USEFUL PHRASES AND STRATEGIES FOR PRESENTATIONS INTRODUCTION Welcoming and greeting the audience • Hello, everyone. I'd like, first of all, to thank the organizers of this meeting for inviting me here today. • Good morning everyone and welcome to my presentation. First of all, let me thank you all for coming here today. • Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If s an honour to have the opportunity to address such a distinguished audience. • Hallo/Hi everyone. Thanks for coming. j Introducing yourself (name, position, responsibilities) • Let me introduce myself. I'm Jan Novak from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic... • Let me start by saying just a few words about my own background. I'm a PhD student of Geography at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. • For those of you who don't know me already, my name's ... and I'm responsible for... Saying what your topic/title/subject is • What I'd like to present to you today is... • As you can see on the screen, our topic today is... • The subject/focus/topic/title of my presentation/talk/speech is... • In this talk, I/we would like to concentrate on... • In my presentation I would like to report on... • I'm here today to present... Explaining why your topic is relevant for your audience • Today's topic is of particular interest to those of you who... • My talk is particularly relevant to those of you who... • By the end of this talk you will be familiar with... Stating your purpose/objective • The purpose/objective/aim of this presentation is to... • Today I'd like to give you an overview of... • I'd like to update you on/inform you about/put you in the picture about/give you the background to/present the results of my research... • During the next 20 minutes we'll be... • This talk is designed to act as a springboard for discussion. • This morning I'm going to be talking to you about/ telling you about/ showing you how to deal with/ taking a look at the recent development in/ reporting on the results of the study we carried out... • What I'm going to do/What I intend to do is describe to you/show you/tell you about-Presenting the outline/organization/structure of your presentation • I've divided my presentation into three main parts. • In my presentation I'll focus on three major issues. • We thought it would be useful to divide our talk into three main sections. • We can break this area down into the following fields:... • The subject can be looked at under the following headings:... • We have organized this talk in the following way:... • This presentation is structured as follows:... • This talk will cover two current theories on the topic of... Sequencing • My first point concerns... • I'll begin/start off by... Then I'll move on to... Then/Next/After that, I'll be looking at / • First/First of all, I'd like to give you an overview of... • Secondly/Then/Next, I'll focus on... • Thirdly/And then, we'll consider... • Finally/Lastly/Last of all, I'll deal with... • So, I'll begin by filling you in on the background to/ bringing you up-to-date on/ giving you an overview of the history of/ making a few observations about/ outlining... • And then, I'll go on to highlight what I see as the main points of/ put the situation into some kind of perspective/ discuss in more depth the implications of/ take you through/make detailed recommendations regarding... • One thing I'll be dealing with is the issue of... • I'll end with... • And finally, I'd like to address the problem of/to raise briefly the issue of... Timing • This should only last 20 minutes. • My presentation will take about 20 minutes • It will take about 20 minutes to cover these issues. Handouts • Does everybody have a handout/brochure/copy of the report? Please take one and pass them on. • I'll be handing out copies of the slides at the end of my talk. • I can email the PowerPoint presentation to anybody who wants it. • Don't worry about taking notes. I've put all the important statistics on a handout for you. Questions • If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time. • Please interrupt me, if there is something which needs clarifying. Otherwise, there'll be time for discussion at the end. • If you have any questions you'd like to ask, I'll be happy to answer them. • If you don't mind, we'll leave questions till the end. • There will be time for questions after my presentation. EFFECTIVE OPENINGS To make an effective presentation, it is important to get your audience interested in the first three minutes of your presentation. You need to hook your audience and cause them to pay attention to you. There are three ways to make an effective opening: l.Give your listeners a problem to think about. l.Give them some amazing facts. 3.Cive them a story or some personal experience. A problem Suppose your company lost 30% of its customer base over a three-month period because a competitor introduced a new product with some new exciting features. How would you respond to this situation? How many of you have ever had trouble remembering words? Just about everyone, right? Well, imagine a small machine that can read your mind. When you think of a Chinese word or phrase, the machine wiTJ wirelessly transfer the correct English word or phrase to your mind. Do you think that's possible? Amazing facts According to a new study, the virus causing the bird flu sweeping Asia actually started in China over one year ago. An ineffective vaccine was given to chickens. Thinking the chickens were healthy, chicken farmers exported their chickens throughout Asia for a year without knowing that many of them carried the bird flu virus. Statistics show that 1 in every 4 Americans have appeared on television and 85% of couples who lose a child (through an accident or a health problem) get divorced. A story You may have heard about the 16-year-old girl from Russia who has the ability to "see" broken bones or other medical problems inside people's bodies without the help of any instrument. Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to change some personal habit or some physical characteristic? I remember when I was 40 years old and still weighed 50 kg and wanted to gain weight. A psychic (fortune-teller) told me to talk to the cells in my body before every meal and ask them to hold on to my food longer after I ate. I did it for six months and it turned out that at the end of six months I had gained 6 kg - the first weight I had gained since high school. (This is a true story.) Problem technique • Suppose .... How would you ... ? • Have you ever wondered why it is that... ? You have? Well, if I could show you ... would you be interested? • How many of you have ever ... ? Do you think that's possible? Amazing facts technique • Did you know that... ? • According to a new study .... • Statistics show that.... • I read somewhere the other day that.... Story/anecdote technique • You may have heard about.... • Have you ever been in a situation where ... ? I remember when .... It turned out that.... THE MIDDLE/MAIN PART OF THE PRESENTATION (SIGNPOSTING) Saying what is coming • In this part of my presentation, I'd like to talk about... • So, let me first give you a brief overview... Indicating the end of a section • This brings me to the end of my first point. • So much for point two. • So, that's the background on... • That's all I wanted to say about... Summarizing a point • Before I move on, I'd like to recap the main points. • Let me briefly summarize the main issues. • I'd like to summarize what I've said so far... Moving to the next point • This leads directly to my next point. • This brings us to the next question. • Leťs now move on to/turn to... • Leťs now take a look at... • Okay, let me now turn to the issue of... Going back • As I said/mentioned earlier,... • Let me come back to what I said before... • Leťs go back to what we were discussing earlier. • As I've already explained,... • As I pointed out in the first section,... • Can I now go back to the question I posed at the beginning? Adding ideas • In addition to this, I'd like to say that... • Moreover/Furthermore, there are other interesting facts we should take a look at. Elaborating a point • I'd like to look at this in a bit more detail. • Can I develop this point a bit further? • Let me elaborate on this point. • Leťs look at this problem in a bit more detail... Explaining terminology • ... occupational hazards, that is to say dangers which apply to certain job. • ... occupational hazards, in other words dangers which apply to certain jobs. • What I mean by occupational hazards is dangers which apply to certain jobs • ... occupational hazards. To put that another way, dangers which apply to certain job. Rhetorical questions • What conclusion can we draw from this? • So, what does this mean? • So, where do we go from here? Indicators - they prepare the audience for introducing a new point or just provide pauses before continuing • Okay/Right/Right then/Good/Now/Now then/ Well now/Well then-Interacting with the audience • Is everyone still with me? • Are you all following me so far? DESCRIBING VISUALS Introducing a visual • Leťs now look at the next slide which shows... • Now, let's look at/let's have a look at/take a look at/I'd like you to look at... • To illustrate this, leťs have a closer look at... • The chart on the following slide shows... • The problem is illustrated in the next bar chart... • As you can see here,... Explaining a visual • First, let me quickly explain the graph. • As the graph/table shows/indicates.... • I'd like us to focus our attention on the significance of this figure here. • From Table 1 we can see/conclude/show/estimate/calculate/infer that... • The chart compares... . - here the development over the past five years. - i information • : ; :: ;r-=;s highlight/emphasize the following points. • Fd also like to draw your attention to the upper half of the chart. • : -. : _ I; ok at it more closely, you'll notice there are several surprising developments. • ! : Like to point out one or two interesting details. • Td Eke you to think about the significance of this figure here. • Td like to focus your attention on the underlying trend here. • Whichever the reasons for this/Whichever way you look at it/However you try to explain it, the underlying trend is obvious. • The interesting/ significant/ important thing about.... is.... Describing trends • Sales increased/shot up/grew/rose by... • Sales declined/reduced/decreased/dropped/fell by... • Sales increased/decreased shghtly/slowly/gradually/steadily/markedly/dramatically/steeply/sharply/ rapidly/suddenly... • There was a sudden increase/decrease in... • In 2010, we saw a moderate fall. • This was followed by a gradual decline. • The increase reached a peak/levelled off... Saying numbers 500 five hundred 1,500 one thousand five hundred 350,421 three hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred and twenty-one 211,050,780 two hundred and eleven million, fifty thousand, seven hundred and eighty 10.6 ten point six 8.735 eight point seven three five 0.009 zero point oh oh nine -5°C five degrees below zero Celsius Vi one-half; a half 2/3 two-thirds 7/8 seven-eighths km/h kilometres per hour CONCLUSION Indicating the end of your presentation • I'm now approaching/ nearing the end of my presentation. • Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation/ talk. • That covers just about everything I wanted to say about... • As a final point, I'd like to... • Finally, I'd like to highlight one key issue. • That completes my presentation. Summarizing points • Let me just run over/through the key points again. • To conclude/In conclusion, I'd like to... • In short/In a word/In a nutshell/In brief/To sum up/To summarize, it is generally/widely accepted/argued/ held/believed that... • First we looked at... and we saw that.... Then we considered... and we argued.... • I'll briefly summarize the main issues. • Therefore/Thus/On this basis/Given this, it can be concluded/deduced/inferred that... • From the table/figures/data/results/information, it can be seen/concluded/shown/estimated/calculated that. • . >=■=;-.era die development over the past five years. _ i" ; ■" _ z . 7- z nnation • : :: ri;;- highlight/ emphasize the following points. • Td also like to draw your attention to the upper half of the chart. • : _ .:: k at it more closely, you'll notice there are several surprising developments. • roint out one or two interesting details. • Td Kke vou to think about the significance of this figure here. • Td Kke to focus your attention on the underlying trend here. • Whichever the reasons for this/Whichever way you look at it/However you try to explain it, the underlying trend is obvious. • 7r.e :r.:eresting/significant/important thing about.... is.... r zicriring trends • Sales increased/shot up/grew/rose by... • Sales declined/reduced/decreased/dropped/fell by... • Sales increased/decreased slightly/slowly/gradually/steadily/markedly/dramatically/steeply/sharply/ rapidly/suddenly... • There was a sudden increase/decrease in... • In 2010, we saw a moderate fall. • This was followed by a gradual decline. • The increase reached a peak/levelled off... Saying numbers 500 five hundred 1,500 one thousand five hundred 350,421 three hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred and twenty-one 211,050,780 two hundred and eleven million, fifty thousand, seven hundred and eighty 10.6 ten point six 8.735 eight point seven three five 0.009 zero point oh oh nine -5°C five degrees below zero Celsius Vi one-half; a half 2/3 two-thirds 7/8 seven-eighths km / h kilometres per hour CONCLUSION Indicating the end of your presentation • I'm now approaching/nearing the end of my presentation. • Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation/talk. • That covers just about everything I wanted to say about... • As a final point, I'd like to... • Finally, I'd like to highlight one key issue. • That completes my presentation. Summarizing points • Let me just run over/through the key points again. • To conclude/In conclusion, I'd like to... • In short/In a word/In a nutshell/In brief/To sum up/To summarize, it is generally/widely accepted/argued/ held/believed that... • First we looked at... and we saw that.... Then we considered... and we argued.... • I'll briefly summarize the main issues. • Therefore/Thus/On this basis/Given this, it can be concluded/deduced/inferred that... • From the table/figures/data/results/information, it can be seen/concluded/shown/estimated/calculated that. Making recommendations • We'd suggest... • We therefore strongly recommend that... • In my opinion, we should... • Based on the figures we have, I'm quite certain that... Close • Thank you for your attention. • Before I stop/finish, let me just say... • Thank you for listening. • I hope you will have gained an insight into... • Unless anyone has anything else to add, I think ťhaťs it. Thanks for coming. Inviting questions • Are there any questions? • If you have any questions, I'd be pleased to answer them. • We just have time for a few questions. • And now I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. EFFECTIVE CONCLUSIONS Using questions • After all, isn't that why we're here? • Let me just finish with a question: If we don't do it, won't somebody else? • So, do we really want to miss this opportunity to get ahead of our competitors? Quoting a well-known person • To quote a well-known scientist,... • As... once said,... • To put it in the words of...,... • I'd just like to finish with something former US president Bill Clinton once said: 'You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle'. Referring back to the beginning • Remember what I said at the beginning of my talk today? Well,... • Let me just go back to the story I told you earlier. Remember,... • Let me go back to the story I told at the start of my talk. Remember, the sales meeting in Vienna with the disappointed Japanese businessmen? So, this just shows you that knowing your entire product range is the key to success. Calling the audience to action • So thaťs the plan. Now leťs go and put it into practice! • So now iťs your turn. • Now let's make a real effort to achieve this goal! PEALING WITH QUESTIONS Clarifying questions • I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that. • I'm sorry; could you repeat your question, please? • I'm sorry, but I missed that. Could you say that again, please? • I'm sorry, but I don't quite follow/understand/see what you mean. Could you just explain that some mere please? • So, if I understood you correctly, you would like to know whether... • If I could just rephrase your question. You'd like to know... • Let me just check that I have understood your question. You're asking... Checking whether the questioner is satisfied • Does that answer your question? • Is that clear/OK/clearer now? • Can we go on? • Is that the kind of information you were looking for? Responses to good questions • Good point. • I'm glad you asked that/brought that up. • Thať s a very good question. • Thať s actually a question I frequently get asked. • That's interesting. Admitting you don't know • Sorry, I don't know that off the top of my head. • I'm afraid I'm not in a position to answer that question at the moment. • I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question, but I'll try to find out for you. • Interesting question. What do you think? • Sorry, thať s not my field. But I'm sure Peter Bolt form Sales Department could answer your question. • I'm afraid I don't have that information with me. Responses to irrelevant questions • Well, I think that goes beyond the scope of my expertise/presentation. • To be honest, I think that raises a different issue. • Thať s not really my field. • I'm afraid I don't see the connection. Negative responses to questions • Not quite. • Not necessarily. • Not as a rule. • Hopefully not. • I don't think/believe so. Hedging - not saying yes or no. • It depends. • On the whole, yes. • Not if we can help it. • To some extent. Postponing questions • If you don't mind, I'll deal with/come back to this point later in my presentation. • Can we get back to this point a bit later? • Would you mind waiting until the question and answer session at the end? • Perhaps we could go over this after the presentation. • I'd prefer to answer your question in the course of my presentation. Closing discussion time • I think we have time for one more question... • If there are no other questions, I'll finish there. Thank you very much. • So if there are no further questions, I guess... PARTI General Characteristics 1. TYPES OF PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS Match :he following types of professional presentations with their descriptions. 1. INFORMATIVE 2. PERSUASIVE 3. DEMONSTRATIVE 4. GUIDING 5. DJPFCTIVE 6. PROCLAMATIVE a) a speech that aims to show how something works or how to do something b) 3n ai.ithoriffct.ive speech that orders the audience to do something c) a speech whose arm is to give information about a place <7 d) a speech whose purpose is to make the audience agree with the opinion of the speaker e) an cffici.il announcement usually about something very important ft 6 f) a :r;?c :r that ficscrioes, defines, explains or analyses a particular topic 4^7 2. PRESENT VilO'S AS \ PROCESS Read the pans of the presentation process below, order them according to hawyauwoiid proem o *>or./h.e '\rs' .Hep to the 'ast one. 1. preparing the presentation trea - ^> 2. preparing written notes ~ 5 . 3. dp?:v'-ving ire presentation ~ ^ 4. structuring the presentation - f 5. choosing the main idea - % 6. hati iiirg r !: nicr.c - \i 7. research or ihe topic ~ A 8. writing down the speech 9. choo«r>K» I he NtIc - K. 10. rcl •: m\w\ the presentation- b 11. p-vj>v.-:n.<.' -my ••>'. ■'.;-visuoi aids 12. •>:;!!'m; arns -!i)d objectives - 13. sue:'.'";cc soalvsis, ■ \^ 14. riev.-i ipiüs', in .tic- points and supporting arguments - M ^4% Mi 3. Till:. PRESENTATION PROCESS STRUCTURE Hatch th-: n of presentation with their functions, contents and key points: 1. PREPARATION 2. REHEARS AT 3. TITLE 4. INTRODUCTION 5 MAIN PODY 6. ENDING 7. DISCUSSION 8. CLOSING a) selection, characteristics b) cre-r-nxfio'-. analysis, time plan, purpose, topic, audience analysis c) conererf and logical structure, natural transition between main points, visuals d) welcome questions, think before answering, clarify the question, accept criticism, reply positively, cH-ok whether the questioner is satisfied e) signal to end, summary, conclusion, recommendations, closing f) thank audience g) your name position, purpose, topic/title, length of time, handling questions, outline h) phrases, timing, body language PART II & c PREPARATION ^S^l 1.ST.H* ■'. 'a-RL ^ Chop-:? essential parts of every preparation process: Plan vohj rims Do audience analysis Choose ,['.u:£ao;ji lor audience Determine "o«t '->p?c Learn how to improvise on the main points Prepare • ^ologetic expressions (being too nervous, unprepared, speaking too long) Rehears1 Create audio-\ isuals aids Set aims and objectives Practise avoiding eye contact Practise nervous gestures Write uotis Memo'-ij:? at>-ast six mecdotes Carry r.»n research 2. TIME MANAGEMENT To be ncessiui it :;:x o achieve while paying special attention to the relevant and efficient aims ami objectives cf the speech. Therefore, defining the purpose of the presentation seems to be the second logical step once the topic has been determined. Thu>i ye• •■' »r,is <\u. % single sentence which defines the specific aim and objectives you wish io n.Oievt. Nose The -ihr; ;t the werml target that speakers wish to reach with the presentation, the reason they in vkinn ng w address the audience. Th? ob'ti tb>es are mor? detailed and precise steps speakers plan to take to reach their aims; the"' ~o> 'O- 'methods used bin components included within the overall aim. They can be expret, f- p. >?u>:>t s. o convince:, to get some immediate action, to inform. And they can be expn ;.-::>d as negatives, usually with the intention to avoid areas of controversy, angles which might :lr:er: the attention of the audience from their main message, weaknesses of the research, i.pseinnp or offending views or information. 5. IV i > of these purpose statements could serve as a basis for a presentation relevan: :■; this course? 1.0 he; ;.o \un if.:■? the lecturer mat the topic 'My Family' is the best and most seien::f.: one so tn-i< I cm t-ass the oral part of the exam." 3 / 2. 'I hope to illustrate to the audience the impact of September 11th, 2001 on the EU. focusing on its foreign policy, so that they develop a better insight into EU policy concerning the Iraq crisis.' a 3. "1 hope to inform the audience about concepts of feminism in Great Britain, the USA. France, Italy, en j Spain, compared to Czech feminism, so that they understand the situation of women in this country.'' • 4. "I hope to co timunioate the greatness of ancient philosophy, so that the audience can admire *ne love it ;.s much as I do." 5. "J hope to icTuonstrate what Behaviour Analysis Therapy is, so that my colleagues could see the - -on for using this rehabilitation technique, end quotes missing henceforth * 6. "7. V •-. to explain the basic difference between the Czech, and British and US legal system::, to prove why rhey cannot be simply transplanted to the Czech Republic." t> 7. '-i pe " to h;. v the audience new web-based language software and convince them about its prominent rjosition on the market, so that they buy it." 8. "1 bone to clarify the importar.ee of space research with the example of the use of original space technologies w our everyday lives, so that the audience understands why money invesif-u in this srea is not wasted." • 9. h< :e fo 'rv.vi a detailed explanation of the difference between the ACT 10 Haematology Blood Analyzer and the Micro DIFF 16 Blood Analyzer, so that the audience can decide which one couiri he more useful in their own situations." 10. '' hope to show how much I love animals, so that the audience knows how great animals are." 6. A.UDI1LNCK ANALYSIS AUr v. y r.o- vn] aciee that h is "ital to know WHAT to talk about and many will support the k.o n-.'.i knowing WHY talking about something is necessary as well, fewer speakers are aware ut lite fact the WHO you are going to talk to is equally important. A well prepared talk deliveret to tie' wrong audience car; have the same effect as a poorly prepared talk delivered to ti" torrec/ audience. They both can fail terribly. That is why it is critical that the prep ix 1. - i f-h; bonide some- degree of audience analysis. To put it simply, the speech prep; • . on mu:; aisc involve gathering information about the audience and their needs. One shouhe ; ivwider ?r leas* the following four points: 1. Who ':.t they and how many will be there? 2. Wh-.u's ihe»r jmowledge of the subject? 3. Wiv. art thSj i -ere aid what do teey expect to learn from me? 4. Whr.; -:' ;■ eeerie '■ s the speaker? What are their needs as the audience? 7. Reaa ifotiwwg presentations ana decide which have been plannedfor: a) school ehikf \ _it9i_LA---V - The common values are based on tolerance, humanity and fraternity. They are also closely related democracy, human rights and the rule of law. That is why we can say, nowadays, that out fundamental values enable the free exchange of persons and ideas. It cannot be denied r. i its real driving force has always been economic cooperation. That is why we can alwav> cedi i-uch discussions about the economy when something important has to be changed in the lit'. Right, now lei's move to its political institutions. There are basically four of the"n FirsiJv there is the European Commission which serves as the EU government Then there h. ■ \y European Parliament, which is clear [which functions as parliaments everywhere are tme:>ded t.n] Thirdly we ha-"? the Council of the European Union - which is something like the u.vosi bouse of a parliament. This is the most influential institution because it consists of state oinisrtc; Lastly there is the Court of Justice. Now Let's have a look at each of them in more ;etai! 2. THE EUROPEAN UNION %^r^> Right. I ?.m going to br.ng some arguments against the nation state approach. I understand the EU as a structure of multi-level governance with horizontal and vertical linkages among sub state, sta-'e and non-governmental actors. In my opinion, the decision-making competences are shaved bv actors :i different levels rather than monopolized by state executives. States are only - - - i mcng a variety of factors. And actually, they are somewhere in the middle. I would divide the space of the EU into three levels: the macro level, mezzo level and micro level, the Macr: iiv/ei consists of supranational institutions and agencies, generally, European top politico bodies The mezzo leve] deals with actors ? related to nation states, and finally the micro is • re -ph ;= of sub nation state environment, including regions or municipalities and the private sector. *>a«k*k 3. THE HTiK'OPcAiN UNION i^W- OK. toe European Union is a very complicated system and many people try to describe it in a very complicated vuy But there is one thing we can do. We can imagine the European Union as a human bod). ! air. >:ure you v? talked about the human body in your biology lessons. We ha1/. :. - v. org;:! -; ir our bodi« We have the heart, the brain, the lungs, the livers, and we have b.'> si -x>ot\ ■ s as well as m iscles, skin and the tiniest piece of all are cells. And all those ">iy.' •!>: rii.l- Aings work together. This is what our Union is about. Every person is like a ceil Irjg'jv and smaller cells and cells of many different kinds. And every instil, .i; i <-orap?;\\ or country i: axe its organs. And if they all work properly together, our org >ns wet-. If they don't, we are ill. If two countries quarrel, our Union is are not as heylmy a-? it ccuJo be, but it is certainly not life threatening. So now let's have a look at how 'W- i:..;;\y;? organism work, OK? 8. REsy.^nru Vet v ■■-'['• =:.; ;..(■ most d: ificult pari of the presentation process is actually getting started. After present'.'S hav,- diougbi about ibe presentation topic, the aims and objectives of the speech ant! ■■'■ih:- t?:?i- 'uKiience, they have in make the first step - careful background research which consists of two main stages: 1) gainsi .ny. n... 2) seictilng', I..:; u.!:r;. 5 9. Zoo/; i / '7w pn.se/nations extracts and tick which of them demonstrate careful and effective research 1. Ye;. Lb: titk ;: the article is ■"Colliding Continents". But I do not know the author. It was in an English textbook as a reading exercise with the note: "Adapted from National Geographic". 2.1 am going to tell you about this particular topic because an older man I was working with when washing the dishes in a restaurant in the States last summer told me ail about it. 3. W'1". :ny f-•:■••>.ia k the Internet. I do not know which page exactly. 4. According to John Moffat's theory, in the past light travelled much faster than its current speed % 5. There are a fe«> different approaches to this topic, like perspectives of bargaining, voting or combinatorial game theories. But I am going to base this presentation on the "Nash equilibrium'" theon/.n 6. I am rorriQ -o present the results of the research I did last winter for my bachelor's dissertation. • 7. Y'u: can find H at: www.videointeraktiv.org. or www.videointeraktiv.org/blog. or www v-';- dgoyiceo.ac.uk. 8. We!!. I knov, is from my course, from Mr. Bradshaw's lectures. 9. Sorry., j" do no* know what fhe translation to English is or even whether it has been translated but you could call it "The Thing Makropulos" or something like that. 10. id litre to turn your attention re the list of sources where you can see some more recent materials devoted -c trie topic.® 6 pADTTT A ^ PREPARATION _ .„ REHEARSAL — V1 * ¥^ A/I) Rehearsal is an essential process of each presentation preparation. Rehearsing is important because it gives you an ideal opportunity to FORGET-COPY -MEMORIZE the material, to time your speech, to OVERCOME-DESTROY-SUCCEED nerves and to identify and improve all the weak points of your talk. There are some useful rehearsal strategies: You ?' -^/^ can, for instance, write down and learn ALL THE - THE JOEY - RANDOM sentences and . v^, phrases, concentrating on the sequence of ideas. Then, although you can never rehearse too much, you may privately practise delivering the presentation ONCE - 5 TIMES - 23 TIMES H.^tx«» using all the aids and/or visuals you will need. Also rehearsing in front of a friendly -YOUR r^tsj^ TEACHER - AUDIENCE -STRANGERS or a friend can build your confidence. You should INVITE-ORDER-PREVENT them to give you some feedback about the clarity of your voice, JVwiA-the READING-LITERACY - LEGIBILITY of your visual aids or technical terms and jargon |7a3Sr which may need further explanation. You also need to think about the -ANSWERS- <*r~*sr EXERCISES - QUESTIONS that the real audience might ask and prepare your answers to i. these. If you have no audience you can try and practice -BEHIND-JN FRONT[OF - UNDER a mirror. Practice your speech or presentation and revise it until you can present it with ease. « , Do not memorize your presentation word for word and DOJsfjOT READ IT - READ IT - DO ^^SC NOT USE NOTES: the illusion of spontaneity must be kept! 0 s^Jk A/IIRead the sentences aloud stressing each word in bold. &XU ryArv Pr**J a) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle.*^ b) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. c) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. d) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. e) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. f) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. g) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. h) I said you should contemplate buying a new bicycle. ^ A/Ill When you have read the sentences aloud a few times, match the sentence version to the meaning below. 1. You should not think about anything else but a bicycle. 2. It is my idea, k 3. This is a possibility. 0 ,^ <~ 3 I'd like to emphasize the difficulties involved in dealing with nuclear waste.\*V*-k* 4 Iťs hard to see where 1,200 new wind turbines a week can be situated. » A- / TRANSITIONS / SIGN POSTING LANGUAGE Recognizing phrases for signposting a presentation G) Match each phrase 1-5 to functions a-e. 1 To give an idea of what I mean ^ 2 To go back to what I was saying earlier 3 OK, let's move on and talk about c_ 4 As you all know jl_ 5 So, to sum up £j- a) to return to an important point b) to summarize the main idea c) to change the subject d) to give an example e) to refer to the audience's knowledge H) Watch the five short clips and check your answer to G. I) Rewrite sentences 1-4 so that they start with a wh- clause, 1 I'm saying that environmental and economical considerations need to be balanced. 2 It's now possible, but expensive, to capture and store C02. ^XS^V*11- ^ °* * 3 I'd like to emphasize the difficulties involved in dealing with nuclear waste. I 4 It's hard to see where 1,200 new wind turbines a week can be situated. Ending The ending, similarly to the opening, is a vital element of an oral academic presentation. It helps create the final impression of what you have been talking about and it is also the part most likely to be remembered by the audience. - The final section should reinforce'aija* re-emphasize the main points of your speech or highlight the importance of specific ideas and concepts you have presented, in short, it should contain a summary of the key data together with a comment on their importance, so that the audience has a chance to think about your subject matter again. Such a summary will be followed by a conclusion, which is an original idea drawn from effective arguments developed by sub-points and supported by evidence in the main body of your presentation. A memorable conclusion of high quality is usually a carefully prepared, significant and strong, clear original message firmly based on the facts presented throughout the speech that offers deeper understanding of the topic discussed. The design of your ending will depend on your initial purpose, yet, it should be a short and well-structured section stimulating new ideas. It is also useful to memorise the ending to achieve maximum impact on the audience. Remember that a presentation with no or a poor conclusion is usually a clear failure! 1. In the light of the text are the comments below true or false (T/F)? 1. The audience will always remember only your conclusion, which is why it is important. ^~ 2. A summary does not have to repeat only the main points. T 3. The purpose of repeating the key points is to prepare the ground for your conclusion. 4. A summary and a conclusion are the same thing, t- 5. A conclusion is an original message with no relevance to the main ideas of the speech.T 6. It is advisable to learn the final part by heart. F - s^Wsyr^SnJi Structure The presentation of the final part usually consists of a clear structure in the order recommended below. 2. Read the following groups of letters and try to work out the expressions identifying particular sections of the presentation ending. 1) l-N-A-G-L-S O-T D-E-N j S\Qbf\{_ Tt) EkJS FT"] 2) M-M-R-A-U-S-Y 3) C-C-O-O-N-N-S-L-U-l ! ^CW t.iA)S\o W S jTj 4) E-S-OC-L C LOSE 1 I m 5) l-N-T-l-V-A-T-O-l-N F-R-0 S-Q-U-E-T-S-N-l-0 3. Make full sentences by matching the correct halves. ® ^ a) Before we come to an end, 2. ^| b) I'd be glad to answer fif c) To summarize, 3 * d) We can conclude T Jl e) In my opinion, $ f) I'd like to suggest £ 1) your question now. 2) I'd like to thank you for your attention. 3) there are two key theories. 4) by quoting a well-know saying. 5) we should try the second method. 6) we start the discussion know. 4. Complete the following conclusion with words from the list. Well, m wanted to tell you today. I hope that has given you a reasonable Hinto the area of global warming politics, □the most important : First we looked at the [Dthat senior government officials LLJdeclare that climate science is "settled" and "compelling" and we saw the clear implication 3that we know enough to act; that any further research findings would be "policy-irrelevant" and not important to the international deliberations of the parties to the climate treaty. Then we Eke observational i-Jand we argued that any warming from the growth of greenhouse gases is likely to be minor, difficult to detect above the natural fluctuations of the climate, and therefore inconsequential. H3, I'd like to emphasise that unless the cuts in emissions increase to 60-80% worldwide, there would be no stabilization at the present green house gases levels, in other words, that the Kyoto Protocol is not sufficient to significantly reduce the ongoing growth of green house gases in the atmosphere and its effect on temperature will be imperceptible. Thanks for LDand if you have any questions or S, I'll be happy to answer them. 2 1) commnets 2) issues 3) to sum up 4) listeing 5) fact 6) insight 7) that's all 8) repeatedly 9) eveidence 10) considered 11) suggesting 12) on the whole 5. Conclusions can become repetitive. It is important to have a choice of words and expressions at your fingertips. Use one of the following expressions to replace each of the expressions in bold in the following conclusion. That brings me to the end of GOmy presentation iU. Let me just run over [Lithe key ÍZ3 points again. Very briefly, there are three. First, water-related problems continue to affect millions of people and, contrary to what most people believe, future water supplies will not last forever. Second , the growing number of projects trying to provide ever-increasing supplies of water indicate that a growing number of countries are aware of the present problems and of those to come. Third 0, current solutions are mostly highly expensive, not very practical and also very time-consuming. From what you have heard CO, there are some very good lUeasons to believe that the eventual solution would definitely be to conserve water worldwide and control pollution. In other words S, we need to respect our most valuable natural resource much more than we do. At this point [Z3, I'd like to leave you with the following thought LO: it is certainly true that the twentieth century gave us some advantages by, for example, making us richer, healthier and freer to enjoy our lives. However, in my opinion , it did not make us wiser. The twentieth century also made our earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our spiritual lives poorer. We should, of course, continue to enjoy the benefits of technological advancements because they free us to pursue our interests and goals. However, we must make a concerted effort to preserve our natural environment for future generations. Thank you for your attention Sand now, if you have any questions, I'd be pleased Sto answer them. 3 1) I'd be giad 2) idea 3) talk 4) covers everything in 5) then 6) as you can see 7) main 8) it seems to me that 9) lastly 10) listening 11) reliable 12) now 13) sum up 14) to put it simply Questions Oral presentations and public speaking do not usually end with the "ending" . It is the discussion and responses to questions from the audience that make effective public performances complete. Well-handled discussions can add to presentations and reinforce their messages, whereas questions that are dealt with poorly may ruin them. Very few people have the expertise, the charm and the wit to be able to respond deftly to all kinds of questions at all times. And very few people speak publicly without being confronted with questions. For some, questions and answers section can be the most fnghtening part of all, while for others it is the part they are looking forward to most because they can relax and behave naturally. One way or another, to be successful in discussions we all have to learn how to "handle" questions, effectively. It is important to know that people ask different questions for different reasons. Some have misunderstood the concepts and seek clarification, some would like to support the speaker, some intend to express interest, appreciation or another point of view, while others simply like to obtain additional information or ask challenging questions for the sake of being provocative. Some may even ask because they are bored and need some fun. No matter what the reason is, no matter who the questioner is, no matter what tone is used, the presenter must stick to one golden rule -be honest and straightforward, confident and in control. Moreover, questions must be always dealt with in a polite, positive and professional manner as one should remember that each answer should act as an invitation for the rest of the audience to ask more questions. 1. In the light of the text are the comments below true or false (T/F)? 1. Oral presentations seem to be often incomplete until the speaker has handled questions from the audience. T 2. No matter what one's speaking qualities are, people should always get to know how to 4 handle questions effectively. T 3. The audience has only one reason for asking questions: they want to get additional information. V 4. Speakers can treat the audience with the same attitude as that of the questioners and may therefore show that they are in control by being rude. 5. Answers function only as an invitation to the rest of the audience to ask more questions. 1~ Structure The first step towards success in dealing with questions from the audience is the appreciation of a certain structure which is involved in the process. An effective handling of questions usually combines several basic elements: 1. invite questions 2. listen carefully right to the end 3. welcome the question 4. repeat, paraphrase, or clarify if necessary 5. take time to tbink before answering 6. answer the question relevantly 7. check whether the questioner is satisfied 2. Match the following comments with individual parts of the handling questions structure. 1. invite questions 2. listen carefully right to the end 3. welcome the question 4. repeat, paraphrase, or clarify if necessary 5. take time to think before answering 6. answer the question relevantly 7. check whether the questioner is satisfied a) This step can be very helpful: it makes sure the speaker understood the question, it gives them a chance to evaluate the question and think of an answer, and finally it assures the other people in the audience can hear the question since the speaker is facing them. b) Speakers should not give responses that are either too long or too short. They should be concise and precise. If they get side-tracked and go into too much detail it may appear that they are taking as much time as possible in attempt to avoid having to answer other questions. c) Speakers state the time when they would prefer the audience to ask questions in their introductions, but later, when the conclusion has been stated and the message delivered the audience should be reminded once again that the time to ask questions has come. At this point speakers should sound as positive as possible to encourage the audience to ask or comment, giving them also some time to think about the questions they would like to ask. d) One should never respond too quickly to any question. While taking a short time to think 5 N > before answering a question is particularly useful especially in cases of difficult questions, one should do the same for those questions they readily know the answer for in order to organise, formulate and articulate their ideas properly. e) Speakers should always check politely that they have answered what was asked. In case they did not and they do not check, the rest of the audience may feel there is no need to ask more questions if they are not answered anyway. f) Speakers can say "Good point!" or "Thanks for asking that question." to encourage a questioner who is shy or nervous but they should avoid repeating, "Thank you that's a good question." after every question - not all questions are good, and the audience can see you are not sincere with them. g) Sometimes we may think we have picked up the questioner's idea or direction of reasoning from the first few words, but we may easily be wrong. One trap among many is to assume the question is hostile when it is not. 3. There are some situations in which it is impossible for a presenter to answer the question. Tick the avoidance strategies which are appropriate to academic and professional environments: 1) ask for further explanation from the questioner 2) throw the question to the audience 3) throw the question to a colleague or acknowledged expert who may be present 4) throw the question to any particular member of the audience 5) throw the question back to the questioner 6} admit not knowing and offer to find out 7) answer a different and easier question [as politicians do] 8) give clues to help questioner answer the question 9) refuse to answer (on grounds of confidentiality, national security or whatever) 10) waffle meaninglessly 11) turn the situation into a joke 12) keep asking for clarification till you wear questioner down 13) carry on as if you haven't heard 14) walk out 15) pretend sicknessor death 6 N before answering a question is particularly useful especially in cases of difficult questions, one should do the same for those questions they readily know the answer for in order to organise, formulate and articulate their ideas properly. e) Speakers should always check politely that they have answered what was asked. In case they did not and they do not check, the rest of the audience may feel there is no need to ask more questions if they are not answered anyway. f) Speakers can say "Good point!" or "Thanks for asking that question." to encourage a questioner who is shy or nervous but they should avoid repeating, "Thank you that's a good question." after every question - not all questions are good, and the audience can see you are not sincere with them. g) Sometimes we may think we have picked up the questioner's idea or direction of reasoning from the first few words, but we may easily be wrong. One trap among many is to assume the question is hostile when it is not. 3. There are some situations in which it is impossible for a presenter to answer the question. Tick the avoidance strategies which are appropriate to academic and professional environments: 1) ask for further explanation from the questioner 2) throw the question to the audience 3) throw the question to a colleague or acknowledged expert who may be present 4) throw the question to any particular member of the audience 5) throw the question back to the questioner 6) admit not knowing and offer to find out 7) answer a different and easier question [as politicians do] 8) give clues to help questioner answer the question 9) refuse to answer (on grounds of confidentiality, national security or whatever) 10) waffle meaninglessly 11) turn the situation into a joke 12) keep asking for clarification till you wear questioner down 13) carry on as if you haven't heard 14) walk out 15) pretend sicknessor death 6 Writing the abstract 6 a In pairs, discuss the following questions. 1 What is the purpose of an abstract? 2 How can an abstract help a researcher choose which.papers to read? 3 What information does the abstract usually include? 4 Why do some people think a good abstract is even more important in the internet age than it was before? D An abstract usually contains one or two key sentences from each section of a paper. Read the following extracts from Mya's draft abstract- Match a section (1-4) to an extract (A-D). 1 Introduction_ 3 Results_ "',:.. 2 Method_ 4 Discussion_ With the aim'of evaluating tKis puss.ly!ny. uvo nihToor^.niis; Acidubj:ih:ia!k<^ PJ»-' firrooxidans, an acidoghil.e, and' Deitfocaccus ivdUtdurans, z radiation-resistant: t-pS^fc' ." rnicroprganisrn, were exposed to simulated Mars 'corfditions; that-js,.95%'0.0^1.1 %, N2,1.6% Ar: and'0.6.% H2Q'wjitha pressurepf'7m^ars.'^mperature^as.S!st K. and ultraviojet radiation was^£e^^eag^'r^^^^.^M|0|l nmat. Exposure .was for differentrimes under the pVotection/of 2 and 5 mm layers of oxidised'iron ;.. ' minerals.' Survival was evaluated by growing the organisms on;fresh media/;;- The resistance of organisms to extreme; conditions like>the conditions which Cxist1/ oil the surface of.Marsunde'rthe protection of a thin materia) layer increases the'^* 'possibility mat life could'exist dn Mars. • .;v>.:. ; ill? ■ •■ ';'.. ". 1 :'t'' >,-./,' y:; A "y: :; J?'™"-*™ ■■ '[('r'-^'-l'-:' Here we report that both the'2 and 5 itun thick layers provided enough protection against radiation and Mars envkomnentalcdndinons/fdr.Uie bacteria to survive/'';' (Figs.2.^.3);f": *:Q Wy^^/'^V':^-:" ■ Current surface conditions on Mar's ar"e extremely.challenging for; Jife. However,-. ;. Nicholson and Schuerger (2005) reported 'that Bacillus sultilis was able to survive-for '19 days under Mats atmospheric pressure 'and composition. The, question is whether there .are any features on Mars that could provide protection against the surface conditions. One'.possibility is that die surface, material'plays a protective role due-to | the fact tfiat it iscomposed of ironVixidcs and hydroxides. .:-; ,- . I C In pairs, decide on the best order for the extracts (A-D) in the abstract. Give reasons for your answer. 7 a ► 9.1 Svenja, Mya's supervisor, is commenting on the draft abstract in Exercise 6b. Listen to part of the conversation and say which section (A-D) Svenja does nor cor.meflt on. b ► 11 Listen again and mark the following statements true (T) or false (F}. 1 Svenja thinks the reference to Nicholson and Schuerger (2005] is useful. 2 Mya should remove the information on iron oxides and hydroxides-- 3 Mya needs to include more information about the method in his abstract. 4 Svenja advises Mya to refer to the visuals (figures, tables etc.) in the abstract__ 5 Overall, Svenja thinks the abstract is well written-- Kr ! -S.VV C Look at Audioscript 9.1 on page 101. Use Svenja's advice to Mya to improve the three sections of the text of the abstract in Exercise 6b. Then compare your corrected text with the Answer key on page 115. 8 a Mya uses particular phrases to signal the purpose of each part of the abstract (A-D) in Exercise 6b. Underline a phrase in the extracts which Mya uses to: " v-■ 1 state the research question 2 present the hypothesis 3 introduce the method "■i-j-l 4 introduce key results F b The following phrases can also be used to signal the purpose of each part : of an abstract. Divide the phrases fa-l) into four groups according to the functions in Exercise 8a (1-4). The study provides strong evidence that... We demonstrate that... We expected that... We investigated a new method of verb-/7i$ The method involved veiaring ... was found to ... An investigation was undertaken to explore ... It seems likely that... Results show that... The aim of the study was to The data suggest that... The present study investigates ... g J I The text of an abstract must be concise. Replace the underlined words in extracts 1 -5 below with that or those. 1 The hormone increased the power output of healthy volunteers by 16 per cent after four weeks of taking the drug. Healthy volunteers who took the drug could also exercise 50 per cent longer than control subjects. 2 We compare photographic exposure from scattered light with Light from direct light. 3 The target yield is the yie'd which can be produced in 'perfect' conditions. 4 Structures like the structures described in this paper are not known in glyptodonts recorded before the Great American Biotic Interchange (GAB!). 5 The lithology cf failed carbonate strata differs from thejithojogy of their basal shear surfaces. Hi * a Think about some research you have done recently. Writer one or two sente-ces which provide the key background to the research a sentence whie~ s^tas your research question a sentence which presents your hypothesis two or three se'ter.ces outlining the main methods used • one or two se-tences presenting the key results • a sentence which states the key implication of your findings Connect these sentences to form a draft of an abstract. Use the phrases in Exercises 8a and 8b to make it clear where each section of the abstract begins. Check your work for repetition of words or ideas Nominalisation - exercises (source: eo.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/Files/Nominalization} I. Transform the sentences below using nominalisation. 1. Student numbers are increasing rapidly from year to year and the Universit. = — i zz- :e-ned that they may need to build more accommodation in order to house everyone. The rapid_is causing concern at the University. _may have to be built in order to house everyone. 2. The temperature of the planet is rising as a result of global warming. The_is a result of global warming. 3. The business report indicates that sales figures are down 10% on last month, which is worrying. The_that sales figures are down 10% on last month is worrying. 4. A team of scientists analysed the data in the lab before they wrote their report. The_by a team of scientists in the lab was undertaken before writing a repcn. 5. Mathematics and physcis experts have produced a mathematical formula which explains the r.sze" phenomena of network science. The_by mathematics and physics experts has explained the modern phenomena of network science. II. Using the words in the box, fill in all the gaps. analysis indication investment participation restrictions 1. The government J of the student intake helped to ascertain a realistic picture of which countries the international students have come from. 2. The I by the report that business has been profitable since the end of the quarter seems to suggest inevitable expansion. 3. Next year's I of £350 million by TFL next will refurbish several tube stations. 4. The UK Border Agency's entry I apply to non EU and EEA citizens. 5. I in this urban migration is a way for individuals to generate income through non-traditional means.