Mundtlig Sprogproduktion 3 Fall 2010

Jens Kirk & Kim Ebensgaard Jensen Almen Engelsk, AAU

Signposting 1. What is signposting? Signposting is t e use o! linguisti" de#i"es $a%k%a% signposts& t at signal t e stru"ture and progression o! 'our presentation% Signposts are t us e(pressions t at outline and stru"ture t e points o! in!ormation or line o! argumentation in t e utteran"e)"on#ersation% Monda l and S#ensen operate *it * at t e' "all fillers and gambits, * i" t e' "onsider to be !un"tionall' di!!erent% +o*e#er, *e s all "on!late !iller and gambits in t e same "ategor' and re!er to t em as signposts% 2. Signposting and structure of presentation ,ike - mentioned last semester, presentations s ould be "learl' stru"tured, and t e stru"ture itsel! s ould be "lear, not .ust to t e speaker but also to t e audien"e% /ou "an use signposts to indi"ate, !or instan"e, t e " ange !rom t e opening to t e main bod', and to introdu"e t e ending o! 'our presentation% Signposts "an also be used to indi"ate t e progression !rom one point to anot er in t e main bod'%1 Englis as a *ide in#entor' o! #arious t'pes o! signposts% +ere are some o! t e e(amples * i" - mentioned last semester0 1to begin *it 1, 1!irst o! all1, 1se"ondl'1, 1t en1, 1!inall'1, 1as 'ou ma' kno*1, 1t is means1, 1on t e ot er and1, 1let us no* turn to1, 1on t e "ontrar'1, 1!urt ermore1, 1to sum up1, 1moreo#er1, 1mo#ing on to1% +ere is anot er list o! use!ul signpost e(pressions $li!ted !rom ttp0))***%englis "lub%"om)speaking)presentations2lang% tm&0 -ntrodu"ing t e sub.e"t -1d like to start b'%%% ,et1s begin b'%%% First o! all, -1ll%%% Starting *it %%% -1ll begin b'%%% Finis ing one sub.e"t%%% 3ell, -1#e told 'ou about%%% 4 at1s all - a#e to sa' about%%% 3e1#e looked at%%% So mu" !or%%% 5o* *e1ll mo#e on to%%% ,et me turn no* to%%% 5e(t%%% 4urning to%%% -1d like no* to dis"uss%%% ,et1s look no* at%%%

%%%and starting anot er

Anal'6ing a point and gi#ing re"ommendations 3 ere does t at lead us7

1 See t e le"ture on 8resentation 4e" ni9ues !or more on t e stru"ture o! presentations%

Mundtlig Sprogproduktion 3 Fall 2010

Jens Kirk & Kim Ebensgaard Jensen Almen Engelsk, AAU

,et1s "onsider t is in more detail%%% 3 at does t is mean !or A:;7 4ranslated into real terms%%% <i#ing an e(ample For e(ample,%%% A good e(ample o! t is is%%% As an illustration,%%% 4o gi#e 'ou an e(ample,%%% 4o illustrate t is point%%% 3e1ll be e(amining t is point in more detail later on%%% -1d like to deal *it t is 9uestion later, i! - ma'%%% -1ll "ome ba"k to t is 9uestion later in m' talk%%% 8er aps 'ou1d like to raise t is point at t e end%%% - *on1t "omment on t is no*%%% -n "on"lusion,%%% >ig t, let1s sum up, s all *e7 -1d like no* to re"ap%%% ,et1s summari6e brie!l' * at *e1#e looked at%%% Finall', let me remind 'ou o! some o! t e issues *e1#e "o#ered%%% -! - "an .ust sum up t e main points%%%

=ealing *it 9uestions

Summari6ing and "on"luding

?rdering Firstl'%%%se"ondl'%%%t irdl'%%%lastl'%%% First o! all%%%t en%%%ne(t%%%a!ter t at%%%!inall'%%% 4o start *it %%%later%%%to !inis up%%% 3. Signposting and the five discussion functions A""ording to t e Andersen te(t on dis"ussion skills, t ere are basi"all' !i#e $super& !un"tions , all o! * i" are rele#ant to t e t'pe o! a"ademi" dis"ourse t at 'ou are e(pe"ted to be able to engage in * en doing a uni#ersit' le#el degree in Englis 0 opining e(plaining reporting agreeing)disagreeing suggesting

3 ile t e' are all rele#ant to more intera"ti#e dis"ourse, su" as dis"ussions, t e t ree !irst ones are espe"iall' rele#ant to presentations% /ou *ill !ind t at, * en 'ou do a presentation, 'ou o!ten %%% t e !un"tions% ?ne moment, 'ou ma' be reporting someone else1s resear" , t en 'ou ma' be e(plaining 2

Mundtlig Sprogproduktion 3 Fall 2010

Jens Kirk & Kim Ebensgaard Jensen Almen Engelsk, AAU

'our o*n !indings or e(plaining some t eoreti"al "on"epts@ 'ou ma' !ind 'oursel! stating 'our opinion on somet ing or reporting someone else1s opinion% -t is e(tremel' important t e 'ou make it "lear to t e audien"e * en 'ou do * at in 'our presentation% 3.1 Signaling the functions 3 en 'ou are e(plaining somet ing, let t em kno*% -! 'ou are stating 'our o*n opinion, let t em kno*% -! 'ou are reporting someone else1 opinion, let t em kno*% 3 en 'ou are reporting someone else1s *ork, let t em kno*% -! 'ou are stating t at 'ou agree or disagree, let t e audien"e kno*% -! 'ou are suggesting somet ing, let t e audien"e kno*% Fortunatel', 'ou "an signal t e !un"tions t roug signposting and language " oi"e% For e(ample, e(pressions like 1it is m' #ie* t at%%%1, 1- t ink t at%%%1, 1-t seems to me t at%%%1, 1t e *a' - see it%%%1 "learl' signal t at 'ou are no* going to gi#e 'our opinion, * ile 1a""ording to A%%%1, 1A states t at B1, 1A as !ound t at B1, 1A argues t at%%%1 "learl' indi"ates t at 'ou are going to do some reporting% 3.2 Word choice :ut t ere is more to it t an .ust indi"ating t e !un"tions% /ou " oose bet*een a lot o! di!!erent *ords and e(pressions, and ea" *ord or e(pression ser#es a spe"i!i" purpose or "arries spe"i!i" details, in!ormation or implied meaning@ and 'ou s ould be mind!ul o! t is * en 'ou " oose * i" signposts 'ou *ant to use% For instan"e, t ere is a *orld o! di!!eren"e bet*een 1A states t at%%%1 and 1A "laims t at%%%1 $t e latter implies t at 'ou disagree *it A&, and, i! e(plaining somet ing, 1t e reason is%%%1 and 1t e reason mig t be%%%1 and 1t e reason "ould be%%%1 are also #er' di!!erent in terms o! modalit' $t e !irst one e(presses "ertaint', t e se"ond one e(presses un"ertaint', and t e last one e(presses *eak possibilit'% 5ote t at it is not enoug to .ust " oose appropriate signposts, 'ou also a#e to "onsider t e a"tual "ontent *ords 'ou use, be"ause t e' ma' "arr' *it t em "onnotations t at ma' result in 'ou sending messages t at 'ou are not a*are o!% +ere is an e(ample !rom an oral e(am - on"e "ensored, in * i" t e topi" *as di!!eren"es in t e international roles o! t e UK and t e USA0 CMean* ile, t e US *ere out sa#ing t e *orld !rom "ommunismD% 4. Signposting and style /ou s ould be a*are t at di!!erent st'les and registers "ome *it di!!erent signposts, so, * en 'ou do a presentation, 'ou s ould "onsider 1& t e "ommuni"ati#e !un"tion o! t e signpost $as dis"ussed abo#e& 2& t e appropriateness or "ompatibilit' o! t e signpost and t e register 'ou are operating *it in 4.2 Register As Anderson points out in relation to agreeing and disagreeing, !or instan"e, t ere are in!ormal, neutral and !ormal signposts, !ormalit' being a matter o! register% -t is important t at 'ou are able to use a signposts * ose !ormalit' mat" es t e !ormalit' o! t e "onte(t, or situation, in * i" t e presentation or dis"ourse takes pla"e% For e(ample, an a"ademi" en#ironment o!ten "alls !or a more or less !ormal register * i" is "learl' ob.e"ti#e and !ree o! too man' elements !rom sub.e"ti#e language% +ere is an e(ample, !rom t e same oral e(am, o! a student * o used t e !iller 1o! "ourse1 * i" e(presses t e natural order o! t ings $a #er' dangerous !iller to use in a"ademi" dis"ourse& in "on.un"tion *it a strongl' sub.e"ti#e le(i"al *ord0 C-t is, o! "ourse, ridi"ulous to suggest 3

Mundtlig Sprogproduktion 3 Fall 2010

Jens Kirk & Kim Ebensgaard Jensen Almen Engelsk, AAU

abolis ing t e monar" 'D 2 * i" dis"ourse%

is t e sort o! utteran"e t at does not belong in a"ademi"

4.3 Variation /ou s ould also make sure t at t ere is #ariation in t e signposts 'ou use% So instead o! using t e same signpost o#er and o#er again to indi"ate t e progression into a ne* point, in t e main bod', make sure t at 'ou use a "ouple o! di!!erent ones, so 'ou do not .ust go 1and t en%%%1, 1and t en%%%1, 1and t en%%%1% 5. Signposting and communicative skills and oral e ams 5ote t at, * en 'ou are assessed at t e e(am in terms o! 'our Cmundtlig sprog!Erdig edD, 'ou are not .ust going to be assessed in terms o! o* good 'our grammar is and * et er 'ou speak !luentl' or not, 'ou are also assessed in terms o! 'our o#erall "ommuni"ati#e skills in Englis , in"luding t e abilit' to do a "learl' stru"tured presentation, to dis"uss and argue in Englis , to use t e appropriate registers and st'le and to do "lear signposting% Some useful links ttp0))***%englis "lub%"om)speaking)presentations2lang% tm ttp0))***%businessenglis pod%"om)learning"enter2)200F)0G)12)bep21022trans"ript2 presentations2signposting2'our2presentation) $pod"ast& ttp0))***%*i6i9%"om)tutorial)222H32Signposting2in28resentations ttp0))***%asdato6%"om)=o"uments)3ebsite2I20?b.e"ti#eI20#sI20sub.e"ti#eI20ltr%pd! ttp0))***%di!!eren"ebet*een%net)language)di!!eren"e2bet*een2ob.e"ti#e2and2sub.e"ti#e) ttp0))m' ome% ana!os%"om)Jp iloint)le"ture)eng2data)!ormal2or2in!ormal21% tm ttp0))***%englis online%org%"n)en)e(ams2*ork)ielts2preparation2arti"les)arti"le2ele#en