AI sem 02

AI SEMINAR 2 - Presentations I

PREPARATION – REHEARSAL – TITLE – MAIN BODY – VISUALS

What is the best definition of presentation for you?

the act of performing something in front of an audience
the event* at which a new product or idea is described or explained
verbal and formal transmission of information to colleagues, higher levels of management, and a general audience
effective speech
communication of our vision with passion* and competence*
the act of showing someone something so that it can be checked* or considered*

Discussion

Do you have any experience with giving presentations?
What is the point of a presentation?
What are the features* of a good presentation?
What are the most important “don’ts” when giving presentations?
What kinds of presentations do you think you may need in your careers and why?

A Brief Structure of the Whole Presentation Process

PREPARATION	presentation analysis, planning your time, purpose, topic, audience
REHEARSAL*	phrases, timing, body language
TITLE	selection
INTRODUCTION	your name, position, purpose, topic/title, length of time, handling questions, outline
MAIN BODY	coherent* and logical structure, natural transition between main points
ENDING	signal to end, summary, conclusion, recommendations, closing
DISCUSSION	welcome questions, think before answering, clarify* the question, accept criticism, reply positively, check whether the questioner is satisfied
CLOSING	thank audience

PREPARATION

Nothing will relax you more than to know you have properly prepared!

1. PLANNING TIME – approximately 50% should go to preparation & 50% to rehearsal (time yourself).
2. PURPOSE – determine* the purpose of the presentation. Write out a single declarative* sentence which states the specific objective* you wish to achieve.

Task 1
Which of these purpose statements* could serve as a basis for a presentation relevant* to this course?

“I hope 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.”
“I hope to illustrate to the audience the impact* of September 11th, 2001 on the EU, focusing on its foreign policy, so that they get better insight* into EU policy concerning the Iraq crisis.”
I hope 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.”
“I hope to communicate the greatness of ancient philosophy, so that they can admire and love it as much as I do.”

Task 2
Here are some examples of presentation themes or topics that are too general for a short presentation. Try to find a more interesting and specific perspective on one of the following topics:

1. Popular Culture	__________________________________
2. Trends for the 21st Century	__________________________________
3. Human Achievements*	__________________________________
4. Gender Differences	__________________________________
5. The Environment	__________________________________
6. Changes in Society	__________________________________

3. AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
A well-prepared presentation given to the wrong audience can have the same effect as a poorly prepared presentation given to the correct audience; both can fail.
Proper audience analysis will assure that you give the right presentation to the right audience.
Here are some general audience analysis points to consider:

Who are they and how many will be there?
What is their knowledge of the subject?
Why are they there and what do they expect to learn from me?
What are my needs as the speaker? What are their needs as the audience?

Adapted from http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/audanaly.htm

Task 3
Try doing an audience analysis for the following examples.

a)	Working as a team member, you are going to give a presentation at a community rehabilitation centre (to 20 people) concerning a new anti-drug programme. (50 min.)
b)	As a member of a project team, you are going to present a new project in your field to the Dean’s Project Committee (5 people) at the Dean’s Office. (15’)
c)	You are a student presenting something of interest from your field to this class (15 people). (8’)*
d)	As an MU (FF/FSS) student, you will talk about student life at the MU Open House Day for prospective* students (mostly teenagers, but some parents) in a large hall (150 people). (30’)

SPECIAL NOTE: In this course, assume that you are speaking to a young, educated, receptive, humanities-oriented audience. Do not give a presentation about something that is “common knowledge”. If you do, then make sure you have an original perspective* on the “common theme”. If you want it to be interesting for others, the topic should be quite specific and you may even want to do some extra research of your own to make it more interesting for you!

REHEARSAL

First, write down and learn the key sentences and phrases, concentrating on the sequence of ideas.
Second, privately practice delivering* the presentation 4-5 times, using all the aids* and/or visuals you will need.
Third, go through one final rehearsal to focus on your weak points (poor eye contact, low volume, poor structure, weak dynamics).
Fourth, deliver your presentation using only a well-structured outline of main and sub-points.*
Do NOT memorize word for word and DO NOT READ! The illusion of spontaneity must be kept!!!
Adapted from Http://www.spaco.org/magiform.htm

TITLE

A title must attract your audience, describe your topic clearly, and give a precise* idea about what to expect in the presentation.

DON’Ts: Avoid redundant* words and phrases such as “a study on” or “an investigation of”
Avoid abbreviations* and jargon*
Avoid “cute” or sensational titles
Avoid being too vague* or general

Task 4
Explain why you should avoid the above-mentioned points.

Task 5
Which of the following titles would be acceptable for an academic presentation?
How could they be changed to be more acceptable?

1. A Study of Prisoners and Guards in a Simulated Prison
2. Inner City Problems and Policies: A Conservative View
3. Black Identity and the Role of Reggae
4. Everyday Pills That Kill! The Dangers of Over-the-counter Drugs
5. Narrative Skills in Improvisational Theatre

Task 6
Match the specific titles below to the topics in Task 2.

A. The Working Week in 20th Century America
B. Vanessa Mae as the Modern Day Paganini
C. The True Effects of Having a No Car Day
D. The French Colonists of 18th Century Moravia
E. Common Reading Patterns of Czech Youth Today
F. Men in Denmark: The Choice to Raise Children and Work in the Home

Task 7
You can also extend the title by using a subheading (as in F above). Come up with some inspiring subheadings for some of the titles you have developed in Tasks 2, 5, or 6.

Task 8
Look at the following examples of titles of presentations. Which of these enable* you to predict* the content of the presentations?

1. Noise Stress and Human Behaviour
2. The Billion Dollar Question!
3. Industrial Policies of Industrial Countries
4. Out of the Oceans and on to Faster Bicycles
5. The Persistent* Stereotype: Children’s Images of Scientists

Task 9
Develop a good working title and a purpose statement for next week’s seminar.

MAIN BODY

This part outlines the main arguments, sub-points, supporting arguments, and evidence* of the subject of the presentation into a logical and coherent order.

What is the most efficient* way of communicating ideas to your audience? (Choose the best answer)

a) formulate each complete thought in a short sentence of 15-20 words.
b) formulate more thoughts in a short sentence of 15-20 words.
c) formulate your complete thought in a sentence of more than 40 words.
d) formulate more thoughts in a sentence of more than 40 words.

Although the structure should be formal, the most effective speaking manner is usually conversational style (but not too familiar): short sentences, concrete language – give examples; speech that suggests to your audience that you are really talking to them, and ideas that are accessible to a general audience. The ideas should be coherent and follow each other naturally.

VISUALS AND AIDS

Task 10
Look at the visuals below and try to characterize their qualities.

1. 2.

Task 11
Look at the visual aids listed and discuss their possible advantages and disadvantages.

handouts* transparencies (slides)*
blackboard with an outline demonstrations
graphs, charts, tables (for figures* and statistics) computer, overhead projector
props,* objects, items video, film, animation
pictures (drawings, photographs, maps, posters, cartoons)

Task 12
Look at the titles below and decide what kind of visual aids you would use.

1. Black Identity and the Role of Reggae
2. Some Reading Patterns of Czech Youth Today
3. Narrative Skills in Improvisational Theatre
4. Noise Stress and Human Behaviour
5. Industrial Policies of Industrial Countries
6. The French Colonists of 18th Century Moravia
7. The Working Week in 20th Century America
8. Vanessa Mae as the Modern Day Paganini

Visuals – Some useful phrases to use
Integrate your visuals into the presentation by preparing the audience for what they are going to see using these possible expressions:
- “Now, let’s look at the position for …”
- “Now, I’ll show you the …”
- “For …, the situation is very different.”
- “Let’s move on and look at the figures for …”
- “The next slide shows …”
- “If we now turn to …”

Explain what the visual shows. This helps to focus attention and avoid misunderstandings.
- “The lower chart compares political parties in two countries …”
- “The upper left part of the slide gives information about …”
- “You can see here in the middle the development over the past five years…”

Some useful DON‘TS: a) Don’t use visuals to repeat what you can say with words.
b) Don’t overcrowd visuals with too much information.
c) Don’t use too many visuals.
d) Don’t read from the visuals.