Activity 6. Listen and study

Activity 3. Practice formulating the aim of a paper by using the structures given above and the data obtained in your current research.

Activity 4. Practice using the phrases given in Activity 2 (point 2) to state a particular problem in your research.

Activity 5. Prepare a presentation of your paper. (3 - 5 minutes)

Opening the discussion. Holding the discussion.

Chairman: Now I would like to open the discussion. Please feel free to ask questions and make comments. Time is rather short, so I would invite everyone to be brief and keep to the point. Please identify yourselves before asking your questions.

(Immediately a man at the far end of the hall raised his finger and started to speak.)

Chairman (addressing the man): I am afraid I can’t hear you. Would you kindly speak into the microphone?

Man: I an James Stern of Glasgo University. I should like to ask Dr. Rundle if he has analyzed the contribution of acoustic phonons to the intersubband scattering.

Rundle: Yes, we have and we found this contribution to be insignificant, so we concluded that some other mechanism must be invoked to explain the temperature-dependent amplitude modulation.

C.: Any other questions?... Yes, the gentleman in the second row, please.

Ambree: Dr. Rundle, could you comment on the data of slide 3, please?

C.: I’m sorry, I again invite the speakers to identify themselves.

A.: Oh pardon. Paul Ambree of the Humbolt University in Berlin.

R.: Well, I’ve commented very briefly on these data in my talk. I can’t give more time to that now, I’m afraid. But I would be glad to discuss the details with you, Dr. Ambree, after this session.

A.: All right, thank you.

C.: Are there any more questions? (Addressing somebody.) Yes, please identify yourself.

Wolf: Christine Wolf, I represent the Institute of Experimental Physics in Hamburg, Germany. Dr. Rundle, would you like to explain the difference between the experimental and theoretical curves for the electron energy?

R.: Well, the difference is quite small, as you see, and lies within the experimental error. The fit is fairly good, in my opinion.

C.: Does that answer your question, Dr. Wolf?

W.: No, not quite. But I don’t want to take the time now. I’ll approach Dr. Rundle after the session, if he doesn’t mind.

R.: I’d be delighted to talk with you.

Activity 7. Study some phrases which can be used during the discussion, then use them in short dialogues of your own:

a) To ask for information:

- I wonder if you could tell me...

- I just want to know...

- I’d like to know...

- Could you/would you explain...

b) to ask opinion:

- What do you think of...?

- What is your idea of...?

- I would like to ask about your opinion on...

c) to compliment the question:

- That’s a good question.

- I’m glad you’ve asked that question.

- Your observation is very important.

- You have raised a very interesting point.

d) to request clarification:

- I don’t think I understand your question, Dr. Harrison.

- I’m not sure I understand you, Dr. White.

- I’m not quite clear about your question. Could you please enlarge on it?

- I didn’t catch you. Could you say it again?

e) clarifying:

- Let’s see. If I get it right, you are asking about the rates. Is that so?

- Is that correct that you ask about the rates?

- You are asking about the rates. Is that correct?

f) to give an equivocal reply:

- Well, I don’t think I can reply to your question at the moment.

- I’m afraid I can’t give any definite answer. I think Dr. Altov could do it better than I.

- I don’t think I’m qualified to speak about this matter.

- Your question is difficult to answer. I hope further work may help to clarify it.

Activity 8. Role play. One of you plays the chairman, another Dr. Stone who presents a short communication on one of the following topics. The others play the discussion participants who ask the speaker questions. The replies should be either informative and contain explanations if necessary, or equivocal.

Topics:

1) How dangerous are the scientific achievements of the humanity for the environment.

2) The relationship between theory and practice in science.

3) How far can computers substitute man?

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