In a Nutshell: Rhetorical Skills for Concise and Convincing 3-Minute Flash Talks

Sharing ideas or talking about your research in a range of academic, professional and social settings often requires you to condense and articulate complex concepts in a way that convinces non-specialists in restricted time. Training such formats – be it flash talks, elevator statements, ninety-second or three-minute theses – will equip you with valuable rhetorical skills that allow you to:

  • condense complex discourses into concise speech;
  • convert expert jargon into non-specialists language;
  • confidently and fluently deliver ready-made talks.

In this course you will train packaging your own ideas into three-minute talks that are precise, understandable and convincing. For examples, see Three Minute Thesis and TED in 3 Minutes.

Course information

Course level
B2/ C1
Date
17.10.2019–14.11.2019
10 Lessons
Lecturer
Helen Thurston, M.Sc.
Credit points
1 ECTS
Registration deadline
Wednesday 09.10.2019
Course fee
Students and PhD candidates: CHF 123.00
Members of staff: CHF 243.00
Registration

Course materials

To be announced.

Further details will be found in the course confirmation. Please do not acquire the course materials before then.

Requirements

Requirements for acquisition of credit points

In order to receive credit points, candidates will

  • not be absent at all,
  • draft and revise a written script for a three-minute talk,
  • train, deliver and record a three-minute talk,
  • review a partner's three-minute talk.

You can get a total of 1 credit point.

Students are assessed by means of a portfolio (pass/fail).

Homework

± 45 minutes / week

Certificate of attendance

In order to receive a certificate of attendance (available on request) for this course, you are not allowed to be absent at all.

Placement test

Oral placement interviews are required for all participants. You will receive further information upon registering for the course.

Replacement date

The supplementary replacement date for lessons that might not take place is: 07.12.2019 from 10:00 - 16:00.

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