Research students

Discuss the following: when you give a presentation, do you

• 
  use body language;
  
• 
  keep eye contact with one person;
  
• 
  shift your eye contact;
  
• 
  smile from time to time;
  
• 
  use a variety of gestures;
  
• 
  keep fingering your spectacles;
  
• 
  read your talk;
  
• 
  talk to your notes, the blackboard or your visual aids;
  
• 
  stand with your back to a wall or curtain to minimize distractions;
  
• 
  keep visual aids covered until you need them;
  
• 
  walk up and down;
  
• 
  overrun your time;
  
• 
  finish before you are expected to;
  
• 
  stand in front of the window;
  
• 
  if you distribute something to be looked at, stop talking till everyone has examined it;
  
• 
  lean forward facing the audience;
  
• 
  start summarizing what you are going to say, then say it, and end by summarizing it again;
  
• 
  laugh at your own jokes;
  
• 
  smoke;
  
• 
  make your audience roll in the aisle with your jokes;
  
• 
  wear whatever you feel comfortable and self-assured in;
  
• 
  talk with ease;
  
• 
  prepare your speech in advance and rehearse it in the bath.
  

Think about your weak and strong points as a speaker in public. Compare and discuss your list with your partner.
my

strong points	weak points
1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5

Make a check list of what you should do to avoid turning your presentation into a disaster.

Dos		Don’ts
	1 2 3 4 5