(You will have a total of 15 minutes: approximately 1/2 for the report and 1/2 for the discussion.)
1.Select a topic that you are interested in and that would be of interest to your classmates.
2.Research your topic (use at least 3 sources)
3.Organize the information for your report.
4.Prepare a handout (1 page) to give to the class the week before your report.
5.Plan questions to ask the discussion participants.
Internet Sources
News Services:
CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/
National Public Radiohttp://www.npr.org/
University Webpages:
University of Oregonhttp://www.uoregon.edu/
Ohio Universityhttp://www.tcom.ohiou.edu/OU_Language/projects.html#English
Search Engines:
Northern Lights Searchhttp://www.nlsearch.com/
InfoSeekhttp://www.infoseek.com/
Libraries:
Eugene Public Libraryhttp://www.ci.eugene.or.us/
University of Oregonhttp://libweb.uoregon.edu/
Choose General Indexes then Expanded Academic Index (for magazines and journals) or Newspaper Indexes (for newspapers)
Local Newspapers:
Eugene Weeklyhttp://198.145.152.40/index.html
Register Guard Indexhttp://www.ci.eugene.or.us/plweb-cgi/fastweb.exe?searchform+rg_view
___topic appropriate {the topic should be of general interest and controversial}
___handout ready {your handout should be 1 or 2 pages and provide background information on the topic}
___questions prepared{you should prepare interesting questions that will encourage participation in the discussion}
___effective content{the information in the report should be interesting and informative}
___good organization{a logical organization helps listeners with comprehension}
___clear presentation{clarify the content of the report using definitions, examples, comparisons, etc.}
___involved all or most of the class members {make sure that most or all of the class members have an opportunity to ask or respond to questions}
___kept discussion going{there should be no long, deadly silences; plan your report well, have questions ready to ask colleagues, and be responsive to their comments and questions}
___questions{ask thought-provoking, interesting questions about the topic}
___follow-ups{after a colleague has contributed an idea, don't just move on to the next thing; follow up, i.e., comment on what that person has said by paraphrasing their idea or by connecting it with ideas previously expressed}
_____interruptions {when necessary, interrupt a speaker appropriately}
___paraphrasing{after a colleague has spoken, you may use paraphrasing to clarify their idea for others or to make a follow-up comment}
____effective content {an effective conclusion reviews the main ideas in both the report and the discussion; it may also do one or more of the following: emphasize the importance of the topic}
___Eye contact{be sure to make frequent eye contact with all participants; this strategy allows you to get feedback -- are they following you? -- and it encourages interest and participation}
___Confidence/control{you are the leader! be responsible and responsive!}
___Clarity {is your speech clear? don't mumble!}
___Fluency {this is difficult to achieve; pay attention to careful choice of vocabulary and practice, practice, practice}
___Pronunciation{check correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words and phrases; practice, practice, practice}
___Language {your grammar may not be perfect, but it should not interfere with comprehension; also, appropriate vocabulary is very important}
http://aei.uoregon.edu/aeis.html
Email: aeis@oregon.uoregon.edu
American English Institute
5212 University
of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-5212 USA
FAX: (541) 346-3917
Office: (541) 346-3945
This page last updated October 2001