1 The purpose of lectures I

Aims ./ recognize different types of listening ./ recognize possible problems in lectures

./ understand what a lecture is ./ understand the importance of attending
./ know what is expected from you lectures

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Quiz
Self-evaluation
Read the statements below and circle the answers that are true for you.
:.... .. ........... ....... ........ .. ....... .. .... .. ...... .... ......................................................... ..... .......... ..... ... :....... .... ........ ...................... .. ..... ..................... :
,

: 1 I know who speaks in a lecture. . agree I disagree I not sure :

1· ......................................................................................,............ ".................................. .....;.....................................................................~
: 2 I know how long a lecture usually is. . agree I disagree I not sure ~
j.............. ........ ............... ........ ................................. .......... ,............... ........ ...... ...... .... ........ .,.. ;....................... ............. .................. ....... .. .... ..;

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: 4 I know what students are supposed to do in a lecture. : agree I disagree I not sure
: ................ ............ .. ......... ... .. .......... .. ........ ........ .. ........ .... ...... ......... .. ...................... . ............ :.... ........ .. ......... ...... .... ......... .... ...... .. ............... :
, ,

What types of listening do you do at university?

At university there are many situations where you will listen to different
speakers. Some of these situations will be academic, where you will listen
to your lecturers and tutors, some will be to find information about
university life, for example, from the university's accommodation staff
and some will be social, such as talking to other students in a cafe.

In some situations you will listen to one person speaking and in other Th
situations you will listen to a group of people speaking or discussing
something. You will also listen for different lengths of time and for
different reasons. 11
DveI
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Ti P ./ The tertiary education institution you go to after high school can be called different
ofa
names. In the USA, it is university, school and college. In the UK, it is university, or
1 a
' uni' and college. In South Africa, it is university, 'varsity', technikon, technical training
und(
college or just institutes of further education and training. In Australia it is university
desc
or 'uni' and TAFE (Technical And Further Education).
as a
 1 The purpose of lectures

The different reasons for listening at university can be summarized as

follows:
intensive
Intensive General listening: informal conversations, listening for specific
activity involves
information in social situations, listening for advice from non-academic
concentrating a
lot of effort or university staff.
people on one
particular task in Academic listening: intensive listening for long periods of time to develop
order to try and your understanding of a topic, listening to explanations of assignments,
achieve a great listening to topics being discussed in seminars, listening to your lecturers
deal in a short
time.
in tutorials.

o., ,.
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01
Exercise 1
Listen to the four extracts and write the order in which you hear the following
situations:
A An informal conversation between students C A student asking staff for information
B A lecture D A talk for students

What is a lecture?
A lecture is a talk given by a subject expert on a particular topic. The
subject expert is usually called a lecturer. A lecture often takes place in a
large room or lecture hall/theatre and is attended by a large number of
1 students, sometimes hundreds. The lecturer will talk about a particular
topic to all the students who will take notes. A lecture normally lasts
around 45 minutes to an hour.

The purpose of lectures

Lectures are talks which give students a general overview of a topic. For
example, a lecture on the anatomy of the brain will give you general
overview information about the parts which make up the brain. Similarly, a talk on
An overview
marketing ethics will give you general information on what 'marketing
of a situation
is a general ethics' means along with information on current ideas on the topic. A
understanding or lecture is meant to be an overview. It is up to you to research the topic in
description of it detail both before and after the lecture. The lecture is intended to give you
as a whole.
a starting point for further study.

I 9
Lectures

Tips A lecture will give you:

./ Current, general academic opinions on a topic .
./ Key definitions, names, dates, theories and facts .
./ Ideas for further research and reading .
./ A starting point for your own thoughts.

How is a lecture different from other forms of speaking?

A lecture is a specific type of speaking and differs from other types of
speaking such as a conversation or a discussion. Below are some of the
real time
features of a lecture.
If something
is done in real 1 The lecturer has prepared what s/he is going to say in advance.
time, there is
no noticeable The lecturer brings notes and usually has some form of visual
delay between
the action and material (for example, a Power Point presentation) or handouts for
its effect or students. This means that the lecture will follow a structure and has
consequence. a more recognized order than a general conversation. The lecturer
concentrate knows what s/he wants to say and has thought about how to explain
If you it clearly. This is different from a conversation, where speakers think ~
concentrate on
and speak in 'real time'. \
something you
give all your
attention to it. 2 The lecturer speaks for a long time.

In a lecture the lecturer usually speaks for an hour, sometimes longer.

This means that the listeners have to concentrate hard on one speaker
for a long period of time. This is not like conversations or discussions
where the speakers share the talking and listening time.

3 The students do not usually ask questions.

In conversation or discussion the speakers can interrupt each other

to ask questions, explain words, or give their own point of view.
In a lecture it is different; the students do not usually have the
opportunity to ask questions during the lecture except at the end.
Occasionally the lecturer will invite questions during the lecture, but
this is not always the case.
 1 The purpose of lectures

o
()
'1 I'
02
Exercise 2
Listen to two lecturers speaking about lecturing, and complete the dialogue.

'Well, I've been 1 lecturing for about 40 years now, and it's changed a lot. I remember my
first lecture; it was me, the 2 and about 100 students. It was a bit of a scary
experience. I've seen lots of changes since then, mainly when 3 were introduced.
4
We started with , where I would project slides so that the students could see

them, to PowerPoint presentations which everyone uses, and now finally to 5_ _ _ _ _ _ •

I'm a professor in philosophy, but sometimes I feel like a professor of technology!'

'I lecture in pharmacy at the local university. The 6 has room for about 60
students. It's got a 7 at the front, but I don't like to use it. I always try to make
the lecture interesting. I bring in 8 to help students make 9 • There

isn't time for 10 in the lectures. Lectures are more like ll , but
students can always bring questions to their 12 instead.'

III

k
0 Exercise 3
Choose a word from your answers and match the word to its definition.

1 discussion when people talk about something, often in order to reach a decision
-_.
2 a large flat, thin, rectangular piece of wood used for writing on
er
IS 3 a paper containing a summary of a lecture
4 a regular meeting between a member of the teaching staff and one or
several students for discussion of a subject that is being studied
5 a large touch-sensitive screen connected to a computer and a digital
projector, used for teaching in the classroom
6 a high sloping desk for notes when giving a lecture
7 a flat vertical surface on which pictures or words are shown
8 a machine that has a light inside it and makes the writing or pictures
LIt
on a sheet or piece of plastic appear on a screen or wall
9 a room in a university or college where lectures are given
10 something you write down to remind yourself of something
11 a formal talk to show and explain an idea to an audience

11
Lectures

What is expected from you?

Your lecturers will expect you to do the following things.

ensure Before the lecture:

To ensure
something, or
• Do some preparatory reading. This will give you some background p
to ensure that on the topic and make it easier to understand the lecture.
something • Find out what the lecture is about and look up some key words.
happens, means
to make certain For more on preparing for lectures see Chapter 2. rI
that something
.-\
happens.
During the lecture:
preparatory 01
Preparatory • Take notes while the lecturer is speaking. ;n
actions are done
before doing • Do not talk to other students. Try to concentrate during the lecture.
something else
as a form of After the lecture:
preparation or as
• Do any follow up reading suggested by your lecturer.
introduction.
• Organize your notes and any handouts you are given. This will help
with essay writing and revision in the future.

Exercise 4
Imagine you are going to a lecture called 'The Future of Social Networking'. Look
at A-I below and decide if you should do them before, during or after the lecture.

A Look up any unknown words from the lecture, or ask a friend .

S Try to sit near the front and make notes. Don't expect to understand everything.
C Try to listen to radio programmes on the subject.
o Look up words on the topic of social networking and check their translations. If possible,
try to listen to the words so when you hear them you will be able to identify them.
E Check through your notes and make sure you understand them.
F Speak to other students about the topic before you go to the lecture, to familiarize yourself
with the subject.
G Compare your notes with someone else who was at the lecture.
H Write down any important words that you don't understand.
Try to write down only the key points. Don't try to write everything down!

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 1 The purpose of lectures

Ti p ./ You may be able to record lectures, but you must ask the lecturer's permission to do this.

Pronunciation: the rhythm of English

Standard English is a stress-timed language, which means that the content
words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are usually spoken with more
rhythm
emphasis or 'stress' by the speaker. In general the speaker does not stress
A rhythm is a
regu lar series the other 'grammar' words. Below are some examples of unstressed
of sounds or grammar words.
movements .

For example:

Modal verbs: may, might, can, could, will, would, must, should ...

Auxiliary verbs: is, are, was, were, have, had

J
Prepositions: in, at, to, for, etc.

Articles: a, the

Pronouns: I, he, she, it, they, etc.

< Quantifiers: some, all, none, etc.

These two English sentences take approximately the same amount of time
to say.

1 Please wait here and the manager will see you in 5 minutes.

2 li you just wait here, the manager will be able to see you in
5 minutes .

The stressed words are in bold and the unstressed words are underlined.

13

1
Lectures

o03
Now listen to the examples.

Using stressed and unstressed words is very common with native speakers
of English but less common in people who use English as a second or 11
o
other language. These speakers tend to make less difference between
stressed and unstressed words compared to native speakers of English.

oo 04
Exercise 5
Listen to the following sentences and mark the stressed and unstressed words
used by the speaker. Pc
1 'Last week I went to a really interesting lecture on space but I didn't understand that
much of it because I hadn't prepared enough.'
2 'One of the most important aspects of university study which is totally different from
school is being able to manage the workload.'
3 'What I don't like about studying biology is having to write up the lab reports after
doing the experiments.'
4 'So, if you look at this slide, you'll notice how the concepts of philosophy as described by
the Enlightenment interact with our everyday lives, even in the 21 century.'
Sf

Tip ./ Remember that the rhythm of different speakers is unique so the rules of stress
in English are general. Stress patterns might differ according to the accent and
background of the lecturer.

For more on word stress and speaker intonation see Chapter 5.

The difficulty of lectures

When English is not your first language, lectures can seem very
challenging, but you can develop techniques or strategies to help you
attention span focus your listening. Firstly, you will need to be prepared to listen to the
Your attention
span is the
lecturer talking for a long time, so you need to develop a good attention
amount of time span. Secondly, your lecturers will have different accents and some will
that you can speak quickly, some slowly. Some of your lecturers will be easier to
concentrate on a
understand than others. Remember that not every lecturer will be a good
particular task,
activity, or subject speaker, some may repeat themselves, or speak too quietly, or be unclear.
without becoming
distracted .
 1 The purpose of lectures

Also the terminology used in lectures will sometimes be unfamiliar. Often

very subject specific vocabulary is used and this means that some sections
:rs terminology
may be easier to understand than others. Finally, it can be easy to lose the
The terminology
of a subject is path of the lecture and not understand how one part links to another. All
the set of special of these problems can be solved with careful planning.
words and
expressions used For more on accents see Chapter 4.
in connection
with it.

Possible solutions to the difficulties of lectures

Cl Exercise 6
Look at the solutions in the table and match them to the problems (A-D).

A Problems with subject specific vocabulary. C Problems with losing the path of the lecture.
B Problems with general understanding. D Problems understanding sections of the lecture .
................................................................................................................................................................................................................
............ :..S.?l~~i().~~ .............................................................................................................................................. :..~r.??~~~~............ :
1 : Record the lecture. : :
~ Swap notes with another student to check understanding .

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............ :.. .. .. .. .. ..
2 : Listen to long stretches of speech like the radio or online talks. : .
: Make sure you reposition yourself to keep focusing .
............!..s.~~. ~P .~~.r.~.~~~~:.................................................................................................................................... :...............................:
3 : Highlight in your notes where you have got lost or not understood, then : :
: complete these later with help. :
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4 : Find out the lecture topic beforehand. : '
: Find and translate the key terms. .
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n

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15

1
 Lectures

Formal and informal language in lectures

The type of language you hear in your lectures will vary depending on
subject and speaker, but there are some common features in the language
of lectures. Some features are associated with academic English (formal
r.o
features) and some features are more related to spoken English (informal
features). In your lectures, be prepared for a mix of both formal and
informal language features when listening to lectures.

Tips .I Reading and writing in academic English tends to be formal.

.I Even in a formal lecture, language may be more informal because it is spoken.

Exercise 7
Read the definitions of language features in lectures and divide them into three
groups: 'formal', 'informal' and 'both'.

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[1 : Signposting : Words used to give indications of : firstly : '

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: 2 : Noun phrases : A group of nouns used together : the issue of stem cell : :
:......... :...........................................:..~?~~~.~..~. I.?~.~ .?~s.c.~~pt.i~~ ..I1?~~:....:..~.~~~~.~~~..:.::................................:.......................... :
:3 : Idioms [ An expression which is familiar : To go out on a limb : .
[ to a group of people, but not :( h' [
: 'I'd '£1 bl f h d : to support somet mg :
: easl Y I ent! a e rom t e war s : h h. . h
: within it. : even t oug It mlg t put :
:......... :........................................... :..................................................................... :.X?~. I]! ..a.. ?I~~C.~!.t .P?SI.~~?.~) .. :.......................... :
:4 : Phrasal verbs : A two part verb that is made up [ find out (to discover) [ :
: [ of a verb + preposition or verb + : .
:......... :........................................... :..a.?~e.:.?: ..................................................... :............................................ ,.......... :..........................:
: 5 : Passive : A structure which focuses on the [ The evidence was tested : :
: constructions : object of an action and not the : in four countries.
:.........:.................................... ....... :. ~.~?J.~.c.~:................................. ....................:................. ...................................... :..... .....................:
:6 : Hedging [ Words which make a statement : There may be several : .
[ less direct for example, modal : possible reasons for the :
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: 7 : Reporting verbs : Verbs which report the words of : A group of academics at : :
: [ : people. : Exeter University assert [ :
: ' [ that the results need .
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16
 1 The purpose of lectures

ge
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o
0.
05
Exercise 8
Listen to the lecture on negotiation techniques and complete the examples of
features mentioned in Exercise 7.

al 1 F of a
2 It c be s
3 E up
4 The k to great negotiation

5 The r w in negotiation
6 At -w street
7 Thei choices the other p is making
8 Asw as
9 Let's I to
10 B up

o Exercise 9
Now label the phrases in Exercise 8 with the features in Exercise 7.

For example: 1 First of all = signposting

Ti ps .I Reading and writing in academic English tends to be formal.

.I Even in a formal lecture, language may be more informal because it is spoken. Things
like phrasal verbs and idiomatic language are often used in spoken English, even in
lectures .

117
Lectures

o Exercise 10
Look at the following lecture extracts and decide which lecturer uses more
formal language and which uses more informal language.
f

A We shall begin with an overview of traditional reporting tools used by French newspapers
today, and assess whether these tools could be adapted for other countries. Then we will
consider how globalization has affected all such reporting methods.
B We will start with looking at traditional reporting tools used by French newspapers at the
moment, and assess whether these tools would work out in other markets. Then we'll look
at how globalization has had a knock-on effect on all these kinds of reporting methods.

Why attend lectures?

There are many reasons to attend lectures at university. Going to lectures
will help you learn new information about your subject area, get ideas
for writing assignments, or just give you the opportunity to meet up with
other students on your course. However, the main reasons for going to
lectures can be divided into two main areas.

o Exercise 11
Look at the list of reasons for going to lectures. Decide which relate to understanding
your course content and which relate to personal study and assessment.

1 You may get some ideas to help you with your essays, exams and presentations.
2 You can find out about how the topic of the lecture relates to the other topics or
modules on your course.
3 You will see how the topic is currently understood by academics in your university and
other universities around the world.
4 Your lecturer will focus on the important areas of the topic so you don't waste your time
researching unimportant aspects afterwards.
5 You learn about how the topic has developed over time through academic research.
6 Your lecturer may give you suggestions for reading to help you develop your
understanding of the lecture topic .
..... ... .. ......................... .. .. ............. ......... ...... .... .. ............. .......... : .. ..... ...... .......... ........... .............. ..... .... .. ... ...... ........... ................. :
Understanding your course content : Helping with your assignments and
................................................................................................ :..~~.s.e.~~~~~~~........................................................................ ,

... ... .. .............................. ............. ... ..... .... ......... .. .. .. ................. .:............. ..... ... ..... .... ....... .. ....... .. ......... .. ................... ... ............... :
 1 The purpose of lectures

Remember
A lecture is a specific form of listening; you need to listen, take notes,
./ and keep focused. You cannot usually ask questions.

The lecturer may use a mix of formal and informal language .

./
You may hear many different lecturers. They may use different
./ intonation to what you are used to. Try to become familiar with this.

You will be expected to have done some preparatory work, keep

./ good notes and do some follow-up reading.

You may be able to record your lectures, but make sure you have
./ permlSSlOn.

res

ith

19

19
1