Tag: presentations

English Corner – Making Sure to Edit Your Presentations

“Getting peer edits or a peer review of the written part of the presentation will set you apart in a good way.”

Nothing takes away from a good presentation more than careless and recurring spelling and grammar errors that are noticeable to the audience. You could have an excellent looking PowerPoint with supporting details, crisp bullet points, and a stylish design, but if it is filled with English spelling and grammar errors, it will be a distraction from the overall presentation. As an English as a Second Language instructor, it is one of the first things I notice from a presentation, and it is an issue that I believe must be resolved before you present in front of an audience.

The presenter’s speaking ability, their cadence, tone, voice intonation, etc. are all key to having a good presentation but is not everything to its overall success. You have to remember the little details in a presentation and that includes making sure to edit and review your presentation as a non-native English speaker and learner. I am not singling out non-native English language learners alone because I have noticed grammar and spelling errors even from native English speakers due to being careless about it.

When you are learning English for professional purposes, it does no good for you to be careless about an important presentation. When you are just going through the motions of drafting up your presentation slides, it can be easy to just copy, paste, and hope that people understand your writing. People will not point these errors out to you after the presentation itself, but they will be taking note of the errors in the presentation, and it will be distracting them as they review what you presented on and how they feel about the subject matter itself.

In my view, it does show a lack of care and concern for your presentation when you don’t check for errors, review your spelling, or edit the grammar if necessary to make sure the written part of it is as good or if not to be better than what you verbally presented on. Depending on the type of professional English language presentation you are given, these kind of spelling, grammar, or written errors could hurt your ability to sell a product, to convince a business to partner with you, or to get the audience to agree with your thesis or your conclusion. When you put all your efforts into your 5-10-15 minute presentation in terms of your spoken English but neglect the hour or so needed to edit the PowerPoint slides for the visual aspect of it, the whole presentation will be setback as a result.

Do not let your presentation be derailed due to a few careless errors that could have been revised with just a few minutes of review and revisions. Your spoken part of the presentation is likely to be more intense, stressful, and time-consuming. However, it does not mean you should neglect the ability to write about what you’re presenting and to do so with as good of written English that you can muster. You are doing a disservice to your audience if you do not edit your written presentation whether they are notes, slides, or another form of written output that they will have to understand and digest.

If you are not comfortable with editing your presentation before you give it, be sure to check with your colleagues if they also know written English at the same level or higher than you, especially if they are advanced learners or it is their native language. Getting peer edits or a peer review of the written part of the presentation will set you apart in a good way. It shows that you care about all aspects of your presentation and are not self-conscious about your writing as a non-native English learner.

The peer editor will assist you immensely especially if you take the time to sit with them ahead of the presentation to review your errors, fix them together, and understand how you made them in the first place. The point of these professional presentations beyond just business or personal growth is to make you a better English speaker and writer. You can fix as many mistakes as necessary but if you are not learning from them for future presentations, you will continue to make them for future presentations much to your own professional detriment.

Getting your presentation reviewed by a peer or colleague you trust will help you immensely in various ways. It will help build your confidence, help you become a better writer by understanding the mistakes that were made, and even help you with networking purposes since you will be building a good relationship with your peer editor or reviewer in your field of study or work.

A presentation has two components usually: the written word and the spoken word. There may be an audio or a visual component but in professional English, the key parts that must be mastered in giving a presentation are to speak eloquently and with a concise and understandable tone, and for the written part, is to not make serious spelling, grammar, and other errors that are easily avoided with editing your presentations beforehand.

Please make sure to review and edit your written slides or notes before you present them to an audience in a professional or academic setting. If you need to get a peer to edit or review your written presentation, you should be doing that before you get on the stage or in front of the podium. You will become more respected and admired for your abilities to present in English as your 2nd or 3rd language when you put the necessary efforts in beforehand to master the art of speaking in front of an audience and having your written work presented without major errors or mistakes. The English language is not an easy language to master, especially when it comes to using it for professional purposes, but you will become that much more of an advanced learner if you are able to write and speak in front of an audience on a serious topic or subject matter so others in your professional field will appreciate and recognize your hard work and efforts.

English Corner – The Keys to Public Speaking

It can be difficult to speak in front of another person when you are not so sure of your English abilities. You’re probably comfortable when you talk to your family or your friends but you struggle to practice your English skills in front of random strangers. You’re fine on the phone with your best friend and may have no problem talking to them one-on-one. You might even be comfortable speaking in front of a class to practice a dialogue that your teacher prepared for you.

However, what about when it comes to speaking in English in front of a large group? Public speaking makes most people uncomfortable or nervous even when they are talking in their native language. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make it easier especially when it is your first time talking in front of strangers or an audience where you do not know anyone. The next time you have to do a presentation or make a speech, try these techniques and see if they help you. The more you practice your English in front of people who don’t know you, the more you’ll be able to gain self-confidence and get better at speaking even if you happen to make a few mistakes.

Choose a Topic You Know Well: Think about your background and experiences. Who are you? and what do you know a lot about? When you speak to a group for the first time, you have to be yourself. Don’t try to talk about something you know little about. Also, remember to not try to be someone you’re not. If you love sports, for example, do a presentation on your favorite baseball team and why you like them so much. You could also discuss what sport is your favorite to play and how it is played.

In order to grab the audience’s attention, remember to include personal stories from your own life and use a conversational tone as you would with a friend or a family member. Your audience wants to hear about your knowledge and expertise but they also want to get to know the real you along with how you were able to become the person you are today.

Practice and Practice Again: After you plan your formal presentation, it’s time to practice your English. If you do not want to practice it in front of friends or family, at least try to practice in front of a mirror or in front of your pet if you have one. You should use a clock or an alarm so that you know how long your presentation will take. Then, do your whole presentation out loud without stopping, even if you catch yourself making a few grammatical errors.

It is absolutely necessary that you follow through with your presentation even if you are not perfect at it during your practice runs. Also, please be sure to practice with the equipment you plan to use such as a laptop or projector. You may also need to practice with a microphone so you can know if you need to be louder or if you need to tone down your voice a bit for the future presentation. Practice more than once and when you have put that fear behind you, remember to practice in front of a friend or family member if possible. They might be able to give you some helpful advice about your tone, grammar, subject matter, etc. They will be your best critic because they know how your English is in spoken form.

Use Eye Contact and Gestures: Words are only one way that we communicate during a spoken presentation. You can also connect with your audience through your body language. First, always make eye contact with someone in the audience. Remember to look directly at different people in the audience so that they feel that you are talking to them personally. Second, use natural movement with your body and use gestures to get your points across. You do not have to wave your hands and arms around ecstatically but it is good to move them around to emphasize a certain part of your speech that you feel is uniquely important. Walking around the stage or platform a little can make you look less nervous and also gives you an air of confidence. On top of all that, being able to use your hands while you talk can also be helpful for your presentation.

Never Say “You’re Sorry”: Finally, don’t ever apologize for being nervous during a presentation, especially when English is not your native language. The audience probably doesn’t know or realize how nervous you are, and they are more interested in hearing about your topic for which you are an expert in. Also, if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s alright to admit that you don’t know it and to move on to the next one. You don’t have to say you’re sorry. However, it’s great if you can explain to that audience member that the question is not something you know about. When you can do this in a polite manner, you will be able to move on to the next question without offending the audience you’re talking to.

Do Your Best: Nobody’s perfect at public speaking even if their native language is English. You may make a few mistakes but the audience will respect and admire you for giving it your best and presenting to them about a worthwhile topic. As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither will the perfection of your public speaking skills. The main things to take out of your public speaking experience are to develop your grammar, diction, vocabulary, and overall cadence. Putting yourself out there is hard to do but you will be a better English speaker for it and after having gone through these experiences, you will have more confidence and better communication skills. Whether you are pitching your new business, explaining your scientific discovery, or examining the witness at a trial, good public speaking is absolutely key to your professional development.