Professional English Seminar 2 is about speaking

Professional english

1. Professional English in Journalism and Communication 2. Speaking Effectively Asst. Prof Zheng Jingwei

2. Agenda for Today Practice: Outline of a film Embedding a story into your presentation Practice again General rules of presentation

3. Practice [TITLE] is a [GENRE] about [PROTAGONIST] who must [OBJECTIVE] or else [DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE]. The three-act structure in the film is…… The plot points 1 is…

4. So how do we divide up the Acts? Through the major Plot Points or Turning Points What then is a Plot Point? Plot Points as major Dramatic Beats which REVERSE the action expectation toward the end of the act. What IS the Dramatic Beat ? Beat Change: a “sudden reversal of the action, motivated by the character’s discovery of new information” ( Naremore , 1988, p. 209).

5. Christopher Vogler: The Hero’s Journey 1) Ordinary World 2) Call to Adventure 3) Refusal of the Call 4) Meeting the Mentor 5) Crossing the Threshold 6) Tests, Allies and Enemies 7) Approach to the Inmost Cave 8) The Supreme Ordeal 9) Reward (Seizing the Sword) 10) The Road Back 11) Resurrection 12) Return With the Elixir

6. Protagonist/Antagonist DEFINE and understand your Protagonist and Antagonist, so that your audience can see the drama play out. For ACADEMICS: even an abstract force like ‘evil’ can be made visual... But Remember: ‘…the reason the protagonist is the protagonist (and why we don’t call the antagonist the protagonist) is that ultimately the story concerns not what the antagonist does, but the responses of the protagonist character to the “ provocations ” or throwing the world out of balance, that the Antagonist engenders’ (Cleary, 2012).

7. Why do we learn the common structures? People are hardwired to certain kind of stories We can setup stories so that audience are suitably orientated Two concepts: World Context of Story Ghost & back story

8. World/Context Virtual Reality Human trapped by intelligent machines

9. Ghost & Backstory Backstory = everything in the factual, historical and psychological make-up of character and world/context BEFORE story John Truby suggests we understand the story GHOST as functional aspect of protagonist, specific to the world he/she lives in and based on their ‘inner life’.

10. Ghost & Backstory ‘The “ghost” is an issue from the protagonist's past that still haunts them, perhaps causing an internal struggle for them’ ( Truby , 2011). ‘The “ story world ” is then showing the audience what an average day for our main character would look like.’

11. Ghost & Backstory ‘The “ghost” is an issue from the protagonist's past that still haunts them, perhaps causing an internal struggle for them’ ( Truby , 2011). ‘The “ story world ” is then showing the audience what an average day for our main character would look like.’

12. How does this relate to your presentation? Context Problem Aims Methodology Findings = PLOT Points

13. How does this relate to your presentation? Ordinary World as Research Context Research Problem Crossing Threshold = Methodology Aims = Dramatic Question Findings = PLOT Points

14. How does this relate to your thesis? Inmost Cave/ Supreme Ordeal = Crisis/Climax = Contribution to Knowledge Resurrection/Return With Elixir = How the world will change – Future projections

15. How does this relate to your thesis? Ghost as Unprocessed data / Research problem Mentor as Primary Theorists Call to Adventure/Refusal = Scope Tests, Allies and Enemies: Secondary theorists, detractors (also scope)

16. Crisis/Climax Usual formula for the action of a story is the gradual rising of tension in a scalene triangle How do we create this? Through the obsessive /inventive DRIVE of story/protagonist which must escalate in the process…

17. Crisis/Climax Point of greatest tension = ‘The Crisis is the story’s Obligatory Scene’ (McKee, 1999, p. 303).

18. Crisis/Climax Use of the word ‘arc’ evokes the visual idea of a curve Takes the listener on a journey through the story – an emotional rollercoaster…

19. Crisis/Climax Are DECISIONS HARDER than ACTIONS ?

20. Activity Identify your Ordinary World as Research Context, Research Problem; Crossing Threshold = Methodology Identify your Research Problem as Ghost , i.e., as Unprocessed data / Research problem Identify your Inmost Cave/ Supreme Ordeal Crisis/Climax as = Contribution to Knowledge Tell the story of your thesis proposal!

21. USUALLY BETTER ! Talk Stand Move Vary the pitch of your voice Speak loudly and clearly, toward the audience Make eye contact with the audience USUALLY WORSE ! Read Sit Stand still Speak in a monotone Mumble, facing downward Stare at the podium

22. USUALLY BETTER ! Focus on main arguments Use visual aids: outlines, pictures, graphs Finish your talk within your time limit. Corollary: rehearse your talk USUALLY WORSE ! Get lost in details Have no visual aids Run overtime. Don’t practice.

23. USUALLY BETTER ! Summarize your main arguments at the beginning and end Notice your audience and respond to its needs outlines, pictures, graphs Emulate excellent speakers USUALLY WORSE ! Fail to provide a conclusion Ignore audience behavior