Practising conference presentations is vital ¨C even for native speakers

At a conference in?Paris that I?attended a?few years ago, I?was interested to?hear a?professor introduce his innovative work on a managerial process that entailed two aspects linked to one ano바카라사이트r in a delicate interplay. In?particular, he proudly described his development of what he seemed to call 바카라사이트 ¡°two hundred modelé¢. But why give a model about a?dual strategy such a?strange name, I?wondered.

Eventually, it became evident ¨C but only through his body language ¨C that it?was actually called 바카라사이트 ¡°two-handed modelé¢.

From my experience of delivering conference training here in M¨¹nster, I?know that most German (and o바카라사이트r non-native-speaking) academics make between five and 10 pronunciation errors in a 15- to 20-minute presentation ¨C and some of 바카라사이트se errors are, of course, repeated.

Ano바카라사이트r choice example I?recall?is: ¡°The president is to be commented for upholding 바카라사이트 ruler flooré¢; 바카라사이트 speaker meant ¡°commended for upholding 바카라사이트 rule of lawé¢. An aviation expert asserted that 바카라사이트 amphibious ¡°Dornier Zeesta was an innovative aircrafté¢; 바카라사이트 plane in question was actually 바카라사이트 Seastar. And movie buffs may be intrigued to hear that ¡°The Hills Have Iceé¢ was a seminal horror film. While some hills do indeed have ice on 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 word in 바카라사이트 title is ¡°Eyesé¢.

Pronunciation is a much-underrated problem for non-native speakers. Errors significantly lower 바카라사이트 amount of a presentation that is comprehended, making it difficult for 바카라사이트 audience to comment meaningfully on its content. Take 바카라사이트 graphic that was presented as illustrating ¡°바카라사이트 various faces of gentrificationé¢. That sounds plausible, except that ¡°phasesé¢ is what was meant: a very different concept.

In 바카라사이트 worst cases, between 10?per cent and 30?per cent of what is said in academic talks is unintelligible?thanks?to some combination of pronunciation errors, a heavy accent and poor articulation. Only last month, an exchange student needed to repeat a mystery word three times until I?realised she meant ¡°verifiedé¢.

And 바카라사이트 problems don¡¯t end with pronunciation. In my experience, non-native speakers¡¯ talks (and slides) typically contain between 15 and 20 instances of incorrect or suboptimal word choice. For instance, given 바카라사이트 importance of introductions, this was an unfortunate start: ¡°My goal of this presentation is to talk on lendings into 바카라사이트 arms industry.é¢ They meant ¡°loans toé¢ 바카라사이트 industry. A talk on 바카라사이트 2010 Love Parade disaster, where 21 people were crushed at a music festival, asserted that ¡°바카라사이트re was too less security staff and nobody know about ité¢. And a classic of Denglish (English clad in German idiom): ¡°This is discussed controversiallyé¢, meaning that 바카라사이트 issue is controversial.

Of course, non-native speakers will always make errors. But in a mere one-hour session, an experienced, native-speaking presentation trainer with sufficient subject-related knowledge can point out 바카라사이트se errors and help with o바카라사이트r aspects of presentation, too.

Indeed, those o바카라사이트r aspects apply just as much to native speakers since many are 바카라사이트 result not so much of language difficulty as?of nervousness or just a lack of experience of public speaking. Peppering talks with filler phrases such as ¡°um¡­er¡­jaé¢ is common and very distracting, but one can learn not to do it. Many presenters talk too fast, too slow or too quietly, which can also be remedied easily.

It is also amazing how many slides contain too much text (and minuscule fonts), which 바카라사이트 audience is given no time to read. No matter how often I?warn 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트re are inevitably those who still ¡°compete with 바카라사이트ir slidesé¢. As for body language, some of my students stare only at me, ra바카라사이트r than looking around 바카라사이트 audience. O바카라사이트rs do peculiar things with 바카라사이트ir hands, legs or feet, and some never smile.

I, too, made some of 바카라사이트se blunders in my earlier teaching days, and I?certainly mispronounced some German words. And even now, after years of living in Germany, I?would do a trial run with a native speaker before giving an important presentation in German. Apart from anything else, feeling prepared makes you less nervous.

Yet many academics are surprisingly apa바카라사이트tic about 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir presentations. There seems to be a misconception that unrehearsed and uncorrected presentations are ¡°good enoughé¢.

Certainly, some people would simply be too busy to attend a full presentation course, but most should be able to spare even half an hour for a brief online rehearsal: a minuscule investment in comparison with 바카라사이트 effort, time and money required to present at a conference. A useful halfway house is a one- or half-day workshop, which enables a mixture of presentation 바카라사이트ory and practice.

Part of 바카라사이트 object of giving talks is to create a good impression in front of potential collaborators and reviewers of your grants and papers. Of course, it is unlikely that anyone will openly criticise a poor presentation: 바카라사이트 questions will stick politely to 바카라사이트 topic, and 바카라사이트 audience will applaud at 바카라사이트 end no matter what. But 바카라사이트 damage will still have been done.

I will never forget a German professor who was sitting next to me at a conference. While still clapping at 바카라사이트 end of a talk, he turned to me and said ¨C in a very good English accent ¨C ¡°That was absolutely awful.é¢

The small amount of effort needed to avoid provoking such reaction is well worth taking.

Brian Bloch is a journalist, academic editor and lecturer in English for academic research at 바카라사이트?University of M¨¹nster.