Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast, number 900, Simplifying Information.
This is English as a Second Language podcast, episode 900.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com.
That's been our website for 900 episodes.
If you go there, you can become a member of ESL Podcast and get a learning guide for...
Most of those 900 episodes.
On this episode we're going to listen to a dialogue between Tara and Stan about explaining information to people in a simple way.
Let's get started.
How is your presentation coming along?
It's okay, but I'm having trouble simplifying some of the key concepts without dumbing them down too much.
I think your instincts are right.
You'll be presenting to non-specialists, so it's important to keep your presentation clear and simple.
That's my problem.
How do I capture the essence of all of this information without making it too simplistic?
My rule of thumb is to think about which concepts really jump out at me when I think about the topic and identify any patterns in the information.
Then I build my presentations around those things.
That's a good idea.
I would also find a non-specialist and do a run-through and get his or her feedback.
That's the best way to know if you've nailed it.
That's another good idea.
What do I owe you for all of this good advice?
There's a new restaurant across the street I've been meaning to try for lunch.
Say no more.
Lunch is on me.
Really?
Let's go right now before you change your mind.
Tara begins by saying to Stan...
The expression to come along means to make progress.
It's a phrasal verb meaning to advance toward some goal, to be in the process of completing something.
Tara wants to know how Stan's presentation is coming along.
A presentation would be when you give information to someone, usually in some sort of formal setting, some formal situation.
Stan says it's okay.
But I'm having trouble simplifying some of the key concepts without dumbing them down too much.
To simplify S-I-M-P-L-I-F-Y means to make something less complex, to make something easier to understand.
A concept is an idea.
A key, K-E-Y, concept is your main idea or your most important ideas.
Stan is trying to simplify or make easier to understand some key concepts without dumbing them down.
The expression to dumb, D-U-M-B, something down, D-O-W-N, means to make something too simple, too basic, so that you are changing the meaning of something in an important way as you simplify it.
To dumb something down is to lose some important information as you try to make it easier to understand.
This expression was often used in criticizing American education in the 1980s and 90s.
You will still hear it in other contexts, when people talk about making things too simple in such a way that you are distorting the reality that is being described.
You are not describing accurately because you are trying to make it too simple.
Tara says, I think your instincts are right.
Instincts I-N-S-T-I-N-C-T-S are the reactions that you have, or that an animal has, that they are typically born with.
We think of this more when it comes to animals than we do for humans.
When we talk about instincts for humans, we don't necessarily mean it's something you are born with.
It could just mean something that everyone seems to have, because this is the way that human beings are brought up in a culture or society.
We may talk about a mother's love for her child as being a maternal instinct.
The idea that a woman who is a mother will naturally want to take care of her own child.
Tara says that she thinks Stan's instincts are correct.
Not about taking care of children, but about trying to simplify the key concepts.
She says, you'll be presenting, you will be giving this information to non-specialists.
A specialist.
S-P-E-C-I-A-L-I-S-T is someone who specializes in something, someone who's an expert in something.
A non-specialist would be a person who's not an expert.
If you work at a large company, for example, you probably have an IT department, an information technology department.
Sometimes people from IT departments will be talking to normal human beings, regular people, and they won't understand that the person they're talking to is not a specialist.
So they may use information or they may use technology that are difficult to understand.
A non-specialist is someone who's not an expert.
Tara says, Stan says The essence E-S-S-E-N-C-E here means the most important part, or the most important parts.
To capture C-A-P-T-U-R-E here means to clearly explain, to make sure that you're including all of the important parts.
That's the meaning of to capture the essence of something.
Stan wants to capture the essence without it being too simplistic.
Something that is simplistic is too simple.
It's related to the previous expression, dumbing them down or dumbing something down.
You don't want to dumb it down so that it's simplistic.
Simplistic would be a description that is not accurate, because you are leaving important things out in order to try to make it easier for people to understand.
When it's simplistic, people are understanding the wrong thing because you're not giving them all the information they need.
Tara tries to help him by saying that my rule of thumb is to think about which concepts really jump out at me when I think about the topic and identify any patterns in the information.
A rule of thumb.
T-H-U-M-B means a general guideline, something that isn't an official rule.
It isn't written down, but it's something you use to help you think about a In the kitchen.
My rule of thumb is to put the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit if I'm not sure how hot the oven should be.
That's my rule of thumb.
That's what I use when I'm not sure about something.
So a rule of thumb... is a general rule that you apply in different situations.
Tara says her rule of thumb in preparing presentations is to think about which concepts really jump out at her.
The expression to jump out at someone means to be the thing that gets that person's attention the most.
To capture or catch someone's interest or attention.
Something that jumps out at you is something that you notice immediately.
It's something that you see as important right away.
Tara tries to find ideas that jump out at her and help her identify any patterns in the information.
A pattern P-A-T-T-E-R-N is is a repeating design or sequence, something that you see over and over again.
A, A, B, B, B, A, A, B, B, B, A, A, B, B, B. That's a pattern, okay?
Two A's followed by three B's.
Stan says that's a good idea.
He is going to take Tara's suggestion of building his presentation around the things that jump out at him.
To build a presentation would mean to construct or to make the presentation.
Tara says, I would also find a non-specialist and do a run-through to get his or her feedback.
A run-through is when you practice something in order to prepare for some other event.
You are going to go through it as a way of practicing it.
It's not the actual presentation.
It's something you would do to prepare yourself.
Tara suggests finding someone who is a non-specialist And doing a run-through to get his or her feedback or opinion.
Tara says that's the best way to know if you've nailed it.
To nail N-A-I-L.
Something is an informal expression meaning to do it exactly the way you should have done it.
To do something very well.
Stan says, that's another good idea.
What do I owe you for all of this good advice?
What do I owe you means what do I have to give you as payment?
Tara says, there's a new restaurant across the street I've been meaning to try for lunch.
Therese is suggesting that Stan take her to lunch to thank her at a new restaurant that she wants to try near where they work.
Stan says, say no more.
This is an expression that means I understand what you are saying completely.
You don't need to tell me anything else.
Say no more.
Lunch is on me.
When someone says lunch is on me, they mean they're going to pay for it.
They're inviting you to lunch.
Tara says, really?
Let's go now before you change your mind.
To change your mind means to change your opinion, to come to a different decision.
Tara wants to go immediately before Stan changes his mind, changes his opinion about taking her to lunch.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
How is your presentation coming along?
It's okay, but I'm having trouble simplifying some of the key concepts without dumbing them down too much.
I think your instincts are right.
You'll be presenting to non-specialists, so it's important to keep your presentation clear and simple.
That's my problem.
How do I capture the essence of all of this information without making it too simplistic?
My rule of thumb is to think about which concepts really jump out at me when I think about the topic and identify any patterns in the information.
Then I build my presentations around those things.
That's a good idea.
I would also find a non-specialist and do a run-through and get his or her feedback.
That's the best way to know if you've nailed it.
That's another good idea.
What do I owe you for all of this good advice?
There's a new restaurant across the street I've been meaning to try for lunch.
Say no more.
Lunch is on me.
Really?
Let's go right now before you change your mind.
She simplifies without ever making it simplistic.
I speak, of course, of our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Saye.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational Development.
