Preparing and Delivering Scientific Presentations John Giba Ramón Ribes

Preparing and Delivering Scientific Presentations John Giba Ramón Ribes

John Giba Ramón Ribes Preparing and Delivering Scientific Presentations A Complete Guide for International Medical Scientists 123

John Giba C/ Cau Palau, 54 08181 Sentmenat Spain john_giba@yahoo.com Ramón Ribes Platero Martinez, 19 14012 Córdoba Spain ribesb@gmail.com ISBN 978-3-642-15888-9 e-isbn 978-3-642-15889-6 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-15889-6 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broad casting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Product liability: The publishers cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information about dosage and application contained in this book. In every individual case the user must check such information by consulting the relevant literature. Cover design: estudiocalamar Figueres/Berlin Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)

To my father, John Giba, who showed me there was nothing to fear. To my wife, Núria Fernàndez Bayó, and to my daughter, Júlia Giba Fernàndez, who show me there is everything to hope for. John Giba To my late father, Ramon Ribes Blanquer, full professor of Anatomy, to whom I owe many of the ideas inspiring this book Ramón Ribes

Preface After the publication of Medical English (R. Ribes, P.R. Ros: Springer. Nov 2005) and Radiological English (R. Ribes, P.R. Ros: Springer. Nov 2006), Ramón Ribes became the first editor and coordinator of a series of books on medical English for different specialties. These books are mainly written by non-native-english-speaking doctors who know how hard it can be to learn a second language and understand the challenge of dealing with the acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon that are so important in medical English. Learning scientific and medical English is extremely demanding. A sound knowledge of English grammar lays the foundations on which you can build your medical English. Just as physicians of all specialties need to know anatomy and physiology (i.e. the normal structures of the body, how they relate to one another, and their functions), professionals from non-english-speaking countries who want to learn English will need to become familiar with different linguistic structures and their functions. Furthermore, Latin and Greek terminology are so prominent in medical English that some basic knowledge of these dead languages is essential to speak and write medical English properly. Being fluent in medical English implies being able to communicate effectively in speech and in writing in a wide variety of situations with a wide variety of interlocutors. This book focuses on one small but important aspect of medical English: formal scientific presentations. Nobody doubts that English is the language of science and medicine, and nowhere is this more evident than at international meetings and courses. If a researcher or physician wants to communicate his or her results and conclusions to the scientific community, he or she must do so in English. Many careers have been stunted by poor English, and many more have never gotten off the ground because physicians failed to take advantage of the opportunity to speak at a meeting because of fears that their English was not up to the task. Indeed, presenting an oral communication at an international congress can be daunting for even the most fluent of non-native-english-speaking doctors. Yet, at the same time, with proper preparation, even relatively weak speakers can rise to the challenge. We have watched and listened to over one thousand scientific presentations at American and European courses and congresses. We have also had the experience of speaking to a wide variety of audiences on many occasions. We would vii

viii Preface like to share our experience both as members of the audience and as lecturers, and we sincerely hope this humble manual helps you improve the overall quality of your presentations. John Giba Ramón Ribes

Acknowledgment This book would not have been possible without the help and cooperation of many people. Special thanks to Núria Fernàndez for elaborating the diagrams and drawings in the example slides and to Xavi Calvet, MD, PhD for his critical review of the manuscript and helpful suggestions. ix

Contents Chapter 1 To Speak or Not to Speak? Questions You Should Ask Yourself before Agreeing to Do a Talk in English Chapter 2 Preparing a Talk Introduction... 11 Before You Start.... 11 Types of Presentations.... 11 Slots... 14 Research... 15 Gathering Information.... 15 Reading from Articles... Aloud.... 16 Audiovisual Research... 16 Discussing the Topic of Your Presentation... 16 Looking up Both the Meaning and Pronunciation of Unknown Words in the Dictionary... 17 Jotting down Tricky Words and Sentences... 17 Organizing Your Ideas... 17 Creating Your Slides... 19 Number of Slides.... 20 Number of Lines per Slide... 20 Graphic Material on Slides... 20 Fonts... 20 Background of the Slides... 21 Rehearsal... 21 Writing Out Your Speech... 21 Reading Your Presentation... 21 Memorizing Your Presentation... 22 xi

xii Contents Timing... 22 Pacing... 23 Pronunciation.... 23 Eliminating Filler Phrases... 24 Presenting the Paper to Yourself... 24 Rehearsing the Weak Points Alone... 25 Presenting the Paper to Your Colleagues at Your Department... 25 Final Preparations... 25 Chapter 3 Useful Language for Scientific Presentations Opening Your Talk.... 29 Mapping Your Talk... 30 Introducing the Main Question... 31 Talking about Methods... 32 Presenting Data in Tables.... 32 Talking about Figures... 34 General Language for Referring to Images.... 35 Types of Figures... 36 Emphasizing a Point... 42 Reiterating... 43 Introducing Slides and Making Transitions.... 43 Concluding Your Talk... 45 Dealing with Questions... 45 Chapter 4 Common Mistakes in Language Usage Chapter 5 Delivering a Talk Introduction... 63 General Pointers.... 63 Familiarizing Yourself with the Room... 63 Arriving Early............................................. 63 Etiquette.... 64 Eye Contact... 64 Modulating Your Speech.... 64

Contents xiii Controlling Your Movements... 64 Starting Out Strong... 65 Making Smooth and Clear Transitions... 65 Accentuating Key Points.... 66 Graphics.... 66 Finishing Strong... 66 Feedback and Reflection... 67 Perseverance... 67 Dealing with Nervousness... 67 Dealing with Technical Problems during the Presentation... 68 Dealing with Disruptions... 70 Chapter 6 The Dreaded Questions and Comments Section Introduction... 73 General Tips for Dealing with the Question and Answer Section.... 73 Unbelievably Ineffective Approaches... 77 Stalling... 77 Shooting from the Hip... 78 The Guardian Angel.... 79 Chapter 7 Chairing a Session Opening the Session.... 84 Introducing Speakers... 84 Adjourning... 86 Concluding the Session... 86 Managing the Questions and Answers Session... 86 Managing the Time... 87 Technical Problems... 88 Chapter 8 Attending an International Scientific Congress Travel and Hotel Arrangements.... 94 Airport... 94 During the Flight... 97

xiv Contents In the Taxi (US Cab)... 97 At the Hotel... 99 Course Example.... 101 General Information... 101 Registration... 102 Course Planning... 103 Chapter 9 Conversation Survival Guide Introduction... 107 Greetings.... 108 Introductions... 108 Personal Information... 109 Expressions of Courtesy... 109 Speaking Languages... 110 At the Restaurant... 110 City Transportation... 112 Shopping... 113 At the Post Office.... 115 Going to the Theater (UK Theatre)... 116 At the Drugstore (UK Chemist)... 116 At the Bookshop/Newsstand (UK Newsagent s).... 117 At the Photography Shop.... 117 At the Florist s... 118 Paying... 118 At the Barber s or Hairdresser s... 118 Cars....................................................... 120 Asking for Directions.... 121 On the Phone... 122 In the Bank.... 123 Police Matters... 124 Chapter 10 Improving Your Pronunciation Important Steps to Focus the Learning of Correct English Pronunciation... 128 Become Aware of the Differences Between Your Native Tongue and English.... 128

Contents xv Pronounce the Endings of Words Correctly... 129 Learn to Deal with the Idiosyncrasies of English Orthography... 130 Concentrate on the Music of the Language.... 133 Make the Most of Reading and Listening... 136 Cultivate an Attitude That Is Conducive to Learning... 138 Practical Steps to Improve Pronunciation... 139 A Few Final Words... 139 Chapter 11 Appendices Appendix 1: Latin and Greek in English... 143 Part 1: Forming Plurals...................................... 143 Part 2: Pronunciation.... 145 Appendix 2: British and American Spelling... 148 Appendix 3: Verb Patterns... 150 Appendix 4: Numbers... 151 Verbalizing and Pronouncing Numbers and Related Terms... 151 Appendix 5: Words Often Confused Similar Spellings... 154 Appendix 6: Useful Websites.... 156 Good Places to Start Searching for Relevant Audiovisual Material... 157 Dictionaries That Allow You to Listen to the Pronunciation of Words... 157 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teaching Sites... 158 Audiovisual Material about Diseases and Procedures... 158 Audiovisual Material to Improve Public Speaking Skills.... 159 General Audiovisual Material... 159 Audiovisual Material Related with Major Medical Journals... 160 Podcasts from Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals... 161 Congress Webcasts... 161