Conference skills in practice

Résumé

Conference skills comprise a wide range of activities and tasks students should master to be professional and informed conference participants. The first chapter of the paper introduces the theoretical background of the project called a “mock scientific conference”, which may be seen as an instance of project-based learning. This methodology builds on the concepts of social constructivism, deeper learning, critical thinking, collaboration and learner-independence, which advocate for a student-centred and experiential approach to education through exploring real-world situations and problems. The second and third parts of the paper discuss individual tasks and activities designed for the students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, ranging from poster presentation practice to delivering expert talks, writing abstracts and bionotes, chairing sessions and leading discussions. The students find the conference simulation to be highly motivating because it gives them the opportunity to show their expert knowledge and erudition as well as the ability to collaborate and interact with their peers. Therefore, they enhance their speaking and writing skills in a context relevant for their future careers and acquire a range of transferable skills such as organizing an event and communicating effectively.