Lesson 8

Topic: Preparation of the presentation

Get ready!

The focus of this lesson is "Preparation of the presentation".

Click the underlined words in this lesson to see the translation. Learn these words.

Watch video "How to Prepare for a Presentation"

How to Prepare for a Presentation

Preparation is an important step in delivering a good presentation. Being well prepared will make the presentation go more smoothly, even if you are nervous. This video will cover ways that you can prepare for your presentations.

First, make sure that you know you know your topic well. It’s much easier to explain something to other people if you have a good understanding of it yourself.

Practice your presentation out loud! This will help you get a more accurate feel for how much time your presentation will take.

Review the assignment rubric to determine what is expected so that you know how to budget your time.

Try timing yourself. You will speak faster during the actual presentation, so expect your presentation to be a bit shorter than your practice run.

If you are using PowerPoint slides, use the “Rehearsal Timing” feature to know exactly how long you have spent on each slide. If you are too long on one slide, consider dividing the information between two cards. If you don’t spend any time on another slide, consider removing it.

Practice in front of a mirror. This makes you aware of how often you are looking down at your notes or your visuals. It will help you practice looking up and making eye contact.

You can also practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for critiques.

If you are using cue cards, make sure you have them numbered in case you drop them. You can also attach them together with a metal ring, so that they stay together even if they fall.

Technology can play a big role in your presentation, so it’s important to prepare that part of your presentation as well. Know your technology well before you use it. Make sure that you are comfortable using whatever you have chosen to use for your visual aids.

Don’t use a network connection to access any part of your presentation. Have the material downloaded ahead of time and use it offline.

Have a backup disk or memory stick with you in case of a problem.

If you have a total technology failure and can’t use your computer, make sure you have a hard copy of your presentation to use. If you know it well enough (from all your rehearsing) you should be able to present the information without the slides.

EXERCISES

Ex. 1. Work with a partner. Ask the questions below and make a note of the answers. Then tell the group what you found out and discuss.

1. How often do you give presentations?

2. Who do you normally present to?

3. When was the last time you gave a presentation in English?

4. Was it a success? If yes, why? If not, why not? Explain your answer.

5. How do you feel about presenting in a foreign language?

6. Think of an excellent (or terrible) presentation that you have attended. What made it good (or bad)?

Ex. 2. Listen to the opening sentences of the three presentations and complete the table.
Which presentations are formal and which less formal?

Презентация без названия

Presentation 1

Ex. 3. Listen to the openings again and complete the sentences.

Presentation 1

1. _____________________ , let me thank you all for being here today.

2. Let me ________________ myself. My name is...

3. I’m here today to _________________ our new semi-automatic shelving system.

4. My talk is __________________ relevant to those of you who ________________ for the different parts we supply.

Presentation 2

1. I’m happy that so many of you could ____________________ today at such short __________________________

2. As you can see on the _____________________________ , our __________________ today is project documentation.

4. This is extremely ________________________ for all of us who are directly ________________________ in

international project management, right?

Presentation 3

1. I’m _______________ that you all have very tight _____________ , so I appreciate you taking the time to come here today.

2. As you __________ know, my name is... . I’m the new ___________ manager here at Weston Ltd.

3. Today’s topic will be very important for you as ______________ since ____________ your help to evaluate and select candidates for training.

Ex. 4. Put the sentences from above in the correct category (a-d).

a. saying what the topic is: __ __

b. welcoming the audience: __ __ __

c. saying who you are: 2 __

d. saying why the topic is relevant for the audience: __ __ __

Now put a-d in the order you would use to start a presentation.

__ __ __ __

Ex. 5. Match these less formal phrases with the more formal phrases in the table.

What I want to do today is... I know you are very busy... As you know, I’m ...OK, shall we get started? It’s good to see you all here. Hi, everyone. Today I’m going to talk about... In my talk I’ll tell you about...

More formal Less formal

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. 1

Today I would like to... 2

Let me just start by introducing myself. My name is ... 3

It’s a pleasure to welcome you today. 4

In my presentation 1 would like to report on ... 5

The topic of today’s presentation is... 6

I suggest that we begin now. 7

I’m aware that you all have very tight schedules... 8

Ex. 6. Now practise the opening of a presentation. Use phrases from the box and follow the WISE flowchart.

Ex. 5. Match these less formal phrases with the more formal phrases

USEFUL PHRASES FOR OPENING A PRESENTATION

Welcoming the audience

Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Hello/Hi, everyone.

First of all, let me thank you all for coming here today.

I’m happy/delighted that so many of you could make it today.

Introducing yourself

Let me introduce myself. I’m Dave Elwood from ...

For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s...

As you probably know, I’m the new HR manager.

I’m head of logistics here at Air Spares.

I’m here in my function as the Head of Controlling

Saying what your topic is

As you can see on the screen, our topic today is...

Today’s topic is...

What I’d like to present to you today is ...

The subject of my presentation is ...

Explaining why your topic is relevant for your audience

My talk is particularly relevant to those ofyou/us who...

Today’s topic is of particular interest to those of you/us who ...

My/The topic is very important for you because...

By the end of this talk you will be familiar with ...

Remember to use words like we. us, and our to highlight common interest

Challenge your English in this quiz!

"OPENING A PRESENTATION".

Translate sentences into English

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