Presentations
1. Discuss the following questions:
Have you ever had to speak in front of a large group of people?
How did you feel? What was the reason of your feelings?
2. a) What is a presentation? Why do people make presentations? List some
reasons.
b) According to the purpose of a presentation we can differentiate its various types. Match the presentation types (A-H) to the things (1-8) that people say at them.
A. press conference: two chief executives tell journalists why their companies have merged.
B. briefing: a senior officer gives information to other officers about a police operation they are about to undertake.
C. demonstration: the head of research and development tells non-technical colleagues about a new machine.
D. product launch: a car company announces a new model.
E. lecture: a university professor communicates information about economics to 300 students.
F. talk: a member of a stamp-collecting club tells other members about 19th century British stamps.
G. seminar: a financial adviser gives advice about investments to eight people.
H. workshop: a yoga expert tells people how to improve their breathing techniques and gets them to practise.
As you can see, this prototype is far in advance of anything we’ve done before.
Here are some typical patterns for demand and supply in the widget industry.
I’m going to give each group a series of problems faced by an imaginary company, and I want you to suggest solutions.
Now is the right time to get out of company shares and invest in property.
The combined resources of our two organizations will allow us to achieve great things.
The first postage stamp in the world was the Penny Black in 1840.
The parachutists will come in at 08:30 and land in two waves, here and here.
The X300 has the most advanced features of any car in its class.
c) What purposes are presentations made in business for? (see the appendix 1
for detailed information)
What makes a presentation effective? What aspects should you pay your attention to?
Vocabulary 1
1. Look at the following picture and use the words in the box below to label each item correctly.
pointer screen podium graph felt-pen notes overhead projector (OHP) slide projector microphone bar chart pie chart handout whiteboard flipchart overhead transparency (OHT) table (figures) |
READING 1
1. Here are some ‘rules’ for preparing a presentation. Match the first sentence of each paragraph (1-6) with the paragraphs (a-f).
Decide what you want to say to your audience.
Choose the right equipment to help make your talk interesting.
Find out who you are talking to.
Practise your presentation in advance.
Make sure your presentation has a clear structure.
Find out about the room you are talking in.
a It’s important to know your audience. How many people are there? Where are they from? What do they want to learn? How much do they already know?
b The venue is important too. If possible, visit it before your presentation. Where will the audience sit? Where will you stand? Where will you put your equipment?
c Make sure your objectives are clear. This will help you to prepare material that is interesting and informative. Remember, you want your audience to learn something they don’t know. You also want them to enjoy your presentation.
d A well-organized presentation is easier to understand. Give it a beginning,
a middle and an end. Make separate points and number them. This structure will help your audience to follow what you are saying.
e There are many different kinds of AV (audiovisual) aids. You can use a simple flip chart or show slides on an overhead projector. There is also computer software, like Microsoft PowerPoint™, which can make your presentation look professional. Choose AV aids that are appropriate for your audience. And make sure you know how they work.
f Make notes of the most important points. Make sure you speak to your audience – don’t read to them. Practise giving your talk out loud and check how much time it takes. Ask a friend to listen and give you feedback.