GLOBAL CLASSROOMS: HOW TO MAKE A GOOD PRESENTATION

Topics for the presentations (3º)

Presentation topics for the 1.30 min speaking activity (in pairs) to take place on October 10. Choose your pair, then both decide on a topic and tell ASAP Simina (3ºA) or Natalia (3ºB). Remember topics can´t be repeated, they´ll be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis! (On October 3 Natalia and Simina have to give me the list with the pairs and the topics each pair has picked). 

1. The best thing that has ever happened to me 
2. The worst thing that has ever happened to me
3. A surprise I had 
4. A memory from childhood I´ll always remember
5. What is friendship?
6. Bilingual education: pros and cons 
7. A problem I have 
8. Your most embarrassing moment.
9. What would you like to change and why? 
10. Things I can't understand 
11. Your most curious dream.
12. High school is the best time in your life. Or not…
13. Things you would change in our high-school 
14. Your favourite book 
15. Should mobiles be used at school?
16. Your dream job 
17. Will robots replace humans?  Will robots take our jobs? 
18. Would you want to live on another planet?
19. Social networking sites: pros and cons.
20. What will future houses look like?
21. Sex roles

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD PRESENTATION
A. BASIC SUMMARY. How to make a good presentation in 4 simple steps:
1.CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION: The topic must be clear and follow a logical order. You must use examples to prove your points.

2.COMPREHENSION: Speak slowly and loudly enough. Your audience must understand what you say!

3.PREPARATION: The more you prepare the more confident you´ll feel.

4.INTERACTION WITH THE AUDIENCE. Remember you must sell your ideas, suggestions or points! Use your body language, try to capture the attention of the audience.
 
5. BE ENTHUSIASTIC!  The more excited you are about your topic the better your presentation will be. You must convince us!
B. IT´S TIME NOW FOR A LONGER EXPLANATION…  
1.Organising the content
a.Introduction
-Capture your listeners’ attention: Begin with a question, a funny story, a startling comment, or anything that will make them think.
-State your purpose; for example:
‘I’m going to talk about...’
‘This morning I want to explain…’
-Present an outline of your talk; for example:
‘I will concentrate on the following points: First of all…Then…
This will lead to… And finally…’
b.The Body
-Present your main points one by one in logical order.
-Pause at the end of each point -Make it absolutely clear when you move to another point. For example:
‘The next point is that ...’
‘OK, now I am going to talk about ...’
‘Right. Now I'd like to explain ... ’
‘Of course, we must not forget that ...’
‘However, it's important to realise that...’
-Use clear examples to illustrate your points.

c.The Conclusion
-It is very important to leave your audience with a clear summary of everything you have covered.
-Make it obvious that you have reached the end of the presentation.
-Summarise the main points again, using phrases like:
‘To sum up...’
‘So, in conclusion...’
‘OK, to recap the main points…’
-Restate the purpose of your talk, and say that you have achieved your aim:
‘I think you can now see that...’
‘My intention was ..., and it should now be clear that ...’
2.Delivering your presentation
-Talk to your audience, don't read to them! A presentation is not the same as an essay.If you read out your presentation as if it were an essay, your audience will probably understand very little and will lose concentration quickly.
-Speak to the audience. Include everyone by looking at them and maintaining eye-contact.
-Watch your language! Keep it simple. The aim is to communicate, not to show off your vocabulary.
-Emphasise the key points—and make sure people realise which are the key points. Repeat them using different phrasing.
-Use your voice to communicate clearly. Speak loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear you. This may feel uncomfortably loud at first, but if people can't hear you, they won't listen.
-Speak slowly and clearly.Don’t rush! Speaking fast doesn’t make you seem smarter, it will only make it harder for other people to understand you.
-Key words are important. Speak them out slowly and loudly.
-Vary your voice quality. If you always use the same volume and pitch (for example, all loud, or all soft, or in a monotone) your audience will switch off.
-Use pauses—don't be afraid of short periods of silence. (They give you a chance to gather your thoughts, and your audience a chance to think.)
-Use your body to communicate, too! Stand straight and comfortably. Hold your head up. Look around and make eye-contact with people in the audience. Do not stare at a point on the carpet or the wall. If you don't include the audience, they won't listen to you.
-When you are talking to your friends, you naturally use your hands, your facial expression, and your body to add to your communication. Do it in your presentation as well. It will make things far more interesting for the audience.
-Don't turn your back on the audience!
3.So you are nervous…
-The first few times you make a presentation, you will be nervous. That's quite a good thing—a bit of adrenalin often helps you to perform well.
-Smile! Your audience will react warmly to you if you smile and at least look relaxed.
-Breathe deeply. It will calm you down and help to control the slight shaking that you might get in your hands and your voice.
-Be well-prepared. Practise giving your talk. The better prepared you are, the more self-confident ypu´ll feel
-Be organised. If you are well organised, your task will be easier.
-Slow down! When people are nervous, they tend to get confused easily. So your mind may start to race, and you may feel panicky. Make use of pauses: force yourself to stop at the end of a sentence, take a breath, and think before you continue.
-Remember: The way you perform is the way your audience will feel. Giving an oral presentation is a performance—you have to be like an actor. If you act the part of someone enjoying themselves and feeling confident, you will not only communicate these positive feelings to the audience, you will feel much better, too.

(Adapted from the Academic Skills Program of the University of Canberra. Link.)