#0170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation
GLOSSARY
outside firm
– a company that is not part of your company or organization
* I don’t think we have the knowledge and experience to do this project
ourselves. Let’s hire an outside firm.
to set up
– to arrange or prepare; to make ready to use
* Could you come over a little early to help set up for the luncheon?
to keep track of
– to follow; to be able to see the progress of something over
time
* There are so many kids in this class that it’s hard to keep track of their
progress.
afterwards
– the time after an event or action
* We went to the football game, and then, to dinner afterwards.
in a nutshell
– a summary; the most important point or idea
* He talked a lot but, in a nutshell, he didn’t like the proposal and wants us to
start again.
From your description
,
it sounds like…
– From what you say, it appears
that…
* From your description, it sounds like the two of them got along very well on the
trip.
Can you speak to that
? – Can you talk about that?; usually used when asking a
question of someone who is giving a presentation
* Some people think that the plan is too expensive. Can you speak to that?
I understand your concern
,
but actually...
– I hear what you are saying, but
the real situation is different; a polite way of telling someone that you understand
their ideas, but that they are wrong
* Doctor, I understand your concern, but actually, I feel fine and I want to go back
to work next week.
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation
on a daily basis
– every day
* I check my email on a daily basis and can respond quickly to any questions.
My biggest concern is
– what concerns or worries me the most is
* My biggest concern is whether the new suppliers can meet the deadline.
to access
– to get into; to enter
* The front door is locked. Can I get access to this building any other way?
How does this affect…?
–
What change, difference, or influence will this have
on…?
* My girlfriend is moving to Dallas for her work. I asked her, “How does this
affect our relationship?”
That’s a good question
. – You are asking something important or interesting
* My girlfriend said, “That’s a good question. I’m not sure how my move to Dallas
will affect our relationship.”
key
– very important or the most important
* The key reason my application was rejected is that I didn’t include all of the
information they asked for.
his or her
– used when you don’t know if the person being referred to is a man
or a woman; sometimes also “they” or “their” is used
* Each musician has his or her own talents.
if there are no other questions…
– a way to end a presentation at which you
have been answering questions; it tells your audience that you are now going to
end your presentation
* If there are no other questions, we can move on to the next part of our tour.
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. The new system:
a) has a lot of features.
b) helps to keep track of the company’s money.
c) was developed by Yuri.
2. Cecilia explains that:
a) the typical employee uses nearly all of the features on a daily basis.
b) anyone can get access to sensitive information.
c) project managers can limit access to their projects.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
set up
The phrase “set up,” in this podcast, means to arrange or to prepare something:
“Since the show starts at 8:00, you should arrive by 7:30 to set up.” This phrase
is also used to mean match-making, when someone arranges a romantic
meeting or relationship for someone else: “Can you set me up on a date with
your roommate?” or, “I decided not to go to the dinner party when I found out that
I was being set up.”
key
In this podcast, “key” is used as an adjective to mean something that is very
important: “The key strategy is to sell at a low price.” But “key” has many other
meanings as a noun. It can mean a small piece of metal that fits into a lock, such
as a “house key” or a “car key.” It can also be used to mean a list of
explanations of symbols used on a map: “The key tells us the actual distance on
this map.” A third meaning for “key,” used as a noun, is to describe the scale, or
group of notes, used for music: “His voice is very low. We need to lower the key
so he can sing it.”
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation
CULTURE NOTE
U.S. business presentations are usually very direct and “to the point” – that is,
they don’t waste time with things that are not key to the topic. This means that
you will not find a lot of theoretical or philosophical information in an American
business presentation. They are simple and “straightforward” (not complicated or
elaborate). A common expression in U.S. business communication is “less is
more” – that is, talking a long time in a presentation is not necessarily better than
keeping the presentation brief.
U.S. businesspeople expect presentations to be limited to the key points or ideas
you are trying to communicate. They also expect presentations to be “slick” (very
professional looking, like a good TV commercial) and well-practiced. Typically,
business presentations (and other types of presentations, such as in school)
begin by giving a map or guide to people listening. The presentation begins with
a list of the topics that you are going to talk about, usually listed on a piece of
paper you give to your audience or on a PowerPoint presentation. This is part of
the “direct” approach that U.S. business presentations follow.
There is an old expression about giving presentations in English, which includes
three steps:
•
Tell them what you are going to tell them
•
Tell them
•
Tell them what you told them
This means that you begin your talk with a quick overview or list of the topics you
will talk about. Next, you talk about those topics and give more information about
each one. Finally, you do a review or summary of what your main points were.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a ; 2 – c
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 170 – Questions and Answers at a Presentation
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast Number 170, “Questions
and Answers at a Presentation.”
You're listening to English as a Second Language Podcast Episode 170. I'm your
host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational
Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California. Remember to visit our website
at eslpod.com for information about our new Learning Guide service, where you
can get a 8-10 page guide for every podcast with additional information, with
vocabulary words, with cultural notes, and with a complete transcript of this
podcast. And that is available on our website.
Today's podcast is going to be about someone who is giving a talk or a
presentation in front of a group of business colleagues or people they work with.
Let's get started.
<start of story>
Our company hired an outside firm to set up a computer system, to help us keep
track of the progress on major projects. The company gave us a presentation on
how the new system worked. Afterwards, the employees got a chance to ask
questions.
Cecilia: So, in a nutshell, those are the features of the new system. Any
questions?
Yuri: Yes, I have a question. From your description, it sounds like the new
system may be difficult to use. Can you speak to that?
Cecilia: I understand your concern, but actually, the system is very simple to use.
I mentioned a lot of features that the system has, but the typical employee won't
be using more than two or three on a daily basis. Yes, you have a question?
Alessandro: Yeah, my biggest concern is that all of the employees in the
company will have access to the system. How does this affect my projects that
have sensitive information?
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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