Presentation考试¶
What is the Presentation exam in the UK? How to do a Presentation?
In domestic universities and high schools, there is usually no concept of "Presentation." However, in foreign countries, almost all schools have individual or group presentations. Presentations can be part of regular assignments or graded exams. Failing a presentation can result in a failed grade, requiring a redo, and the number of presentations in each semester can be quite high.
To be honest, it's not easy to accurately translate "Presentation" into Chinese with a single word. It can be referred to as a speech, a demonstration, or a summary report to the teacher.
So, for students who are going abroad for the first time from China, they may not understand what a presentation is and how to do it to achieve a high score.
For example, friends who are fond of the Apple brand may be familiar with Apple's annual product launches, where Steve Jobs used to give thematic speeches on stage, which can be considered as presentations.
In school, teachers assign presentations on relevant topics, which can be individual or group presentations. Individual presentations are similar to what Steve Jobs used to do, where one person stands on stage and delivers a speech or demonstration. Group presentations involve members of a group taking turns to present, with each member contributing to the content in a coordinated manner. On the other hand, individual presentations are done solely by one person.
In reality, students attending classes in the UK will also notice that teachers mostly use PowerPoint (PPT) during lectures, which is also considered a form of presentation.
Presentation Format:
Presentations are delivered using PPT, which stands for PowerPoint, a Microsoft office software specifically designed for creating slide presentations. Unless there are special circumstances, presentations are typically done using PowerPoint slides. The content on the slides should be concise, focused, and have minimal text.
During the presentation, you need to stand in front of the audience, facing them while occasionally referring to the slides to guide the audience. Alternatively, instead of delivering the presentation in front of the teacher or audience, you can record a video and submit it to the teacher. However, recording a video presentation is usually done when specifically requested by the teacher.
Presentation Structure:
Although PPT is used, the structure of the content is akin to writing a mini essay. You need to focus on a central theme, present an academic paper, and use charts, numbers, and key points on the slides. You will then provide an explanation and elaboration during the presentation.
This means that you need to write the content first before creating the PowerPoint slides, which facilitates the process.
Introduction:
Start with an opening statement, introducing yourself, your team members (if applicable), and what you will be talking about, along with the approach and purpose of the presentation.
Background:
Provide a background introduction based on the theme given by the teacher.
Main Body:
Focus on presenting the content you have written around the given theme, including key points, significance, drawbacks, and other relevant aspects.
Conclusion:
Summarize the content presented, linking it to the previous sections. Avoid introducing new viewpoints or ideas. If providing suggestions, refer back to the previously mentioned content.
Questions:
Ask the audience if they have any questions. If there are questions, answer them by briefly restating the question to clarify your understanding, and then respond accordingly. If there are no questions, thank everyone and conclude the presentation.
Other Reminders for Presentations."
When giving a presentation, try to dress formally or have members of a group dress in a unified style, especially during exams. This creates a more formal atmosphere and reflects your attitude. For regular presentations, you can dress comfortably.
Prepare key words, phrases, or sentences on small note cards in advance. It is allowed to use note cards while speaking on stage, which can be helpful if you suddenly become nervous and forget. Glancing at the key words or phrases will help you quickly recall and express the content you want to discuss.
Speak at a normal pace, neither too fast nor too slow. Keep your voice at a moderate volume, neither too loud nor too soft. Adapt to the specific context you are in. For example, in a large classroom with many people, you can speak a bit louder and add emotional expression for better impact. Interactive elements with the audience can earn extra points.
Pay attention to the time limit. Presentations have time constraints specified by the teacher, usually around 15-20 minutes. If you exceed the time limit and haven't finished, it will result in a deduction of points. Therefore, control your time effectively. If you realize there isn't enough time remaining, focus on delivering the key point or sentence, and quickly move on to the next slide.
Before the formal presentation, practice extensively at home, including pronunciation, intonation, body language, facial expressions, grammar, and transitions in speech. For example, know what you will talk about next, what the next slide contains, and who will continue speaking on behalf of your group. Memorize the content first, and then write down key words on small note cards. This will make you more confident during the actual speech.
If you forget your content or forget to bring your note cards, the keywords on your slides become crucial. At such moments when you hesitate, quickly guide everyone to look at the content on the slide. Read the content on the slide aloud and then turn to the audience to explain. I have done this myself because I tend to get nervous when I step on stage and easily forget what to say or where I left off. Sometimes, even if you have the note cards in your hand, you might struggle to keep up. Therefore, the content on the slides is extremely important. Make sure to highlight the key points.
Backup your presentation. It is highly recommended to make multiple backups. First, make a copy of your presentation on a USB drive. Then, prepare a backup in cloud storage and another one in your email, in case the USB drive fails or there is no internet connection unexpectedly. Bring a laptop and store a copy of the presentation on it as well. If you are scheduled to present later, you will still have time to modify and improve your PPT based on the situation. In the event of a network failure, you can directly connect your laptop to the school's equipment to display the slides on a large screen.
As a regular practice, watch TED talks and try to imitate and learn from other speakers. This can help reduce stress and alleviate nervousness.
If a previous presenter missed an important bonus point, the next presenter can supplement that crucial content while speaking.
Common transitional phrases for presentations:
To start with...
Welcome / Hello everyone / Good Morning
Today I’m going to talk to you about......
My presentation will be divided into two/three/four parts.
Firstly I’m going to talk about the....background.
Then I’m going to talk to you about......
Next I’m talking about......
And finally, I'm going to examine......
Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally…
I'm going to…
take a look at…
talk about…
examine…
tell you something about the background…
give you some facts and figures…
fill you in on the history of…
concentrate on…
limit myself to the question of…
Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
I'd be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.
body
As I said at the beginning…
As you remember, we are concerned with…
I'd now like to move on to…
I'd like to turn to…
That's all I have to say about…
Now I'd like to look at…
This leads me to my next point…
This graph shows you…
Take a look at this…
If you look at this, you will see…
I'd like you to look at this…
This chart illustrates the figures…
This graph gives you a break down of…
As you can see…
This clearly shows …
From this, we can understand how / why…
This area of the chart is interesting…
conclusion
In conclusion...
Overall...
Well, that's about it for now. We've covered…
So, that was our... In brief, we…
To summarise, I…
I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning…
That's all of my presentation, thank you
Is there anyone have any questions?