Como você adapta suas estratégias de comunicação ao apresentar descobertas para um público diversificado em linguística?

When presenting findings to a diverse audience in linguistics, effective communication is essential. Here are some strategies to adapt: Know Your Audience: Understand their background, expertise, and interests. Tailor your language and examples accordingly1. Simplify Complex Concepts: Avoid jargon and technical terms. Explain findings using clear, everyday language. Use relatable examples to illustrate points1. Create a Narrative: Frame your research within a compelling story. Highlight the human impact of linguistic insights. Connect data to real-world scenarios2.

Knowing your audience is the starting point in designing your presentation. I'd like to share one of my personal experiences. During my MA discussion session, I presented my work on complex predicates in Persian to judges from various fields unfamiliar with Persian. I had to focus heavily on examples, illustrating how this concept differs from English. Later, I presented at a conference on Iranian linguistics where the audience was well-versed in the topic. There, I received many questions on my methodology, which was less scrutinized in the MA discussion. This experience taught me to tailor my focus based on the audience's familiarity with the subject.

Rather than merely simplifying, it's crucial to clarify and communicate your ideas effectively. In a 20-minute talk, you can't cover every detail of your research, so clear examples and in some cases metaphors can be very helpful. For instance, while studying Steffen Höder's work on language contact, I struggled with the abstract concepts. I turned to a language model (LLM) for help, and it provided a helpful analogy, comparing language constructions to Lego blocks. This metaphor made the complex idea more accessible and relatable. Therefore, it's not always about simplifying; often, it's about making an abstract concept more tangible.

While real-world language examples are crucial, it's even more important to use glossing to ensure clarity. In many conferences or talks, attendees come from diverse linguistic backgrounds and might not fully grasp the examples. A complete gloss can be helpful. For instance, consider the Persian sentence: First line: The example: "Ketâb râ khândam." Second line: Morpheme-by-morpheme gloss, including grammatical markers and tense indicators: "book DEF read-1SG.PAST" Third line: The overall meaning: "I read the book." This approach allows the audience to better understand the example and relate it to their own language. It also facilitates more constructive feedback, as attendees can more accurately follow and engage with your presentation.