Showing understanding and suggesting solutions

Showing  understanding and Suggestion solutions is suggest a solution to the problem, in which problems associated with problems or situations are analyzed and possible solutions proposed, together with the expected results / consequences. opinion of the author may be mentioned, directly or indirectly, in the introduction and / or conclusion.

Things to note :

1.       Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that summarizes what the paragraph is about.

2.       Precise words and phrases which links should be used to show the relationship between paragraphs and

3.       to connect sentences in a paragraph.

4.       Use the technique is given in the beginning and end of discursive essays.

Showing understanding and suggesting solutions Business Result Pre-Intermediate Unit 15 Starting at the top one, take turns explaining your situation to your partner and responding to their suggestions about what you should do.

Situation 1 You’ve applied for three promotions and didn’t get any because your English isn’t good enough, but the company hardly ever pays for English courses. Your company rarely or never advertises jobs internally, and sometimes long after advertising them externally.

Situation 2 Your project manager only gives negative feedback. Annual appraisals don’t always happen, perhaps because the managers don’t like doing them. Some managers have bad communication skills.

Situation 3 You only got one week of training when you first joined the company, and nothing since then. I can rarely ask my colleagues questions because I am always out visiting customers. All my projects are very different, so it’s difficult to be an expert in all those different things.

Situation 4 People don’t work together as a team. There’s an Employee of the Month award, but it just makes people more selfish. All the situations above are actually in one company. Work together to decide how the company’s systems should be changed.

Useful Language

To express cause: since/because, in view of/because of/owing to/ due to (the fact that)…, The reason that …/why …/for… is that…

To express effect: thus/therefore/so/consequently, as a result/consequence, the result of … would be …, … would result in …

To express purpose: so that…, so as/in order (not) to …, with the purpose of/intention of (+ing)   

To express possibility/probability: It can/could/may/might…, It is possible/probable/(un)likely/foreseeable/certain that…, … is (un) likely to/bound to/certain to/ possible/probable…, The likelihood/possibility/probability of (-ing/noun) is…

Sumber :

https://tefltastic.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/showing-understanding-and-suggesting-solutions.pdf

Presenting (Giving a formal presentation)

Formal Presentations

Presentations give you the opportunity to share and receive feedback on your ideas and research findings. This page offers basic guidelines for organizing, designing, and delivering formal presentations. It also provides links for further discussion and examples.

A.      What you must know before you get started…

Know your audience. As an engineer, you will deliver formal presentations to different audiences who have varying levels of technical knowledge: undergraduates, graduate students, professors, university administrators, and supervisors and colleagues in industry. Anticipate what your audience already knows about your topic. If you are unsure how to address your audience, imagine having a conversation about your topic with a member of the audience. You would employ different diction and sentence structures to discuss your work with a fellow engineering student than you would to explain it to a marketing student, wouldn’t you? Ideally, you address audience members on a field of shared knowledge and then lead them to greater understanding.

Also try to anticipate your audience’s mood.  You should organize your presentation differently for a friendly audience than you would for a skeptical or hostile one. Generally speaking, a friendly audience will likely accept an early assertion of your main point, followed by supportive details.  A skeptical audience, however, responds more productively to a presentation of shared concerns, followed by a “delayed thesis,” or main point (Ramage & Bean, 1995, 164).

Finally, make sure you know your audience’s preferences for presentations. Does your audience expect or require PowerPoint or other presentation software? Does your audience, like Edward Tufte (2010), despise PowerPoint? Would your audience prefer other modes of presentation, such as displaying slides as Web pages (Olivo, 2006)? These types of questions may be difficult to answer for someone with little presentation experience, but doing some initial research into your audience’s expectations will make you a more effective presenter.

B.      Organizing the Presentation

Most presentations have three distinct sections: Introduction, Middle, and Conclusion.

1.       Draft the Introduction.

Think like a journalist: the introduction should explain the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your research.  The Middle will explain the “how.” Your title slide will convey much of this information. Fig. 1 shows a title slide that includes the “who, what, and where.” Make sure you attend to font size and color contrast so that your names are visible. Also, spell out the names of your university and department even though they may be obvious. If you receive external funding for your research, your title slide should identify the source of your support. At this stage, consider your Introduction as a rough draft. You will revise it later.

2.       Concentrate on the Middle and Conclusion.

Imagine yourself at the end of your presentation. What exactly do you want the audience to learn, or take away?  Engineering communicators recommend that you focus on 3-5 points per presentation (Doumont, 2009).  Yet at a busy conference, most of us can realistically remember only the main point of each speaker (Alley, 2003, 153.). Prioritize your points in order of importance.  Make sure all the information you include in the Middle of your presentation contributes to your most important point; too many unnecessary details will veil the important information. Select the most persuasive visual data to use as supporting evidence.

3.       Organize your argument and support.

First, avoid your computer (Grant, 2010). Instead, write down your points on note cards and organize the cards, so you can see the entire structure at a glance and make changes quickly. If you begin this work on presentation software, you risk wasting time on slide design details. This process will also help to remove unnecessary information that does not support your main points. It will be earlier to throw away a notecard that you scribbled on than to delete a slide that took you an hour to perfect.

Repetition helps you to emphasize important information. If you want the audience to remember a point, allude to it early, present the information as clearly as possible, and repeat your point in the conclusion.

4.       Finally, return to your Introduction.

Review all the material in your draft, including your title.  Make sure your Introduction explains why your work is important—and why we should pay attention to you. Also explain the larger context of your work (or the “big picture”) for the least technically knowledgeable member of the audience; that person could have the most power or money to help you. If your presentation will last longer than 5 minutes, provide an overview slide to outline the contents. You can use the overview to explain your scope: what you will discuss and what you will not.

C.      Designing the Slides

As an undergraduate, you will normally use PowerPoint for your slide designs, but you should know its limitations. Remember three principles:

·         Slides should support your message, not act as a substitute. If you watch the talks on Ted.com you will notice that the focus is on the speaker, not the slides. Watch Dr. Kristina M. Johnson (Fig. 2), an engineer and the former Under Secretary for Energy, discuss the Clean Energy Economy for 20 minutes at the Institute of International and European Affairs. We do not need slides to understand what she is saying.

·         Visual presentations and written reports speak different languages. In other words, don’t simply cut-and-paste words and illustrations from your reports onto the slides. Consider how your presentation audience differs from your reader, and how you can use the language of visual presentation to advantage. Fig. 3 shows another slide from the student presentation featured above in Fig. 1. Here, the authors show at a glance how decision-making factors (in blue) match their more specific goals in designing the production facility.

·         Keep the slides simple. The more complex your material, the easier you should make the presentation for the reader.  As Doumont puts it, “maximize signal-to-noise ratio” (2010).  Neuroscientist Stephen Kosslyn observes that “audience members can only typically handle four ‘perceptual units’ (a word, phrase or picture) at a time” (Grant, 2010). Avoid long bullet lists, complex flow charts, and tables full of fine detail. Pay attention to the size of words and images. Alley recommends keeping the font side no smaller than 18 points (2003, 116).  What if you need to show the fine detail? Make a handout.

D.      Practicing the Delivery

·         Create note cards.  Even if you are asked to “present a paper,” don’t plan to read the entire paper out loud. Outline it on cards, legibly stating the major points. Make sure you know your sources for all your information. If you are using presentation software, the sources should be cited on the slide. If not, list the source on your note cards. You may be called on your sources during the Question and Answer period.

·         Practice in front of friends—not just the mirror. It is amazing how quickly your brain will disregard the 10 hours of practicing you did at home when faced with another human being. A real audience, however small, will help give you a sense of the “nerves” you will experience and alert you to lapses in clarity or design flaws in your slides. Practice maintaining eye contact as much as possible. Practice twice, and note your improvement. If you are soft-spoken, practice in the largest lecture room possible. Ask a friend to sit in the back row so you can practice voice projection.

·         Visit the location if possible.  For presentations on campus, you should be able to visit the room beforehand. Note the size of the room and where you will stand. If you are presenting in a large lecture hall, check your slides for visibility from the back row. Test the projector and screen controls and arrange for technical support if necessary.

·         Remember Murphy’s laws. Prepare for your laptop to crash, for the projector light bulb to blow out, for your partner not to show up. If you are presenting outside the University, prepare a backup plan to deliver your talk from memory, with handouts.

·         Anticipate questions and challenges. Be ready to elaborate on each major point. Prepare to support your sources, your methods, and your conclusions without appearing to go on the defensive.  If you do not know the answer, say so.

Sources :

https://engrcomm.che.utexas.edu/che-333t-engineering-communications/formal-presentations/

Making and responding to suggestions.

Suggestions

The following English phrases and expressions are all used to make suggestions and give advice to people.

A.      Making suggestions:

·         Let’s revise our lessons.

·         What about going to the cinema tonight?

·         How about playing cards?

·         Why don't we do our homework?

·         Couldn't we invite your grandmother to our party?

·         Shall we have a walk along the river?

·         What would you say to a cup of coffee?

·         Don't you think it is a good idea to watch TV?

·         Does it matter if we use your car?

B.      Accepting suggestions:

·         suggestionsOk. Yes, let's.

·         Yes, I'd like to.

·         Yes, I'd love to.

·         What a good idea!

·         Why not?

·         Yes, with pleasure.

·         Yes, I feel like taking a walk.

·         That sounds like a good idea. 

C.      Refusing suggestions:

·         No, let's not.

·         No, I'd rather not.

·         I don't feel like it.

·         I dislike going for a walk.

·         What an awful / bad idea!

D.      Things to remember about suggestions:

1.       The verb "suggest" can be followed by either:

should + verb = I suggest (that) we should go to the theater.

a verb (in the subjunctive form)= I suggest (that) we go to the movies.

2.       "That" is optional:

        "I suggest that we should visit Paris."

        "I suggest we should visit Paris."

Example Dialogue:

·         Dialogue one

Alice:     You know Alan, why don't we go to the cinema to watch Titanic?

Alan:      No, let's not. We've seen the film many times before. What about going to the library? We have to finish our school project!

Alice:     That sounds like a good idea. But when we finish let's go to the cafè.

Alan:      Yes, I'd love to.

·         Dialogue two

Reza: Have you solved your homework?

Trio: No, I haven’t.

Reza: Let’s go to the library and solve your homework.

Trio: Yes, let’s go.

Tata: Can I help you?

Feri: No, thank you.

·         Dialogue three

Ani   :     hi alda, where have you been ?

Alda  :     I’m from the canteen. What is it ?

Ani   :     do you finished have your mathematics homework ?

Alda  :     not yet. How about you ?

Ani   :     not yet. I still don’t quite understand the discussion yesterday

Alda  :     what if we learn together ?

Ani   :     ok. But, when ?

Alda  :     tomorrow, in my home. Do you have a time ?

Ani   :     yes, I have.

Alda  :     well then, let’s go to the library. Borrow a book of mathematics.

Ani   :     good idea. Let’s go !

Sources :

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/communication-lesson-suggesting.php

http://www.materibahasainggris.com/contoh-dialog-suggest-and-offer/

Making Small Talk And Developing A Conversation

How to make small talk :

1.       Make yourself approachable

offer a small compliment, and find common ground with the other person. Reveal something interesting about yourself, and ask something about him or her in return. Show your interest by actively listening and asking more questions. If things go well, don’t hesitate bring up hanging out again!

Have approachable body language. If you want to make a person feel comfortable, the best thing to do is to have an “open stance” and to direct your body toward that person without being too forceful. Just make eye contact, don’t cross your arms, and face your shoulders toward that person. This will make the person feel like you’re giving him all of your attention and that you’re not just lukewarm about talking to him. Maintain the right distance from the person.

·         Put away your phone. There’s nothing more annoying than talking to a person who is constantly checking his cell.

·         Though you should look eager to talk to the person, don’t look too eager. Don’t lean in so close that you overwhelm the person or scare him away. Many people are turned off by a close-talker.

2.       Give a friendly greeting.

If you’re seeing someone you already know, just say hello and greet her by her name: “Hi, Jen, it’s good to see you.” This is simple and direct and lets the person know you’re excited to talk. If you don’t know the person, introduce yourself first so you feel more confident and in control of the conversation. Just say, “Hi, I’m Marla, what’s your name?” Repeat the person’s name when she tells it to you, and she’ll feel more special.

Remember to smile and pay attention to the person when you greet her. Don’t make it look like you’re just killing time until your real friends come along.

3.       Keep things light and positive.

Conversations are just as much about an exchange of energy as an exchange of information. To make great conversation and great small talk, you should keep things light, fun, and positive. If you’re upbeat, ready to smile at a moment’s notice, and laugh over things that aren’t that funny, then you’ll make the other person want to keep talking to you — even if you’re only talking about your favorite brands of cereal.

It’s true: it may be hard to keep things light and fun when you’ve had a really bad day or bad week. But remember that if you’re making small talk, then this person is not your closest friend, so you should avoid talking about anything too negative or the other person will be turned off.

4.       Start with a small compliment.

Just a simple, “I love your shoes — where did you get them?” can get you into a fun conversation about shoe shopping. Even if the compliment doesn’t lead anywhere, it will still make the person feel more appreciated before you start discussing other subjects. You can also use this move earlier, as a way to actually introduce yourself to someone.

5.       Find common ground.

Common ground doesn’t mean that you and the other person are both die-hard horseback riders. It can just be as the fact that you’ve both had to deal with a lot of bad weather that week. Anything that the person can relate to and that establishes a connection, however tenuous, can be considered common ground. And just because you don’t want to talk about the weather, remember that the “small stuff” can lead you to talk about the things that matter to you. Here are some ways to establish common ground:

·         “Professor Hoffer is hilarious.”

·         “Ashley throws the most amazing parties.”

·         “Can you believe all of this rain?”

·         “I just love coming to Arbor Cafe.”

6.       Reveal something about yourself.

Once you’ve established some common ground, you can use it to elaborate and say something a bit more personal. You shouldn’t say something so personal that it freaks the person out, like, “I’ve actually been in love with Professor Hoffer for the last five years,” but you can ease in to talking about yourself just a bit more. Here are some things to say to follow up with the last statements:

·         “He’s the best teacher I ever had. He’s basically the reason I’m an English major.”

·         “I actually met Ashley last year, when Ben took me to her Great Gatsby party.”

·         “The rain is just awful. I’m training for a marathon and had to do my long runs on the treadmill — it’s the worst.”

·         “Whenever I’m at this cafe, I just really feel like I’m in the zone. Maybe it’s the intense drip-coffee — but seriously, I feel like I can work for hours here.”

7.       Engage the other person.

Now that you’ve established common ground and have revealed something about yourself, it’s time to engage the other person and get her talking by asking her to reveal some information about herself. Don’t ask anything too personal, like asking about the person’s health, religion, or political views. Just keep it light and fun and ask open-ended questions about the person’s interests, job, or surroundings. Here’s how you can engage the other person:

·         “How about you? Are you an English major, or are you here for Professor Hoffer’s crazy stories?”

·         “Did you go to that party, or is this your first time here? It was fun, but I drank too many mint juleps.”

·         “How about you? Has the rain kept you from doing anything fun this week?”

·         “Do you come here to do some work, or are you just reading for fun?”

8.       Follow up with a question or statement.

The person’s response will influence whether you follow up with a question, a statement, or a joke. Try to find a balance between questions and statements. Too many questions will make the person feel like he’s being interrogated, and too many statements won’t give the person room to talk. Here’s how you can keep these conversations going:

·         Other person: “I’m an English major too. I’ve always wanted to be an English major, but Hoffer’s an added bonus for sure.”

·         You: “Oh, really? What are you thinking of doing with that? It’s great to meet another person in this highly lucrative field.”

·         Other person: “I couldn’t go to that party, but I did go to her Cinco de Mayo party last month. That party was crazy.”

·         You: “It really was! I knew you looked familiar. How do you know Ashley? Isn’t she nuts?”

·         Other person: “I don’t mind the rain so much, but it made it hard for me to walk my dog! That was so annoying.”

·         You: “You have a dog too? I have a little poodle named Stella. Do you have a picture of your dog?”

·         Other person: “I’m just here to read for fun. I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without reading The Catcher in the Rye.”

·         You: “I love that book! Some people think it’s overrated, but I completely disagree.”

9.       Notice your surroundings.

Once you start really talking to the person and get your back-and-forth banter going, you can also look around for cues for what to talk about next. You can notice anything from what the person is wearing or holding, to a sign on the wall that may apply to both of you. Here are some things you can say:

·         “Sweet 9ers jersey. That one’s a classic. Have you been a fan for long?”

·         “You ran the New York Marathon too? Which year? I don’t know what I did with my t-shirt.”

·         “What do you think about this a cappella concert tonight? I’ve seen these flyers all over campus, but I don’t know if I want to go.”

·         “Ah, the American Pageant. That book taught me everything I needed to know about American History. Is that class as easy as it used to be?”

10.   Take the time to listen.

Really listening to things that the person says can help you pinpoint new common ground and to steer the conversation in a more fun or productive direction. The person may make a small comment that’s tangential to your question or topic, so keep your ears open and see if something the person says can trigger a new line of conversation. Here are some example of how two people can pick up on cues and steer a conversation in a new direction to connect on a deeper level:

·         You: “I actually met Ashley on a Spring Break trip. We all went to Mexico with a bunch of friends.”

·         Other person: “I remember her telling me about the trip! I was actually helping her improve her Spanish for it, but I doubt she really used it much — unless you count the phrase piña colada.”

·         You: “You speak Spanish? That’s awesome. You could have helped me prepare for my study abroad trip to Madrid. My Spanish was okay by the end, but I could have used some help!”

·         Other person: “I love Madrid. My grandmother actually still lives there, so I visit her almost every summer. She takes me to the Prado every Sunday.”

·         You: “Madrid is like my favorite city! The El Grecos in the Prado are to die for.”

·         Other person: “You like the El Grecos? I’m more of a Goya fan.”

·         You: “Oh, really? You know, there’s actually a new movie about Goya coming out next week — I think Ethan Hawke’s in it! Want to go?”

·         Other person: “Of course!”

11.   Open up (but not too much).

By the end of the conversation, you could reveal something more about yourself, however small, whether it's your obsession with your cat, your passion for yoga, or just your thoughts on your favorite band's new album. Have the person walk away knowing something about you, which could make you connect on a deeper level and make the person think you weren't just shooting the breeze.

You probably shouldn't reveal your thoughts on the meaning of life, lost love, or death in a round of small-talk. Just reveal something about yourself and wait to develop a deeper bond before you get too personal.

12.   If it's going well, mention hanging out again.

If you've really enjoyed talking to the person, whether you're developing a crush or a friend crush, you can say that you really liked talking to this person about a certain subject and ask if the person wants to hang out again or get the person's number. Or you can just mention a place where you both will be. Here are some things you can say:

·         "I'm really serious about seeing that new movie with you. Can I get your number so we can work out the details later?"

·         "I've never met someone who loves The Bachelor as much as I do. My roommate and I have the best viewing parties every Monday night -- can I get your number so I can send you the info?"

·         "Maybe I'll see you at Ashley's next party? I hear she won't let you in the door if you're not wearing a real toga, so it'll be something to see."

13.   Say goodbye nicely.

After you've made small talk but have to go, whether it's to get back to class or to talk to someone else at the party, you should make the person feel important, not like you were just paying your dues by talking to him. Here are some ways to end the conversation politely:[3]

·         "It's been great talking to you. I'll let you know how that paella recipe works out for me."

·         "I'd love to talk more about Spain, but I haven't said hi to Nina yet, and it looks like she's about to leave."

·         "Oh, there's my best friend, Kelley. Have you met her yet? Come on, I'll introduce you."

·         "I wish I could keep talking to you, but AP Calculus is calling my name. I'm sure I'll see you soon, though."

Sources :

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Small-Talk