Answer the questions in the quiz about body language. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.
| During Your Presentation 1 How should you stand? a. Relaxed and confident b. Knees should be straight c. Hidden behind a tribune d. Move around the stage 2 What should you do with your arms? a. Keep your arms in a rigid position by your side b. Keep your open arms while speaking c. Cross your arms during a presentation d. Wave your arms during a presentation 3 How should you keep eye contact with the audience? a. Stare at the floor or at your feet b. Stare at your notes c. Stare at someone of the audience member d. Maintain eye contact with someone of the audience member 4 How should you speak? a. Clear and at a slightly slower pace b. In a monotonous tone of your voice c. Vary the speed and volume of your voice, and vary your intonation d. Pretend as though you are having a conversation with a friend or a colleague 5 What should you do when you feel nervous? a. Speak quickly and speed through a presentation b. Try to maintain a slow and moderate pace during the majority of your presentation c. Allow for one second to pause before moving on to the next point d. Try to pace yourself Remember: a presentation is a performance. What you say is vital, but how you say it is even more important. So watch your body language! |
In pairs, discuss your answers. How much do you think personality and culture influence your body language during a presentation?
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.
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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.
· What other tips can you think of for dealing with nervousness?
· How do you deal with nervousness before or during a presentation?
· How do you prepare your presentations?
Exercise 1.10. In pairs, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of:
· reading your presentation from a script
· memorizing the script of your presentation
· not using a script (using notes only)
UNIT 2. Let’s Get Started
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