EXPECTATIONS FOR
PRESENTATIONS
WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS?
– Presentations demonstrate your ability to research a topic in English, to
organize the information, and to communicate the information clearly to your
classmates. Moreover, it demonstrates your ability to speak English
fluidly. Mistakes are o.k.! Just make sure people can understand what you
are saying.
DO YOUR RESEARCH IN ENGLISH
– Don’t try to research your topic in German and translate it into
English. That’s an extra step and will
make your preparation too long.
SUBMIT AN OUTLINE FOR
REVIEW – at least two weeks before your presentation, present an outline to the
teacher for feedback. The outline should
be detailed and reflect the structure and content of your presentation. You should also list the sources you used in
constructing the presentation.
SPEAK FREELY – Don’t read
or memorize your presentation. You may
have a notecard with keywords to remind you what you want to say. Remember Bela
Lugosi as Dracula.
BE PREPARED! - Know your topic backwards and forwards so
that you can speak freely and answer questions.
Look up words you don’t know or use an easier word for your audience. Double-check pronunciation.
VISUAL AIDS – Powerpoints
should be used as a visual aid to help your audience understand what you are
talking about. Pictures, labels, graphs,
keywords are all good things. Do not put large chunks of text on a Powerpoint
slide that you intend to read. Also, do
not use long videos to substitute for your presentation
HANDOUTS - Handouts are a
good idea to help your audience remember your topic and to give them ideas for
further research. You may include an
outline of your talk and your sources.
REMEMBER THE BASICS – Use
good eye contact with members of your audience.
Don’t dress down the day of your presentation. Modulate your voice so your audience doesn’t
lose interest. Don’t be too relaxed or
stiff. It’s always a good idea to
interact with your visual aids and with your audience.
NO EXCUSES – I’ve heard
them all: “I forgot my presentation” “I accidentally
erased my power point” “I didn’t know it was today” “I had a test in another
class” “My dog ate my USB stick” If you
are absent the day of your presentation or if you defer your presentation , you
may or may not have the chance to make it up.
The presentation counts as Mitarbeit, so the important thing is to give
it – a zero is worse than a 51%!
IN THE END, IT’S ALL ABOUT
THE LANGUAGE – I don’t care how brilliant your slide show is. I care about whether you are speaking English
from the heart.
