FV11A8900 (LUF) Academic Writing in English
PRESENTATION SKILLS
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PLANNING AND GETTING STARTED
 Presentation technique and preparation
 The Audience
 Structure : The introduction
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Discuss and make notes on the characteristics of a good presentation. Think about
both the content and the way the speaker presents information
NOTES:
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THE AUDIENCE
1 In any presentation the beginning is crucial. Certainly some things are essential in
an introduction and others are useful. Here is a list of what could be included in an
introduction. Mark them according to how necessary they are using the following
scale.
Essential
Useful
Not necessary
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Subject / title of talk.
Introduction to oneself.
Reference to questions and / or discussions.
Reference to how long you are going to speak.
Reference to the visual aids you are going to use.
The scope of your talk: what is and is not included.
An outline of the structure of your talk.
A summary of the conclusions.
Adapted from: Simon Sweeney, English for Business Communication , Cambridge University Press
1997
Suggest a possible phrase for each of the prompts below.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Greet your audience.
Introduce yourself.
Give the title of your talk.
Describe the structure of your talk.
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Make an introduction to a presentation.
Look at the Skills Checklist on the following page. Look also the Language Checklist.
Do not write the whole text. When you are ready, practice your introduction. When you
have finished, answer the following questions:
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Did you read everything you said from detailed notes?
Did you talk using only brief notes?
Did you speak clearly and not too fast?
Did you outline the topic, structure and content of your talk?
Did you refer to audience questions and to discussion?
How could you improve your introduction?
Skills Checklist
Effective presentations –planning and preparation
Audience
 expectations
 technical knowledge
 size
 questions and / or discussion
Speaker’s competence
 knowledge
 presentation technique
Content
 what to include
 length / depth ( technical detail)
 number of key ideas
Structure
 sequence
- beginning, middle, end
 repetition, summarizing
Delivery
 style
- formal / informal
- enthusiasm / confidence
 voice
- variety ( speed
- pauses
 body language
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eye contact
gesture/ movement
posture
Visual aids
 type / design / clarity
 relevance
Practice
 tape recorder
 script or notes
Language
 simple / clear
 spelling
 sentence length
 structure signals
Language Checklist
The Introduction to a presentation
Greeting
Good morning / afternoon ladies and gentlemen/ professors and fellow students
Subject
I’m going to talk about the ….
The subject of my talk is ….
I'm going to present...
Structure
I’ve divided my talk into (three) parts.
My talk will be in (three) parts.
I’m going to divide …
First…
Second…
Third…
In the first part…
Then in the second part…
Finally…
(Timing
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My talk will take about ten minutes.
The presentation will take about…) not usually needed since time is allocated in seminar
presentations
.
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THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESENTATION
 Structure (2) The main body
 Linking ideas
 Sequencing
First you say what you’re going to say. Then you say it. Then you tell them what you’ve said.’
This part concentrates on, first of all, identifying ways of organizing a presentation. It also gives key
words and phrases for linking ideas.
1 THE STRUCTURE
There are many ways to divide the main body of a presentation and often different parts will
themselves be divided into smaller sections of information.
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Introduction
Main body of information
First part
-a
-b
-c
-d
Second part Third part
-a
-a
-b
-b
-c
2 LINKING IDEAS
Language Checklist
Sequencing/ Ordering
firstly…secondly…thirdly
then…next…finally/lastly
let’s start with…
let’s move/go on to…
that brings us to…
let’s leave that…
that covers…
let’s get back to….
Comparing
similarly
in the same way
Contradicting
in fact
actually
Digressing
by the way
in passing
Giving examples
for example
for instance
such as
Giving reasons
therefore
so
as a result
that’s why
Summarizing
to sum up
Generalizing
usually
generally
as a rule
Contrasting
but
however
Highlighting
in particular
especially
Concluding
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in brief
in short
in conclusion
to conclude
Listing
There are three things to consider…. First ….second
Third
There are two kinds of ….The first is….The second is…
PRESENTATION FLOWCHART
Introduction
I’d like to talk today about…
Outline
I’ve divided my talk into…
Questions
If you have any questions, please
Part 1
Let’s start with…
So, that covers…
Part 2
That brings me to…
Let’s leave that there…
Part 3,4 etc…
and turn to…
Summary
To sum up…
Conclusion
In conclusion….
Adapted from: Jeremy Comfort, Effective Presentations, Oxford University Press , 1997
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THE END…
 The structure (3) The end
 Summarising and concluding
 Questions and discussion
Discuss:
What should go in the final part of a presentation? List the things you think should go in a presentation
ending.
Language Checklist: Endings
Signalling the end
That brings me to the end of my presentation.
That completes my presentation.
Before I stop/finish, let me just say…
Summarizing
Let me just run over the key points again.
I’ll briefly summarize the main issues.
To sum up…
Briefly…
Concluding
As you can see, there are some very good reasons…
In conclusion… I’d like to leave with the following thought/idea.
There are two conclusions ...
Closing
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you for listening.
Inviting questions
I’d be glad to try and answer any questions.
If you have any questions, I’d be glad to answer them/ I’m ready to answer them.
Any questions?
Right. Now, any questions or comments?
Handling questions
a) Understood , but difficult or impossible to answer:
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- That’s a difficult question to answer in a few words.
- It could be…
- In my experience…
- I would say…
b) Understood, but irrelevant or impossible to answer in the time available
- I’m afraid that’s outside the scope of my talk/my study/my thesis/ this session.
- If I were you I’d discuss that with…
c ) Not understood
- Sorry, I’m not sure I’ve understood. Could you repeat?
- Are you asking if…?
- Do you mean…?
- I didn’t catch (the last part of) your question.
- If I have understood you correctly, you mean…? Is that right?
Checking that your answer is sufficient
Does that answer your question? / Is that okay?
Adapted from: Simon Sweeney, English for Business Communication , Cambridge University Press
1997
Checklist for ending your presentation
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Include a clear summary of the key points
Conclude with a dramatic statement or a
recommendation
Distribute support information if needed
Invite questions
Thank the audience
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How to act as an opponent
An opponent should try to find, not only faults or points to criticize, but also points where the writer
has succeeded. The objective of a seminar is, after all, to improve the writer’s skills in doing and
reporting research. An opponent should not pay too much attention to details, but mainly concentrate
on contents and the language, i.e. the style. Because acting as an opponent is developing and practicing
critical thinking, it is not useful to go through the paper page by page, but instead observe the logical
connections between the sections of the paper. An opponent should aim at developing an overall
picture, not listing details.
An opponent should be able to justify his/ her opinions, just as well as the author.
Checklist for the opponent
Title:
Does is describe the contents? Is the scope too wide or too narrow? Is the title informative?
The contents’ list:
Is the structure logical?
Would you yourself have used a different structure? If yes, then why and what kind of?
Do the titles of the chapter correspond with their contents and are the titles the same in the text and in
the contents list?
Are the central sections of the paper in proportion with each other?
Introduction:
Does it follow the CARS model?
Are the terms and theoretical viewpoints used also in the analysis of the research methods?
Scientific usage of language:
Are the terms used explained well enough?
Are the terms defined well before they are used?
Are the terms used logically?
Does the style of the text correspond to what we have learnt during the course?
Is it objective and neutral?
Are there any mistakes that make the understanding of the text difficult or even impossible?
References:
Check the reference list. Does it include the sources that are referred to in the text?
Are the abbreviations used explained?
Are the references marked correctly?
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Are the citations marked correctly?
Other possible aspects to comment on:
How does the paper look? Is the layout as it should be?
Is the research relevant?
Is the analysis and interpretation of the results done well enough?
Is the research as a whole reliable enough?
Could some of the phenomena investigated be interpreted differently?
Is there something missing in the paper, e.g., important sources?
Tips for writers and opponents
Writers:
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Write a 6-8-page academic paper
Follow the guidelines and other instructions given in class
Remember the CARS model (as much as possible) in the introduction, in any case, write a clear
introduction
Re-read your text, check spelling and grammar before handing in your work
Hand in your work ONE week before your presentation date (Send your paper to the teacher
and your opponent.
Prepare your presentation (10 minutes, 5 minutes for questions) – make sure you do not exceed
your time!
Opponents:
 Read the paper you receive
 Prepare 2-4 questions to the writer
 Prepare an overall comment about the paper you have read (positive points/points to improve):
use a “sandwich method” of assessment = positive – improvements – positive
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