In pairs, discuss your answers. How much do you think personality and culture influence your body language during a presentation?
(Of course, a speaker should have: experience, skills, awareness of what he\she is talking about; do: research, practice and avoid unnecessary sounds and quotations)
Exercise 1.9. Giving a presentation and speaking in front of a room full of peers can always be a stressful experience, but there are ways to project confidence and authority even when you are nervous. Read this article from a website on business communication and discuss the questions which follow.
Dealing with Nervousness
The American author Mark Twain once put it like this: ‘There are two types of people: those that are nervous and those that are liars.’ So, once you accept that (almost) everybody who gives a presentation – whether formal or informal, long or short, to strangers or colleagues – is nervous, then you just need to find ways to deal with nervousness and even learn how to use it to your advantage.
Let’s first look at ways to deal with and reduce nervousness.
Prepare well.
‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.’ Preparation is the key to a successful presentation. Nothing will relax you more than knowing exactly what you want to say and having practiced saying it. Make sure you practice your talk until you feel at home with it – then you can concentrate on other things.
Learn to relax.
Doing stretching or breathing exercises before your talk can help you to reduce nervousness. One example: before your presentation, sit comfortably with your back straight. Breathe in slowly, hold your breath for about five seconds, then slowly exhale. You can relax your facial muscles by
opening your eyes and mouth wide, then closing them tightly.
Check out the room.
Make yourself familiar with the place where you will be speaking. Arrive early, walk around the room, and make sure everything you need for your talk is there. Practice using any equipment (e.g. microphone, video projector, OHP) you plan to work with.
Know your audience.
If possible, greet your audience as they arrive and chat with them. It will be easier to speak to people who are not complete strangers.
Concentrate on the message.
Try to focus on the message and your audience – not on your own fears.
Visualize success.
Imagine yourself speaking to your audience in a loud and clear voice. Then visualize the audience applauding loudly at the end of your talk as you smile. Use the steps above to reduce nervousness, but also remember that being nervous isn’t all bad. Many experienced presenters say that you can also use your nervousness to give you that extra energy that you need to give a good performance.
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· What other tips can you think of for dealing with nervousness?
(Take some pills or have a nap before giving a presentation)
· How do you deal with nervousness before or during a presentation?
(I always concentrate on my message and someone known in audience as well I visualize success)
· How do you prepare your presentations?
(As it’s not an easy task for me, I always ask my colleagues to listen to my report and claim. Then we discuss all the question arisen in the process and I assume changes.)
Exercise 1.10. In pairs, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of:
· reading your presentation from a script (-) (It shows your unawareness or unconsciousness)
· memorizing the script of your presentation (+) (It reveals your proficiency and understanding)
· not using a script (using notes only) (+) (It creates an impression you’re nervous, but aware of topic)
UNIT 2. Let’s Get Started
In pairs, discuss the following questions.
· Have you ever had difficulties with getting started your presentation?
(Yes, I always worried about how to start but upon reading this units I realized that it’d be done only by greeting the audience and letting them know who am I and is the topic of my research.)
· What do you think is the difference between getting off to a good start and getting off to a bad start of your presentation? Enumerate ideas and experiences that show the difference.
(I should get off to a good start by following certain rules like 2/4/8 or Rule of 6; whereas you should never get started with informal word and do not treat the audience like your friends)
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