K.B.: Ms Poslamovskaya, what is of particular interest in your work?

J.P.: Your question is difficult to answer. I hope further work may help to clarify it.

Chairman: There seems to be no more comments on Ms Poslamovskaya’s paper.

I’d like to thank all speakers for the comprehensive reviews of the problems they work at. We have no more time left. I am closing the plenary session. Thank you all.

I declare a break for 20 minutes. But before it I’d like to give the floor to our programme coordinator – Sarah Mason.

4. Break Socializing during the break

Sarah Mason: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dear colleagues! I’d like to draw your attention to the video episode which gives an example of socializing during a conference. You are all invited to watch it and make up your own small talks during the break following the given model.

Students watch the video from the textbook “Meeting Objectives” Part I to get an idea of socializing and then present their own dialogues. They might be as follows:

Dialogue 1

J.P.: Excuse me. Are you Ms Bogdanova?

J.B.: Yes, I am. I am Julia Bogdanova from Ufa.

J.P: Good afternoon! My name is Julia Poslamovskaya.

J.B.: Where are you from?

J.P.: I am from Samara and I am very pleased to participate in this conference.

J.B.: Me too. The programme is very busy. It includes a wide range of subjects. I am looking forward to Professor Kunaev’s report because I am greatly interested in the problem he is working at.

J.P.: What field of science are you interested in?

J.B.: I carry on my research in polymer chemistry.

J.P.: Oh, really? Me too. I deal with inorganic acids.

J.B.: Well… I can help you to solve problems in the chemistry area you specialize in.

J.P.: I’d be very grateful. Is it your first visit to Louisville?

J.B.: No, I was here last year.

J.P.: Great! Then you might know what restaurant we should visit tonight.

J.B.: Oh, yes! Let’s go to the restaurant “Granby”. It’s a very nice place. And we will continue our talk there. Well, the coffee-break is over.

J.P.: See you later.

J.B.: Bye.

Dialogue 2

V.P.: Hello. My name is Vladimir.

V.S.: Hello, I’m Vladislav. I’m from Saratov Technical University. And you?

V.P.: I’m from Chelyabinsk Technical University. Did you get over jet leg?

V.S.: I feel much better, thank you. Is it your first visit to the USA?

V.P.: No, I was here two years ago, at the Conference on the chemical production.

What are your impressions of the plenary session?

V.S.: We’ve had a very informative and comprehensive discussion.

V.P.: Yes, I agree. And I’m very impressed by your report.

V.S.: Thank you. But now it’s time to be back. It was nice to meet you.

V.P.: I was glad to meet you too. See you later.

V.S.: Bye.

Dialogue 3

K.: Hello, Natasha. Glad to see you here at the conference. How are you?

N. I’m fine, thank you. What about you, Kostya?

K.: Well, I’m OK. I haven’t seen you for ages. Where do you work now?

N.: I work at the department of chemical technology of polymers and ecology as an engineer. But I am also taking a postgraduate course.

K.: Really? And what year student are you?

N.: I am a second-year postgraduate student of the Department of Chemical Technology of Polymers and Ecology at Volzhsky Polytechnic Institute.

K.: So you are working at the thesis, aren’t you? What is the subject?

N.: It is connected with the problem of modification of chloroprene clues with oligomers incorporating amine.

K.: Who is your scientific adviser?

N.: Professor Karpov V.F., Doctor of Technical Science. He has about 200 patents for his inventions and he is very busy. So, I have a co-adviser Professor Bondarenko S.N. He is the head of our research laboratory.

K.: Have you got many publications?

N.: Yes, I’ve got more than 20 publications and two patents.

K.: When are you supposed to defend your thesis?

N.: I hope to defend my thesis next year.

K.: Well, I wish you good luck. Don’t forget to invite me to the defence.

N.: Thank you. I certainly will.