Seminar 1 – Introduction and Presentation Skills Introducing yourself and interviewing your partner Topics - studies, travel experience, plans/motivation for study abroad, needs for study abroad READING Read the article below. About Erasmus Erasmus is the European Union’s flagship (1) educational exchange programme for Higher Education students, teachers and institutions. It was introduced with the aim of increasing student mobility within Europe. Erasmus forms part of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (2007-2013). It encourages student and staff mobility for work and study, and promotes trans-national co-operation projects among universities across Europe. The scheme currently involves nine out of every ten European higher education establishments (2) and supports co-operation between the universities of 33 countries. Erasmus has developed beyond an educational programme – it has acquired (3) the status of a social and cultural phenomenon. It gives many European university students their first chance to live and thrive (4) abroad. Over two and a half million students have benefited from Erasmus since the introduction in 1987. Which country? All the countries and institutions have something special to offer and while France, Spain, Germany and Italy are the countries most visited by Erasmus students, if you go to one of the less visited countries, you will be even more special. And the best part is you will be a local not a tourist. Erasmus students can go to any of the countries listed below: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey Since the academic year 2011/12 students have been eligible (5) to also work and study in Switzerland and Croatia under the Erasmus programme. Why go? Top 10 reasons to take part • Stand out in the job market – a great addition to your CV • Return more motivated, independent and confident • Get a grant and receive tuition (6) fee support • It counts towards your degree – it’s not a gap year • Learn a range of life-skills not taught in the lecture theatre • Access a wider range of subject areas than in your country • Improve your language skills • Gain an international network of friends • Discover (7) a different culture, gain an international perspective and travel • It’s really good fun! Adapted from www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus Task 1 Explain the meaning of the words in italics. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. SPEAKING Task 2 Work in pairs. Ask and answer the following questions, then report on what you have found out about your partner. · How did you find out about the Erasmus exchange programme? · Why would you like to go on Erasmus? · If you go, what will you study? · Have you thought of a particular country you would like to study in? If you have, why did you choose it? · Have you already thought about/chosen the university you would like to study at? · Do you have a friend who has already participated in this programme? Did their experience influence your decision? • What are your expectations of the study stay? • Is there anything that might possibly put you off going? • Do you know what arrangements you will have to make prior to your departure? LISTENING Task 3 Listen to a student speaking about his experience. Then answer the questions below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD7fbGthY2g 1. What subjects did he study during his Erasmus stay? 2. What preparations did he make before he left for the country? a) b) c) 3. Did he study anything else apart from his majors? 4. Did he stay at a house, a student dormitory or a flat? 5. How did he find looking for a place to stay? 6. What does he seem to have enjoyed most about his Erasmus stay? VISUAL OUTLINE OF KEY PRESENTATION POINTS TITLE You may use a sub-heading Make it interesting & informative POINT 1 Give supporting ideas and examples SUMMARY Give one sentence for each main point, not just a list of the main points (i.e. do not repeat your original outline) INTRODUCTION Purpose Statement Why and how is your topic important? POINT 2 Give supporting ideas and examples CONCLUSION Thesis Statement In one or two sentence, why and how is what you’ve just said important? OUTLINE main points: 1 2 3 Don’t write structural words here like introduction, summary, discussion, sources POINT 3 ou may use a shown at the endntures only for decoration. clear lkSignal to end after your last point CLOSING Thanking audience and inviting questions Sources should be shown at the end INTRODUCTION Present yourself (name & study area) and your topic (with a clear purpose statement describing the aim of your talk); provide an informative outline* of the main points (don’t put structural information such as the words introduction, summary, conclusion, discussion into the outline); you may state to your audience when and how you would like to handle questions. An introduction is a very important part of a presentation. It should not only arouse curiosity, but also provide an overview* of the most important points. The audience should get the impression that your topic is well thought out (an interesting, informative title), that you have done the audience analysis (well-chosen style and register*), and that you have a clear idea about the actual content of the presentation. A well planned introduction will “set an objective framework in which the audience will accept the information as accurate and as significant.” (Laster & Pickett 1996:442) As introductions can become repetitive, it is important to have a choice of words and expressions ready. Task 4 Use one of the following expressions to replace the synonyms in bold. Find the purpose statement. don’t hesitate a chance I take care I’m delighted sections to communicate go through in more depth* my purpose is finally divide to 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. 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, 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 5 Complete the following ENDING with words from the list and find the concluding statement. questions that’s all secondly discussion meaningful conclude issues briefly finally begin So, ____________I have planned to say about the topic. Let me summarize the main ____________. Very ____________, they are four. First, I spoke about the preparation phase, where it’s very important to determine the aim and its relevance to the audience; ____________, the use of sign-posting language, which is used to provide optimal orientation; and ____________, the actual delivery, where it’s good to think about your voice and body language. I’d like to ____________ by emphasizing that many presentations could be greatly improved by providing the audience with a ____________ concluding statement that stresses the position of the speaker on the topic. I suggest we start the ____________, but before we ____________, let me thank you for your attention. I’d be glad to answer any ____________ now. LISTENING – GIVING TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS Task 6 Listen to the first part and complete the notes. Part 1 – Preparation – key points 1 Objectives 2 3 4 5 6 Listen to the second part and list the numbers of the sections that are referred to. Part 2 – Language – “Sign Posting” GIVING TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS 1 Introducing Good morning, my name is … I’m a … (student … ) at … (Masaryk University) 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 / 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 transparency^13 This diagram shows … screen If 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). I’m afraid I’m not the right person to answer that. 11 Closing That concludes my talk. That brings me to the end of my presentation. That completes my presentation. Thank you for your attention / listening. Listen to the last part and complete the key points. Part 3 – Delivery – key points 1 Nerves 2 3 4 5 Task 7 Discuss the above presentation in relation to the Visual Outline of Key Presentation Points on page 2. How would you evaluate the ending of the recorded presentation? How could the summary and conclusion be improved? 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 8 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. Go ahead / Please do / Certainly. Good point. 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 don’t have the figures with me. I’m sure my colleague could better address that question. That’s interesting, but I prefer not to answer that right now. I think I answered that earlier. Task 9 Prepare a short presentation (6-8 minutes) to give during the semester on one the following: (Write your name in the Presentation Sign-up Sheet). 1. Your potential host university (departments, specializations) 2. Your potential host country – expected cultural differences (customs, safety/security, gender roles, punctuality, language and body language – proxemics, gestures) 3. Masaryk University (faculty/department/country (as above, with consideration to knowledge and expectations of the hosts) 4. Brno and/or the Czech Republic (or home country) – (topics that could be interesting for other Erasmus students) 5. Educational system of your home country (as above, with consideration to knowledge and expectations of the hosts) 6. How Czech People See Themselves 7. How Foreigners Perceive the Czech Republic / Czech people 8. Any topic related to your area of study (that could be interesting for your host institution) VIDEO WEB LINKS A) How to use PowerPoint: · http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC1OixM_118&feature=related (Powerpoint extreme makeover) B) Public speaking song: · http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv6kZM0Le-w&mode=related&search= (I hate public speaking) C) How to give or how not to give presentations: · http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rud9jb6uUAU&mode=related&search= (Video tip # 1 – The impo rtance of Presentation Skills) PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Consider the following criteria before making your presentation: 1. Organisation - preparedness - logical sequence - introduction - purpose statement - outline - sign-posting language - key points - summary - conclusion - closure - timing 2. Content - topic coverage - relevant to humanities and social sciences - informative - understandable - interesting - entertaining 3. Language - appropriate to audience - explanation of jargon - voice - speed - volume - clarity - intonation - grammatical accuracy - correct pronunciation of key words 4. Body language - eye contact ( with the whole class, not only the teacher) - good use of notes; not reading large parts of the presentation - stance, enthusiasm 5. Visuals - appropriate - supportive - clear 6. Questions - handling of the discussion - clear, appropriate responses 7. Sources - reliability - bibliography format