Dr. N. Padmasree and Ms.Krati Sharma work with Jaipur National University, Jaipur, India.
ESL learners especially those who are pursuing professional and technical courses need to know and understand the importance of making presentations in their professional life. For them it is a tool, a medium, a way to express themselves with the provided aid. In the present education scenario, it is the responsibility of the facilitator to groom his/ her learners so well that they can give presentations in English. The activity will fulfill the following objectives: first the learners get to know how to use visual aids which is a powerful medium to interact with the audience. Secondly, the learners also get to know about the impact of body language in speaking effectively thus becoming confident in facing the audience. Thirdly, as the emphasis is on using English language, while making the presentation, the ESL learners are able to develop fluency and dexterity in the language.
In this paper, we have focused on the significance of presentation skills in enhancing the communication skills of the ESL learners. The learners are given the freedom to choose a topic of their own understanding and liking for making the presentation. Selection of the topic on their own gives them a wide range of areas of exploration where they are asked by the facilitators to choose the topics from general interest like sports, history, places, famous personalities, events, monuments, art and craft. This provides them with an opportunity to study and investigate on subjects outside their disciplines. Secondly, they learn the techniques of preparing a power point presentation. The learners are also able to master the skills and the art of speaking. Other skills that they learn are the skills of sorting of relevant material from the vast body of available sources, organizing it and then finally preparing the presentation.
For an ESL learner it is very essential to express his or her ideas. With the help of visual aids it becomes easy for him/her to express their ideas to the listeners. English is the only language which has made its presence in almost all over the world in the form of official language as well as second language and is used in every walk of life. According to Suresh Kumar, language is basically “a skill rather than a subject. Though a skill does not altogether preclude intellectual activity, it is more a matter of doing than knowing.” 1 Making presentations using the English language, has the following visible effects:
- It enables the ESL speakers to communicate more effectively and accurately.
- To make descriptions, explanations and comparisons more vivid and eye-catching.
- Clarify and supplement the verbal analysis.
- Reinforce and support verbal communication.
- Enable the writer to present information in an organized way.
- Present a large number of details in less space and with greater precision.
A facilitator has to focus on the importance of the presentation skills while teaching the ESL learners. The ESL learners have to be acquainted with technical skills. Some of the learners are not familiar with the use of computer so the power point presentations help them to learn this skill and use them in their presentation. In the view of Gerard M. Blair2, presentation is, “The art of attractively packaging an idea, a thought, or a strategy to reach the desired goal.” In order to make the presentation effective he has listed four steps which have been called as PODD.
P – Planning
O – Organizing
D – Developing
D – Delivering
The facilitator will tell the learner to select a topic of their general interest for presentation and meet the ends of PODD. Once the facilitator teaches them the process of PODD it is the turn of the learner to start thinking about his or her presentation, in short, “What is to be considered before making a presentation?” Chris King3 has listed out some important points that should be kept in mind by the speaker in order to make an effective presentation. Some of them are as follows:
- What is the goal of this presentation?
- What is the most important message I want listeners to leave with?
- If I wrote one sentence describing my presentation, what would it say?
- If I were to write a list of the keywords for the presentation, what words would be on the list?
- What is the theme?
- What action do I want audience members to take upon hearing my presentation?
A facilitator acquaints the learners about the profits of presentation for enhancing their speaking skills. The facilitator focuses here on two major areas i.e. Public Speaking and Effective use of Kinesics. These two have been discussed as under:
I. Presentations develop public speaking. Sometimes people get so confused and scared that their tongues get tied and they meltdown in the public. This is because of their internal fear. Though they know their topic in depth, because of the internal fear their confidence just breaks down in public. It is said that the art of public speaking comes through constant practice and that some are born public speakers. The task of the facilitator is to develop this skill of public speaking in the learners. The task is to enable the ESL learners to arrive at a comfortability level in using the English language.
How to develop good public speaking skills? This is a big question for many people. There are people who develop public speaking skills in a few months of practice but for some it takes years to develop. Putting it short, it is the practice that counts. Public speaking is thought to be the job of leaders or salesman. Globalization has paved the way for the ESL learners to be a public speaker and show his good communication and interpersonal skills. Good public speaking skills also works at the time of the interview. It is compulsory to face an interview before getting a new job. For the ESL learners giving interviews in English is a Herculean task but by taking the activity of presentation seriously it may help them to overcome his weakness of speaking. All the eyes are on the presenter and all the ears are on his words. It is beyond doubt that on whatever topic the presenter is speaking , clarity is a must. For example, a student possessing good presentation skills and public speaking skills can do wonders in his grading criteria. It is important to have clarity of delivery because unclear speech and words will do no good in general speaking in front of audiences.
The presenter has to consider the following elements of speaking:
- Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point.
- Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An aero plane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.
- Pitch: How high or low a note is. According to the stress over the words the pitch should vary from high ,moderate and low .
- Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the audience interest.
How presentation will help an ESL learner to speak effectively?
Few techniques which would help to over come the nervousness of a learner while making the presentation are:
- Learners should give stress over the quality of their voice. Learners should adjust the voice according to the room and make sure that he is audible to the people at the back . Avoid long pauses.
- Whatever the learner is speaking should be clear ; face the audience and hold his head up.
- The learner should make sure that whatever he pronounces should be correct and clear as the natural way of pronunciation will help till he speaks clearly.
- One of the secrets of good presentation is to involve the audience.
- Maintain the eye contact with everyone and avoid gazing at them.
- Use of the notes and use of visual aids.
II. Use of Kinesics- A study of body language
By making presentations the learners will learn the use of body language for making it effective.The presenter’s body communicates different impressions to the audience.
The learner has to be careful throughout the presentation, on the following:
- Eye contact: Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.
- Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. In case there are butterflies-in –the-stomach one cannot keep smiling as well as happy but if one can bear a smile on the face this will provide a sort of relaxation to the vocal cords. There is no doubt that this will also help in making the speaker feel confident while the presentation is on.
- Gestures: If the presenter fails to use gestures while speaking, it may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style gathers attention, makes the presentation more interesting, and facilitates understanding. One should avoid barriers like standing behind a desk or lecture stand because there is a great need to get near to the audience.
- Posture and body orientation: The presenter communicates numerous messages by the way of talking and moving. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that one is approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when the speaker and the audience face each other. Speaking with back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest. It should also be kept in mind while making a presentation that one should not lean too much over the desk, should keep the hands out of the pocket and it will be the best standing posture if the feet are slightly apart.
- Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. One should also look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other’s space.
- Voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Hence, it must be remembered that pitch of the voice is maintained.
- Active Listening: Listening, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived. Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully. Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others.
To make a presentation effective a presenter has to be natural i.e. has to concentrate on getting the message across and stop worrying about himself. The presenter has to keep this in mind that his presentation should finish on time and what ever message one wants to convey should be conveyed with the prescribed time-limit with effectiveness.
The aim of this paper has been to focus on the most worthy points:
v Selection of the topic according to the ability. An ELT learner should ponder upon the topic which he feels comfortable in. Selection of the topic of presentation plays the essential role in outstanding performance of the learner. For example, if the learner is familiar with the locales of his native place and hence chooses to explain the place he would definitely feel comfortable and confident while presenting it. Besides this, he would be confident and true in his answers to the questions raised by the audience.
v Collection of data enhances the knowledge of browsing over internet and the use of library. After the selection of the topic it is essential to collect the data from the library which is basically said to be the most accessible means of knowledge. In the modern times internet has become a repository of information. Though the benefits of internet cannot be underestimated still the authenticity of the information and the authorship is often under the scanners. Moreover, this cannot be the only source of information. There is no amount of doubt that libraries continue to be the most favoured destinations for authentic collection of data and information in the respective field.
v Selection of the material according to the topic. It the most crucial area for preparation of the presentation. What to search becomes very easy but exactly what should be selected is a bit of a tough task. Here, the learner must keep in mind his topic and draw a rough idea over the sub points. After going through the collected material he should extract the relevant matter from the ocean. This task of selection will help the learner to become active and develop analytical skills.
v Formation of ideas; focus on language, vocabulary, synthesis. While preparing the presentation it is to be noticed that the formation of the sentences should be correct. The words that are used must be appropriate and should be effective and the material should be arranged properly. For example, if the learner chooses his native place for his presentation then he should first start with the introduction, history, culture, art and craft etc.
v Uses of the visual aids: Einstein rightly says, “If I can’t ‘see’ it, I don’t understand it.” It helps in concise communication and only the main point is communicated and other points are shown through the visual aids. The visual aids can help in illustrating complex information in a simplified form.. They can present their presentation by pictures, graphs , diagrams and charts.
v Increase explaining capability: By making a presentation the presenter learns the art of explanation. He emphasizes on the key words and explains them. By understanding the concept and with the help of visual aids they can explain it in a better way.
v Appropriate use of Kinesics. Kinesics is the technical term for body language which has its worth while making a presentation. It involves how the learner has to stand; what posture he has to adopt; for example he should not lean backward nor forward during the presentation. The presenter is required to stand in an erect posture. Though, there are butterflies-in –the-stomach but it is essential to show his confidence through his kinesics. This makes the learner aware of the methods of hiding the stage fear and presenting effectively.
v Use of eye-contact, while presenting. This is the most important thing while the learner is giving his presentation. The learner has to focus the attention of the audience towards the presentation for making it effective. The learner, in order to make the presentation influential, has to build eye contact with the listeners.
v Use of paralanguage, a study of voice modulation and pitch variation. The ELT learner has to be aware of paralanguage as it is an art of communication. The sanctum and sanctorum of thoughts has to be brought before the audience in fluent speech. The learner has to make less use of sounds like; huh—h, a—, err— etc. because this will hamper his presentation. The learner should know to vary his pitch while speaking; if he doesn’t it will become monotonous and won’t be able to catch the attention of the listeners.
Results of the above mentioned activities. The learner if he follows all the above mentioned stages of making presentations it would definitely help him in reaching to the zenith of intellectuality. Hence he would become an intellectual individual from an individual. This will also help him to break his fear and face the world. All the above mentioned results of the presentations by the ESL learners will help them to overcome their hesitation in speaking English. It will also make them familiar with the power point presentation.
References
1. Sharma .Asha, “Effective Teaching of English in Colleges, Need of the hour”, A publication of S.D. college (Lahore), Ambala Cantt.2009.p73
2. M. Blair Gerard, “ Starting to Manage: the essential skills”, Chartwell- Bratt (UK).2007 p 54
3 http://www.creativekeys.net/PowerfulPresentations/article1017.html
4 http://www.creativekeys.net/PowerfulPresentations/article1009.html.