Part III Conference Training

1. A. Imagine you need to register at a conference. You are a delegate, not a visitor. Make up a dialogue answering conference assistant's questions.

- Good morning. Welcome to the legal conference. Are you a visitor or a delegate?

- …

-Do you have any identification, with your name and address?

- …

-The registration fee is twenty pounds. How would you like to pay?

- …

- Thank you. Here is your registration card. Would you like a receipt?

- …

B. Fill in the conference registration form:

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM Date: Venue: 1. Participants information Family name:________________________________________________________________ Title:_______ £ Prof. £ Dr. £ other:_________________________£ Mr. £ Ms. £ Mrs. First name:__________________________________________________________________ Organisation:________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ Postal/Zip code:________________________ City:____________________________________ Country:_____________________________________________________________________ Telephone:__________________________________________________________________ Fax:_____________________________ E-mail:____________________________________

2. Imagine that you are in the legal conference on one of the following topics:

o Challenges and Opportunities for International Law

o Judicial Training in a Globalized World: Restoring Trust and Stability

o The Changing Role of the Legal Profession: Emerging Democracies and Globalisation

o Understanding Cybercrime

o Trends in Society - When Justice Fails

You are suggested to choose one of the proposed topics and

a) prepare the web-site of the conference;

b) to open the conference;

c) arrange the plenary session or panel discussion;

d) to close the conference.

3. Chairing a meeting problem roleplay. Choose one the situations below (either from the list or by taking a card). Imagine that you are a chairperson of the meeting and you have to solve the problem by using suitable language for chairing a meeting.

ü Two people are arguing

ü A discussion is going on and on with no conclusion

ü The people who you are trying to start small talk with just reply with very short answers

ü People won’t stop chatting

ü No one will contribute to the discussion

ü Discussing the agenda is taking up too much time

ü One person is dominating the conversation

ü No one wants to take minutes

ü People keep leaving and/ or arriving late

ü Someone wants to make major changes to the agenda

ü People are having separate discussions in groups

ü Several people are speaking at the same time

ü Someone is always whispering to the person next to them rather than speaking out

4. Workshop(Panel Discussion) Roleplay. Choose one of the topics suggested in exercise 2 for a conference. There are 8 participants (Student A, B, C, D…) of a workshop discussing a topic of a presenter. First make a draw, study your part and enact the roleplay using the tips.

 

Student A. You are a keynote presenter. You are to introduce your report or presentation to the audience.

 

Student B. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation).You are too polite! Use inappropriately polite language in the meeting.

Phrases of politeness:

Sorry to bother you, but...

I wonder if you could...

You must forgive me but...

It's typical of me…

I feel so stupid...

I don't know what I was thinking…

 

Student C. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). Make as many interruptions as possible! Interrupt, interrupt, interrupt!

 

Language for interruptions:

First of all…

Sorry to hold the meeting up…

Can I just ask you…?

I do feel quite strongly that…

I don't think we've got any choice at all…

Any other thoughts?

 

Student D. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You agree with everybody! Each time someone speaks, tell them that you agree with them.

 

Expressing agreement

I agree with you 100 percent.

I couldn't agree with you more.

That's so true.

That's for sure.

You're absolutely right.

Absolutely.

That's exactly how I feel.

Exactly.

No doubt about it.

 

Student E. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You disagree with everybody! Each time someone speaks, tell them that you disagree with them

 

Expressing disagreement

I don't think so.

I'm afraid I disagree.

I totally disagree.

I beg to differ.

That's not always true.

That's not always the case.

No, I'm not so sure about that.

 

Student F. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation).You are hesitating about the main point of discussion. Try to clarify your ideas.

 

Conceding to Make a Point

That may be true, but...

I may be wrong, but...

You might be right, but...

You have a good point, but...

You could say that, but...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

I don't mean to be rude, but...

I hate to bring this up, but...

I don't mean to be negative, but...

This may sound strange, but...

 

Student G. You are a participant. You are to take part in the discussion of the report (presentation). You love meetings! You want this meeting to continue forever! Try to keep the meeting going, and don’t let anyone stop it.