Teaching Presentation Skills

Teaching Presentation Skills Simon Parker, Saturday May 10th 2008 BETA Conference, Why are presentations important? Characteristics: – teachable skills Controlled practice Teach them! Feedback, self assessment, peer assessment, praise!!! Free(er) practice The actual presentation BETA Conference, “a talk giving information about something” source: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary Usually lasting for at least 1½ minutes The majority of the ‘talk’ should be in the student’s own words BETA Conference, Benefits of student presentations • Free practice • Creates a context for use of new vocabulary • A transferable life skill! • Increased confidence • Development of body language • Accelerated language development BETA Conference, Characteristics of great presentations • • • • • • Clear structure (beginning middle and end) Easy to follow Presenter is enthusiastic Presenter is not monotone Presenter makes eye contact Presenter uses appropriate body language BETA Conference, Get your students to either identify these themselves or, ‘rate’ the importance of a list you BETA Conference, provide them with – e.g Student questionnaire A good teacher… OK does not speak too quickly is enthusiastic looks at the students/makes eye contact is confident is not monotone explains the purpose of the lesson + what you will talks with their body! – they use their hands when they speak knows their subject explains with interesting examples reviews what they’ve covered at the end of the session BETA Conference, useful v useful vital!!! The structure of ANY presentation • Say what you’re going to say • Say it! • Say what you’ve said BETA Conference, Body Language • 60% of all human communication is non-verbal • Body language can significantly improve the communication between native and none native speakers BETA Conference, Get students to mime different feelings and emotions Demonstrate the link between body language and structure: first point, second point (but warning on middle finger and V sign!) Get students to practice these with speech BETA Conference, Eye Contact BETA Conference, Demonstrate this to your students: how they react / feel when you look them in the eye? What is the purpose of eye contact? Get individual students to the BETA Conference, The stresses and pauses exercise “I think we’ll need to find a new venue for our party” “I think we’ll need to find a new venue for our party” “I think we’ll need to find a new venue for our party” “I think we’ll need to find a new venue for our party” “I think we’ll need to find a new venue for our party” BETA Conference, The Power of the Pause Demonstrate this to your students: ask them how they react / think Conference, whenBETA you, as a teacher, pause Steps Get the students to memorize the sentence Ask them the meaning of the sentence with the key word stressed Ask them how they would stress the word Long or short? Loud etc? Ask them where the pause should be Get all students to say the sentence, standing up but by their seat Introduce body language: what would be appropriate for each sentence/word? Get all students to say the sentence with body language, standing up but, again, by their seat Introduce eye contact Get students to come to the front of the class and say the sentence, making eye contact with specific individuals Keep the pace brisk; give lots of praise; don’t be afraid to get students repeating sentences; try and make it fun! BETA Conference, Free(er) practice Students decide which words should be stressed and where the pauses should be More practice at the front of the class BETA Conference, Brining it all together: preparing for the performance – using poems BETA Conference, Teach students how to choose the ‘opening Try whole class or pair thought showers to elicit ideas words’ for their Try and get them to differentiate between presentation formal and informal openers Try and get them to write the first three sentences of their presentation in the class BETA Conference, Get students to think about how they move from one section of their presentation to the next : BETA Conference, pause – “I’m now going to tell • Get / encourage students to write a key point summery ofmarket, their my Intro: my product, my competitors presentation e.g • Point product: key features, USP • Point market: size, growth + reasons BETA Conference, “Practice makes perfect” Encourage your students to practice in front of their: mirror, dog, cat, goldfish, goat, grandmother etc etc BETA Conference, Keep stressing that: Planning + Effort = Success! BETA Conference, Assessment, self assessment, peer assessment BETA Conference, Give students a list of the criteria of an excellent presentation Get students to give feedback to each other Get students to say what was good about their own presentation and what could be improved Give frequent, specific praise BETA Conference, Thank you for participating! Keep in touch: albiontraining@gmail.com BETA Conference, [...]... between presentation formal and informal openers Try and get them to write the first three sentences of their presentation in the class BETA Conference, Get students to think about how they move from one section of their presentation to the next : BETA Conference, pause – “I’m now going to tell • Get / encourage students to write a key point summery ofmarket, their my Intro: my product, my competitors presentation. .. Effort = Success! BETA Conference, Assessment, self assessment, peer assessment BETA Conference, Give students a list of the criteria of an excellent presentation Get students to give feedback to each other Get students to say what was good about their own presentation and what could be improved Give frequent, specific praise BETA Conference, Thank you for participating! Keep in touch: albiontraining@gmail.com