Think about your weak and strong points as a speaker in public. Compare and discuss your list with your partner.
my
| strong points | weak points |
Make a check list of what you should do to avoid turning your presentation into a disaster.
| Dos | Don’ts | |
When you give a presentation, do you
– use body language;
– keep eye contact with one person;
– shift your eye contact;
– smile from time to time;
– use a variety of gestures;
– keep fingering your spectacles;
– read your talk;
– talk to your notes, the blackboard or your visual aids;
– stand with your back to a wall or curtain to minimize distractions;
– keep visual aids covered until you need them;
– walk up and down;
– overrun your time;
– finish before you are expected to;
– stand in front of the window;
– if you distribute something to be looked at, stop talking till everyone has examined it;
– lean forward facing the audience;
– start summarizing what you are going to say, then say it, and end by summarizing it again;
– laugh at your own jokes;
– smoke;
– make your audience roll in the aisle with your jokes;
– wear whatever you feel comfortable and self-assured in;
– talk with ease;
– prepare your speech in advance and rehearse it in the bath.
Study the text given below and say whether it meets the requirements of an effective presentation. Give your grounds.
The Power of Language
There is а debate going оn in some colleges and universities today about the importance of а foreign language requirement. At some of these institutions, students mау choose between а second language and mathematics – or some other discipline.
When you live in the U.S., knowledge of а foreign language is helpful but not necessary for survival. From some students’ point of view, saying “bonjour” instead of “hello” when they might spend а couple of weeks vacation in France over the course of а lifetime hardly merits a big investment in time and effort. Neither does learning а Spanish dialogue to take а trip South of the Border.
It is important, therefore, to define the benefits of learning а foreign language. In the first place, students should bе made aware that in the U.S. alone, over 30% of the population is Spanish-speaking or of Hispanic origin. Learning French enables one to communicate in parts of Europe, Canada, and Africa. Chinese and Arabic cover over half the people in the world!
Second, learning а foreign language leads to а better understanding of cultures and mentalities different from one’s own; and though it mау bе interesting to bow rather than to shake hands, the important thing is the thinking and questioning process that should lead to а better understanding of one’s own culture as well as those of others.
Third, learning а language opens the door to great literatures and philosophies, which can have а tremendous impact on one’s life. Reading literature in the language written is truly “living” the author’s creation, in а way not possible through translation – no matter how great the translator.
Finally, we do business in а global economy; the better we communicate with associates around the world, the greater success we will achieve.
Make individual or team presentations in class. To make your presentation effective use the following words and phrases. You may also consult the Functional Phrase List in the Supplement (p. 186):
| Let me begin by saying … | Разрешите мне начать с того, что … |
| I would like to begin (to start)… | Я хотел бы начать с … |
| First of all … | Во-первых, … |
| Secondly … | Во-вторых, … |
| Thirdly … | В-третьих … |
| Further… | Далее … |
| For example/for instance… | Например … |
| An example of this is … | Примером этого … |
| On the one hand … | С одной стороны … |
| On the other hand … | С другой стороны … |
| Similarly … | Подобным образом … |
| Likewise … | Аналогично … |
| Especially important… | Особенно важно … |
| To sum up, … | Подводя итог … |
| To summarize, … | Если суммировать … … |
| Finally … | Наконец … |
| In conclusion, let me say that … | В завершение разрешите мне сказать, что … |
In Focus
Expressing importance
| Adjectives for evaluating importance | Examples |
| important significant fundamental crucial ground-breaking unique seminal notable | Important new information about the planets has been gained from the space probes. British scientists published a significant piece of research on the nature of cancerous cells. Fundamentalproblems exist in current theories of the universe. A crucial stage of global warming could be reached within ten years, scientists say. A ground-breaking discovery has been made in research into ageing. The discovery of archeologists in Egypt is unique according to scientists. In his seminal work Abaka challenges current techniques, revealing flaws in data interpretation. The only criticism I have is that there is a notable lack of references to works before. |