- •University
- •1.8. Read an extract from the vocabulary entry ‘School’. It is taken from Roget’s Thesaurus of English words and expression. Discuss why all these words appeared under the same headline.
- •Chart 1. The Structure of Vilnius University
- •Chart 2. The Structure of the Belarusian State University
- •Chart 3. Faculty Structure
- •3.3. Study Chart 4 and comment on a possible career of a student in an academic field. Use the following pattern for your comments:
- •Chart 4. Academic Career
- •3.5. Each of sciences has a definite code of majors. Find a proof that specializations presented in Table 2 belong to philological sciences.
- •Informational texts
- •1St year
- •1St term
- •2Nd year
- •3Rd term
- •Sociology
- •Monday 21st – Friday 25th September 2009
- •Is looking for talents!
- •If you want to know more about song and dance culture of your country, learn to dance and sing and see the world with our theatre, join us!
- •6:00 – 7:30 P.M., Main Building,
- •4.2. Which of informational texts from task 4.1. Do you need if
- •4.5. Recall the announcements you have read recently in your university (faculty, institute). Share the information you have learned from them with your classmates.
- •4.6. Read the General Note about proper communication patterns accepted in university surroundings.
- •6.6. Fill in the Self-Assessment Checklist:
- •Self assesment checklist
- •1.1. Look at the map of the Universities marked on the map of Europe. Do you know them? Pronounce their names in English. Sum up the ways universities are named.
- •1.3. Discuss the criteria used to evaluate and make a choice of a university.
- •The newest in my country My University
- •Types of Universities
- •Industrial Shop Corporation
- •Classical Research University
- •Factory University
- •4. Supermarket University
- •5. Project University
- •6. Network University
- •2.1. Read and compare texts and their interpretations. What is the difference between the text and its interpretation?
- •The rules of effective interaction in the Round Table format
- •3.3. Choose one of the topics for discussion and conduct it according to Round Table format rules (do not forget to set time limit to your discussion).
- •Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519)
- •4.3. Read in Appendix e about the format of a five-minute speech and present your review in this format.
- •6.2. Choose a well-known university of the world and write why you might want to study there.
- •6.5 Fill in the Self-Assessment Checklist:
- •Self-assessment checklist
- •Topic 3
- •Interaction skills in my new world
- •1.2. Read the extract and check whether your expectations were right. Share your impressions of it. Compare yourself to Lev Tolstoy’s hero.
- •1.6. Extend your Vocabulary Map you made in 1.3. By extending the number of rays and their length.
- •1.8. Present the results of your work in 1.7. To all groupmates and discuss them.
- •White Hat Thinking
- •Red Hat Thinking
- •Black Hat Thinking
- •Yellow Hat Thinking
- •Green Hat Thinking
- •Blue Hat Thinking
- •3.5. Analyze the example when we study some activity used to solve the problem not a particular object – to do or not to do?
- •Rector’s Welcome Speech
- •5.4. Fill in the scheme ‘Hourglass’ on the activity ‘how to study successfully’.
- •5.5. To sum up Unit 3, read the story which happened to one of the authors of this book.
- •5.6. Fill in Self-Assessment checklist: self-assessment checklist
- •Appendices
- •539 School
- •Cognitive map of vocabulary article ‘the University’
- •Variants of presenting only one theme of the map – a:
- •Variants of presenting the whole text (all themes in the cognitive map):
- •International public speaking competition: judging criteria
- •Verbal technique
- •References
The rules of effective interaction in the Round Table format
Webster’s New World Dictionary of American Language gives the following historical reference on the notion Round Table: ‘The large table around which, according to legend, King Arthur and his knights sat: it was made circular to avoid disputes about precedence.’ Its contemporary meaning is given as ‘а group of people gathered for an informal discussion, conference, etc., at or as if at a circular table’.
In the Russian Language Explanatory Dictionary by S.I. Ozegov and N.U. Shvedova the notion Round Table is interpreted as ‘a meeting during which its participants are discussing different problems in the form of direct interaction, exchange of opinions’. As you see, the focus is on informal, interpersonal communication.
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Round table is a format which is widely used in academic settings. Communication in the frame of Round Table is characterized by trust and openness, high level of knowledge of the participants, readiness for active participation, spontaneity and joint search. All this is the basis that assists the birth of new knowledge. In other words, this is not a ‘table with ready-made dishes’: this ‘table’ is open to new ideas which were not in their mind before one sits at a table. This format resembles Socratic method of communicants` interaction as its goal is to help the communicants to generate new ideas, realize individual knowledge as a value that can always become a public one.
(Introduction to the 1st volume of the book ‘La Table Ronde’ (2010). Minsk: BSU)
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What should one know to participate effectively in a Round Table discussion?
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Firstly, communication in this format is not a kind of chaos but a pretty well organized activity. The one who initiates the discussion – a moderator or a leader – ascribes certain roles to oneself. It is definitely a set of particular roles but not just one role as the function of the moderator is quite complex. It includes such activities as introduction of the participants to each other and formulation of the questions for discussion. One should also be a time watcher to guarantee everybody equal opportunities to speak. Besides, it’s necessary to control the content of the talk so that not to get aside from the topic of the discussion. Political correctness is another point for the moderator, that is gender, race and age aspects of communication appropriateness. The moderator is also the one who gives a word to speak, who poses questions and sums up. In some cases it is necessary to make notes so that to prepare a kind of memorandum at the end of discussion. Of course, the moderator can ask some participants to share these responsibilities in case it is difficult to fulfill all of them at once, as is the case with a moderator who is inexperienced in the field. In this case the leading roles are shared among the communication leader, the time watcher, the political correctness watcher, the minutes writing person and the summing up person;
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Secondly, each participant is responsible for the constructiveness and general spirit of the communication including openness, kindness, readiness to cooperate, tolerance, and understanding of a communication situation. It is important for each one to be listened to and understood, which means one is to be ready to ask and answer additional questions. Why debate the pros and cons of issues if they are not introduced properly? So the statement of issues and their proper wording is the responsibility of the speakers. Sometimes it may be necessary to repeat the problem discussed or announce its direction changed if it is the case. It may be necessary in some cases (if time permits) to discuss whether one is happy with the way communication is processing, and to make suggestions how to turn it into a more constructive path. In other words, it’s necessary to control both the subject-matter of a round table discussion and the situation of the discussion as it is.
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Thirdly, and it is really important to add, that the participants should care about their diction and the strength of their voice, just as about what they say (avoiding bla-bla-bla talk). A proper for the communicative situation command of language (topic vocabulary, grammar and syntax patterns, register) plus communicative skills, respect for the audience, knowledge of the aims of communication, one’s role and general format rules – all these issues are of crucial importance for any effective communication including round table discussion.
3.2 Listen to the discussion on universities of Great Britain. Who participates in this discussion and what is the format of this discussion?