Tips for Planning a Presentation I. The cultural style o

Tips for Planning a Presentation
   American language expert Robert Kaplan studied different cultural thought patterns in the mid 1960s. He helped English language teachers understand the differences between English rhetoric and that of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian.
   English speakers prefer a linear style, which has one main idea. The speaker supports that idea with details or arguments, and then closes the talk by restating the idea. In other cultures, however, speakers may bring in other ideas before returning to the main point.
   Professor Charles LeBeau says some of his students prepare a speech without thinking of the main idea "Sometimes the bigger problem is the point that they want to make is not clear. They are not thinking clearly about "What is the key point in my presentation? And how do I want to say that: where do I want to say it?" For presentations in English, the best time to make that point is at the beginning. Speakers should make a plan to present their ideas in the order that is common in English rhetoric. When we write our ideas down without such a plan, they are not clear and our presentation will not be well organized. "I think they prepare the presentation kind of as a stream of consciousness activity. Then finally at the end of this process they figure out, oh, what do I want to say, what is the key point in this? And it ends up being at the end of the presentation. In an English language presentation, what we try and do is to make it more linear. And by that, I mean, it’s more of a story—we use data, and we use evidence, we use numbers, but only to help us tell the story more clearly."
   Preparing the story message helps speakers give a successful presentation. Professor LeBeau gives these five tips for academic presentations, such as those given at professional conferences.
   1. Understand the difference between title and topic. A topic is general, but a title is more specific. Make sure the title explains the benefit of your subject.
   2. Provide an image for those who are not experts in your subject. Explain how your research relates to other fields.
   3. Work on transitions (linking words)as you go from image to image. These should make the connections between your ideas clear. Professor LeBeau says transitions serve as bridges to each new image.
   4. Look at each image from the audience’s point of view. What questions might they have about each image? Prepare an extra image that would help explain the most difficult question you expect.
   5. Rehearse your presentation with a timing device. At most conferences, there is a time limit. It is disrespectful to take more than your share of the time. Cut your presentation to fit the time you are permitted.
   Using these tips for improving your presentations in English should help make the process easier.