CJVAPD SEMINAR 7 Academic Presentations "The more you say, the less people will remember." – Anatole France (1844-1924), French novelist DISCUSSION 1) What does the word “presentation” mean to you? Compose a definition and discuss with a partner. 2) What experience, if any, do you have with giving presentations? 3) What are the features* of a good presentation? 4) What are the most important “don’ts” when giving presentations? 5) What kinds of presentations do you think you may need in your career and why? VISUAL OUTLINE OF KEY PRESENTATION CONCEPTS Task 1 – Put these points into the correct order and discuss. TITLE · Use a sub-heading · Interesting & informative POINT 2 · Concise use of text · Use point form · Supportive images INTRODUCTION · Purpose Statement · Why and how is your topic important? POINT 1 · Supporting ideas · Examples · Evidence SUMMARY · Two or three main ideas (highlights) · More informative than outline at start POINT 3 · · ou may use a shown at the endntures only for decoration. clear lkWhen speaking, use sign-posting language (for smooth transition and organization) · Signal (e.g. to end after your last point) CLOSING · Thanking audience & inviting questions · Sources should be shown (at end) · Several English sources required · For internet sources – include title and date of text (not just link) CONCLUSION · Thesis Statement · Final most important idea · Why and how is what you’ve just said important? OUTLINE* · 3 or 4 main points · Do NOT write general or structural words here like introduction, summary, discussion, sources, comparison, etc. *Note that you do not have to use a slide for all of the above points. Each of these boxes is meant as a concept box to remind you to include the idea in some way. It is not essential to necessarily include, for example, a slide entitled Outline. You can, in many cases communicate your introduction and outline verbally while the title slide is up. When you want to emphasize other key words or sub-concepts, that is when an outline is useful for visual/textual support. STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION – Assertion-Evidence Model Task 2 – Where in a presentation (beginning, main body, ending) would you expect these parts? What should they contain? Match these with the words at right and add comments. Review Introduction Entry point Outline Ending with impact Comprehensive explanation of key topic Main body A map of the presentation Establish credibility Summary Final appeal Conclusion Task 3 – Watch the presentations and analyse especially how the presenters introduce their topics. https://www.assertion-evidence.com/models.html (choose at least two speakers). Note the following: A) the way the speakers establish their credibility, draw in the audience B) how the speakers introduce their points in the outline and then follow up in the main body C) how they summarize and/or conclude Some key principles of the Assertion-Evidence model: 1. Build your talk on messages (not just topics). 2. Support these messages with visual evidence (not just bullet points). 3. Explain this evidence using relevant examples. INTRODUCTION Present yourself (name & study area). You might use a phrase such as, “As a student of ….., I would like to tell you about….. because…..”. Describe the importance (for you and ideally your audience) of your topic (with a clear purpose statement describing the aim and reason for your talk and context). The introduction should not only arouse curiosity, but also provide an overview of the most important points. It may be useful to give a very brief informative outline of key points, but do NOT include structural words such as introduction, definition, comparison, summary, conclusion, sources or discussion. The audience should get the impression that your topic is well thought out (interesting, informative title), that you have done the audience analysis (well-chosen topic, style and register) and that you have a clear idea about the actual content. A well-planned introduction with purpose statement will “set an objective framework in which the audience will accept the information as accurate and as significant.” (Laster & Pickett 2001:142) Task 4 Use one of the following expressions to replace the synonyms in bold. Then find the outline and purpose statement. don’t hesitate a chance I take care I’m delighted sections communicate to go through in more depth my purpose is finally divide emphasise Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a pleasure to be with you today. My name is Gordon Mathews and I’m in charge of teaching presentation skills. We are here today to review some key ideas about why it is important to learn effective communication skills. As we are living in the information age and may often be overwhelmed with massive amounts of information, it is important to know how to highlight the main ideas and provide a framework for what we are trying to get across. What I intend to do is to break down this presentation into three parts: first, the preparation phase; second, the use of sign-posting language, and third, the actual delivery of the presentation. If you have any questions, please, feel free to interrupt me, but I should also say that there’ll be an opportunity to discuss issues at greater length after my talk. TOPIC SELECTION Students are expected to create a presentation covering “specific problems/questions/issues in an engaging way”. One of the most common mistakes considering presentations is that students choose overly broad topics and they treat them in a superficial way, i.e. the information they provide is far too general. Here are some examples of successful topics from previous semesters: Ethics: Do Animals Attempt Suicide? Turkey: The Road to Erdoganism and the Decline of Democracy Task 5 – Look at the example and improve one of the following very broad and unsuitable topics below. Think of possible and appropriate sub-headings. What key words could be provided? EXAMPLE Too broad: Brexit Better: Brexit and Democracy Much better: Brexit: A Failure of Democracy and Social Media TED talk: Facebook’s Role in Brexit: A Threat to Democracy Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/carole_cadwalladr_facebook_s_role_in_brexit_and_the_threat_to_democracy Taiwan Culture Shock Stanford Prison Experiment BASIC PURPOSE STATEMENT By stating your presentation’s purpose in the first few minutes, you shape your audience’s expectations. You also make a commitment to achieving that purpose. This adds to your credibility as a speaker. Task 6 – Only ONE of these sentences serves as a good purpose statement for a presentation relevant to this course. Why are the three others inappropriate? a) “My purpose is to persuade the teacher that the topic ‘My Hometown’ is the best and most scientific one, so that I can pass the presentation part of the exam.” b) “My purpose is to illustrate the impact of Brexit on the Czech Republic in light of student mobility, as many students may face new challenges when studying abroad.” c) “My purpose is to inform the audience about concepts of feminism in Great Britain, the USA, France, Italy, and Spain, all compared to Czech feminism, so that they understand the situation in this country.” d) “My purpose is to communicate the greatness of ancient philosophy, so that others can admire it as much as I do.” PURPOSE STATEMENTS vs. THESIS STATEMENTS A) A PURPOSE STATEMENT announces the purpose, scope, and direction of the paper. It tells the reader what to expect in a paper and what the specific focus will be. Common beginnings include: "This talk examines . . .," "The aim of this presentation is to . . .," and "The purpose of this talk is to…" A purpose statement makes a promise to the reader about the development of the argument but does not preview the particular conclusions that the writer has drawn. Example 1: This paper will examine the ecological destruction of the Sahel preceding the drought and the causes of this disintegration of the land. The focus will be on the economic, political, and social relationships which brought about the environmental problems in the Sahel. B) A THESIS STATEMENT makes an assertion about a topic and predicts how the topic will be developed. It does not simply announce a topic: it says something about the topic. Good: X has made a significant impact on the teenage population due to its . . . Bad: In this paper, I will discuss X. Example 2: The ecological destruction of the Sahel preceding the drought was caused by numerous factors, which included the economic, political, and social relationships in the area. Such environmental problems could be prevented elsewhere if these relationships are understood better. A thesis statement makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of the paper. It also summarizes the conclusions that the writer has reached about the topic. C) The following shows a COMBINATION of PURPOSE STATEMENT (in italic) and THESIS STATEMENT (in bold): Example 3: The goal of this paper is to examine the effects of Chile's agrarian reform on the lives of rural peasants. The nature of the topic dictates the use of both a chronological and a comparative analysis of peasant lives at various points during the reform period. The Chilean reform example provides evidence that land distribution is an essential component of both the improvement of peasant conditions and the development of a democratic society. More extensive and enduring reforms would likely have allowed Chile the opportunity to further expand these horizons. Thesis vs. Purpose Statements, University of Wisconsin, Madison; http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Thesis_or_Purpose.html; viewed 31.8.2016. Task 7 – Develop 2 good working titles and 2 purpose statements for next week’s seminar that will serve to introduce 2 topics that you feel would be interesting for your classmates during the semester. You may choose a topic from your studies or areas of interest, but keep in mind that this is a transdisciplinary audience, so it should be a little different from a presentation you would give to peers within your field. Here you should think about providing the needed background or a more popularized version of the information, if it is very specialized. Your main goal will to be inspire your audience to join in the discussion that will follow every presentation. There will be a class vote on your 2 topics to give you an idea of which one is preferred. ENDING – Signal to End – Summary – Conclusion – Recommendation – Closing – Questions The ending should contain a summary of the data, where the main points of the presentation should again be stressed. There must be an evaluative conclusion or thesis statement, i.e. a comment on the importance of the findings*. In an academic presentation there should be a recommendation for future research, development, proceedings*, etc. and a closing – thanking the audience and inviting questions. Task 8 – Listening – Giving Talks: Preparation, Language & Delivery Listen to the first part and complete the notes. Part 1 – Preparation – key points 1 Objectives – What about them? 2 3 4 5 6 Listen to the second part and list the numbers of the sections that are referred^5 to. Part 2 – Language: “sign posting”, transition and orientation 1 Introducing Good morning, my name is … I’m a (student of the department of … ) This morning I’m going to … (talk about …) Today I’d like to … (describe …) The focus^6 / topic / subject of my talk / paper is … The aim of my presentation this morning is to … (explain …) I’ve divided my presentation into … We can break this area down into the following fields ... My talk will be in … (three parts.) First, I’d like to (give you an overview of …) Second, I’d like to focus on^7 … Then, I’ll move on^8 to … After that, we’ll deal with^9 … Finally, we’ll consider^10 … 2 Referring to questions Feel free to interrupt me if there’s anything you don’t understand / if you need clarifying. If you don’t mind, we’ll leave questions till the end. 3 Introducing each section So, let’s start with … (objectives …) Now let’s move on to … (the next part …) Let’s turn our attention to … (the question of …) This leads me to … (my third point …) Finally … (let’s consider …) 4 Summarizing a section Let me just run over the key points again. / I’ll briefly summarise the main issues That completes my … (description of …) To sum up … / So, to summarize … (there are five key points …) 5 Referring backwards and forwards I mentioned earlier … (the importance of …) I’ll say more about this later. / We’ll come back to this point later. 6 Checking understanding Is that clear? / Are there any questions? 7 Referring to visual information This diagram (slide) shows …/ When you look at this graph, you can see … What is interesting in this slide is … I’d like to draw your attention to …(this chart …) 8 Referring to common knowledge As you know … / As I’m sure you’re aware … 9 Concluding / justification As you can see, there are some very good reasons … I’d like to leave you with the following thought / idea … In conclusion … / I hope you’ve gained an insight into … 10 Inviting questions and dealing with questions If you have any questions, I’d be pleased (I’ll do my best) to answer them. I would welcome any comments or suggestions. That’s a good point. / I’m glad you asked that question. Can I get back to you on that later? I’m afraid I don’t have … (the information at present). 11 Closing That concludes my talk. / That completes my presentation. That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for listening / your attention. Listen to the last part and complete the key points. Part 3 – Delivery – key points 1 Nerves – What about them? 2 3 4 5 DELIVERY – communication skills – body language – speaking confidently Although the structure should be formal, the most effective speaking manner is usually conversational style (but not too familiar): use short sentences and concrete language to give examples. Your speech should suggest to your audience that you are really talking to them, and your ideas should be accessible to your specific audience. The ideas should be coherent and follow each other naturally. SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY IN PUBLIC Why is standing up and speaking in public so terrifying? Some people spend their lives avoiding giving presentations, afraid that the day they talk to a large audience they will face complete humiliation. However, presentations skills are more important than ever and are essential for anyone who needs to make a proposal or express an idea to a group. Listening You are going to listen to an interview with a representative of a communications training company giving advice about public speaking. Task 11 Because it can be difficult to take notes while listening to someone speak, just write down the main points in the box below and then expand them into notes afterwards. Tips for Public Speaking The key to being a good speaker The presentation itself 1 _____________________________________________________________________________ 2 _____________________________________________________________________________ 3 _____________________________________________________________________________ 4 _____________________________________________________________________________ How to cope with nerves 1 _____________________________________________________________________________ 2 _____________________________________________________________________________ 3 _____________________________________________________________________________ Telling jokes The most important moment / main advice DISCUSSION – welcome the question – think before answering – clarify* the question – accept criticism diplomatically – reply positively – check whether the questioner is satisfied USEFUL PHRASES FOR HANDLING QUESTIONS Welcoming the question That’s a good question. That’s interesting / Good point. Go ahead / Please do / Certainly. Asking for clarification If I understand you correctly, you are saying / asking… I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat your question? I’m not sure what you’re getting at. I’m afraid I don’t see the connection. Rephrasing the question (for others) Do you mean to say… Have I understood correctly that… Checking that the questioner is satisfied Does that answer your question? Is that clear? Can we go on? Avoiding giving an answer Perhaps we could deal with that later. Can we talk about that on another occasion? I’m afraid that’s not my field. I’m sure my colleague could better address that question. That’s interesting, but I prefer not to answer that right now. I don’t have the figures with me. I think I answered that earlier. HANDLING QUESTIONS This is an important part of any presentation, so getting accustomed* to certain tactics is useful. Task 12 What would you say or do in the following situations? SITUATIONS: 1. Instead of asking a question, a person strongly and rather angrily disagrees with you. 2. Instead of asking a question, a person states a viewpoint that agrees with yours. 3. A person says that some of your information is inaccurate*, but you are absolutely sure that you are correct. 4. A person says that some of your information is inaccurate, and you are not sure whether your information is correct or not. 5. A person asks you a question that will require a very long, complicated answer. Match the situations above with the following responses. RESPONSES: A. Do not regard this as an attack. You can say: “I appreciate your bringing this to my attention. I’ll have to recheck my sources to see what is correct.” B. If possible, give your source of information. If you cannot do so, you can say: “I believe that my information is correct, but I will certainly recheck my facts.” C. Address the person’s question, noting that you cannot answer it at this time. You can say: “That’s an interesting question, but it would take much too long to answer it. Perhaps we can discuss it later.” D. Listen politely, then restate your point of view, with additional evidence, if possible. Do not argue with the person. If they repeat their position, you can say: “Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this point.” or “Unfortunately, there’s no time to go into this more deeply right now.” E. Show how this person’s ideas support your own point of view. You can say: “Yes, that fits in exactly with what I was saying.” IALS TEST materials (1997) in M. Pavlovová, Oral Presentations, 2002. VIDEO WEB LINKS Task 14 – Watch these videos and prepare notes for discussion. · How to End a Speech with Impact; Mary Daphne, viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2 AxIFl6SoUQ on 19.10.2020 · How to End a Presentation; Alex Lyon; viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBO0riisO zU&ab_channel=CommunicationCoachAlexLyon (2:43) on 24.1.2021 · How to Practice a Speech, Alex Lyon; viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d812a7qG9K w (7:19) on 13.10.2021 Vocabulary 1. *persuasive přesvědčivý 2. *to conduct (an analysis) provádět (analýzu) 3. *suggestion návrh 4. *to refer to (something); reference odkazovat na; odkaz 5. *focus, main or central point hlavní bod 6. *to focus on zaměřit se na 7. *to move on to přejít na 8. *to deal with zabývat se 9. *to consider vzít v úvahu, uvážit 10. *outline náčrt, nástin 11. checklist kontrolní seznam 12. transparency, slide diapozitiv 13. *to reduce, decrease zmenšit, snížit 14. *to substitute; substitution nahradit; náhrada 15. *to enhance obohatit, vylepšit 16. *to distract vyrušovat, rušit 17. *credible důvěryhodný 18. *appropriate vhodný 19. oral presentation ústní prezentace 20. to give a speech přednést řeč 21. to deliver a speech mít řeč 22. to make a speech mít projev 23. to speak in public mluvit na veřejnosti 24. attentive audience pozorné publikum 25. to raise a question položit otázku 26. to discuss some issues diskutovat o některých problémech 27. to clarify objasnit 28. to ask for clarification požádat o objasnění 29. to overcome nervousness překonat nervozitu 30. to present an idea prezentovat myšlenku 31. to show enthusiasm projevit nadšení 32. to go down well with the audience najít odezvu u publika 33. to fail to succeed neuspět 34. to commit a blunder dopustit se velké chyby 35. to do one’s best vynasnažit se 36. to speak up mluvit hlasitě 37. to applaud tleskat