Improve your presentation and language skills for success
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The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) team on Campus offer classes to help you build on your language and presentation skills. These sessions are advertised in Canvas(opens in new tab) and you will receive notifications in your University email(opens in new tab).
Language skills
Develop your English language skills and achieve in your main programme of study. Learn how to present using academic language.
Explore the resources below for independent study:
BBC Learning English(opens in new tab) – materials for intermediate to advanced English language learners using news stories to present English in context. There is also a YouTube channel(opens in new tab) which features videos on grammar, dramas, news, pronunciation, vocabulary, music, interviews, celebrities, and even students themselves. One of its most popular resources is The Flatmates(opens in new tab), the world's best English language teaching soap opera.
Business English(opens in new tab) – improve your English for the workplace and learn about business topics to help you work more effectively and make the most of career opportunities
IELTS(opens in new tab) – the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) website provides a handbook, test explanations, sample tests, and information about obtaining practice material
Using English for Academic Purposes(opens in new tab) – EAP topics to help you develop your use of English in the context of studying a subject in UK Higher Education. Topics include vocabulary, grammar in EAP, accuracy, and more.
During your studying, you may need to prepare and deliver individual presentations. Being able to present effectively is a key academic skill that is also transferable to your future career. For example, those who work in sales or marketing are frequently required to present to managers, teams, or different departments.
With an individual presentation, you are entirely responsible for the content and delivery, so you will need to display a variety of skills. This might sound daunting, but there are some advantages of speaking as an individual rather than as part of a group.
Recycling, consolidating, and mastering discipline content
Scheduling and managing your time more effectively
Exploring your own presentation style
Gaining confidence facing people on your own
Organising the material to demonstrate a logical flow and development of subject-specific ideas
Developing the ability to design and use communication tools such as PowerPoint and visual aids
Critically understanding and responding to questions
Refining your public speaking skills to gain more autonomy.
Think about introducing yourself to the audience at the beginning
Consider ways of grabbing the attention of your audience, for example, asking a question
State the purpose and nature of your work with a short introduction
Introduce each subject-specific point and expand on it
Support your discipline argument using relevant facts
Try to maintain eye contact with the audience
Consider the speed and pace of your delivery
Think about the way you speak and what intonation patterns you'll use
Examine the language structures you'll be producing and evaluate their accuracy
Think about the transition signals you use, such as "in addition/in contrast" to compare information
Consider the purpose and effectiveness of your visual aids
Use keywords and phrases in your slides instead of long chunks of text
Include references in your slides and a bibliography at the end
Think about potential questions the audience might ask and how you'll respond to them
Rehearse the presentation beforehand at least once
Record and watch yourself delivering the presentation
Reflect on your rehearsal, ask for peer feedback, and generate an action plan with areas to work on.
Group presentations
Whether you have got assessed collaborative work in your modules or you are taking part in a study group, you may need to prepare and deliver group presentations while at university. Like individual presentations, these are a key academic skill transferable to the workplace, where you might need to present team projects, discuss outcomes, and offer recommendations.
With a group presentation, everyone is responsible for the content and delivery, so using strong teamwork and collaboration skills is essential. There are several advantages of speaking as part of a group rather than as an individual.
Demonstrating effective teamwork skills
Blending a range of ideas to solve problems
Having the flexibility and variety of visual and vocal delivery
Enhancing your skills and fostering innovation
Taking advantage of the different abilities within your group
Exercising an extra level of quality control
Challenging ideas and providing a fresh collaborative perspective
Activating and improving cooperative learning techniques
Sharing workload and stress
Relieving performance anxiety.
Schedule time to work together and ensure there are opportunities to make joint decisions
Make sure each group member has equally contributed and practise interacting with each other during the delivery
Think about introducing yourself and each other to the audience at the beginning
Consider ways of grabbing the attention of your audience, for example, asking a question
State the purpose and nature of your work with a short introduction
Introduce each subject-specific point and expand on it
Support your discipline argument using relevant facts
Try to maintain eye contact with the audience
Consider the speed and pace of your delivery
Think about the way you speak and what intonation patterns you'll use
Examine the language structures you'll be producing and evaluate their accuracy
Think about the transition signals you use, such as "in addition/in contrast" to compare information
Consider the purpose and effectiveness of your visual aids
Use keywords and phrases in your slides instead of long chunks of text
Include references in your slides and a bibliography at the end
Think about potential questions the audience might ask and how you'll respond to them
Rehearse the presentation beforehand at least once
Record and watch yourselves delivering the presentation
Reflect on your rehearsal, give each other feedback, and generate an action plan with areas to work on.