Public Speaking & Presentations
Professor Warden
Office hours (D814): Thursdays 10:30-15:00
Class times: Tuesdays 10:10-12:00 & Thursday 8:10-9:00
Office Phone: 332-3000 ext. 4364
Email:
Textbooks (can be purchased through the Caves Books & on CYUT campus bookstore): Presenting Facts and Figures, by David Kerridge, Effective Presentations, by Jeremy Comfort. You are required to purchase these books. Both these books also have audio cassettes which you may purchase if wish; they are good tools.
Handouts: Extracted mostly from Business Objectives, by Vicki Hollett.
Company information: Taken from the relevant firms’ annual reports.
Further Resources: Giving Presentations, by Mark Ellis and Nina O’Driscoll.
Longman Business English Dictionary (English to Chinese)
More information can be found on each company by accessing their WWW sites.
Course Outline
Groups:
Each group will have no more than six members
Company Profiles:
Some groups will receive printed company annual reports. Copies must be made for members of your group.
Some groups will receive company annual reports on floppy disks. All the files should be copied to a new directory on your hard disk. Use Netscape Web browser to open the file: SnagCon1.htm A list of all the annual report’s pages will appear. Click on the first line to start the site.
At any time, you may use the WWW to gather more information on your firm. You may also use other sources of information, as long as the data is up to date.
This class has two basic parts:
1. Cover the basic language requirements of making English professional presentations. This includes extensive readings so that basic vocabulary can be practiced.
2. Presentation skills. Seven central presentation skills are emphasized.
Extensive use of audio and video tapes is included as well as visual aids. Practice, on the part of each student, is of up-most importance. To this end, it is expected that students will take responsibility for their effort and keep up with class material. Each week, during class, individual students will be called upon to present from the data in their group’s company annual report. The presentation will emphasize the skills covered that week.
Grades:
Grades in this class are based on both individual effort and group effort. Presentations are often group efforts and require the ability to manage a group effort.
Grades must be earned. Because the class size is large, each individual student will not have many opportunities to give a short presentation. This means that if the opportunity results in low grade, your final grade will be negatively impacted.
Not preparing for each class will result in a low grade. Preparing for each class will result in a good grade. Preparing for class means reading the textbook before class. Reading the company annual report many times. Preparing business and other vocabulary you do not know. Being prepared also means being ready to do your job, as an AFL student, and speak when called on. If you do not want to speak, then your grade in public speaking will be low, or even fail. That is very fair and correct.
I.In Class Participation Grade (10%: starts at 80 points)
A.Subtracting 5 points
1)Being late, or absent without a school approved excuse.
2)Failing to respond to questions in class.
3)Not prepared for class.
4)Being disruptive during other students’ presentations or questions.
5)Sleeping in class.
6)Using class time to prepare work due in class (this work should have been prepared ahead of time).
7)Using class time to prepare work for other classes.
B.Adding 5 points (up to 100)
1)Actively participating in class.
2)Asking questions, during question time, of other student’s presentations.
3)Asking questions of the teacher.
4)Being well prepared for class.
5)Gathering, and presenting to class, information related to the class topic which you have found through your own research.
II.Weekly Assignments and/or Quizzes (20%)
A.Complete Readings
All readings from texts and handouts must be completed before class. During a class, we may have a quiz which includes material covered in the readings. This includes memorizing all vocabulary presented in the readings and the important points of the readings.
B.Book & Handout Exercises
The books and handout material includes many exercises. Completion of these exercises is the way you practice the skills we cover in class. Without practice you cannot improve your abilities. To this end, exercises from the books and handouts will be assigned each week. During class I may check that the exercises have been completed. Full points will be given to those who completed the exercises, regardless of accuracy, while no points will be given to those who did not complete the exercises.
C.Individual Presentations
Each class Part (see the class schedule), we will have presentations from individual students. The time for these presentations will usually be during the single period class. Each student called will have less than five minutes to present information from the company data handed out. The presentation will center on using the skills most recently covered. For example, the first unit is on dealing with numbers. This means you should be ready to make a short presentation that uses numbers from the company data I gave you.
These individual presentations are very important to help you practice for the midterm and final presentations. Without practice, you will not be able to perform well during the big presentations!
III.Midterm (30%)
A.Group Presentation
Make a 15 minute presentation that introduces your company (the company information I gave your group) to a group of potential customers (buyers, clients, consumers, etc.). Your presentation should be constructed as a general marketing exercise in selling your firm’s products. The audience may be made up of people who buy your product for resale, may purchase from numerous product categories or are simply individual consumers looking to make small purchases.
When your group presents, you must submit a completed group presentation preparation form, with each group member’s signature. This form explains clearly what each group member contributed to the presentation.
IV.Final (40%)
A.Group Presentation
Make a 15 minute presentation that introduces your company (the company information I gave your group) to a group investors (shareholders). Your presentation should be constructed to inform the investors of the important factors influencing their financial investments in your firm. Some of the shareholders may own millions of dollars of your firm’s stock, while others may own only a few shares. They are all very concerned about making a profit on their investments. It is your job to convince them that their continued investment in your firm is a sound one which will pay off.
When your group presents, you must submit a completed group presentation preparation form, with each group member’s signature. This form explains clearly what each group member contributed to the presentation.
V.Extra Credit (up to 5 pts on final grade)
THIS IS AN OPTIONAL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT
Write a summary and analysis of an article from a business journal, language teaching journal or the Wall Street Journal. The article must be approved by me before you begin. Read the article, then, on your own, find one supporting article.
Must be five pages typed, double spaced.
The sixth page will be a bibliography (see your book English Mechanics on how to prepare a bibliography).
Copy both articles to A4 paper. Bind your summary, bibliography, main article and supporting article together. On the cover print articles’ names and other information as shown in example:
Marketing On the Internet: A Marketing Mix Perspective
Journal of Marketing
The Electronic Markets
European Journal of Marketing
Andy Chen
8533821
AFL Dpt.
Professor Warden
Class Schedule
Parts / Topics / Unit / NotesBook: Presenting Facts and Figures & Handouts
1 / numbers / 1
2 / presenting info; use of signals / 2
3 / trends
comparison, contrast and similarity / 3, 4
4 / presenting info; use of reference words
forecasting / 5, 6
5 / cause, effect and purpose / 7
6 / Group presentations
Book: Effective Presentations
7 / what is the point
making a start / 1, 2
8 / linking the parts
the right kind of language / 3, 4
9 / visual aids / 5
10 / body language / 6
11 / finishing off
question time / 7, 8
12 / putting it all together / 9
13 / Group presentations
Presentation Rating Form
Time / start on time / (out of 20)end on time
English / pronunciation / (out of 20)
vocabulary
information accuracy
100% English
System / general organization / (out of 10)
introduction
ending
connections
relevance
length
level
Delivery / tempo / (out of 10)
volume
expressiveness
articulation
Language / sentence length / (out of 10)
style
linkers
emphasizers/minimizers
Manner / audience contact / (out of 10)
interest
confidence
Body language / stance & posture / (out of 10)
hands
eye contact
movement
facial expression
appearance
Visual aids / number / (out of 10)
design
relevance
use
TOTAL: / (out of 100)
Group Presentation Preparation Form (Submit with midterm and final presentations)
Group Name: / times attended group meetings outside of class / hours spent working on presen-tation / parts of presentation responsible for / signatureMembers’ Names
(Number, English, Chinese)
1