1. What are the benefits of using video conferencing?
2. Does video conferencing reduce travel expanses?
3. What streaming services can interfere in personal Internet connectivity while on-line communicating?
4. What ground rules should be observed during virtual conferencing?
5. What are the guidance and basic rules for speaking etiquette for the participants of a virtual event?
6. What is the Facilitator responsible for?
7. What do the disadvantages of video conferencing include?
A virtual conference may be a part of a live conference that is made available via Web for attendees around the world. There are various tools for providing Virtual Conferences Skype, Oovoo, Visi, FaceTime, Cisco, Polycom, Go ToMeetings. PowerPoint PPT Presentation The Virtual Conference which can include such events as interactive sessions, concurrent program sessions, keynotes, workshops, is a professional event, where a researcher can take part even if he cannot be there in person.
A teleconference is a video meeting among many participants from different locations. Video conferencing is a rapidly developing communications network technology, which may transmit not only participants voices but also pictures through web cams.
Preparation for holding a video conference is very important. A facilitator who is to co-ordinate the preparation and running of the teleconference is responsible for booking the equipment including headsetswith phones and a mouthpiece that allows both hands to be free for taking notes or for operating a fax or keyboard. A facilitator informs the participants about schedule time, send out an agenda of what is to be discussed and advise all the attendances about what is expected of them. Such components of a Video Conference as Webcasts, Networking, Video, Exhibitors, Audio, Archives may be used for providing a comprehensive scientific meeting.
Attendees should be encouraged to prepare their detailed reports, questions and comments. Everybody, who is to be connected, will get some relevant materials in advance. The facilitator should distribute not only charts, reports and spreadsheets, but circulate participants photographs and biographical details. He is to ensure that everything is in perfect working order and attendees can access full event schedule. He may have a staff person on hand to take notes or minutes of what has been discussed and agreed.
Preparing materials requires PowerPoint for making slides. The body of the presentation should be well structured, divided up logically and contain plenty of carefully spaced visuals. Typically a basic sans-serif font (Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana), with a size of 24 or greater is used. For the best legibility, black type with a light blue background is recommended. Each line of the text should be limited to 5-6 words, and each page should be no more 5-6 lines. Transitions between slides and moving images within a slide should be avoided. Static images are preferable choice because they are displayed more clearly and faster than animations. Using visuals makes it easier for everyone to have the same understanding of what is meant. Handouts should be sent to participants beforehand.
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The participants should arrive a few minutes earlier and settle themselves down by informal chatting, as the facilitator might want them to warm up. The teleconference will run better if the tone of the moderators voice will set the atmosphere for the whole teleconference. At the very beginning, the photos should be spread out in the seating positions. Attendees at all locations should have the seating arrangements and follow the rules that do not allow making extraneous sounds, drumming fingers, side conversations, etc.
A virtual event can provide freelance translators for foreign guests and may include view poster presentations during the breaks. Audio can be broadcast through individual computer speakers or headsets. Attendees should verify that their speakers are turned on and the volume is turned up. They also should make sure that their computer's audio is not muted from within the operating system, that no other bandwidth intensive applications like Skype, Outlook or other streaming services are running, and that the slider is set at an adequate level.
The moderator will ask everyone in each location to introducethemselves briefly, set some ground rules for observing by each participant and suggest how each item on the agenda is to be tackled. He reviews the objectives and time allotted for the conference. If anyone joins or leaves the group the moderator must describe any changes that are taking place. Participants should follow the moderators guidance and basic rules for speaking etiquette - only one person can speak at a time making a brief presentation. If anybody wants to contribute, he must avoid interrupting, identify himself and specify any particular person who might be addressed. Nobody can dominate the discussion but stick to the ground rules.
It is the moderators responsibility to follow the agenda, take notes, observe time constraints and keep the teleconference focused. The conference must provide an opportunity for all attendees to make presentations and register their views. If there is the slightest possibility of a misunderstanding in meaning due to cultural differences, the moderator must ask for clarification.
Participants should keep direct eye-contact and look directly at the camera, face the microphone and speak clearly in a normal voice. To make any extraneous sounds, such as coughing, they should mute the microphone except when a participant is engaged in dialogue. Answering questions participants must repeat the question and say who asked it.
To help the teleconference to run more easily the moderator must maintain communication and avoid any embarrassing silences by asking the participants for content feedbackon the topic being discussed and on how the teleconference is proceeding. It is quite disconcerting for any participant to suggest his brain wave in awkward silence.
The moderator can stimulate participants to support ideasand suggestions made by someone at the other location, summarize each person's contribution, give the floor to other major points and ask pretty good questions like "How do you feel about that?" It is also recommended tohave a new topic or a feedback review every ten minutes or so.
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Finishing the conference the facilitator promises to send follow-up e-mailsto all the participants with the results of the conference and further plans for cooperation. He does a final recapof who will do what. The facilitator finishes the teleconference with a short period of thanks and team congratulations.
Table 17 Word list
| Words and word combinations | Translation | |
| 1. | allotted time | |
| 2. | ask for clarification | |
| 3. | choppy audio playback | |
| 4. | concurrent program sessions | |
| 5. | extraneous sounds | |
| 6. | facilitator | |
| 7. | feedback review | |
| 8. | final recap | |
| 9. | follow the agenda | |
| 10. | follow-up e-mails | |
| 11. | headset | |
| 12. | high-speed Internet connection | |
| 13. | interactive session | |
| 14. | keep direct eye-contact | |
| 15. | keep the teleconference focused | |
| 16. | keynote | |
| 17. | listed reporter | |
| 18. | mouthpiece | |
| 19. | mute the microphone | |
| 20. | live conference | |
| 21. | observe time constraints | |
| 22. | personal Internet connectivity | |
| 23. | preconference | |
| 24. | seating arrangements | |
| 25. | set some ground rules | |
| 26. | settle oneself down by informal chatting | |
| 27. | shipping of materials | |
| 28. | spreadsheet | |
| 29. | staff person on hand | () |
| 30. | stick to the ground rules | |
| 31. | streaming services | |
| 32. | summarize each person's contribution | |
| 33. | take notes or minutes | |
| 34. | transitions between slides | |
| 35. | workshop |
Exercise 5.3.1
Memorize the following language clichés used for preparing to each part of on-line conferencing. The following table shows examples of language for each function. Answer the questions recollecting, as far as possible, your real situations.
Table 18 Communicating clichés at on-line conferencing
| Functions | Clichés | Translation | |
| 1. | Video Teleconference Preparation | Call for papers Schedule time Full event schedule Preparation of materials | |
| 2. | Information about the exact event time, and time zone or difference in real time | W ere 5 hours ahead/behind you. GMT+3 = Greenwich Mean Time British SummerTime UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) The times given for presentations in the session tab are not correct. | 5 / . ( ) () , , . |
| Conference outset Reminding of the agenda | And the third point on the agenda is If we can keep to the timings on the agenda, we should be finished by three. Id like to summarize the purpose of the meeting and remind you of the agenda. | , 15.00. . | |
| Roll call | Please, can everyone introduce themselves? Alex couldnt make it. / Alex cant join today. Alexs place will be taken by David has to leave early. | . . . | |
| Conference Body Interaction session | Is everyone on? Should we wait for anyone else? Is [Name] joining the call today? [Name] is finishing up on another call and will be joining shortly. Switch on computers and inform all parties who has access to what. I guess we can get started. Does everyone hear that echo? How do we get rid of it? Can we have mobile phones off this time? Hi, who joined? I think [Name] dropped off. Are you still with us [Name]? Lets comment on it one by one. [Name], did you want to say something about this? | ? []? [X] . . ? ? ? , ? , [X] . [ ], ? . [X], - ? | |
| 5a | Conversation between two or more people | To my mind the report is From my point of view It seems to me that I would like to express my own opinion on the problem I would like to clarify I would like to tell something else / to add An example of this would be For example The point is that | , - , |
| 5b. | Avoiding misunderstanding Interrupting the speaker Asking for speaking slowly Asking for wording ideas differently | Could I break in, please? Could I cut in, please? Could you clarify the very essence of what has been said, please? Could you speak a little slower, please? | ? ? , ? |
| 5c. | Asking for a break | Can I suggest we take a five-minute break here? I need to leave for ten minutes. | . 10 . |
| 5d. | Joining the meeting for resuming the discussion | Its Ann. Im back on line again. | . . |
| 5e. | Choppy communication Low sound volume Common problems and solutions | Im sorry, I didnt hear what you said. Im afraid I didnt hear that. Can you speak a little louder? Could you repeat it, please? Could you say it again, please? I can see the slides, but cannot hear the audio Audio playback is choppy I am having trouble in connecting to chat (webcasts) I am having problem loading the conference interface I get the message User already logged in when trying to log into the show. | , . , (-) . |
| 6. | Finishing the conference Making sure of giving the views by everyone | Does anyone have anything else to discuss? | - ? ? |
| 7. | Summarizing | First of all we agreed.. Finally, we decided To summarize the call, | , , , , |
| 8. | Conference leave-taking Announcing the list of participants | Thanks for calling! Thanks for your time! Have a nice day! Goodbye! | ! ( ) , ! ( ) |
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Exersise 5.3.2
Work in groups and perform the roles of the Moderator, Participants, hosts and guests of a virtual event. Imitate different functions appropriate for on-line interacting and make up dialogues.The following questions and the second column in the table above can prompt you the situations. The rest of the group may be showing interest in what you have to say and evaluating your results.
1. What is a virtual conference?
2. Is a virtual conference free to attend?
3. Can a researcher participate in all the sessions during a virtual conference?
4. Does an attendee have to be at the session for the whole event?
5. What are the requirements to attend the Virtual Conference?
6. Does a researcher need to register for sessions he will attend?
7. What should an attendee do if he misses a session?
8. What can an attendee do if he has forgotten his password or login name?
9. How do freelance translators/interpreters participate in the virtual event?
10. Will there be a long wait to talk with foreign guests?
11. How will an attendee be able to network during the event?
12. What negative effects can impact the communication if an attendee jumps off to other communication technologies (such as Skype) while the conference is underway?
13. Do virtual conferences organize any prize giveaways?
14. Can an attendee get a certificate after the conference?
