Giving presentations to audiences, large or small, can be an extremely difficult task even for an experienced person. You’re going to be in front of a group of people, some you may know, some may be total strangers. You’re on the stage, and all eyes are on you, the audience has high expectations or they wouldn’t be there. Every word, every nuance, your appearance, the tone of your voice, not to mention the content of your presentation, will be analyzed in every way. You know what you want to say – you know the material – but there’s that awful feeling that you’ll say the wrong thing or you’ll have a spot on your suit or ....You are going to listen to five people talking about their experience of giving a presentation. Try to analyze the way they gave it.
1 Pre-listening activities
a) Answer the questions:
When do people give presentations?
Have you ever had an experience of giving a presentation? Were you successful? Why?Why not?
b) Study new vocabulary (e-flashcards can be found on: http://quizlet.com/62804997/flashcards):
fair – a large event when several companies show their goods or services in one place, to try to sell them (trade fair or trade show);
to get nervous – to become anxious about something or afraid of something;
unknown – not known or identified, happening never before;
participants – people who are taking part in an activity or event;
tip-top – excellent;
uneasy – feeling worried or unhappy about a particular situation, especially because you think that something bad or unpleasant may happen or because you are not sure that what you are doing is right;
courier – a person or company whose job is to deliver packages or important papers somewhere;
marketing brochure – a small magazine or book containing pictures and information on presenting, advertising and selling a company's products in the best possible way;
machine tool company – a company that produces automatic or electron instruments;
complimentary piece – a nice, flattering and praising article;
a new range – a variety of company products that have been recently made, invented or introduced;
bonus – anything pleasant that is extra and more or better than you were expecting;
to showcase – to show something in a way that attracts attention and emphasizes their good qualities;
personal health insurance policy – an official document containing agreement on the safety of your health between you and an insurance company;
to get used to something – something is familiar to you, you have done it before;
to exploit – to use something well in order to gain as much from it as possible;
properly – in a way that is correct and/or appropriate;
key points – the main or most important ideas in something that are said or done;
to target – to make something have an effect on a particular group or area;
mailshot – advertisements or information that a company sends to many people at the same time by post;
head of HR (Human Resources) – the person in charge of the department in a company that deals with employing and training people;
international pharmaceutical company – company connected with making and selling drugs and medicines and involving two or more countries;
top-of-the-range policy – the most expensive policy;
board – a group of people who have power to make decisions and control a company or other organization;
to get across – to be communicated or understood; to succeed in communicating something;
to keep things brief – to be shot while speaking;
to wander – to walk slowly around or to a place, often without any particular sense of purpose or direction;
positive benefits – advantages, a helpful and useful effect producing a successful result;
scheme – a plan or system for doing or organizing something;
potential cost savings – that can develop into money that you have saved;
one-sided – showing only one side of the situation; not balanced;
expansion - an act of increasing or making something increase in size, amount or importance;
to be accepted – to be taken, to take willingly something that is offered; to say “yes” to an offer;
stress management – the wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of improving everyday functioning;
to be worth doing something (speaking) – important, good or enjoyable enough to make somebody feel satisfied, especially when difficulty or effort is involved;
upmarket – things that are designed for or used by people who belong to a high social class or have a lot of money;
customer relations – the way in which two groups of people (who sell and buy goods and services to each other) behave towards each other or deal with each other;
worthwhile – important, enjoyable, interesting, etc; worth spending time, money or effort on;
get into – to start;
font – the particular size and style of a set of letters that are used in printing;
legible – clear enough to read;
to be in two minds – to be unable to decide what to do, or what to think about something;
to set up – to organize or plan to do something;
keynote speech – the central, very important one, introducing a meeting or its subject;
stimulating – full of interesting or exciting ideas; making people feel enthusiastic;
weigh up – to consider the good and bad aspects of something in order to reach a decision about it;
accommodation – a place to live, work or stay in;
afterwards – at a later time; after the event that has already been mentioned;
to relocate – to move to a new place in order to work or operate there;
state-of-the-art – using the most modern or advanced techniques or methods; as good as it can be at the present time;
to put in a bid – to offer to buy something, usually in writing;
speakers’ panel – a group of specialists who give their advice or opinion about something; a group of people who discuss topics of interest while a conference.
c) Remember new vocabulary: http://quizlet.com/62804997/learn
d) Write a dictation: http://quizlet.com/62804997/speller
e) Have some fun: scatter-game: http://quizlet.com/62804997/scatter,
race-game: https://quizlet.com/62804997/spacerace
f) Take a test: http://quizlet.com/62804997/test
2 While-listening activities
Listening for general information
a) Listen to the program and match the topic/purpose of presentation with the person speaking (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5072123.html):
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1. speaker 4 |
a) to offer a range of personal health insurance policies |
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2. speaker 1 |
b) to outline a scheme of cost savings in the buying components |
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3. speaker 5 |
c) to make contacts and find out a new machine tool company |
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4. speaker 3 |
d) to tell the audience about recent company projects |
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5. speaker 2 |
e) a conference talk on stress management |
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b) Listen to the program and complete the following exercise (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5271623.html):
Say if the sentences are true or false:
Choose the best answer to the questions (sometimes more than answer is possible):
a) a delivery problem
b) laptop and multimedia project problems
c) obstacles in assisting his boss two years before
a) speaking in a new hall
b) laptop and multimedia project problems
c) New York reporters in the hall
a) a complex corporate policy to the board
b) the most popular insurance policy to the employees
c) a range of different insurance policy for an international pharmaceutical company
a) always speaks briefly
b) spoke about cost savings
c) was one-sided
a) technology
b) interpersonal relationships and better communication
c) useful events that are worth speaking at
d) delivering brochures
e) tip-top hall
a) speaker 1
b) speaker 2
c) speaker 3
d) speaker 4
e) speaker 5
c) For each speaker (1–5) decide on the appropriate reason for concern before the presentation (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5271717.html):
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1. speaker 4 |
a) the clarity of the graphics |
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2. speaker 1 |
b) the benefit of presenting at such an event |
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3. speaker 5 |
c) the balance of the session |
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4. speaker 3 |
d) the composition of the audience |
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5. speaker 2 |
e) the availability of promotional materials |
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d) For each speaker (1–5) choose the outcome he/she describes (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5271712.html):
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1. speaker 4 |
a) The committee agreed to the proposal |
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2. speaker 1 |
b) The company was asked to tender for a large development |
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3. speaker 5 |
c) The most recent models were featured in the national press |
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4. speaker 3 |
d) A training contract was agreed with a national leisure chain |
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5. speaker 2 |
e) A large organization showed interest in one of the products |
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Listening for detail
e) Listen again and complete the text (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5308743.html?AP_rand=695066982):
Speaker 1.
I was giving a presentation at a 1 _____ in Chicago. I get nervous before speaking in unknown places, you know, will 2 _____ be able to see the stage or will my laptop work with 3 _____ _____? In this case, though, I’d assisted my boss when he spoke three years before, so I knew the 4 _____was tip-top. What was making me uneasy, though, was the courier – the 5 _____brochures hadn’t been delivered and I only had a few with me – but all was well in the end. I was hoping to make 6 _____ and find out about a new machine too; company.
Speaker 2.
I’d designed some new 7 _____, so I wasn’t expecting much. It takes time to get used to new 8 _____ and learn how to exploit them properly, even when you are sure of your 9 _____. Above all, I was uneasy about the people marketing had targeted with the 10 _____– I wasn’t convinced they’d focused on the right 11 _____. To my surprise, though, everything went down very well, so well that the 12 _____ of HR at Grants, you know, the International pharmaceutical company, 13 _____ me later.
Speaker 3.
It’s not easy 14 _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ effectively. There are so many factors to consider, like crucially, how long to speak for. I’ve got that one stored now though – I keep things brief.
It could have appeared a bit 15 _____-_____. Fortunately, I seem to have 16 _____ it right. I was asked to say more about possible 17 _____ and then, after some discussion in the group, my 18 _____ was accepted. What a relief!
Speaker 4.
I gave a talk on 19 _____ _____recently at a conference. It’s hard to know which events are worth 20 _____ at, but this one’s proved useful over the years. It did so 21 _____ this year. After my session, someone who works 22 _____ _____ _____ with a series of upmarket hotels came up. She wanted to talk about the 23 _____ of us running some sessions for their junior managers, focusing on customer relations and 24 _____ _____. That’s all 25 _____ now and it should be worthwhile. Funny, when I remember the state I was getting into about my26 _____.
Speaker 5.
I was in two minds whether to go to Australia recently for a27 _____, set up by a new international architects association. The 28 _____ _____ and the topics sounded stimulating but you have to weigh up whether these events are worth the costs in terms of travel, 29 _____ and time too. I wasn’t at all convinced. Anyway, I’m glad I went. My presentation on some recent projects our company has been 30 _____ in went well. Afterwards I talked to someone in the 31 _____ who worked for a newspaper group. The group want to relocate into a state-of-the-art building and he suggested we put in a 32 _____ to design it. And I’d thought the best we could hope for was to be asked to join the 33 _____ _____ next year!
3 After-listening activities
a) Match words from each column to make collocations found in the program (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5317637.html):
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1. to get |
a. expansion |
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2. unknown |
b. management |
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3. marketing |
c. two minds |
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4. machine |
d. nervous |
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5. new |
e. places |
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6. personal |
f. hotels |
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7. to get used |
g. worthwhile speaking |
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8. international |
h. range |
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9. to keep |
i. brochures |
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10. positive |
j. health insurance policies |
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11.potential |
k. benefits |
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12. possible |
l. tool company |
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13. stress |
m. things brief |
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14. to be |
n. to something |
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15. upmarket |
o. pharmaceutical company |
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16.to be in |
p. cost savings |
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1.We should present our product at annual New York _______.
2.I felt really _______ before the interview.
3.He was trying, for some _______ reason, to count the stars.
4.He has been an active _______ in the discussion.
5.Urgent deliveries of medicine may be sent by motorcycle _______.
6.She was extremely _______ about his work.
7.What is actually paid will depend on the _______ payments made at the end of the policy.
8.She’s responsible for making the best use of _______ .
9.Our equipment is _______.
10.He’s not very good at _______ his ideas ______.
11.We _______ back towards the car.
12.Under the new _______ only successful schools will be given extra funding.
13.First we need to identify actual and _______ problems.
14.Despite the recession the company is confident of further _______.
15.The company has been forced to move more _______.
16.We all felt we had done something _______ for the local community.
17.The price must be _______ to a purchaser.
18.Choice is the _______ of the new education policy.
19.The building plans include much needed new office _______.
20.Let's go out now and eat _______.
21.A French firm will be _______ for the contract.
22.Cushman is director of _______ for a chain of Italian restaurants.
23.The new credit cards will be of great _______ to our customers.