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PL50836: Public speaking

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2018/9
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Presentation 1 (CW 50%)
  • Presentation 2 (CW 50%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
This unit is designed to equip students with the full range of skills and techniques to prepare and deliver speeches in English on a wide range of topics and to debate in favour and/or against specific issues. Such skills are essential to becoming a professional linguist, interpreter and/or translator. The aim is to teach students to analyse, anticipate and express ideas logically and coherently in English and to do so with confidence regardless of their native tongue in front of an audience in order to subsequently enable them to apply the same crucial skills when translating and interpreting.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing the unit, students will have assimilated very practical public speaking skills that in turn will help them hone their translation and interpreting techniques. The exercises performed through this unit will increase their self-confidence as communicators, in both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. In practice, students will be able to produce short and longer speeches and debate issues at length.
Students will also be able to demonstrate a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights into multicultural society and communication.
They will be able to act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level. Students will be able to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems.
They will continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level.

Skills:
Public speaking combines skills involving both form and substance.
* As an interpreter's primary tool is his/her voice, it is important to develop a pleasant speaking voice with the right pitch and to be capable of conveying not only the substance of a spoken message but also another speaker's tone, emotion and intent.
* When doing consecutive interpretation, eye contact with the audience and overall presentation are fundamental to a convincing performance.
* Since simultaneous/consecutive interpreting is an exercise in direct communication between individuals that involves transferable key skills such as listening, analysing arguments, oral expression and an awareness of one's own performance, acquiring solid public speaking techniques is the first step in becoming a skilled communicator.
All these skills are developed progressively through classwork and constructive feedback.

Content:

* Students will be required to prepare speeches on specific topics within a given timeframe and to answer questions from their peers following delivery.
* They will also debate issues in pairs and asked to alternate their arguments in favour and against.
* Topics will be assigned a week ahead of class or given impromptu at the beginning of class.
* To insure consistency with the methodology used in teaching the interpreting classes, occasionally speakers will deliver semi-improvised materials (i.e. an outline of the speech is prepared in advance, but the main substance is provided in an ad hoc manner by the speaker, thereby replicating the idiosyncrasies and patterns of delivery frequently experienced in real life).
The materials used cover a wide range of current topics.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PL50836 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (German)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Italian)

PL50836 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - French & German)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - French & Italian)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - French & Russian)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - French & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - German & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Italian & German)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Italian & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Russian & German)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 1 - Russian & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM31 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 2 - Chinese)
  • THPL-AFM05 : MA Interpreting and Translating (Path 2 - Russian)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French & German)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French & Italian)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French & Russian)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (French & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (German & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Italian & German)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Italian & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Russian)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Russian & Italian)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Russian & Spanish)
  • THPL-AFM10 : MA Translation and Professional Language Skills (Spanish)

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