3. 解释或定义陌生概念
In order to help your listeners understand, you may need to define a term that you use in your response. Read the following example:
My hobby is telemark skiing.
If the speaker does not define the term and listeners do not know what telemark skiing is, they might not understand the rest of the passage. Sometimes listeners can guess the meaning through the context of the passage, but sometimes they cannot. Here is the definition this speaker gave of telemark skiing:
That means skiing using telemark skis.
Even though the speaker defined telemark skiing, listeners still may not understand what it means because the speaker defined the term with the same word. To effectively define a word, use a three-part definition:
1. State the word or phrase to be defined.
2. Give the category that the word or phrase fits into.
3. Tell how the word is different from other words that fit the same category.
Read this example of an effective definition:
Telemark is a type of alpine skiing in which the boots are connected to the skis only at
the toes, so traditional skiing techniques have to be modified.
4. 正确使用平行结构
Your listener can understand the flow of your ideas better if you use parallel structures when you speak. Read the following incorrect example:
My teacher gave interesting assignments and motivating the students.
The listener may be confused because the speaker has mixed different grammatical structures. Does the speaker mean My teacher gave interesting and motivating assignments to the students'? In this sentence, interesting and motivating are parallel adjectives. Or does the speaker mean My teacher gave interesting assignments and motivated the students? In this sentence, gave and motivated are parallel verbs.
