In lectures and presentations, speakers often use signposting expressions and these can help audiences to follow and understand the main points that the speakers are making. It is useful to familiarise yourself with this kind of language so that you recognise it immediately. Moreover, you can get the structure of lectures and presentations, which is beneficial for your note-taking and comprehension. It can also be useful for any seminar presentations that you need to give on your own course.
In these activities you will explore some typical examples of signposting language. You will listen to two lectures in order to identify examples of signposting language and learn to recognise what such language is used for.
Objective
Be able to know functions of signpost language and distinguish it during listening.
Activity 1: Commonly used signposting expressions
In this activity you are going to get familiar with the functions of some commonly used signposting expressions.
Instruction
Study these examples of signposting language grouped according to their shared function. Choose the function the signposting language represents from the dropdown list. Then read the feedback.
finally | before that | the second | first of all | after that | before that
sequencing information: finally | before that | the second | first of all | after that | before that
There are four parts | there are several methods we usually adopt
enumerating: There are four parts | there are several methods we usually adopt
For example | for instance | such as | to illustrate this
introducing an example: For example | for instance | such as | to illustrate this
I’ll begin with | what I am going to talk today is | my intention today is to
outlining lecture structure: I’ll begin with | what I am going to talk today is | my intention today is to
Let’s move on to | turn to | about the next topic
moving to a new topic: Let’s move on to | turn to | about the next topic
While | on the contrary | in contrast | on the other hand
indicating a contrast: While | on the contrary | in contrast | on the other hand
In conclusion | let me briefly recap on | in a nutshell
Summarising: In conclusion | let me briefly recap on | in a nutshell
Activity 2: Identifying signpost language
You are going to listen to a lecture entitled 'The cost of smoking' from a health course. As you listen you are going to consider the role of the signposting language used.
Instruction
Listen to this short lecture and notice the signposting words and phrases that the lecturer uses. Fill in the gaps with the exact missing words or phrases and then read the feedback.listen to the recording
The Cost of Smoking
The Cost of Smoking Today I am going to talk about the cost of smoking. People give all kinds of reasons for why they started smoking, but none of them are good — not even supposedly altruistic ones. While some claim that you’re actually saving our overburdened healthcare system money in the long run by smoking because it reduces life expectancy, it’s nowhere near a watertight argument. First of all, you’re certainly not doing your family and friends a favor by deliberately lowering your life expectancy. In fact, your family will have to absorb the losses incurred when you miss work due to smoking-related illnesses. Second, there is a lot of debate over the best way to measure the economic costs of smoking. Every study is based on different assumptions, and uses different data and methods. For example, should you measure the cost of smoking by looking at the cost of treating major illnesses like lung cancer and heart disease, or should you also measure the cost of less serious illnesses? Should you take into account the fact that people who live longer also pay more taxes and insurance premiums? Should you look at the overall cost to the healthcare system, or at the cost per individual? Anyway, regardless of how you calculate them, the economic costs of smoking are inconsequential when compared to smoking’s real price: the misery caused by the deaths of over 400,000 people each year and the illnesses of several million.
Activity 3: Distinguishing signpost language
Playing sound effects both pleasant and awful, Julian Treasure shows how sound affects us in four significant ways. Listen carefully for a shocking fact about noisy open-plan offices.
Instruction
Watch the video and finish the tasks accordingly.
What is the purpose of the speaker?
At the beginning of the speech, the speaker says, "Over the next five minutes, my intention is to transform your relationship with sound. " According to the signpost expression "my intention is to", so his purpose is to transform your relationship with sound.
The speaker mentions four ways sound is affecting all of us. What are they? Tick the correct four boxes.
In this task, you should be able to figure out the signpost language representing sequencing information.
In the speech, speaker says the following four sentences helping you to choose the correct answers. "The first is physiological." "The second way in which sound affects you is psychological." "The third way in which sound affects you is cognitively." "The fourth way in which sound affects us is behaviorally. "
What is the conclusion of the lecture?
When asking about the conclusion, you should pay attention to ending part. According the last paragraph, the speaker says, "So I hope this talk has raised sound in your consciousness. If you're listening consciously, you can take control of the sound around you. It's good for your health and for your productivity. If we all do that, we move to a state that I like to think will be sound living in the world. I'll leave you with more birdsong. (Birds chirping) I recommend at least five minutes a day, but there's no maximum dose. "
So the conclusion of the lecture is sound is good for our health and productivity.
Would you like to review the main points?
Enumerating: There are four parts | there are several methods we usually adopt Summarising: In conclusion | let me briefly recap on | in a nutshell Introducing an example: For example | for instance | such as | to illustrate this Indicating a contrast: While | on the contrary | in contrast | on the other hand Moving to a new topic: Let’s move on to | turn to | about the next topic Outlining lecture structure: There are four parts | there are several methods we usually adopt Sequencing information: Finally | before that | the second | first of all | after that | before that Please read the resource
