The following are my (admittedly normative) notes on how to introduce a linguistics speaker.
- The genre most similar to the introduction of speaker is the congratulatory toast. An introduction should be brief, and the lengthy written introduction should be scorned. The speaker is already making an imposition on the audiences’ time, and for the host to usurp more than a small amount of time is a further imposition on both host and audience.
- The introduction is not an opportunity for the introducer to demonstrate erudition, but it can be an opportunity to show wit.
- An introduction should be in the introducer’s voice. For this reason, a biography paragraph provided by the speaker should not be read as part of the introduction.
- The introduction should be exemporaneous. The introducer can prepare brief notes, but they should fit on a notecard or their hand, and the notes should never be “read”.
- Polite humor, brief personal anecdotes (e.g., when the introducer first met the speaker or became aware of their work), and heart-felt superlatives or compliments (one of the nicest introductions I ever received stated that I was in the business of “keeping people honest”) are to be encouraged.
- The introduction should state the speakers’ current affiliation and title, if any, but need not list their full occupational or educational history unless it is judged relevant.
- Introducers may feel an urge to read the title of the talk when concluding their introduction, but should resist this urge. There is no real need to read the title—the audience already has seen the talk title in the program or other announcements, and they can read the slide—and the speaker normally feels the need to read it out loud regardless.
- The introduction should conclude with the speaker’s name. In one common style, which I consider elegant, the introducer is careful not to say the speaker’s name until this conclusion, and uses epithets like “our next speaker” or “our honored guest” earlier in the introduction.