A lecture is a specific type of speaking and differs from other types of speaking such as a conversation or a discussion. Below are some of the features of a lecture. i The lecturer has prepared what she is going to say in advance The lecturer brings notes and usually has some form of visual material (for example, a PowerPoint presentation) or handouts for students This means that the lecture will follow a structure and has a more recognized order than a general conversation: The lecturer knows what she wants to say and has thought about how to explain conversation, where speakers think s different from n it clearly and speak in real time 2 The lecturer speaks for a long time. y speaks for an hour, sometimes longer n a lecture the lecturer USL This means that the listeners have to concentrate hard on one speaker for a long period of time. This is not like conversations or discussions where the speakers share the talking and listening time. 3 The students do not usually ask questions, In conversation or discussion the speakers can interrupt each other to ask questions, explain words, or give their own point of view In a lecture it is different; the students do not usually have the opportunity to ask questions during the lecture except at the end Occasionally the lecturer will invite questions during the lecture, but this is not always the case