JAG04   Unit 2    Effective presentations


Task 1 WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION?


(https://www.ted.com/talks/dustin_schroeder_how_we_look_kilometers_below_the_antarctic_ice_sheet)

A)    Watch Dustin Schroeder, a radio glaciologist, talk about how ice-penetrating radar is helping
us learn about future sea level rise and assess each of the following criteria on a scale 0-5
points:

-          the overall impression (whether the speaker managed the get his point across and the
audience´s expectations were met)

-          delivery (body language, voice)

-          language (pronunciation, vocabulary, style)

-          visuals (effectively used, clear, illustrative)

-          structure and timing (having clear structure, using linking phrases, considering time)


B)    Which of the above do you already have enough experience with? Which of the above do you
expect to be struggling with?


C)    In small groups, write down at least 5 key principles of effective talks.




D)    A GOOD PRESENTER…

Complete the principles of an effective presentation with appropriate verbs:


A good presenter…


… the presentation short, but complete

… a proper introduction of himself/herself and the topic of the talk

… the presentation with adequate volume, diction, and eye contact

… notes

… the audience

… participation and constructive comment

… too much detail

… information to make the best use of the time

… the main arguments

… an original conclusion from what s/he said

… the talk within the time limit

… questions from the audience



E)    WHY SHOULD I… ?

Complete the sentences explaining each point.

1. Summarizing the main points is essential because …


2. Effective talks should be entertaining because…


3. The speaker should not read because…


4. Standing is better than sitting because…


5. The speaker should notice the audience because …



Task 2  EXAM PRACTICE - Conditionals

Use the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences.

1.      It’d be great if we ……………. (be able to) use existing radio systems or radio signals that
are in the environment.

2.      This might really work. And if it …………….. (do), we're going to need extremely low-cost
sensors.

3.      If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed, we ……………………… (talk) about dramatically different
numbers. They ……………………… (be) literally off the chart.

4.      I would have enjoyed the view if I ……………………… (not look) at a computer screen throughout the
whole flight.

5.      If they ……………….. (not find) the reels of old film, they ………….. (be able compare) the
conditions in the ice sheet.


Task 3  VOCABULARY

A)    Explain the meaning of the phrases from the TED talk

Airborne ice-penetrating radar

Misconception

People vulnerable to displacement

Snapshot of the subsurface

Remastering films

Undergraduates (undergrads)

Cryosphere

Hypertalented, hyperpassionate, hyperdriven




B)    Using common prefixes

Match each prefix in bold in sentences 1-5 to its meaning a-f.


a)      again        b) too much      c) not enough       d) wrong    e) between     f) many


1.      The decision to relocate manufacturing to another country is usually a financial one.

2.      Multi-national companies have more than one base for their operations around the world.

3.      Mismanagement of the forest caused many of the native trees and plants to disappear.

4.      The two electrical systems are interconnected by a high voltage cable that runs under the
sea.

5.      Many of the employees feel that they are overworked and underpaid.


C)    Complete the sentences with the correct prefix from B.

1.      The product was …………priced and as a result sales were very low.


2.      Many parts of the city are ………..populated and there is not enough housing for everyone.


3.      The prospects for a …………-skilled engineer are better than for an engineer who concentrates
only on one area, like mechanical engineering.


4.      In the experiment, the researchers ……………..created the conditions of the desert in the
laboratory.


5.      The two branches of geography – physical and social – are closely ……..related.


6.      The word occurrence is often ………… spelled by many native speakers of English.


(Task 3 B,C adapted from Dummett, P. & Hird, J. Oxford EAP. OUP, 2015.)