A STUDY ON COMMON PRESENTATION MISTAKES ENCOUNTERED BY FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH FACULTY AT THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

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ABSTRACT
This study aimed to identify the main difficulties encountering English majors at
Thuong Mai University while giving presentations. To achieve the aim of the study,
the author applied three tools, a questionnaire and an observation and interview.
According to the questionnaire, the following results were reached: Most
problems are come from two primary element including subjective difficulties and
objective difficulties. The subjective difficulties are that students do not have a good
preparation, they do not feel confident with their performance or they sometimes make
some mistakes. And the objective difficulties including time allowed performing the
presentation, pressure to perform well and listener's support. So students feel
dissatisfied with their presentation.
Through some observations and interviews, I found some difficulties of students.
The presenter and listeners do not have any alignment. While the speaker was
presenting, audiences can sleep, talk together or even play their phone. Moreover,
presenters do not know how to attract the audience, the voice is too small and there is
no interaction with the audience by eye-contacting or some question or telling funny
story.
In addition, from the results of the study, some suggestions and recommendation
are offered for students to have a good presentation.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
During the period of researching this graduation paper, I was supported and
stimulated by many.

First and foremost, I would like to convey my sincere thanks to my supervisor –
Ms. Luong Thi Hong Tham, for her constant support, valuable materials and
comments on my draft chapters to fulfill this study. This would not have been possible
without her.
Also, I would also like to express my gratitude to other lecturers of English
faculty at Thuongmai University for their supportive lectures over the period of four
years that have bring me good knowledge to do my Graduation Paper.
Besides, I would like to give great thanks to first-year students of English faculty
at Thuongmai University for their answers in my survey questionnaires to complete
this study.
Additionally, my special thanks go to all of the students who were willing to
spend time marking the questionnaires and to participate in the individual interviews.
The thesis would not be completed without their assistance.
Finally, I owe gratitude to all members of my family and friends for all they have
done for me. Without their support and encouragement, this graduation paper would
not have become reality.
I know my graduation paper still has mistakes for my shortcomings. I would like
to receive your comments, suggestions for the perfect of my own graduation paper.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

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CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1.

Rationale
English which is widely considered the international language and spoken by
innumerable people has become the primary communication tool for many purposes.
According to One World National Online- a reputable website, The ISO 3166-1 code
lists 83 countries and regions with English as "official language". (ISO 3166-1 Codes
for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions.) When arriving in a
developing country, it is easy to see and hear people communicating in English
fluently. Moreover, English also provides us distilled essence of advance and up-todate knowledge in all fields of human developments and activities. English has
become the lingua franca in many fields, including business, politics, science,
technology, and entertainment, to name a few. The importance of English is clear.
Among English skills, speaking is not the most but very important skill showing
the user’s ability in English. In speaking skill, delivering a presentation is considered
as the most important because it points out speaker’s ability and knowledge. However,
presenting a topic in English facing the audience in the class is a challenging issue,
since the phobia of English language is always a big challenge for the Vietnamese
students, formal oral presentation in English is even greater challenge for many
students at undergraduate level, especially freshmen.
As a fourth-year student of English Faculty at ThuongMai University, the author
realized that first-year students of English Faculty still were not used to present a topic
in English facing the audience and when they present, they have a lot of basic
mistakes.
As a researcher, I would like to carry out the study with the title “ A study on
common presentation mistakes encountered by first- year students of English Faculty
at Thuongmai University and suggested solutions.” For following reasons:
First of all, presentation skills are an impressive and powerful tool that will take

you so
much further than just speaking in the classroom. With communication skills,
students will become good presenters all round, structuring and expressing their ideas
clearly.
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Besides, the study also provides some tips on how to make a good presentation.
Knowing how to make a good presentation will help them in job interviews, to make
new friends, to sell a product and make business deals successfully.
Moreover, students’s body language, hand gestures and eye contact will improve
too. This helps captivate their audience. Students’s ability to plan and prepare
materials, to convince their audience of what they have to say, will excel too.
Last but not least, with only a certain amount of time to give a presentation,
students will learn how to communicate their message quickly, clearly and
successfully in a limited amount of time. A good presentation is easy to understand,
memorable and not so long that your audience loses interest.
Previous studies

1.2.

When the author decided to choose the topic: “A study on common presentation
mistakes encountered by first- year students of English Faculty at Thuongmai
University and suggested solutions” The author found out and researched some
previous studies related to the topic he studied. There are many research topics in
advance of foreign authors and Vietnamese authors. After selecting, the author chose
some of the following researchs:
Studies abroad.
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Farhan Al, Mohammad Osman(2016) “Challenges in Oral Presentation in English for
the Freshers at Tertiary Level .” Green University.
When implementing this study, the researchers mainly highlighted some striking
featuresin formal oral presentation following class observation, formal assessment in
differ-ent presentation sessions and then tried to demonstrate the problems faced by
thefirst semester students at undergraduate level. They even interviewed some experts
in the respective field to investigate the challenges deeply in oral presentation and find
the possible solutions. Students can overcome common presentation mistakes and
enhance their presentation skill based on this study.
The participants in the study include students of social science and science
disciplines such as law, sociology and anthropology, business studies, computer
science and engineering, etc. They collected data form the class presentation
performance of more than 120 students in different batches. Some of the students of
the final year also have some contribution in the data collection process too.
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In this study, the authors point out a lot of necessary things that students should
do. For example, they said: “In a formal presentation session, the speakers’ overall
performance and preparation are reflected well by his/her body language by gestureposture, facial expression, movement etc. rather than content of the presentation.”
People can see the importance of using non- verbal communication through this. There
are a lot of useful information in his study.
Moreover, the authors also show that even abroad students makes a lot of
mistakes when making a presentation. These mistakes are often related to dress code,
non- verbal communication, language proficiency, level of confidence, nervousness or
the fear of facing the audience. These are common problems that make students dislike
presenting. To overcome these problems, the authors show students the solutions and
advices that actually works with their problems. For instant, with dress code, the
authors encouraged the female students to put on traditional Bangladeshi attire ‘saree’
and the male students formal shirt-pant or complete suit with tie.

Data from this study is actually valuable and useful for the author to accomplish
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his study.
Gavin BROOKS and John WILSON (2014), “Using Oral Presentations to Improve
Students’ English Language Skills”, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
The aim of this study is to point out valuable benefits of oral presentations in
improve students’ English language skills. This study not only helps students
understand the organization of a presentation clearly, but it also gives students advices
to enhance their presentation skills and make a successful presentation.
Students in the L2 classroom are people that help the authors to accomplish their
study. These students were asked to attend a special class in one month. At this class,
teachers use a special method of teaching, they let students talk freely, express their
opinion, emotion. These students had to present a lot of topics. After one month, their
English language skills are actually improved.
Based on this data, the author has point out a wonderful way to improve English
skills. This is not only important with students but also teacher. Through this study,
teachers can have a new method to convey their lesson to students in interesting way.
Through students’ presentation performance, the author also point out the
difficulties and mistakes that Asian students often make, even these students major in
English. From that, the authors point out factors that affect to a presentation.

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Thanks to this study, I have a lot of information for reference to be able to
accomplish my study in the best way.
Studies in Vietnam.
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Le Thị Hien (2018) contributed to this topic a research paper entitled “English
presentation skill in National University of Arts Education”
This study is an attempt to identify the problems faced by the students of
National University of Arts Education. The study showed that teachers and students at
National University of Arts Education encountered many difficulties in teaching and
learning when using presentation teaching and learning method.
This study point out the notes that students need to pay attention when making a
presentation. In addition, several factors that make the student make a poor
presentation. As a result, according to this research, these factors come from students’s
side, teachers’s side and University’s side. For example, about students, a poor
presentation may be the result of their laziness. About teachers, they may not have
clear instruction for their students, etc. The author also emphasizes the important role
of presentation skills. In addition, research also shows that in order to learn to enhance
presentation skills, the optimal method is to increase study time and maintain practice

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time in a regular and scientific manner.
Nguyen Thi Phuong Uyen (2008), “Oral presentation skills of the third- year
department at the college ò foreign languages, Danang University”.
This study focuses on investigating presentation skills of third-year students of
English Department. Students’ difficulties in making presentations

and

their

expectations to deliver a better talk are shown in this research. Besides, some
suggestions for students, teachers and the College are raised to improve students’
presentation skills. The author used quantitative method to implement her study. The

result of this study show that the difficulties students often face relate to speaking
ability, lack of confidence, etc. This study also point out valuable solution for students
to overcomes these difficulties and enhance their presentation skills.
Here are the highlights of the research the author is working on. Thereby people
can see the different aspects of the problem, have a deeper look and recognize the
obstacles in learning speaking and listening skills. Therefore, learners will be able to
give themselves the correct learning methods to improve.
1.3.

Aims of the study
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Firstly, the study is carried out to investigate real situation of presentation skills
of first-year students in TMU, so this study could work out the reasons for those
difficulties.
Secondly, most students find it hard to make a presentation, so the author want to
do this research to find out the common difficulties that students are facing when
making a presentation
Last but not least, this study would like to offer some possible solutions to these
difficulties. These suggestions hope students find motivation for learning and
practicing presentation skills, helping them overcome difficulties they are facing. In
particular, students can improve their presentation skills and make successful
presentation.
The research will address two main issues:
1.4.

What is the difficulties that first- year students often face?
What are some effective solutions for these difficulties?
Research subject

Based on the rationale and the aims of the problems, the research subjects of this
study is presentation skills of first- year students in English faculty. The research
participants of this study include the first-year students of Thuongmai University’s
honored classes. The survey will focus on students of one class in K55 of English
faculty which include all first-year students. The students’ number was 40 of which
90% were females and 10% were males. All of them (included 36 females and 4
males) have difficulties in making presentation.

1.5.

Research medothology
To fulfill the above purposes, the study was conducted using quantitative
methods of data collection. The first step is to collect data from the survey
questionnaire, the second step is to collect data from the interview. Survey
questionnaire is one of the most effective instruments for collecting data. Advantages
of using questionnaires are practice, validity and reliability. The author will use a
questionnaire which was conducted among 40 students. It aimed to collect information
about the problems of enhancing presentation skills. The responses would contribute to
the great success of this study.
Like questionnaire, interviews can allow intensive individual interviews with a
number of focused to explore their perspectives on a particular idea, program or
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situation. Using interviews means that the first-year students were randomly chosen in
class and asked within five minutes. These interviews included around 8 students who
are studying at the English Faculty of Thuongmai University. The purpose was to elicit
their difficulties while making a presentation by themselves and at school. Therefore,
1.6.

the author could directly approach research subjects and provide the qualified results.
Scope of the study
Due to the variety of presentations and their own objectives, limited in
knowledge as well as experience, it is not possible for the author to cover all the
aspects of presentation as well as goods methods for teaching and studying
presentation skill in speaking periods. Therefore, the author would like to focus on
finding difficulties in making a presentation and bring solutions to have an effective
presentation for first-year students of English faculty at Thuongmai University.
The author asked for permission to attend a class of freshmen of English Faculty
at Thuongmai University. The subject the author attended is “English grammar”. After
2 lessons with presentation performance of 40 first- year students, the author found out
a lots data to help him accomplish his study.

1.7.

Organization of the study
The study includes four chapters, namely (1) overview of the study, (2) literature
review, (3) research findings, and (4) recommendations and suggestions.
Chapter 1: Overview of the study
In the first chapter, overview of the study, the author gives information about an
overview of the research. It consists of the rationale, the previous studies related to the
current thesis, and the purposes of the study. In addition, this chapter also indicates
what are the research subjects, the scope of the study and the research methodology.
The organization of the study would be the last part.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Literature review looking at some theoretical background relating to the thesis of
the study. This chapter focuses on the concept, characteristics, factors affecting
presentation skill, problems encountering and solutions for these problems
Chapter 3: Research Findings
In chapter three, research findings, shows the results of the study. This part

mainly analyses collected data after investigation.
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Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions: includes a summary of the study,
discussions and conclusions before ending with recommendations for further study.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Definitions of presentation
To make an effective presentation, the first thing we should understand clearly is
what a presentation is. There are a lot of definitions of presentation; however, the
author only figure out some of them which are easy to understand. The following
definitions are given by different experts and some anonymous online authors.
First of all, according to the definition from Wikipedia, an online dictionary:
“Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an
audience or learner. It is typically a demonstration, introduction, lecture, or speech
meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, or to build good will or to present a new
idea or product.” This definition actually conveys quite sufficiently in terms of
meaning. However, it is quite broad and readers maybe find it is difficult to understand
clearly.
The next definition of a presentation is given by Prateek Bhattacharjee (2016).
He defined a presentation as the way to concentrate on a particular topic and project it
towards the audience with a content which not only delivers value but a perspective
from the presenter’s point of view in any domain or field. He also said that a
presentation is something which can outline any scenario in a collaborative way for a
person to deliver and make people understand and bring awareness in the chosen field.
In my opinion, this definition is perfect because it conveys full meaning and is still

easy to understand.
Besides, we have a definition given by Big Dog (2013). He claims that
presentation is a formal talk because this case is in business activities, they need
formality. Compared with reports, he gave a full definition of a presentation:
“Presentations and reports are ways of communicating ideas and information to a
group. But unlike a report, a presentation carries the speaker’s personality better and
allows immediate interaction between all participants”. This definition is actually
suitable with business people.
One more definition comes from Morrissey & Sechrest (1987): “A presentation
involves the preparation and delivery of critical subject matter in a logical and
condensed form, leading to effective communication”.
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Finally, the most comprehensive definition of a presentation are given by an
anonymous online author: “Presentation is an even at which preplanned material is
shown to audience for a specific purpose. Although a presentation is a verbal form of
communication, it is often supported by other media, such as a computer software,
slides, printed handouts, and so on and to be successful, appropriate body language
and good interpersonal communication skills are prepared. A presentation is normally
intended to introduce something new to the audience, to persuade them of a viewpoint,
or to inform them of something. Sale representatives use presentations when
introducing a product to a potential customer. Presentations are also used in team
briefing and other business contexts”.
In conclusion, we can see from definitions above, a presentation is understood
according to a lot of its meanings, depending on certain circumstances. But simply, it
can be said that presentations are used by all people every day. It may be a short talk, a
formal talk or a speaking even but in general, it is made for the purpose of
communicating among people.
2.2. Types of presentation

Presentations can be classified into different types. Basing on the purposes of the
presentations, Lucas (2004) classifies them into two types: informative speech
whose goal is to convey knowledge and understanding, and persuasive speech,
in which the speaker attempts to affect the audience’s attitudes, beliefs or
actions. Lucas (2004) also mentions another kind of speech – speech on special
occasions. It is also used to inform, but the major objective is to suit the
special needs of a special occasions. In particular, there are several common kinds of
speeches on special occasions. First, speech of introduction is a speech that presents
the main speaker to the audience. Secondly, speech of presentation is a speech
that presents someone an award or other form of public recognition. Third
speech of acceptance is to express thanks to a gift, an award or other form of public
recognition. Fourth, speech of commemoration is to show respect for a person, a group
of people, institution or idea. Last, after-dinner speech is a speech that makes a
thoughtful point about its subject in an enjoyable manner. With reference to classroom
presentations, Lucas (2004) mentions that speech classes offer students opportunities
to
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develop

their

communication

skills

before applying

them

outside

the


classroom; moreover, students are

given an enormous chance to inform or

persuade other people. In other words, it can be said that common types of
presentation in classroom are informative and persuasive ones. In the present research,
oral presentations will be focused. In general, stages of a presentation consist of three
steps: preparation, rehearsal and delivery.
2.3. Importance of presentations
Presentations play an important role for the learning environment of universities
in general and of Thuong Mai universities in particular. Presentations have been shown
to be extremely successful with respect to improving learners’s skills, and increasing
their autonomy. It is also the way that they can gain insight deeply on the topic in their
universities’ education program.
According to Zivkovic (2014), he said that presentation skills are essential for
employability and true academic study as they lead students to enter into
debate and sustained reasoning. Therefore, presentation is not only important for
students, but it is also a wonderful way for teachers or lecturers to convey lessons to
students.
Moreover, presentation is now used very frequently at schools or universities as
well as companies. People cannot deny the importance of presentations
2.3.1. The importance of presentations in study
In most of the universities, presentation has become one of the main methods in
education program and so does Thuong Mai University. Therefore, it plays a very
important part in forming self-learning habits as well as enhancing the confidence of

students. Besides, it is an opportunity for students to practice their speaking skills in
front of the crowd. The way to the success is really a difficult one. Whenever we want
to be successful, what we not only need to have is more intelligence, expertise,
creative thinking but also a good command of speech and a style of poise in front of
people.
As we know, the university learning environment is completely different from
high school one. It requires students to learn more by themselves. And presentation
also requires each student to study on a topic on their own. Thereby, their self-learning
ability has gradually been formed and developed effectively over time.

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In addition to forming a habit of self-study for students, presentations help
students become more active and confident. Because making a presentation needs to
be proactive, and passionate about research to create new results. After completing a
project, a presentation is a channel for students to share with others what they have
learned. It is also a chance to challenge and expand on their understanding of the topic
by proactively having others ask questions. It is also a way for students to practice
speaking skills in public. This contributes a great deal in improving students'
confidence.
Besides, presentations are a great way to have students practice all the English
language system’s areas (vocabulary, grammar, discourse and phonology) and four
skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). They also build confidence, and
presenting is a skill that most people will need in the life of study and work. Through
practical observation, I find that students who are good presenters are usually better
communicators all round, because they can structure and express their ideas clearly.
Presentation can also form a natural part of task based learning. By focusing on a
particular language point or skill, a presentation is a very practical way to revise and
extend book, developing teamwork as well as leadership skills pair and group work.

For example: the audiences can also be tasked with answering the questions for
presentations, which is a helpful way of getting students to listen to each other.
Presentation can give the students more opportunities to earn a higher percentage
of marks module. It uses different intelligences in addition to the linguistic intelligence
needed for essays and reports. In reality, some students are often confident for their
presentations and work better in group situations than on their own. These students
may earn a higher total mark for the module where there is a combined assessment of
presentation and written reports, especially when the presentation earns up to 40 per
cent of the module mark.
In brief, Proficiency in presentation skills is essential for students.
2.3.2. The importance of presentations in work
Thesedays, many employers seek the candidates who are confident and use
presentation skills as a part of their selection procedures. Some organizations use staff
presentations frequently for progress reports, staff appraisal and development.
Preparing and delivering presentations early can help the freshmen of English faculty
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to be a more competent and confident candidate for interviews because in the future,
the organization will offer opportunities to develop team working and project
management skills. In the future, the freshmen of English faculty will have to
complete the work before the deadlines and take responsibility for delivering an
outcome of their work. Therefore, student’s presentations are considered as a positive
experience that helps them to prepare for the future employment.
Finally, presentation brings students the chance to have a high income as well as
a success career in the future. A candidate for job interview has good knowledge,
impressive academic achievement, creative business idea. Without the ability to
lecture, unable to express the ideas, knowledge, strategies and orientations that he set
out, students cannot convince employers to choose themselves. No matter how much
knowledge and talent the freshmen of English faculty have, if they cannot convey to

others what they want, it will be very difficult for them to succeed. Therefore,
improving presentation skills every day will shorten their path to success. And the
important thing is, the more they present, the easier it is for them to convince others.
2.4. Purpose of student’s presentation
Every time someone started to do something, they must have certain purposes
and making presentation is the same. And of course, when you are making a
presentation you always have a goal. You may be trying to give a message on your
audience or trying to sell something. There is always a goal when we make
presentation. So what is the purpose of presentation?
In chapter-01(2007: 02) of the book “A students’s guide to presentation” Barbara
Chivers said that: “There are many reasons why students are asked to give
presentations and these will be influenced by your academic cours e and situational
and organizational factors. The purpose and circumstances of your presentation will
influence its style, content and structure. Most presentations will involve a
combination of purposes but it may be helpful to think about the different features of
each of these presentations.” Due to this, not all students have same purpose.
Although each student has their own purpose for their presentations, there are a
few purposes that students have to achieve:
• Students have to convey enough necessary information about their topic.

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For this purpose, the presenter should focus on the level of knowledge and the
clarity of the information to bring the main specific content to the listeners.
• Convince or impress listeners.
Standing in front of a crowd, presenters are often tasked with impressing or
persuading people about the importance of something. Presenters need to impress
listeners in a reasonable way, as well as persuade them to change their mind, think
about the issue.

• Create joyful and humor atmosphere.
Making the listener feel relaxed and relaxed will help them to receive the
presentation in a more fun and open way. At the same time, it is also easier for the
presenter to inspire the audience.
To achieve these purpose is not something easy for students, especial the
freshman. Therefore, they have to try their best, they have to practice a lot of times or
learn about their topic clearly, etc.
2.4.1. Advocacy/persuasion
The persuasion of a presentation is the one of the top factors that presenters
concern about. Therefore, there are many convincing targeted presentations. The
speakers want to convince the audience to understand or believe their position on a
topic. Or in business, the goal of the presentation is to convince customers to buy a
product or service. The political field is no exception because their goal may also be to
persuade listeners to vote when politicians call. A convincing speech is working
towards a solution. The first thing needed to do is point out the problem. Then provide
the audience with a solution by presenting the views and methods. A convincing
speech often provides evidence, logic and emotion in it. To achieve this goal,
presenters have their own strategy and also have to practice many times. 
2.4.2. Inspiration or motivation
In essence, every speaker wants to inspire. Inspiration, after all, is one of the
most powerful emotions. It is so great if presenters are able to inspire people to think,
move or change their behavior.
Talks that are inspiring are often very personal. Stories of overcoming difficulties
are often great and meaningful. But it does not have to be about something bad that
has happened. It can be about the future. The author has seen a lot of Nick Vujicic's
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speeches who lost both his arms and legs but still does not give up his passion for
swimming, and he felt more motivated and positive than before.

2.4.3. Assessment
Student presentations are frequently assessed and may be awarded a percentage
of the marks that contribute to the overall module mark and credits. However, some
presentations may not be assessed but used as an opportunity for students to practise
and further develop their presentation skills, without the anxiety of earning marks for
the quality of their performance.
2.5. What makes a professional presentation?
To my mind, a perfect presentation is to attract the attention of the listener,
explain and convey the issue that they are presenting. To do this effectively we have
some criteria of a professional and effective presentation. According to Big Dog’s
Leadership Page they are:
• Content: It contains information that people need.
• Structure: It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced
and paced so that the audience can understand it.
• Packaging: It must be well prepared.
• Human element: A good presentation will be remembered much more than a
report because it has a person attached to it.
According to Lenny Laskowski (1997), an international professional speaker and
the author of the book, 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking and several other
publications, development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work,
and good presentation skills mean that you will provide good presentations. The
following things will help enhance students’s presentation skills:
• Research the audience before presenting: This will enable you to better
understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be better
understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical audience,
you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.
• Structure your presentation effectively: The best way to do this is to start with
telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this by
presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.

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• Give of yourself: Try to use personal examples and stories in the speech
whenever possible. Make sure that stories help to emphasize or support the presenter's
point and the stories must match their message. Besides, the examples from the
presenter's personal and professional life are also suggestions to make their point.
• Do a lot of practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation.
Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the presentation
day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and eliminate errors
more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your presentation look
mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.
• Stay relaxed: To stay relaxed, the presenter should be prepared. In addition,
they should focus on their message and not the audience. Moreover, the presenter
should use gestures as walking patterns. Practice the opening of their speech and plan
exactly how the presenter will say it because the audience will judge the presenter in
the first 30 seconds they see them.
• Use natural humor: In this element, the presenter should not try to be a standup comedian. The presenter can use natural humor by poking fun at themselves and
something they said or did.
• Plan the body and hand positions: During the practice of the speech look for
occasions where the presenter can use a gesture. The presenter should establish three
positions where they will stand and practice not only how to move to them but where
in their speech do they move. They should pick three positions, one on center stage,
one to their right, and one to their left.
• Pay attention to all details: The presenters should make sure whether they are
in the right location or not. Next, they should make sure that they bring all their visual
aids and plenty of handouts. Finally, the presenters have to arrive early in order to
check out where they will be speaking and make any last minute adjustments.
In conclusion, a professional as well as effective presentation depends on a lot of
elements such as preparation, content, outline, body language, natural humor, visual

aids, etc. Each element provides a necessary criterion that helps the students carry out
a better presentation.

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2.6. Some steps in preparing presentation
Preparation is the beginning step to have a successful presentation. Of course, it
is very important. To help people succeed in the first step of having a good
presentation, I have researched and compiled something you should do when preparing
for a presentation.
• Step 1: Analyze your audience
The first step in preparing a presentation is to learn more about the audience to
whom you will be speaking. It is a good idea to obtain some information on the
backgrounds, values, and interests of your audience so that you understand what the
audience members might expect from your presentation.
• Step 2: Select a topic
Next, if possible select a topic that is of interest to the audience and to you. It will
be much easier to deliver a presentation that the audience finds relevant, and more
enjoyable to research a topic that is of interest to you.
• Step 3: Define the objective of the presentation
Once you have selected a topic, write the objective of the presentation in a single
concise statement. The objective needs to specify exactly what you want your
audience to learn from your presentation. Base the objective and the level of the
content on the amount of time you have for the presentation and the background
knowledge of the audience. Use this statement to help keep you focused as you
research and develop the presentation.
• Step 4: Prepare the body of the presentation
After defining the objective of your presentation, determine how much
information you can present in the amount of time allowed. Also, use your knowledge

about the audience to prepare a presentation with the right level of detail. You do not
want to plan a presentation that is too basic or too advanced.
The body of the presentation is where you present your ideas. To present your
ideas convincingly, you will need to illustrate and support them. Strategies to help you
do this include the following:
- Present data and facts
- Read quotes from experts
- Relate personal experiences
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- Provide vivid descriptions
- And remember, as you plan the body of your presentation it is important to
provide variety. Listeners may quickly become bored by lots of facts or they may tire
of hearing story after story.
• Step 5: Prepare the introduction and conclusion
Once you have prepared the body of the presentation, decide how you will begin
and end the talk. Make sure the introduction captures the attention of your audience
and the conclusion summarizes and reiterates your important points. In other words,
"Tell them what you are going to tell them. Then, tell them what you told them."
During the opening of your presentation, it is important to attract the audience's
attention and build their interest. If you do not, listeners will turn their attention
elsewhere and you will have a difficult time getting it back. Strategies that you can use
include the following:
- Make the introduction relevant to the listeners' goals, values, and needs
- Ask questions to stimulate thinking
- Ask questions to stimulate thinking
- Begin with a joke or humorous story
- Project a cartoon or colorful visual
- Make a stimulating or inspirational statement

- Give a unique demonstration
During the opening you want to clearly present your topic and the purpose of
your presentation. Clearly articulating the topic and purpose will help the listeners
focus on and easily follow your main ideas.
During the conclusion of your presentation, reinforce the main ideas you
communicated. Remember that listeners will not remember your entire presentation,
only the Share a personal experience main ideas. By reinforcing and reviewing the
main ideas, you help the audience remember them.
• Step 6: Practice delivering the presentation
Most people spend hours preparing a presentation but very little time practicing
it. When you practice your presentation, you can reduce the number of times you utter
words and phrases like, "um," "well," and "you know." These habits can easily

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diminish a speaker's credibility. You can also fine-tune your content to be sure they
make your most important points in the time allotted.
I hope these instructions will help you to have a successful presentation.
2.7. Some common mistakes in presentation
2.7.1. Lack of Preparation
Too often a good presentation is ruined because the speaker has not taken the
time to prepare. Preparation involves attention to both the personal and professional
aspects of the presentation. Personal elements include body language, voice, and
appearance. Professional aspects include researching the subject, organizing the
content, and preparing the visuals. So, whether presentation lasts for five minutes, five
hours, or five days, students owe it to themselves and their audience to prepare
thoroughly.
2.7.2. Not effective teamwork skills
Generally, the freshmen of the English faculty understood the methods of

teamwork. However, it is not effective because of some following issues:
-There are still a small number of students who do not have a positive spirit to
work, which leads to the dependence on each other.
-While working in groups, too few students raised and protected their opinions,
causing a waste of good and unique ideas.
-In small groups, students do not understand each other, leading to disunity
-The students have no plan on making a presentation. It is often spontaneous
2.7.3. Poor Use of Visuals
Visuals should enhance presentation, not detract from it. Most business people
around the world today have learned how to use PowerPoint technically, but not
professionally. Slides are overcrowded, unattractive, and inconsistent. They are loaded
with lengthy, unnecessary words, written in sentences, instead of bullets. They include
detailed information that should be provided to participants in the form of handouts.
They underutilize the power of images. By taking the time to learn how to create
powerful visuals, presenter will have a creative edge over the competition.
2.7.4. Non-Functioning Equipment
Since so much of our business world is dependent on technology, always check
equipment beforehand. There is nothing more frustrating than malfunctioning
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equipment, which can cause unnecessary delays and frustration. One solution is to
have a printout of speaker’s visuals for themselves. That way, students will have the
necessary information they need to deliver a presentation, even if they do not have the
necessary equipment. If speaker solve the problem in this way, they will also gain the
empathy and appreciation of the audience, who may have been in speaker’s shoes at
some point in their own professional careers.
2.7.5. Inappropriate Humor
Off-color jokes could doom presentation, because students are taking the risk of
offending someone in the audience. Humor is culture-sensitive. What is considered

funny in one part of the world may be considered private and taboo in another.
Therefore, avoid using humor in professional presentations, and consider other ways
of breaking the ice and establishing rapport with audience members.
2.7.6. Inappropriate Dress
The best advice is to dress conservatively so that the audience can pay attention
to what speaker is saying, not what they are wearing. In their private life, feel free to
express individuality. In professional arenas, it can be disastrous to show their true
colors. Like it or not, professionals around the world expect to see them dressed a
certain way. It is best not to surprise them; otherwise they will be concentrating on
unusual appearance instead of worthwhile message. Women in particular should be
extra careful to present a professional appearance, and stay away from low necklines,
short skirts, jangly jewelry, wacky hairstyles, and flashy colors.
2.7.7. Not Knowing the Audience
Custom-design presentation to fit the needs of your audience. Find out the size
and demographics of audience beforehand. What are the ranks and positions of the
people who will be attending? Who are the decision-makers? How much knowledge
do they have of the subject students will be presenting? What is their native language?
What other cultural expectations or protocol should speaker be aware of? By
considering such factors beforehand, presenter increase the effectiveness of
presentation dramatically.
2.7.8. Starting or Ending a Presentation Late
The members of the audience have time restrictions. Respect them. In the United
States and Canada, the mark of a professional is one who starts and finishes the
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presentation on time. However, time is viewed differently in eastern and western
cultures. When traveling or presenting in an international context, consult a local
partner or colleague to find out what is considered “normal”, even if it seems strange
or differs from speaker’s own practices back home.

2.7.9. Using a Monotone Voice
Students in the English faculty are just exposed to class presentations so they are
often shy and worried. That makes their voice when the presentation becomes unclear,
hard to hear even the listener cannot hear what they are saying. Students also find it
difficult to press the tone of the voice, which results in a boring speech for the
audience.
Voice is the primary means of communicating with audience. No matter how
interesting their material, if they speak in a monotone voice, they will lose our
audience. An effective voice should be vital, audible, and clear. Of course, voice will
be affected by age, gender, physiology, health, motivation, and past experience.
Nevertheless, people of all kinds can learn how to make their voices more effective by
learning about voice production, breathing techniques, vocal exercises and voice care.
If necessary, work with a voice coach to learn how to improve their voice.
2.7.10. Mispronunciation
Most of the first-year English students encounter this dangerous mistake. They
usually feel shy too much that they cannot pronounce correctly. It makes the audiences
not understand what the first-year English students are saying, or sometimes they will
misunderstand the content of the presentation.
Liaisons - This is a relatively difficult part for Asians in general and for the
freshmen of English faculty in particularly, since most Asian languages have no sound
connection. According to habits, when presenting something in English, the freshmen
of English faculty do not connect the sounds. To limit this situation, they have to
practice more and more to get the reflex.
Besides, stress of the words is considered "luxury". Accents play a very
important role in English pronunciation. However, many students ignore this issue.
Just few first-year students correctly pronounce the accent of the words. Meanwhile,
the remaining students have little interest in this issue. For example, "download" is

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