Giving Academic Talks

GraduateCenter^LMU Workshop for Doctoral Candidates

All researchers need to present their messages clearly and effectively so that the audience can understand the argument and remember the key information. In the Humanities, researchers also need to develop tools that help to adapt their scientific writing to speech-appropriate language, and thus make it easier for the audience. Long sentences with multiple clauses for instance can cause audiences to feel lost and thus switch off.

This workshop helps develop writing techniques that can be applied to the academic speech context, thus creating a clear structure to convey messages. Some examples include how to split long sentences, use stress positions in sentences, and ensure a sense of flow and cohesion by implementing linking techniques. The workshop provides additional rhetoric techniques such as skills related to body language, gestures as well as management of voice.

Participants will have the opportunity to prepare and deliver short presentations as well as practice in dealing with questions. Talks are followed by constructive feedback from a native-speaker trainer as well as from other participants.

Workshop topics:

• Speech-appropriate language
• Developing clarity and cohesion in texts for oral presentation
• Highlighting key information
• Developing rapport with your audience
• Managing body language and voice
• Dealing with questions

Requirements:

• You should have at least a strong intermediate level of English (B2) with the ability to actively take part in discussions. For a quick self assessment see Cambridge Assessment English. 
• Please prepare a talk on your research. Your talk may be no longer than 8 minutes. Do keep in mind that most of your audience will be non-experts. To ensure that your talk is as authentic as possible, please give your talk in the format which is typical of your field (e.g. PowerPoint, flipchart, etc.).

Language of workshop: English

Target group: Doctoral candidates of LMU Munich from the Humanities and Social Sciences (the number of participants is limited)

Certificate of attendance: Participants will receive a certificate of attendance from the GraduateCenter^LMU.