Anne Hodgson

The rhetorical dimension. A scientist’s elevator speech in 45 seconds: E.O. Wilson (pdf) – Handout with a series of tasks, built around the great post by Denise Graveline. For audio, see podcast clip. Elevator speech basics “Tell Me a Little About Yourself…” (pdf) – Handout with a task, taken practically verbatim from the John A. Hartford Foundation’s website Bandwidth Elevator speeches, step by step (pdf) – Presentation


The above links are pdfs of my presentation and handouts from the workshop I gave at the Uni Potsdam Graduiertenkolleg Geowissenschaften yesterday and today.


This is an extremely interesting challenge for me, as these scientists are more advanced presenters than the undergraduate students I’ve normally taught, and not as versed in the world of marketing as my business clients. As a group, they give a series of short 2-minute presentations as an invitation to later visit their science posters in the exhibit area.  Key issues are how to make their points memorable, and their listeners hungry for more. This opens up a huge area for micro-storytelling (adding the personal dimension), but also for memorable catchphrases that stay safely this side of rhetoric. Work in progress, I’m looking forward to the rest of the workshop.


Susanne Frölich-Steffen (her website), a scientist now working as a communcation skills trainer in the academic world (primarily in Munich and Bavaria) gave me wonderful tips. I’m hoping we can work together in the future.


Further reading:


Michael Alley: The craft of scientific presentations. Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. Springer NY 2003 ISBN-0-387-95555-0 — Book homepage Nancy Duarte: Slide:ology. The art and science of creating great presentations. O’Reilly 2008 ISBN-13:978-0-596-52234-6 — Nancy Duarte’s blog


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Ian James presented a lovely recording tool, Vocaroo, on his blog, and I’ll be using it in online courses. But here on this blog, dear reader, it’s an easy way to record yourself and to practice your pronunciation. Listen to my recording to help with the more difficult words. Then record yourself (you might have to press “record” twice to make it work on the second go!)


Superfluous Advice


By Dorothy Parker


Should they whisper false of you, Never trouble to deny; Should the words they say be true, Weep and storm and swear they lie.


Powered by Vocaroo


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Recipe For Happiness Khaborovsk Or Anyplace by Lawrence Ferlinghetti


One grand boulevard with trees with one grand cafe in sun with strong black coffee in very small cups.


One not necessarily very beautiful man or woman who loves you.


One fine day.


I wonder about the meaning of the last line. What do you think: Is today a very fine day indeed? Or is Ferlinghetti talking about one fine day in the future when he might experience this idyllic café scene? Is he remembering a day when he was truly happy? Or is he being just slightly sarcastic about this “quick and easy” recipe for happiness? I think it’s completely up to you.


I hadn’t quite made up my mind about what the line meant when I read it for this recording, and you can tell, can’t you? Change the meaning of the line and poem, and your intonation will change, too. So come on, you can do better: First decide what the line means to you, and then read the poem out loud. If you have the means of recording it, please do, and send me the link, ok?


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Forgotten Language by Shel Silverstein


Once I spoke the language of the flowers, Once I understood each word the caterpillar said, Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings, And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed. Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets, And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow, Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . . How did it go? How did it go?


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