Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations C2 - Lesson 2: Expertly Moderating Panels & Leading High-Level Strategic Discussions

Speaking: Public Speaking C2

Moderating Panels & Leading Strategic Discussions

Listen to the scenario audio here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to move beyond being a participant to acting as an expert moderator, capable of framing, guiding, and synthesizing high-level discussions.

From Poll-Taker to Architect: A C2 Shift 💬

A B2-level moderator *asks questions*. A C2-level moderator *architects the conversation*. They build the structure, connect the ideas, and ensure the audience leaves with valuable insights, not just a list of opinions.

Scenario: Novice vs. Expert Moderator

Topic: The future of AI in education.

Novice (B2) Approach:

Moderator: "Thank you for coming. Dara, what do you think about AI in education?"

Dara: "I think it's very useful."

Moderator: "Great. Vanna, what do you think?"

Vanna: "I am worried about it."

Moderator: "Okay. Thank you both." (The discussion is flat and goes nowhere.)

Expert (C2) Approach:

Moderator: "Welcome. The big question tonight is this: Is AI an *opportunity* for deeper learning, or is it a *threat* to critical thinking? Dara, you've written that AI is a 'great equalizer'. What do you mean by that?" (Frames the debate; shows preparation.)

Dara: "I mean it gives all students, regardless of background, a personal tutor..."

Moderator: "Vanna, I see you shaking your head. You've argued the opposite—that it risks creating 'intellectual laziness'. How do you respond to Dara's point about equalization?" (Invites conflict directly and politely.)

Vanna: "I'd argue it doesn't equalize, it just automates. If students don't learn the fundamentals..."

Moderator: "So, Dara, Vanna is raising a key point about *process* versus *outcome*. Can we have both? Can AI be a tool for fundamentals, not just an answer machine?" (Synthesizes and offers a new, deeper question.)

The C2 Moderator's Toolkit 🛠️ (Click 🔊)

Expert moderation relies on specific functional language to control the flow.

1. Framing & Opening

To set the 'big question' and the terms of the debate.

• "The central question we're exploring today is..."សំណួរចម្បងដែលយើងកំពុងស្វែងយល់...
• "I'd like to frame this discussion around three key themes..."ខ្ញុំចង់រៀបចំការពិភាក្សានេះ...
• "[Name], I'd like to start with you. You've argued that..."...ខ្ញុំចង់ចាប់ផ្តើមជាមួយអ្នក...

2. Guiding & Redirecting

To politely interrupt, manage time, and keep the discussion on track.

• "If I could just interject for a moment..."សុំរំខានបន្តិច...
• "That's a fascinating point. Let's park that for a moment and come back to..."នោះជាចំណុចគួរឱ្យចាប់អារម្មណ៍...
• "In the interest of time, I'd like to move on to..."ដើម្បីសន្សំសំចៃពេលវេលា...
• "[Name], I'd like to bring you in on this point."...ខ្ញុំចង់អញ្ជើញអ្នកចូលរួម...

3. Synthesizing & Concluding

To find the hidden themes and provide a valuable conclusion.

• "A common thread I'm hearing from both sides is..."ចំណុចរួមដែលខ្ញុំកំពុងលឺ...
• "So, what we're really debating here isn't X, but rather Y."ដូច្នេះ អ្វីដែលយើងកំពុងជជែកគ្នា...
• "To summarize the key takeaways for our audience..."ដើម្បីសង្ខេបពីចំណុចសំខាន់ៗ...

C2 Prosody: Controlling the Room

🗣️ Using Intonation to Command Authority

As a moderator, your voice is your primary tool of control. It's not just *what* you say, but *how* you say it.

• To Politely Interrupt: Use a slight "rise-fall-rise" (↗↘↗) on your interruption phrase to show you aren't being aggressive. "If I could just... interject...?"
• To Frame a Question: Use a strong, confident falling tone (↘) on the *focus word* of your question. "So the real question is... can we afford not to? ↘"
• To Conclude a Point: Use a clear, final falling tone (↘) to signal that this part of the discussion is over. "So, we're agreed. The priority is funding. ↘ Now, let's move on..."

Practice Your Moderation Skills 🎯

Practice Quiz: What's the C2 Response?

Read the scenario, then choose the best response for an expert moderator. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Scenario: You ask a panelist a question, but they have been talking for five minutes on a completely different, off-topic subject.

You say:

• "That's wrong. Please answer my question."
• "That's an interesting point on marketing, but in the interest of time, I'd like to bring us back to the *original* question about..."
• "Thank you. Does anyone else want to talk?"

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2. Scenario: One panelist (Dara) says, "We must invest heavily in technology." Another (Vanna) says, "That's too risky; we must focus on human training."

You say:

• "Dara, why is technology good? Vanna, why is training good?"
• "Okay, so you two disagree. Let's move on."
• "So we have two conflicting ideas: *investment* versus *risk*. Vanna, is there any technological investment that you *would* consider low-risk?"

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3. Scenario: A panelist says, "Our company's problem is just 'communication'." This is very vague.

You say:

• "I agree. Communication is very important."
• "That's a fascinating word, 'communication'. Could you unpack that for us? What does that problem look like on a daily basis?"
• "Communication, right. Okay, next question..."

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

• To Facilitate (Verb) | សម្របសម្រួល
  To make an action or process easy or easier. (A moderator doesn't just talk; they facilitate the discussion).
• To Synthesize (Verb) | សំយោគ
  To combine a number of ideas into a coherent whole.
• Discourse (Noun) | បរិយាយ
  Written or spoken communication or debate; a formal discussion.
• A Tangent (Noun) | ការនិយាយក្រៅប្រធានបទ
  A completely different line of thought or action. (e.g., "He went off on a tangent.").
• Brevity (Noun) | ភាពសង្ខេប
  Concise and exact use of words; shortness of time. (e.g., "In the interest of brevity...").
• Succinct (Adjective) | សង្ខេប
  Briefly and clearly expressed. (A good summary is succinct).
• To Interject (Verb) | និយាយកាត់
  To say something as an interruption.

Your Mission: The 3-Question Arc ⭐

Your mission is to *architect* a panel discussion. Choose one complex topic below and write the **three main questions** you would use to guide the entire 45-minute discussion.

Topics:
1. The future of tourism in Cambodia (Balancing economy vs. environment).
2. The role of traditional Khmer culture in modern business.
3. Addressing traffic congestion in Phnom Penh.

Structure:

1. Question 1 (The Past/Present): Frame the problem. (e.g., "We all agree traffic is a major issue. What *is* the single biggest cause?")
2. Question 2 (The Conflict/Challenge): Explore the main disagreement. (e.g., "Some argue for more roads, others for better public transport. Are these solutions mutually exclusive?")
3. Question 3 (The Future/Solution): Look for a synthesized takeaway. (e.g., "What is *one* practical, achievable policy we could implement in the next 5 years?")