Speaking March 12

Describe a time when you gave advice to others

A particularly memorable occasion occurred last autumn, when a first-year PhD student in my department asked me for advice after a rather discouraging supervision meeting. She had only recently joined the research group, yet she was already comparing herself with students who had been doing research for years. As a result, she had developed a misleading sense of inadequacy, and that made her far more anxious than the actual academic difficulty.

The advice I gave her was not to work longer hours, but to adopt a more systematic approach. I suggested that she keep a brief daily research record, even when progress seemed limited, and that every paper she read should be reduced to three questions: what problem was being addressed, what method had been used, and what limitation still remained. I also recommended that she stop evaluating herself against other people’s polished presentations, because those often conceal the uncertainty that comes before real understanding.

I gave that advice because early-stage research is rarely smooth, especially in theoretical subjects. I had gone through the same phase myself, so I knew that her real problem was not a lack of ability, but a distorted view of how progress actually develops. A few weeks later, she told me that the research log had made her feel much calmer and far more in control of her work.

A particularly memorable occasion occurred last autumn, when a first-year PhD student in my department asked me for advice after a rather discouraging supervision meeting. /eɪ pəˈtɪk.jə.lə.li ˈmem.ər.ə.bəl əˈkeɪ.ʒən əˈkɜːd lɑːst ˈɔː.təm wen eɪ fɜːst jɪər ˌpiː.eɪtʃˈdiː ˈstjuː.dənt ɪn maɪ dɪˈpɑːt.mənt ɑːskt miː fɔːr ədˈvaɪs ˈɑːf.tər eɪ ˈrɑː.ðər dɪˈskʌr.ɪ.dʒɪŋ ˌsuː.pəˈvɪʒ.ən ˈmiː.tɪŋ/

She had only recently joined the research group, yet she was already comparing herself with students who had been doing research for years. /ʃiː hæd ˈəʊn.li ˈriː.sənt.li dʒɔɪnd ðiː rɪˈsɜːtʃ ɡruːp jet ʃiː wɒz ɔːlˈred.i kəmˈpeə.rɪŋ hɜːˈself wɪð ˈstjuː.dənts huː hæd biːn ˈduː.ɪŋ rɪˈsɜːtʃ fɔːr jɪəz/

As a result, she had developed a misleading sense of inadequacy, and that made her far more anxious than the actual academic difficulty. /æz eɪ rɪˈzʌlt ʃiː hæd dɪˈvel.əpt eɪ ˌmɪsˈliː.dɪŋ sens ɒv ɪˈnæd.ɪ.kwə.si ænd ðæt meɪd hɜːr fɑːr mɔːr ˈæŋk.ʃəs ðæn ðiː ˈæk.tʃu.əl ˌæk.əˈdem.ɪk ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəl.ti/

The advice I gave her was not to work longer hours, but to adopt a more systematic approach. /ðiː ədˈvaɪs aɪ ɡeɪv hɜːr wɒz nɒt tuː wɜːk ˈlɒŋ.ɡər ˈaʊəz bʌt tuː əˈdɒpt eɪ mɔːr ˌsɪs.təˈmæt.ɪk əˈprəʊtʃ/

I suggested that she keep a brief daily research record, even when progress seemed limited, and that every paper she read should be reduced to three questions: what problem was being addressed, what method had been used, and what limitation still remained. /aɪ səˈdʒest.ɪd ðæt ʃiː kiːp eɪ briːf ˈdeɪ.li rɪˈsɜːtʃ ˈrek.ɔːd ˈiː.vən wen ˈprəʊ.ɡres siːmd ˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd ænd ðæt ˈev.ri ˈpeɪ.pər ʃiː red ʃʊd biː rɪˈdjuːst tuː θriː ˈkwes.tʃənz wɒt ˈprɒb.ləm wɒz ˈbiː.ɪŋ əˈdrest wɒt ˈmeθ.əd hæd biːn juːzd ænd wɒt ˌlɪm.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən stɪl rɪˈmeɪnd/

I also recommended that she stop evaluating herself against other people’s polished presentations, because those often conceal the uncertainty that comes before real understanding. /aɪ ˈɔːl.səʊ ˌrek.əˈmen.dɪd ðæt ʃiː stɒp ɪˈvæl.ju.eɪ.tɪŋ hɜːˈself əˈɡenst ˈʌð.ər ˈpiː.pəlz ˈpɒl.ɪʃt ˌprez.ənˈteɪ.ʃənz bɪˈkɒz ðəʊz ˈɒf.ən kənˈsiːl ðiː ʌnˈsɜː.tən.ti ðæt kʌmz bɪˈfɔːr rɪəl ˌʌn.dəˈstæn.dɪŋ/

I gave that advice because early-stage research is rarely smooth, especially in theoretical subjects. /aɪ ɡeɪv ðæt ədˈvaɪs bɪˈkɒz ˈɜː.li steɪdʒ rɪˈsɜːtʃ ɪz ˈreə.li smuːð ɪˈspeʃ.əl.i ɪn ˌθɪəˈret.ɪ.kəl ˈsʌb.dʒɪkts/

I had gone through the same phase myself, so I knew that her real problem was not a lack of ability, but a distorted view of how progress actually develops. /aɪ hæd ɡɒn θruː ðiː seɪm feɪz maɪˈself səʊ aɪ njuː ðæt hɜːr rɪəl ˈprɒb.ləm wɒz nɒt eɪ læk ɒv əˈbɪl.ə.ti bʌt eɪ dɪˈstɔː.tɪd vjuː ɒv haʊ ˈprəʊ.ɡres ˈæk.tʃu.ə.li dɪˈvel.əps/

A few weeks later, she told me that the research log had made her feel much calmer and far more in control of her work. /eɪ fjuː wiːks ˈleɪ.tər ʃiː təʊld miː ðæt ðiː rɪˈsɜːtʃ lɒɡ hæd meɪd hɜːr fiːl mʌtʃ ˈkɑː.mər ænd fɑːr mɔːr ɪn kənˈtrəʊl ɒv hɜːr wɜːk/

part3

Should people prepare before giving advice?

I think people generally should prepare before giving advice, especially when the issue could affect someone’s studies, work, or health. One reason is that advice can sound confident but still be misleading if it is based only on personal experience. For example, if a friend asks whether they should choose a certain university course, it would be better to understand their strengths and long-term goals first, rather than give an instant answer. That said, not every situation needs serious preparation. If the matter is quite minor, like choosing a restaurant or a film, quick and informal advice is usually enough.

I think people generally should prepare before giving advice, especially when the issue could affect someone’s studies, work, or health. / aɪ θɪŋk ˈpiːpl ˈdʒenrəli ʃʊd prɪˈpeə(r) bɪˈfɔː(r) ˈɡɪvɪŋ ədˈvaɪs ɪˈspeʃəli wen ðiː ˈɪʃuː kʊd əˈfekt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈstʌdiz wɜːk ɔː(r) helθ / (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

One reason is that advice can sound confident but still be misleading if it is based only on personal experience. / wʌn ˈriːzn ɪz ðæt ədˈvaɪs kæn saʊnd ˈkɒnfɪdənt bʌt stɪl biː ˌmɪsˈliːdɪŋ ɪf ɪt ɪz beɪst ˈəʊnli ɒn ˈpɜːsənəl ɪkˈspɪəriəns / (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

For example, if a friend asks whether they should choose a certain university course, it would be better to understand their strengths and long-term goals first, rather than give an instant answer. / fɔː(r) ɪɡˈzɑːmpl ɪf eɪ frend ɑːsks ˈweðə(r) ðeɪ ʃʊd tʃuːz eɪ ˈsɜːtn ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəti kɔːs ɪt wʊd biː ˈbetə(r) tuː ˌʌndəˈstænd ðeə(r) streŋθs ænd ˌlɒŋ ˈtɜːm ɡəʊlz fɜːst ˈrɑːðə(r) ðæn ɡɪv æn ˈɪnstənt ˈɑːnsə(r) / (ldoceonline.com)

That said, not every situation needs serious preparation. / ðæt sed nɒt ˈevri ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃn niːdz ˈsɪəriəs ˌprepəˈreɪʃn / (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

If the matter is quite minor, like choosing a restaurant or a film, quick and informal advice is usually enough. / ɪf ðiː ˈmætə(r) ɪz kwaɪt ˈmaɪnə(r) laɪk ˈtʃuːzɪŋ eɪ ˈrestrɒnt ɔː(r) eɪ fɪlm kwɪk ænd ɪnˈfɔːml ədˈvaɪs ɪz ˈjuːʒuəli ɪˈnʌf / (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

One-sentence core idea

People should usually prepare before giving advice, but the level of preparation depends on how important the decision is.

Bullet cues

• generally yes
• especially for important issues
• personal opinion can be misleading
• understand the person first
• minor issues do not need much preparation

Must-remember chunks

Opening / viewpoint

• I think people generally should... — 用于开头表态
• especially when the issue could affect... — 用于引出重要场景

Reason

• One reason is that... — 用于解释原因
• be based only on personal experience — 用于说明建议不可靠的来源

Example / contrast

• For example, if a friend asks whether... — 用于举例
• rather than give an instant answer — 用于对比更好的做法和草率做法

Qualification / reflection

• That said, not every situation needs... — 用于让步
• quick and informal advice is usually enough — 用于补充例外情况

Flexible verbs

• affect — affect someone’s studies/work/health
• understand — understand their situation / strengths / needs
• choose — choose a course / job / option
• base on — be based on experience / facts

Transferable collocations / evaluative expressions

• long-term goals — 可复用于 education / career / planning
• give an instant answer — 可复用于 advice / decisions / communication
• serious preparation — 可复用于 planning / work / study
• minor matter — 可复用于日常小事类题目

Topic-specific mini-bank

• give advice responsibly
• understand someone’s situation first
• make a more informed suggestion
• the more important the decision is, the more careful people should be

Wordlist

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