How to Make anOral Presentation

Things to Think About

1. Oral Communication is different from written communication.Listeners have one chance to hear your talk and can't "re-read" when they get confused.In many situations, they have or will hear several talks on the same day.Being clear is particularly important if the audience can't ask questions during the talk.There are two well-know ways to communicate your points effectively.The first is to keep it simple. Focus on getting one to three key points across.Second, repeat key insights: tell them what you're going to tell them (forecast), then tell them,and tell them what you told them (summary). 2. Think about your audience.Most audiences should be addressed in layers: some are experts in your sub-area,some are experts in the general area, and others know little or nothing.Who is most important to you? Can you still leave others with something?For example, pitch the body to experts, but make the forecast and summary accessible to all. 3. Think about your rhetorical goals. For conference talks, for example, I recommendtwo rhetorical goals: leave your audience with a clear picture of the gist of your contribution,and make them want to read your paper. Your presentation should not replace your paper,but rather whet the audience appetite for it. Thus, it is commonly useful to allude toinformation in the paper that can't be covered adequately in the presentation.

Podium Panic

Everyone experiences stage fright, speech anxiety, or talking terror.Surveys show that fear of speaking in front of groups is one of the greatest fears people have.Some surveys find people actually claiming that the thought of giving a speech is morefrightening than falling off a cliff, financial difficulties, snakes, and even death. The following lists some techniques people use for coping with this fright:

1. Your audience understands your nervousness; they know what you are feeling and willforgive it; similarly they will forgive honest mistakes. 2. Nervousness is usually invisible; most will not notice the small changes in your voice oroccasional mistakes; most speakers who describe themselves as nervous appear confidentand calm to the audience.

3. Be yourself; let the real you come through; relax, practice some deep breathing techniques.

4. Begin in your comfort zone; practice with friends; check out the room first, the equipment

5. concentrate on the message; begin with a slow, well-prepared introduction;have a confident and clear conclusion.

Most important:

Be prepared and practice!

STYLE

Effective presenters recognize that communication is both intellectual and emotional.Organizing your ideas is part of the task. The other is to gain and maintain attention.

The following lists some basic techniques to maintain attention: 1. Convey "controlled enthusiasm" for your subject - the audience will forgive a lot if thespeaker is enthusiastic

2. Pay attention to your posture and tone; don't lean.

3. Your audience will mirror your attitude - radiate confidence without preaching 4. Don't confuse enthusiasm with loudness; try to convey a range of emotions from concern,anticipation, excitement, dismay where appropriate.

Are You Distracting the Audience and Drawing Attention away from your Message?

When we want the audience to focus on what we have to say rather than on us,it is important to think about anything that might detract from our message.This can be a sensitive issue since some of these factors are personal or "part of who we are.“ Regional accents or colloquialisms: If we are in an audience of people who share our"accent" no one will notice. However, if we are in a more general audience,our accent may make the audience focus on this rather than our message.This is not to say that you should abandon your ethnic or regional identity and individuality;however, you need to be aware of the impact of accents on audience.This can be done positively, but more often these mannerisms tend to detract negatively.We don't have to talk all alike, but we need to know how we are perceived. Physical mannerisms: Speakers who pace, pound the podium, jingle change in their pockets,fumble with their hair, pick their noses, or do other similar things can focus attention onthemselves rather than the subject; sometimes this can be done for affect,but more often it is inadvertent and distracting. It is advisable to wear moderate clothes andjewelery.

Voice tone: Professional speakers generally emphasize the lower registers of their voices(both men and women) and avoid dramatic variations in the pitches of their voices.Occasionally this "rule" can be broken for affect.

A World of Water – Water for the World

Water just comes out of a tap.I don’t care where it comes from.

Water is more valuable than oil.

Scan the texts. What do these numbers refer to?

70%98%1972300 billion25%32,0002.7 billion150

1. What is desalination?

2. What is removed during desalination?

3. Which twi methods are used in desalination?

4. Name three countries that use desalination.

5. When was desalination first used in China?

6. How have the Chinese made the process of desalination more efficient?

7. When was desalination first used in the UAE?

8. Why is there a water shortage in some countries with adequate rainfall?

9. How can water be managed more efficiently?

10. How can the problems of water be solved in the future?

Some More Exercises on Reported Speech…

1. "Don't touch it," she said to him. 2. "Don't do that again," he said to me.

3. "Don't talk to me like that," he said. 4. "Don't repair the computer yourself," she warned him.

5. "Don't let him in," she said. 6. "Don't go out without me," he begged her. 7. "Don't forget your bag," she told me. 8. "Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said. 9. "Don't give yourself up," he advised her. 10. "Don't hurt yourselves, boys," she said.

1. She said, "Go upstairs.“ 2. "Close the door behind you," he told me. 3. "Don't be late," he advised us. 4. "Stop staring at me," she said. 5. "Don't be angry with me," he said. 6. "Leave me alone," she said. 7. "Don't drink and drive," she warned us. 8. "John, stop smoking," she said. 9. "Don't worry about us," they said. 10. "Meet me at the cinema." he said.

1. He said, "I like this song.“ 2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me. 3. "I don't speak Italian," she said. 4. "Say hello to Jim," they said. 5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said. 8. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said. 9. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him. 10. "I never make mistakes," he said. 11. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know. 12. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.