Language in Society

Handout 1.8: Guidelines on slang presentation

This week you will present the highlights of your slang project to the class by presenting three slang terms from your data that are especially interesting in some way. This will allow you to share your research with your colleagues as well as to gain some presentation experience to help prepare you for SKILLS Day at UCSB.

Once you’ve decided which three slang terms you’ll present, let the instructors know so they can play the terms for you from the laptop during your presentation.

Length: Your presentation should be about 5 minutes long, with about 2 minutes for comments and questions from the audience. We will let you know when your time is up.

Set-up: Go to the board at the front of the room so everyone can see you (and you can see everyone). Write each of your three slang terms on the board both in normal spelling and in IPA transcription.

Presentation format: For each term in turn, do the following:

(1)pronounce the term

(2)read the sample sentence and have an instructor play the clip.

(3)state the term’s part of speech

(4)give the definition of the term

(5)provide linguistic information about the term’s form and/or meaning (e.g., how was it formed? what’s interesting about its meaning? etc.: anything linguistically interesting about the term)

(6)provide social information about how the term was used in your data set and how it is used more generally (e.g., what was the context for the use of this term? does the speaker’s gender, ethnicity, subcultural style, or other factors influence their use of this term? why do speakers use this term rather than some other? how common is this term? etc.: anything that’s socially interesting about the term)

NOTE: If you would like to do something a bit different from the above, feel free to be creative and have fun with your presentation, but be sure to cover all the information indicated above, and talk to the instructors beforehand.

TURN SHEET OVER FOR TIPS ON GIVING AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

Presentation tips

Your presentation will be evaluated on the following five categories (20% each):

Presentation style: Be engaging

  • Speak loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the class, including when answering questions. Make sure you don’t get quieter at the ends of sentences.
  • Make eye contact with everyone in the room; look at different places in the room at various points in the presentation. Don’t just look at the instructors! Your colleagues are your primary audience.
  • Don’t talk so quickly that it’s hard for people to understand you. Talk at a normal conversational pace, or even a bit slower than normal.
  • Be aware of what you’re doing with your body: Try to avoid unnecessary movements or gestures that distract the audience from what you’re saying.
  • When you’re done, say “Thank you,” not something feeble like “That’s it.” That’s the professional way to signal that you’re done and cue the audience to applaud.

Preparedness: Know what you want to say

  • You should not write out a script of what you will say, which makes for a boring presentation, but you should prepare notes or an outline to help you remember the key points you want to make.
  • Be sure to practice your presentation at least a couple of times beforehand! You can do this in front of a mirror or with a friend or family member as audience. Ask for honest feedback.

Materials and methods: Support your message

  • Be sure you’ve chosen the best examples: ideally the most interesting terms will also have the best/most audible audio clips, but if not, choose interesting terms and do your best to explain the audio clip.
  • Write clearly and legibly on the board. Make sure your writing is dark enough and large enough to be seen at the back of the room. Use print only, not cursive.

Understanding: Know what you’re saying

  • You should be familiar with every aspect of your presentation’s content and should be able to answer questions and explain the decisions you made regarding your analysis. If you don’t fully understand it, go over it with an instructor right away.
  • It’s okay not to know the answer to every question, but rather than just saying “I don’t know,” offer some possible answers. Q&As are a chance to explore ideas.

Overall effect: Have fun (or fake it well)

  • Focus on what you like about your research; your interest will come through.
  • It’s normal to feel nervous, and it will even help you a good job. Take a few deep breaths and focus on your first point, and start out talking to the friendliest face in the room. Then start looking around as you get more comfortable.
  • Don’t worry if you stumble over some words or get some things wrong. This happens to everyone; just correct yourself without a lot of drama and keep going.