Structure of the presentation.

PRESENTATIONS

Course Description

The goal of this course is to offer a practical guide on developing the practical skills required to deliver effective public presentations.

It can be used as either a short, intensive course, or integrated into a longer, more general programme for teaching English.

This guide will help students to:

 make a clear well-organised presentation for all levels of study at university, as well as presentations geared towards business or research;

 reflect on, and learn from, what has been learned;

 make sure that both organising, and giving presentations or public speeches of any kind, become a pleasure and not a burden.

The course consists of sections, logically arranged to ensure that students are fully aware of what is expected of them before they begin their practical training. First and foremost, students should acquire a clear understanding of what a presentation involves, and which preparations are required in advance of the talk (the objectives of the talk, who is the audience, knowledge of the location, which equipment is required, etc.).

The course is split into two main sections: preparation and delivery, with the latter subdivided into four parts: the introduction, main body, conclusion and questions from the audience. Each section has an introductory segment covering the most essential issues to focus on, as well as a practical segment offering a variety of different exercises to help students acquire the practical skills required to give an effective presentation.

The course will deliver one segment at a time, combining theoretical teachings with practical exercises, with the course expected to last between 5-7 sessions.

We recommend that students start preparing their own presentations immediately after the first session, planning each section in accordance with the course sessions. In other words, after each session the students should use their new knowledge to shape their presentations, share their progress at the following session, and allow lecturers and fellow students to provide constructive criticism and feedback on the work done.

Proceeding components of the course will be taught in a similar manner, with each segment comprising of pre-lecture reading, individual preparation, and a presentation to the group. This would allow a greater absorption in the lessons, and a more frequent use of new words and phrases, resulting in a far higher rate of retention and understanding.

Upon completion of these core classes, students will be required to deliver their presentations in full, while the fellow students will then discuss and reflect on them within the guidelines suggested at the end of the course booklet. Through this students will both gain valuable experience in preparing and delivering a presentation to an audience, and will receive constructive criticism from lecturers and their student peers, resulting in the acquisition of all the key skills needed to deliver quality presentations to a variety of audiences.

What is a presentation?

A presentation is a formal talk to one or more persons that “presents” ideas or information in a clear, structured way. All presentations have a common objective: they are given in order to inform, train, persuade or sell. The key factors of any successful presentation are:

 the audience;

 the contents of the presentation itself;

 and the presenter.

The starting point should always be the audience. If you consider their needs and interests you cannot get off to a bad start.

Preparation

Can you name the three most important things involved in giving any presentation?

Number 1 is………..Preparation

Number 2 is………..Preparation!

Number 3 is………..Preparation!!

Preparation is everything!

With good preparation and planning you will be totally confident and less nervous. And your audience will feed on that confidence too. And this will give you control of your audience and your presentation. With control you will be “in charge” and your audience will listen positively to your message.

Objective

Before you start preparing your presentation you should ask yourself: “Why am I giving this presentation?” If your objective is not clear to you, it cannot possibly be clear to your audience.

Timing

You only have a limited amount of time in which to tell the audience what they need to know, rather than everything that you know.

Method

How should you give your presentation? Which approach should you use? Formal or informal? Should you include visual aids, and if so, how many? Will anecdotes and humour play a part in your presentation?

Structure of the presentation.

A well-organized presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organize the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations consist of three parts, followed by questions: The beginning is ideal for an attention grabber or for an ice breaker. The end is great to wrap things up or to end with a grand finale.

Beginning	Short introduction	welcome your audience introduce your subject explain the structure of your presentation explain rules for questions
Middle	Body of the presentation	present the subject itself
End	Short conclusion	summarise your presentation thank your audience invite questions
Questions and Answers

Rehearsal

"If you fail to prepare, you are prepared to fail". Plan to rehearse your presentation out loud at least 4 times, and if you can get word perfect so much the better.

Rehearse against the clock. If you have to give a presentation in a short period of time then try to practice your presentation against the clock. This is particularly true when your time is limited by, say 10-15 minutes. You can add in parts from the script or take them out to fit the time.

In the actual presentation you could take in a clock or take off your wrist watch and put it on the podium. This way you can see how the timings can develop.

Rehearsal is a vital part of preparation. This will have the following benefits:

 you will become more familiar with what you want to say;

 you will identify weaknesses in your presentation;

 you will be able to practise difficult pronunciations;

 you will be able to check the time that your presentation takes and make any necessary modifications.

So prepare, prepare, prepare! Prepare everything: words, visual aids, timing, and equipment. Rehearse your presentation several times and time it.

 Is it the right length?

 Are you completely familiar with all your illustrations?

 Are they in the right order?

 Do you know who the audience is?

 How will you answer difficult questions?

 Do you know the room?

 Are you confident about the equipment?

When you have answered all these questions, you will be a confident, enthusiastic presenter ready to communicate the subject of your presentation to an eager audience.

At the end of the booklet you may find relevant Useful Vocabulary, which provides some phrases and hints and could make your preparation a bit easier.

Preparation Practice

Exercise 1.Complete the suggested questions, trying to formulate major aspects before starting preparation for a talk.

Planning

 Purpose –why and what?

 Audience –who and how many?

 Premises –do/does and is/are

Who __________________________________________?

What _________________________________________?

Why __________________________________________?

Where ________________________________________?

When _________________________________________?

How __________________________________________?

Exercise 2.Restore the original order of instructions on how to prepare for a successful presentation.

How to Prepare for a Presentation

The best way to perform a presentation well is to be prepared. Standing in front of a group reading from note cards and stumbling over your thoughts is not very convincing. With a little practice you can look like a pro by speaking clearly and in an organized fashion. Follow these steps to learn how.

Instructions

__ __ _ 1 _ __ __ __ __ __ __

Be sure you know how to pronounce all the words correctly. Check with the dictionary if necessary. Create an outline that includes an introduction, an overview of the main argument or purpose, the evidence used to support that argument, any critiques of the work and the conclusion. Select the material you will use. Research your topic of discussion and determine the purpose of your talk. Talk through your presentation many times before presenting. Open your slides and actually click through them speaking your part out loud. Know your audience and what it knows. Prepare your handouts, if necessary. Make sure that your talk fits in within the time limit of your presentation. Create an outline (a plan) of what ideas you wish to cover.

Exercise 3. Checklist for Planning a Presentation. Arrange the following statements depending on whether they are advisable or not.

Do’s

Don’ts

1. Understand the interest level of the audience;

2. Use jargon even if the audience doesn’t understand it;

3. Use simple language;

4. Make the presentation focused, easy to understand;

5. Prepare a logic tree;

6. Skip any point of your presentation if you feel like;

7. Be rigid in following a sequence according to your plan;

8. Use any available sources for in-depth analysis;

9. Be prepared for any kind of question from audience;

10. Prepare cue cards;

11. Ignore the audience during your talk, it’s their problem if they do not follow you;

12. Insert abbreviations, such as AC, MBT, QA, etc., whenever possible to make your talk more short-spoken;

13. Understand the audience question clearly;

14. Provide handouts for additional information.

Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps with the words in the correct form or choose the right word from those suggested.

When you ________ (to make) a presentation, the first stage is to plan it. You _________(needn’t/should) start by __________ (to think) about your audience –who they are, what they ______(to know) about the subject and what they expect from you. Will they be interested, enthusiastic, cooperative or perhaps critical? _____you_________ (to present) to the group from your own culture or to people of different cultures? All these factors ________(to influence) the way you approach the presentation. If possible, try to visit the room where you__________(to give) the talk. Check the equipment and make sure your voice _________(to carry) to the back of the room if you don’t use a microphone. Look at the seating arrangements and make sure they are what you want.

You’re now ready to prepare what you _________ (to say). Stage one is the opening. A good opening is essential as you will be nervous and you _________(needn’t/need to) grab the attention of the audience. You start by __________ (to introduce)yourself and then you use a technique to get the audience’s interest. We call this the ‘hook’ which focuses the audience’s attention on what you’re saying. You __________ (must/can) do this in various ways. You ________(must/can): ask a question; use a famous quotation; use a striking visual image; appeal directly to the audience’s interests or needs. Once you have the audience’s attention, you _________(needn’t/should) tell them the structure of your presentation. You give them a map of the talk, with signposts along the route, so they know what you _______ (to cover) in your talk.

Exercise 5. The chart below provides some ideas on what is understood by a good delivery. Read the items and give your considerations. Explain your point.

A good presenter…	1 OK	2 useful	3 v. useful	4 vital!!!
does not speak too quickly
is enthusiastic
looks at the audience/makes eye contact
is confident
is not monotone
explains the purpose of the talk
knows their subject
explains with interesting examples
reviews what they’ve covered at the end of the session

Home assignment

Think of a topic on which you would like to give a presentation. Do not forget that the topic should be interesting for you and your audience. Make your preparation according to the theoretical guide. Make a plan for your talk and collect the material you may use.

Delivery

Introduction

The introduction phase sets the tone and expectations of a meeting or presentation. Although very often the presenter will typically introduce themselves to the audience, on other occasions a colleague or chairperson may introduce the speaker.

A complete introduction for a presentation includes the following parts:

 greeting;

 your name and position;

 title and subject of your talk;

 presentation objective;

 main parts of your talk;

 mention of the visual aids that you will use;

 time you will take;

 when you would like to answer questions;

 and a link to the first section of your presentation.

At the end of the booklet you may find relevant Useful Vocabulary.

Introduction Practice