Communicating Well

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Communicating Well

• Nancy Moncrieff
• Language Academic Skills (LAS) Adviser
• Swinburne University of Technology

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What can you do to improve your communication
skills?
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Consider

• Accuracy
• Appropriacy
• Fluency

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1.Accuracy

• Pronunciation
• Grammar

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Pronunciation

• Accent??????
• Individual sounds (l/r, ? )
• Blends (spl, kts)
• Stress
• Intonation
• Contractions (dont, Ill, couldnt)

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Polysyllabic words are difficult to pronounce

• Long words are hard to say

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Practise !

• Difficult sounds/blends
• Important words/expressions eg
• names
• technical terms
• frequently used words

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Grammar
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2. Appropriacy

• Speed
• Word choice
• Body language

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Speed

• Too fast?????????

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Word choice - vocabulary

• Colloquial/formal
• Technical
• I.T. jargon

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Business I.T. idioms

• cotton on to
• pull the belt in
• lemon
• on track

• waits in the wings
• port in the storm
• green light
• rosy outlook

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Body language

• Eye contact
• Distance
• Smile

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3. Fluency

• Starting conversations
• Seeking clarification
• Time to think
• Interrupting

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Conversation starters

• Weather
• News
• Sport
• Weekends/holidays
• Swinburne/workplace

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Seeking clarification what to say if you dont
understand the question

• Could you repeat that please
• say that again rephrase
  that explain what is/means
• Do you mean.?

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Giving yourself time to think

• Um, err..
• Well, now let me see...
• Well, actually
• Well, let me put it this way.
• Thats a difficult question.
• As a matter of fact..
• Ill have to think about that for minute.

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Interrupting

• Hang on
• Just a minute
• Sorry, but
• Can I add something?
• Id like to comment on that

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So what can you do?
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The secret!

• PRACTICE

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Practise, practise everywhere!
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Practise

• difficult sounds, words, expressions
• listening skills
• conversation skills
• Likely answers questions

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Slow down???
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Attend LAS sessions

• Workshops
• One-to-one sessions
• Conversation groups

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For LAS advice

• www.international.swinburne.edu.au/las