1GOOD PRACTICE IN TEACHING ESP PRESENTATIONS

Galina Kavaliauskien
Mykolas Romeris University
Public speaking is the one skill no successful person can afford to be without.
nonymous.
INTRODUCTION
!peaking in public always aims at communication and presupposes a different level of formality
depending on the settings and the audience. "earning to speak in a foreign language differs from
learning other sub#ects due to its social nature. "anguage is part of person$s identity% and
speaking is used to convey this identity to other people. !ince oral production is open to
audience scrutiny% lack of confidence and fear of looking foolish cause speakers$ an&iety. People
are also concerned about such things as grammar% le&is% and pronunciation.
'here is a wealth of publications on the issues of making presentations and how to prepare a
presentable talk and deliver it. (owever% teaching and learning to make well)organi*ed
presentations in front of an audience takes a lot of practice ) learners need some systematic
training in preparing and performing. 'he principal purpose of training is to provide the most
effective learning e&perience for the student.
'his paper addresses the research into learners$ attitudes to speaking in public on different
themes and learners$ perceptions of e&perienced gains and lacks. +ach learner encounters various
difficulties in making presentations% and these difficulties need to be identified and dealt with.
+valuation of public speaking allows to determine strengths and weaknesses and work out the
methodology of teaching effective presentations. 'he outcome of research is drawing general
outline of good practice in helping learners master public speaking.
BACKGROUND TO RESEARCH
Public speaking is a productive skill aiming at communication. ,or communication in a foreign
language to be successful% a speaker needs to be familiar with linguistic and cultural
backgrounds% that are shared by native speakers% and has to obey certain rules and conventions%
that are not written down anywhere% nor are easy to define -(armer% .//01.234. !ocio)cultural
rules and turn)taking belong to spoken genres which public speaking is part of. nother feature
of public speaking is a different level of formality that is sometimes described as 5distance$ and
5closeness$% i.e. language production is more 5writing)like$ or 5speaking)like$ -6. 'ribble%
07781.04.
!peaking involves two types of skills 9 basic% lower level motor)perceptive skills of producing
right sounds and using accurate grammatical structures% and communicative strategies such as
what and how to get the meaning across -:ygate% 07;81<4.
"earning to speak in a foreign language differs from learning other sub#ects basically due to its
social nature. "anguage has always been part of person$s identity% and speaking is used to convey
this identity to other people. 5+&posing language imperfections in front of others% person$s self)
image becomes more vulnerable% and it leads to an&iety$ -rnold% .//=1.4.
'he main reasons for an&iety in public speaking appear to be lack of confidence% unfamiliar
situation% sense of isolation% self)consciousness% fear of looking foolish% fear of the conse>uences%
i.e. be #udged by others -http1??lorien.ncl.ac.uk@ming?dept?tips?present?4.
!ince oral production is open to audience scrutiny% speakers are concerned with various
difficulties such as grammar% le&is% and pronunciation. Referring to pronunciation problems of
language learners A. Morley -07721384 points out that 5it is well documented that speakers with
poor intelligibility have long)range difficulties in developing into confident and effective oral
communicatorsB some never do$.
Ct is claimed that the average person speaks over =2%/// words each day -http1??www.tufts.edu4.
$nd yet% when polled% the number one fear of merican people is that of public speaking. 'he
fear of speaking to a group is ranked above fear of dogs% fear of flying% and even fear of death$.
s Dscar Eilde remarked in his famous >uotation 1 5'he human brain starts working the moment
you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public$.
'here is an opinion that as with most personal skills oral communication cannot be taught.
Cnstructors can only point the way and emphasi*e essential features such as person$s voice 9 how
you say it is as important as what you say% body language 9 movements e&press your attitudes
and thoughts% appearance 9 first impression influences the audience$s attitude to speakers.
ctors% politicians and FCPs are taught how to manage their voices and body language% and% with
a bit of practice% any learner can cope with superficial features of public speaking. Matter)of)fact
speaking uses background and linguistic knowledge to create a meaningful message% and it is
directed at a specific audience in a face)to)face situation -rnold% .//=1=4.
'here is a wealth of publications on the issues of making presentations and how to prepare one$s
talk and deliver it. 'he instructions are >uite straightforward and include tips on% firstly% how to
prepare oneself% secondly% the material% thirdly% the presentation. Gevertheless% learners need
some systematic training in preparing and performing 9 from planning and introducing a topic to
concluding and handling >uestions. "earning to make well)organi*ed presentations in front of an
audience takes a lot of practice.
'he personali*ed approach of teaching impromptu speaking% which employs a methodology of
teaching a short talk before practising skills of making a presentation was presented in
-Kavaliauskien% .//24. 5 short talk$ means a non)stop speaking for . or = minutes. 'he talking
time may be e&tended to < minutes in the successive stages. 'he aim of short talks is fluency
rather than accuracy. !uccess in learning speaking skills depends on what goes inside and
between people in the classroom. !peaking in front of peers gives practice in social use of the
language. n uncontrolled practice of giving a short talk in the class means for learners the
integration of linguistic risk)taking with social risk)taking since a short talk is perceived by
learners as a slight and #ustifiable risk to take.
'eaching presentation skills re>uires from teachers a lot of patience. :efore delivering critical
remarks and giving feedback% a good teacher should remember the famous >uotation by
'heodore (. Ehite1 5the most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to
watch someone else do it wrong without comment$. Cn other words% it is wise to allow students to
use self)assessment and peer)assessment techni>ues to evaluate their performance by
commenting on their gains and lacks.
!tudents$ views on the value of undergraduate presentations were studied by H. P. 6armody
-.//24. Presenters indicated the reasons for presenting which include personal challenge -;7I4%
encouragement from a professor -<7I4% and career -=2I4. Presenters also reflected on their
gains such as a sense of accomplishment and self)efficacy% and the pleasure of having their work
accepted and valued by a receptive audience. mong regrets there were insufficient preparation
for the presentation and the >uestions following it. 'he percentage of students who remarked on
personal gains are1 improved self)confidence -0.I4% a sense of accomplishment -8I4% personal
growth -8I4% improved self)esteem -=I4 and pride -=I4% pleasure in sharing research with a
receptive audience -02I4 and pleasure of having their work valued -0.I4.
Cn presentations% learners have to meet the accepted standards for organi*ation of a presentation.
'he standards include1 04 the design of the introduction that states clear ob#ectivesB .4 the conte&t
and structure of the message that contains an outline% clear ideas% a proper organi*ational pattern%
visual aidsB =4 the delivery 9 clear pronunciation% eye contact with the audience% appropriate rate
of speaking% positive body languageB 24 the conclusions 9 reviewing the main points%
summari*ing the contents and using appropriate closing techni>ues
-http1??depts.inverhills.edu?"!P!?pubJspeakingJeval.htm4.
(owever% knowing the standards alone does not assure a reasonable performance. "earners need
to be trained% and they have to learn presentation skills by e&perience. Undoubtedly% learners
encounter various difficulties which need to be identified and dealt with individually. +ach
teacher has to find her own ways of disseminating good practice in +"'.
lthough the concept of good practice is elusive% seven principles of good teaching practice were
first published by the merican ssociation of (igher +ducation. 'hese principles are the result
of the analysis of </ years research on good teaching -6hickering K Gamson% +hrmann% 07;84.
Good practice in undergraduate education 04 encourages contact between students and faculty% .4
develops reciprocity and cooperation among students% =4 encourages active learning% 24 gives
prompt feedback% <4 emphasi*es time on tasks% 34 communicates high e&pectations% and 84
respects diverse talents and ways of learning. 'ogether all principles employ si& powerful forces
in education1 activity% e&pectations% cooperation% interaction% diversity% and responsibility.
further e&pansion of these principles highlights the standards of good practice1 04 clear
organi*ation% smart preparation and presentation of new knowledgeB .4 good practice is based on
interconnected knowledge and creation of a meaningful and relevant conte&t for learningB =4
good practice communicates enthusiasm for the sub#ectB 24 good practice emphasises fairness
between students -http1??www.csd.uwa.au?about?publications?principles4.
!ignificance of feedback in teaching public speaking is of a particular importance. ,eedback can
come from teachers% peers% the self% or relevant professionals outside the teaching)learning
relationship. ctive learning re>uires not only prompt but also specific% challenging feedback.
Eithout feedback the learner is most likely to recycle past achievements and errors rather than
create new insight% ability and competence -http1??metleweb.unimelb.edu.au?assess0.html4.
'he guidelines for giving feedback are generali*ed by 6. McGamara -.//<4. +ffective feedback
04 implies clarity% .4 emphasi*es the positive features% =4 is specific% 24 focuses on behaviour
rather than the person% <4 is descriptive rather than evaluative% and 34 is careful with advice.
!umming up the overview of literature on teaching public speaking allows to state the ob#ectives
of this research. ,irst% learners views on preparing and delivering presentations have to be
e&amined. !econd% learners$ strengths and weaknesses in public speaking need to be e&plored.
'hird% elements of good practice in teaching learners to master speaking skills have to be
deduced.
RESEARCH METHODS AND RESPONDENTS
'here were 3/ respondents who were the 0st and .nd year day)time students at the ,aculty of
!ocial Eork of our University. Research employed a survey of learners$ attitudes to speaking in
front of the audience and perceptions of individual difficulties in preparation and delivery stages.
,or this purpose% students were re>uested to answer the >uestions of a specially designed
>uestionnaire which is given in the ppendi&.
!tudents$ presentations were assessed throughout the academic year. +valuation of students$
presentations allows to identify strengths and weaknesses that are revealed in speaking.

'he analysis of survey data and students$ performance helps re)assess effectivenes of teaching
speaking skills and outline good practice in teaching. 'he findings are presented in the following
sections.
RESEARCH DATA AND DISCUSSION
'he first >uestion in our in>uiry concerns learners$ general attitudes to presentations% i.e. their
likes or dislikes. 6hart 0 demonstrates how views are divided up1 32I of learners like making
presentations while =3I ) dislike them.
Chart 1. Learners attitues t! "resentati!ns.
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Wh do ou dislike preparing
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Chart #. $h% &earners is&i'e "resentati!ns.
'he reasons for disliking presentations do not vary much. lmost half of respondents -27I4
claim that it takes them a lot of time to prepare. !ome learners -=2I4 find PowerPoint software
hard to use. =/I of students feel that activity of preparations deprives them of leasure time.
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What difficulties do ou have in preparing
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Chart (. Learners i))i*u&ties in "re"arin+ "resentati!ns.
'he most important difficulty in preparation for <7I of learners is memori*ing the contents. 'he
second one is a selection of information -23I4. ,or the >uarter of learners% search for
information% use of PowerPoint software and boredom of rehearsing are perturbing.
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Chart ,. Learners i))i*u&ties in e&i-erin+ "resentati!ns.
Helivery of presentations does not seenLm to be problematic. Dnly a >uarter of students feel
an&ious about >uestion time% evaluation mark and the reaction of the audience. 'he most
disturbing feature of responses is fear of speaking 9 <2I of students are worried about it.
!tudents$ feelings after completing presentations are overall positive 9 the data are displayed in
chart <. Dver half of learners feel successful% and the two thirds -between 3.I and 3;I4 have
feelings of relief% satisfaction and pleasure. Regrettably% 0;I of students have the feeling of
failure.
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What feelings do ou have after
presentations!
Chart .. Learners )ee&in+s a)ter "resentati!ns.
!ome students volunteered giving their individual views under items 5other$ in the >uestionnaire.
'hese responses are listed in the 'able 0.
Ta/&e 1. Learners ini-iua& -ie0s !n "resentati!ns e1"resse uner the ite2 3!ther in the
4uesti!nnaire 5A""eni16.
Go !'UH+G'!$ P+R!DG" FC+E! GUM:+R D,
!'UH+G'!
0 Go difficulties whatsoever 0
. Presentations are useful and important 0/
= Eill use PPP software in the future ./
2 good way of learning to speak fluently and accurately 0<
< Cnteresting to prepare and deliver <
3 "ack of general knowledge 0
8 Unable to plan my time 0
; Unable to organi*e information 0
7 ,eel an&ious before presentations .
0/ ,ear of forgetting something 2
00 ,ear of saying something incorrectly =
0. Got sure about contents of a presentation 0
0= Ho not have a P6 at home 0=
Cnterestingly% learners mentioned what was omitted in the >uestionnaire1 0/ students included
usefulness and importance of presentations -row Go .4% ./ students will use the PPP software in
the future -row Go =4% 0< students think that presentations help them learn to speak fluently and
accurately -row Go 24% and < students found it interesting to prepare presentations and deliver
them. !urprisingly% only 0 learner had no difficulties at all -row Go 04. mong students$ worries%
there is an&iety -row Go 74% fear of forgetting -row Go 0/4 and fear of saying something
incorrectly -row Go =4. Fery few students are unable to plan% organi*e or lack knowledge -rows
Go 8% ;% and 34. Got having a personal computer -P64 at home complicates matters of preparing
presentations for 0= students -row Go 0=4.
Ct is worth noticing that only a few students of ,aculty of !ocial Eork were familiar with the PPP
software% so the rest had to be instructed how to use it. Moreover% these students did not have
e&perience in making presentations% either. 'herefore% the first step in teaching presentations
involved a thorough e&amination and practice of how to meet the standards -6omfort% 077<4. :y
the end of this introductory training in making presentations course students were familiar with
the standards% which are listed below in the form of public speaking evaluation.
7!r2at !) Pu/&i* S"ea'in+ E-a&uati!n
!tudents are e&pected to meet the standards in presentations% i.e. the student 04 produces the
introduction that states a clear ob#ectiveB .4 constructs the content and structure of the message
appropriately1 a4 gives an outline of the talk% b4 states main ideas clearly and distinctly% c4
chooses an appropriate organi*ational pattern% d4 communicates ideas clearly and
understandably% e4 uses visual aids appropriatelyB =4 meets the standards for delivery1 a4
pronounces words clearly% b4 maintains good eye contact with the audience% c4 speaks at an
appropriate rate% d4 uses appropriate body language such as gestures% movement% posture% stanceB
24 constructs the conclusion of the speech1 a4 reviews the main parts of the talk% b4 summari*es%
c4 uses appropriate closing techni>uesB <4 skillfully deals with >uestions.
thorough analysis of learners$ public speaking on various themes througout academic year
enabled me to ascertain students$ strengths and weaknesses which are summari*ed here1
Stren+ths $ea'nesses
in e&i-er% !) "resentati!ns
) fluent and accurate speech ) memori*ed message
) appropriate body language ) unnatural -5written like$4 speech
) remarkable audio and video aids ) fre>uent register errors
) choice of interesting materials ) reading from notes or screen
) ability to deal with tricky >uestions ) spelling errors in PPP guidelines
) good enunciation of ideas ) inappropriate pronunciation
My teaching e&perience has proved that in order to help with presentations students need% first% a
checklist for preparing and delivering a presentation and% second% a feedback after
delivering it.
6hecklist covers content and organi*ation of a presentation% interaction with audience% register
-level of formality4% accuracy of grammatical structures and range of vocabulary% fluency
of speech% impeccable pronunciation% and high)>uality support -e.g. visual aids4
materials.
feedback can come from teachers% peers% the self. ctive learning re>uires not only prompt but
also challenging feedback. 'here is an opinion that feedback is beneficial under controlled
conditions% but it does not always increase achievement. !ome researchers feel that feedback
helps learners to correct their errors and refine skills.
Ge&t section describes what makes good practice in teaching public speaking.
GOOD PRACTICE IN TEACHING PRESENTATIONS
'he principles of good teaching practice have been referred to in the literature review. Good
practice in teaching presentations depends to a great e&tent on the re>uirements to +!P speaking
skills that learners need to have mastered on completing the course.
Cn accordance with the standards of higher education% students should be able to
use language structures easily and fluently% adapt language usage to a variety of
situationsB
take part in discussions and e&press opinions in a culturally acceptable way% be fle&ible
and be able to respond appropriately to unforeseen situationsB
demonstrate the ability to apply learned vocabulary accurately and use a right style% tone%
register% body language% etc.
Reflection on what works in improving students$ public speaking allows to offer some useful
tips. part from following the principles of good teaching practice% there are three 'e% aspects in
teaching presentations1 1 ) dealing with learners$ an&iety and fear% # ) delivery of presentations%
and ( ) giving feedback.
Cn +!P classes% learners$ willingness to speak out depends to a large e&tent on how they feel
about taking a social and linguistic risk. "earners who had e&perienced negative emotions in
language classes in the past% for e&ample% at school% are often reluctant to make oral
contributions. 'eachers$ duty is to do their best to enhance learners$ self)esteem and to encourage
every single effort of shy students to participate in e&pressing their opinion or taking part in a
discussion. Huring presentations learners feel an&ious and are very sensitive to any critical
remarks or interruptions. 'he classroom settings are e&tremely important% in particular% the
atmosphere of goodwill and camaraderie among students. Dnly pedagogical intuition and
goodwill can guide teachers in fulfilling such a sophisticated task.
Cn order to perform ade>uately% learners need to be trained. ,irst stage is teaching learners to
comply with the re>uirements for appropriate layout and organi*ation1 stating an ob#ective in the
introduction% giving an outline of the talk% designing the content and structure of the message%
formulating conclusions and meeting the standards for delivery. Cn the stage of delivery%
encourage learners to involve the audience% avoid reading either notes or guidelines on the
screen% feel at ease while speaking and deal with >uestions confidently. 'he principal purpose of
training is to provide the most effective learning e&perience for the student. +ffective contact
instructor)student is a universal re>uirement for any training which should serve the best interests
of students.
"istening to teacher$s feedback for students is often concomitant with feelings of fear or an&iety.
(arsh remarks% admonition or critical comment might have disastrous effects on learners$ future
willingness to make a contribution. 'eacher$s praise is more valued by learners than criticism 9
begrudging compliments does not pay off. ,eedback is supposed to be prompt% i.e. provided
immediately after presentation. C think that good practice in providing feedback is to delay
teacher$s feedback and ask learners themselves to evaluate their presentations. Ct might be either
self)feedback or peer)feedback 9 the choice depends on speaker$s personality. 'eacher$s
feedback to shy students might even be avoided or given individually after the class. 'his
attitude to delayed feedback found a confirmation online ) some advantages are also being
offered. ,irst% delayed feedback spaces learning over time which helps learners develop
alternative memory routes to the information and prompts greater attention to the feedback.
!econd% it enables learners to make their own assessment of their performance. ccording to this
source% to produce long)term retention of knowledge% feedback should be delayed at least an hour
and up to 0 to . days -http1??www.work)learning.com?instructionalJdesignJtipsJ=.htm4.
C!n*&usi!ns
'he following conclusions have been drawn1
) "earners$ dislike to preparing presentations is caused by consumption of time -<7I4%
problems with using a PowerPoint software -=2I4 and deprivation of leisure -=/I4B
) Ma#or difficulties in preparing presentations are selection of information -23I4 and
memori*ing the talk -<7I4B
) ,ear of speaking during delivery is troublesome to <2I of studentsB
) fter presentations% half of students have positive feelings of success% and the two thirds
9 of relief% satisfaction and pleasureB
) "earners$ strengths and weaknesses in public speaking have been identifiedB
) Good practice in teaching presentations includes three key points 9 dealing with an&iety
and fear of speaking% guiding learners in preparation and performance stages% and
delivering feedback after performance.
Re)eren*es
(armer% A. .//0. 'he Practice of +nglish "anguage 'eaching. =
rd
edition. Pearson +ducation
"imited.
'ribble% 6. 0778. Eriting. D&ford University Press.
:ygate% M. 07;8. !peaking. D&ford University Press.
rnold% A. March .//=. !peak +asy. (ow to +ase !tudents into Dral Production. ("' Maga*ine.
Cssue .. http1??www.hltmaga*ine.net
Public !peaking n&iety. http1??lorien.ncl.ac.uk?ming?dept?tips?present?
Morley% A. 0772. Multidimensional 6urriculum Hesign for !peech)Pronunciation Cnstruction.
Cn A. Morley -ed.4 Pronunciation Pedagogy and 'heory. le&andria% F1'+!D".
Making Presentations. 'U,'! University. http1??www.tufts.edu
Kavaliauskien% G. 'eaching Cmpromptu !peaking1 !hort 'alk before a Presentation.
5+nglish for !pecific Purposes Eorld$% Eeb)based Aournal% March% .//2.
http1??esp)world.info?rticles 8?Galina .//2.htm
6armody H.P. !tudent Fiews on the Falue of Undergraduate Presentations. Psi 6hi Gewsletter%
.0-=4% 0773. http1??www.kon.org?studJviews.html% http1??www.spc.edu?McarmodyJd?psichi.html.
Public !peaking +valuation. http1??depts.inverhills.edu?"!P!?pubJspeakingJeval.htm
6hickering . and Gamson N. !even Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate +ducation.
07;8. http1??www.msu.edu?user?codde#os?seven.html
6hickering . and +hrmann !.6. Cmplementing the !even Principles. (+ :ulletin% pp. =)3.
0773. http1??www.aahe.org?technology?ehrmann.htm "ast modified /0?./?.//<.
!ome Principles for Good Practice in 'eaching and "earning. .//<.
http1??www.csd.uwa.au?about?publications?principles
,eedback. .//<. http1??metleweb.unimelb.edu.au?assess0.html
McGamara% 6. .//<. :asic Guidelines for Giving ,eedback.
http1??www.mapnp.org?library?commskills?feedback
6omfort% A. 077<. +ffective Presentations. Fideo 6ourse. D&ford University Press.
Helaying ,eedback. http1??www.work)learning.com?instructionalJdesignJtipsJ=.htm
A""eni1. 8uesti!nnaire !n &earners attitues t! "resentati!ns
0 Ehy do you like ? dislike preparing presentations@ a4 it takes a lot of time% b4 using
PowerPoint is problematic ? not difficult% c4 it deprives me of leisure% d4 other
. Ehat difficulties do you have in preparing presentations@ a4 searching for relevant
materials% b4 selecting information% c4 using a PowerPoint software% d4 memori*ing the
contents of my talk% e4 boredom of rehearsing a presentation% f4 other
= Ehat difficulties do you have in presenting your talk@ a4 fear of speaking in public b4
worrying about >uestions to be asked% c4 evaluation mark% d4 reaction of the audience%
e4 other
2 fter your presentation% do you have a feeling of a4 success% b4 failure% c4 relief% d4
satisfaction% e4 pleasure% f4 other@
<.0/..//3