English for Master’s Course = Английский для магистрантов. Учебное пособие

accurately. However, whether deliberate or not, plagiarism is a crime within the academic community and can result in serious consequences for the student writer and researcher.

Why should you care? Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty. The academic community relies upon the reciprocal exchange of ideas and information to further knowledge and research. Using information without acknowledging its source violates this process and cheats writers and researchers of the credit they deserve for their work and creativity.

Plagiarism can have even more dire consequences for students. A plagiarized paper can result in a failing grade in a course and, at some schools, disciplinary action ranging from suspension to expulsion. A record of such action may adversely affect professional opportunities in the future as well as graduate school admission.

When to Document

Whenever you use information, facts, statistics, opinions, hypotheses, and ideas from outside sources, it is essential that you document them. Outside sources include:

•books

•periodicals

•newspapers

•material from electronic databases

•Web sites

•radio or television programs

•interviews

•speeches

•letters and correspondence, including e-mail

Your documentation must be thorough and correctly placed within the body of your paper and in the bibliography that follows your paper, according to the documentation style you are using. Common knowledge, such as widely known information about current events, famous people, geographical facts, or familiar history, normally does not need to be documented. However, if you are in doubt about whether information is common knowledge, the safest strategy is to provide documentation. Many instructors require that students document all information that they learn in their research.

Do you know the difference between common knowledge and information that requires citation? Try our Self-Test: What is

Common Knowledge?

SELF-TEST: WHAT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE?

As you read each item in the list below, ask yourself this: is this item common knowledge? Answer yes or no.

Yes No

1.O.J. Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges for the murder of his wife.

2.World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945.

3.Research from the Human Genome Project estimates that human beings have approximately 50,000 genes.

4.Currently, the fastest growing group of Web users is comprised of women over the age of 55.

5.Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America.

Yes No

6.Many literary critics believe that the novelist Virginia Woolf drew extensively from her own experiences for the central character in her novel Mrs. Dalloway.

7.In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice takes place on June 21st.

8.There are 5,283 hospice programs in the United States.

9.The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Centigrade.

10.The teen pregnancy rate in the United States fell 8 percent from 1995 to 1997.

SELF-TEST: WHAT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE? –

ANSWERS

1.O.J. Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges for the murder of his wife.

Yes. This statement IS common knowledge. It does not need to be cited because it is a commonly known current event.

2.World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945.

Yes. This statement IS common knowledge. It does not need to be cited because it is commonly known historical information.

3.Research from the Human Genome Project estimates that hu-

man beings have approximately 50,000 genes.

No. This statement IS NOT common knowledge. It needs to be cited because it contains specific data from a scientific study that is not commonly known.

4.Currently, the fastest growing group of Web users is comprised of women over the age of 55.

No. This statement IS NOT common knowledge. It needs to be cited because it contains specific information from a research study that is not commonly known.

5.Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America.

Yes. This statement IS common knowledge. It does not need to be cited because it is a commonly known historical fact.

6.Many literary critics believe that the novelist Virginia Woolf drew extensively from her own experiences for the central character in her novel Mrs. Dalloway.

No. This statement IS NOT common knowledge. It needs to be cited because it expresses the opinion of an individual literary critic.

7.In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice takes place on June 21st.

Yes. This statement IS common knowledge. It does not need to be cited because it is a commonly known natural phenomenon.

8.There are 5,283 hospice programs in the United States.

No. This statement IS NOT common knowledge. It to be cited because it provides information from a specific source that is not commonly known.

9.The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Centigrade.

Yes. This statement IS common knowledge. It does not need to be cited because it is a commonly known scientific fact.

10.The teen pregnancy rate in the United States fell 8 percent from 1995 to 1997.

No. This statement IS NOT common knowledge. It needs to be cited because it uses specific statistics from a sociological study that are not commonly known.

WRAP-UP

As you know, plagiarism often results from the unintentional failure to document sources accurately. Remember the following rules to avoid plagiarism:

1.Provide clear attribution of outside sources by using leadin or signal phrases to introduce information from sources.

HOW TO MAKE A DISASTROUS PRESENTATION

A.Make excuses.

B.Read your text.

C.No examples.

D.Use visual aids as ineffectively as possible.

E.Patronize your audience.

F.Avoid giving summaries.

1.To make your presentation sound really boring, make sure you deliver from a written text. Don’t look at the audience and keep your head down. If they do see your face, make sure it is expressionless. This is guaranteed to make the conference chairman nervous and to irritate your audience. So before you have even begun, the audience will be looking forward to the end of your talk.

2.Every now and then, remark that you haven’t time to treat a subject in depth. This will make our audience think that you know a lot more, but that you’re not telling them because they couldn’t possibly understand. Wherever possible, make references to organizations and institutions the audience has never heard of, preferably using abbreviations.

3.You can start by saying that you haven’t had time to prepare your talk properly. This confirms that you don’t take your audience seriously. Then go on to shuffle your papers around for a minute or two, show that you have no idea how to operate the light switches, microphone, etc. Then don’t say what you’re going to talk about or how long you’re going to take. Confuse them by saying you’re going to be brief.

4.Avoid examples, anecdotes, humor or any personal viewpoints. They might make it easier for your audience to understand you.

5.At the end of your talk, don’t offer any summary or conclusion. Leave the audience in doubt and confusion as to what your presentation was all about.

6.If you have to use projectors and slides:

–demonstrate your total lack of familiarity with the equipment; trip over cables, mislay the remote control, etc.;

–get your slides, transparencies out of sequence and put them up so fast that no one can read them;

–read word-for-word what’s on the screen: this is guaranteed to send your audience half-crazy.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Could you be an expert presenter?

1.What is the ideal length of a presentation?

a)30 minutes;

b)50 minutes;

c)90 minutes;

d)120 minutes.

2.How much time should you spend on preparation? For each minute of presentation…

a)5 minutes of preparation;

b)20 minutes;

c)30 minutes;

d)60 minutes.

3.Which of the following do you need to know about your audience? (Choose one or more):

a)why they are there;

b)their age;

c)their business background;

d)their cultural background.

4.Which element of a presentation has the greatest impact on the audience?

a)the way they see you as a presenter;

b)your visual aids;

c)your voice;

d)the content itself.

5.Do people retain information best if they:

a)hear it?

b)read it?

c)see it?

6.At which point of a presentation do people remember most effectively?

a)the beginning;

b)the middle;

c)the end;

d)the beginning and the end.

7.How many points should you make?

a)as many as you can;

b)between 5 and 10;

c)only those key points that are absolutely essential.

8.In a short presentation is it best to…

a)present a broad-based area?

b)focus on a narrow specific subject?

9.How many visual aids should you use?

a)one every minute;

b)one every 2 minutes;

c)5 minutes;

d)10 minutes.

10.Which is the most important for an effective presentation?

a)rehearsal;

b)a positive approach;

c)not feeling nervous;

d)audience management.

The answers reflect various expert opinions:

1.b.

2.d.

3.all.

4.a+b – 50%, c – 40%, d only 10%.

5.c (People retain 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear and 90% of what they see, hear and do).

6.d.

7.c.

8.b (Tell the audience what they need to know rather than everything that you know).

9.a (Studies have shown that visual aids usually result in a greater percentage of the audience agreeing with your point of view. The audience will also see you as being more professional).

10.a, b, and d are equally important (c is less important since nervousness is not visible to the audience. You may become very self-conscious when giving a presentation and believe that you look as scared as-you feel, but the audience will often see you as calm).

Text 13

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

STEVE JOBS

Co-Founder and CEO of Apple

Steve Jobs delivered his speech ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’ to the graduates of Stanford University. His style of presentation is very different to his Apple product launch presentations. However, this is a speech worthy of study.

Although there is room for improvement, this is a truly inspiring speech which is structured in the most simplistic way. With an underlying theme and flawless use of rhetorical devices, Jobs leaves imprints for all succeeding graduates.

I encourage you to:

1.Watch the video.

2.Read the analysis below.

3.If you like, read the full speech text to gain further insights.

4.Share your thoughts on this presentation. What did you like? What could have been done better?

Positives: Nailed it!

Speech Structure:

Steve jobs uses a classical structure. He makes it very clear what he is going to talk about. He is by nature someone who applauded simplicity (just look at the design of apple products) and he embraces his love for simplicity even in his graduation speech.

He uses the traditional structure that flows as Opening > Three Stories > Conclusion

Simple. Easy to follow and remember. Love it!

Strong Opening:

Last week I was doing a workshop with a group of school students. During the workshop I realized how important a strong opening is as Rebecca stood up to speak and she started with a “Sssshhhh…”

While all the students came up with good openings, I will remember Rebecca’s for the rest of my life! Her opening was different. It was mysterious. It was memorable.

Now, surely Jobs doesn’t do that. But there is one thing he does very well. Can you take a guess?

He makes the audience feel comfortable and builds a connection straight away.

Jobs opens with a compliment for the audience: “I am honored to be with you today for your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world.” He follows that by showing humility in admitting that he never graduated college. In just a few sentences, he has made the audience feel very good about themselves and increased their receptiveness to his message.

While this opening might not be the most memorable one, what Jobs does well is he lays the foundation for his important 3 messages. A great example how a simple opening could lead the audience to be more comfortable and connected.

Simple Sentences:

We are already aware of Jobs love for simplicity. He showcased it with Apple. He showcased it with his speech structure. And he showcased the same with his sentence structure.

Just like drops of water make an ocean. Simple words and sentences make a super simplistic speech. Even the great Steve Jobs loves to make it easy for common people like us. As James Kirk once said, “The more complex the mind, the greater the simplicity of play.”

He guides the audience through the 14,5 minutes with simple sentences.

•“Today I want to tell you three stories.“

•“The first story is about connecting the dots.“

•“My second story is about love and loss.“

•“My third story is about death.“

It is quite evident Jobs continues to follow the magic of three.

Three is the magic number. Think about it. How many musketeers were there? How many nephews does Donald Duck have? Or think of the Declaration of Independence state, that all Americans have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The rule of three is used by writers, comedians and good presenters. Now you know, you’ll see it everywhere. It works.

Theme:

This is one of the fascinating things about this speech for me. The underlying theme of this talk is deep. It’s painful at times while inspiring at others. The theme connects with the audience on a deeper level. Moreover, the repetition of the theme in Jobs speech makes it even more enchanting.

In a literal sense, Jobs talks about his birth in his first story, and about confronting death in his third story. However, this speech contains numerous other metaphorical references to these “circle of life” concepts:

•In addition to his physical birth, he relates how the original couple decided they wanted a girl (a symbolic “death” since his life with them was “snuffed out” due to gender). He then tells about how he experienced “rebirth” with his parents.

•His college career had a short “life.” The “death” of his formal academic career made way for the “birth” of his informal learning process.

•His relationship to Apple (in his 20’s) was “born”, grew, and then “died.” Later, when NeXT was purchased by Apple, his career at Apple is reborn.

•He uses the word “renaissance” (a rebirth or revival) to describe the current state of Apple.

•He receives the cancer diagnosis (a “death sentence”), but later is saved by an operation (a rebirth).

Do you know what are the necessary skills you need to become a great speaker? Learn about the essential skills and stay above the rest.

Rhetorical Devices:

Jobs employs numerous figures of speech in his remarks.

An antithesis is a figure of speech using the juxtaposition of contrasting words, often in a parallel structure. Jobs uses several well-crafted examples:

“If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in…”

(4:34)

“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” (4:40)

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again…” (7:05) Note also the alliteration of “being a beginner.”