Anglistics Study Programme Presentation Skills Lazar Dražeta, PhD Anglistics Study Programme www.singidunum.ac.rs/admission
Anglistics Study Programme Most common Fears
Anglistics Study Programme Fear of public speaking – Stage Fright Concept Any unfamiliar activity creates some stress and people simply find stressful being the center of attention. Stage fright act as a perfomance anxiety (fight-or-flight syndrome). Symptoms The symptoms of stage fright are actually a stress reaction, showing signs of anxiety Trembling, shaking, sweating: blood vessels constrict, contracted muscles • tremble, body begin sweating and blood pressure is elevated “Stomach butterflies” and dry mouth : as the digestive system gets shuted down • Inability to continue talking: breaths become rapid and shallow, vocal cords are • stretched and voice tightens Saying foolish or sensless things: mind is going blank, headache can set in •
Anglistics Study Programme Forms of Stage Fright Being anxious about public speaking is very natural and to be expected (it is the single biggest source of fear amongst humans). All potential public speakers experience at least one of the following fears, and some people suffer from all four: 1. Fear of the unknown: speaking in public is often an unknown experience for most people that also looks pretty scary (like having the invisible monsters under our beds when we were kids) 2. Fear of being the center of attention: being the center of attention means people are focused on you – your body, face, movements, clothes, voice (like walking down the crowded street where everyone is staring at you) 3. Fear of failure: it can take many forms, from forgetting what you wanted to say to saying or doing something you don ’ t want in the front of countless staring eyes (that magnified significance of our “failures”) 4. Fear of rejection : fear that any “failure” to get our points across to the audience may lead audience to decide our speech is not worth listening (like asking a room full of people out on a first date – who will be nervous about possible rejection?)
Anglistics Study Programme How to overcome Stage Fright Long-term strategies Expectacion : your speech will not be perfect (no one ever gives the “perfect” • speech). You want say every word or phrase exactly right with proper emphasis – goal is not on Perfection but on Effectiveness . Preparation: help build your confidence and lessen your fear of failing to get • your ideas across to your audience Success is 90% Prespiration (preparation) and 10% Inspiration (speech) Practice: only a small % of people is able to give effective speeches without a • great deal of practice (regardless of what many people will tell you). Practicing (i.e. through internal dialogue) will help you deal with the fear of unknown. Feedback: practicing alone will help you know your speech but effective • speakers often practice speeches in front of family members and friends who will give them a feedback (what works well and what could be improved). Experience: The more experience you have with public speaking, the better • you will be at dealing with stage fright. It takes time (often longer than one semester/year). Don ’ t avoid public speaking situations – embrace them!
Anglistics Study Programme How to overcome Stage Fright Personal tips Preparation is the single greatest antidote to fear. The most important moment • is beginning, thus you must plan exactly what to say in the first 60 seconds. Recognize the stress as excitement: to make adrenaline rush work for you (stage • fright has the same physiological symptoms as with roller coaster, rafting, etc.) Exercise – use your large muscles to relax: walk brieskly around the building, • stretch your arms, vigorously change your facial expressions (physical exercise will alleviate large muscle contractions and thus help reduce stress) Take deep breaths from diaphragm: regulate the breath cycle (O 2 :CO 2 balance • gets restored and stress level begin to decline) Watch what you eat: time your food intake (it takes hours to digest food) and • choose the type of food (e.g. milk creates phlegm, high sugar drops blood sugar levels, etc.) Trick yourself: imagine funny-looking audience, make yourself laugh, associate • your public speaking with fun (think of something humorous to add in your presentation) Exaggerate your symptoms: try to make your symptoms more intense (the body • will not automatically produce a symptom that you are doing consciously)
Anglistics Study Programme Steps in presentation Steps There are three steps in each presentation: 1. Planning 2. Preparing 3. Delivering Why / To whom? What / How? Where / When?
Anglistics Study Programme I. Planning presentation “ Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern. ” Ken Haemer, AT&T Question: Why ? The reason for the presentation • Impact on audience • Result (action) • Question: To whom ? Age • Knowledge of the audience • Culture • Size • Language • Available time •
Anglistics Study Programme II. Preparing presentation Starting preparation First determine conclusions and basic ideas → then create a framework of presentations and fill it with text and ilustrations Question: What? We need to know / Should we know / Would be better to know Reasearch: Books, articles, internet, statistics, examples, etc Question: How? The success depends on the balance between feelings and arguments of presenter Make notes to connect the key elements of speech, without • improvisation. Weakness: presentation as read text! Pick only key elements (as the foundation), while improvise the rest. • Weakness: requires experience! The sense of time To predict length of presentation is characteristic of good presenters For all three parts: Introduction, Main body and Conclusion •
Anglistics Study Programme Preparation: Space Psychic space Represents the mental space of presentation: Presentations are usually carried out in the public zone (> 3.6 m) • A good presenter knows how to use all listeners’ personal space to • enhance the impression of his/her presentation (from the intimate to the public zone) Physical space Represents the physical space of presentation. Before the start of presentation one has to check: Working order of technical equipment (projector, PC, flip-chart, etc) • Lighting and sound insulation • Capacity of the room (in regard to the number of participants) and seating • plan (if applicable) Air temperature and ventilation • Phone or other device in the room that can interfere with the presentation •
Anglistics Study Programme Preparation: Visual aids A picture is worth a thousand words! Proverb Purpose Attract the attention of listeners (engage the senses) • Illustrate points that are difficult to understand • Emphasize important ideas • Save time and energy to carry out presentation • Types Graphs, diagrams • Pictures (photos, drawings) • Video / film • Media Power Point presentation • Slides, video projector • Working materials (handouts) •
Anglistics Study Programme Preparation: Power Point presentation Rules Each slide must be of the same design • Determine the format for all slides (titles, subtitles, ideas, fonts, etc) • KISS principle of expression: “ Keep It Short and Simple ” • Usually 1-2 minutes per slide (sense of time) • Present in bullet points – key words that you further elaborate in your speech • (no need to write on slides everything you would like to say) Use capital letters only when necessary (they are difficult for reading) • Do not use complicated fonts • Use a light background colour and font that is clearly visible • Use different colour of letters only to emphasize key point(s) / logic of speech: • Using colour for decoration, may distract and is unpleasant to read Try to be creative, is not alwys a good way of presenting
Anglistics Study Programme Preparation: Power Point presentation (cont.) Spelling and grammar After the completion of presentation check slides for: Spelling errors • Grammatical errors • Repeated words / buzzwords • Conclusion Must be strong and effective – the audience will be remember your final words. In your final slide: Summarize the main points of of the presentation • Suggest future course of action • Invite the audience to ask questions / discuss topic(s) • Thank the audience for their attention •
Anglistics Study Programme III. Giving a Presentation Concept Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience. Presentations come in nearly as many forms as there are life situations: business meeting concept, education, charity, arts, safety, etc. Elements – prerequisites Care for listeners • Voice • Eye-contact • Body language (posture, gestures) • Personality •
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