

Furthermore, What's more, This supports my argument that, It follows, therefore, that What (in effect) we are saying is

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

Well, here then we have a particular empirical context. Empirical, perhaps I should emphasise, means from observation, from experience. OK?

The present name of the state of which I'm a citizen, for example, within the EU, even the British must remember to say that, is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. OK. Well these are modern usages. Just bear in mind that many English people in particular, not British but English people, use the term "England" and "English" to refer to far more than England and the English.

7. Clarifying/Explaining/Putting it in other words

The lecturer will try to explain the meaning of difficult concepts. To do this he or she may repeat the information using different words. It is important for you to recognise that this is the same information expressed differently and not new information.

In other words, Or rather, That is to say, Basically To put it another way, If we put that another way, By which I mean Or you could say The point I'm making is That is to say, That is, Namely, i.e. That means			...
What I	'm suggesting 'm trying to say meant to say should have said	is
Let me put it another way.

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

Now the first of these was the so-called vocal-auditory channel, in other words, in plain English, using the voice and the ears

For example, when it was announced that the Roslin Institute had cloned a cow, that was the next thing, Joyce D'Silva of the British group compassion in world farming said on BBC radio that the scientists forget that the animals are sentient, sentient. That is to say the animals are feeling and aware beings.

I'll take one from a poem by Seamus Heaney, recently made a poet laureate. I'm sorry, that's an interesting slip. He refused to be considered as a British poet laureate. What I was trying to say is that he was a Nobel Prize winner in literature. Seamus Heaney, the Roman Catholic, Northern Irish poet.

8. Moving on/Changing direction

The lecture will be organised around several different points. It is important to notice when the lecturer moves from one point to the next. Listen for these signals.

That's all I want to say about X. OK Now All right
Having looked at ., I'd now like to consider I'd like now to move on to Turning now to So let's turn to Moving on now to I now want to turn to The next point is Another interesting point is The next aspect I'd like to consider is I'd now like to turn to Let's now look at If we could now move on to	...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

Now, let's have an example of that. A scholar called C. F. Hockett in 1960 offered 13 different design features, as he called it, of communication.

Well, so much for a summary of some of the arguments for the use of GM foods. Now, let's turn next to some arguments against the use of such foods.

OK. Let's come next  then to some examples of GM foods.

Another aspect of the scope of the term is spatial, what we might call geographical and spatial.

9. Giving further information

These signals show that the lecturer is proceeding in the same direction and giving more information.

Furthermore, An additional point Another point A further point A similar point In addition Moreover Similarly Apart from, Not only ., but We can add I could add that Further As well as, Besides

...

...	also. too. as well.

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

To suppress an opinion, Mill thought, was to rob the human race. Opinions were very valuable things, for Mill, you see. Furthermore, we can never be quite sure that an opinion is wrong. Even if we think it is, we have to ask ourselves could we ourselves be mistaken about it?

The major chemical firms such as Monsanto, not only patent the GM seeds,but also the herbicides and pesticides to go with them

Well, this meant that the language was now more able to express abstract thought, abstract thought, as well as more homely ideas.

10. Giving contrasting information

These signals show that the lecturer is proceeding in a different direction and giving unexpected or contrasting information. It is important to listen to this.

Although However On the other hand Whereas Despite Nevertheless But Alternatively

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

OK. Let's turn to the second objection, that jobs are more important than the environment. Well, it's a very powerful objection, of course, and politically very effective and it's often been played on. I'm not saying it's not an important objection. However, economic development can take sustainable directions and still create jobs and income and so cater for human welfare.

Well, in terms of individual human development, for example, in the psychological and social senses, one may find oneself considering concepts like hereditary, heredity versus environment. Now here heredity is a genetic concept, isn't it, a genetic inheritance, a natural makeup of ourselves as human beings. On the other hand the environment in this sense, in the psychological and social sense, is concerned with things like one's upbringing, one's training, one's emotional environment, one's social milieu, one's social setting, and also perhaps certain physical conditions, for example, housing and the rest of it.

Despite urbanisation, despite, that is, the rapid movement of people from country to city, and the growing population of people in the cities in any case, so despite urbanisation, there were now two billion rural people, many very poor, in Asia, and there would be three hundred millions more by 2025.

11. Classifying

When we classify, we arrange members of a group. The lecturer may use the following signals to show that a classification is being made.

There are	N	types kinds classes categories sorts varieties	of X	: Y and Z. . These are Y and Z.
The				are Y and Z.

X

consists of comprises can be divided into

N

categories classes kinds types varieties

. These are Y and Z. : Y and Z.

Y and Z are

classes kinds types categories varieties

of X.

X may be classified

according to on the basis of depending on

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

Now let's look at some examples of politically correct language. There are at least three categories, I suggest, of politically correct language. Let's call them A, B and C.

The shaded part on this little sketch map is Great Britain, as we now say, and today it consists of the England, of course, Scotland, Wales

12. Digressing

Sometimes the lecturer may leave the main subject of the lecture for a while and then come back to it.

Incidentally By the way While I remember Before I forget

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

It might be as well, by the way, just to have a look at some of the terminology past and present of geography, basic geography.

13. Referring to visuals

The following signals can be used to refer to a handout or an OHT or PowerPoint slide.

On this graph, Take a look at this. Let's have a look at this. I'd like you to look at this. I'd like to draw your attention to Here we can see The ... shows The graph illustrates The horizontal axis represents The vertical axis represents As you can see, If you look closely, you'll see

...

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

The shaded part on this little sketch map is Great Britain, as we now say, and today it consists of the England, of course, Scotland, Wales.

It's from a poem called "Clearances."

Well, now, let's look at this. There are 25 words here, I think. 20 of them, as you see, are only of one syllable.

14. Concluding

The lecture should end with a summary of the main points made. The following signals will help you to identify this.

So, We've seen that What I've been saying is that First we looked at ... and we saw that Then we considered ... and I argued that In short, To sum up To summarise In conclusion, I'd like to emphasise that	...
That completes That's the end of	my lecture. this talk.

Listen to the following talks and identify phrases the same as, or similar to, the ones given above:

So we come finally to a conclusion. We can attempt to answer the question, "what is language?"

Well, so much then for some aspects of biodiversity, why it's a good thing and how it could be achieved.

Now, just to recap. I've said something about sustainable economic development, something about biodiversity and the question now, surely, is whether we can have them both.

So, just to sum up. This UN biodiversity secretariat wants factual information, conservation of diversity, sustainable biological resources and fair sharing of the benefits of the use of genetic resources.