Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name's Mrs. Butterworth and I cannot wait to get started on today's English lesson with you.

Now, this lesson is all about preparing to deliver a presentation, so we're going to look at some strategies that you can use in order to feel prepared and ready to deliver a presentation.

Sound good? Great, let's get started.

So in this lesson, you will learn how to use effective preparation strategies to help you to deliver a presentation confidently.

Now, before we delve into the main part of the lesson, let's look at those all important keywords which we will notice popping up throughout the lesson.

These words are cue cards, speculate, naturalistic and tentative.

Now, cue cards, and we're going to look at how we can create these today.

These are small cards that can be used during a speech or presentation to help the speaker or help you remember key points or prompts.

So we're going to be looking today at how we can create those and use them effectively.

The word speculate means to make guesses or predictions about something.

Naturalistic, now, naturalistic is something we are aiming for when we are delivering a presentation.

So we want to deliver our presentations in a relaxed way without scripts.

So we are aiming for our presentations to be delivered in a naturalistic way.

And tentative means that something is uncertain or not fully decided.

So you may give a tentative response to something or answer in a tentative way.

The outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by creating cue cards.

So effective cue cards that will help you prepare to deliver a presentation and then we're going to think about asking and answering questions effectively, 'cause this is also a really important skill when we're thinking about delivering a presentation.

So let's get started with those cue cards.

So in a moment, you're going to see a series of statements, okay? And you are going to need to decide whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

So after each statement, you'll need to pause the video so you can discuss your answers or think quietly to yourself.

So the first statement is the following.

Memorising a presentation and delivering it word for word is the most effective way to prepare to give a speech.

Do you agree or disagree? Pause the video to discuss or think quietly and come up with your answer.

Off you go.

Okay, so let's share some ideas.

So for the most part, I actually tend to disagree with this statement, because actually sometimes relying on memorising your speech word by word can lead to a robotic delivery and lack of connection with the audience.

We want our presentations to feel naturalistic and maybe even a little bit spontaneous, and if you're trying to remember every single word, it can feel a bit robotic.

Okay, next statement.

Visual aids like slides should contain every single detail of your presentation.

Pause the video so you can discuss or think to yourself, do you agree or disagree with that statement? Okay, great, let's share the answer.

So actually, it's important that you disagree with this statement, 'cause actually content on visual aid should be kept to a minimum.

So what you should be using your visual aids for is to enhance your presentation, not distract from it.

So you may have a slide with an image on it or a word and that can be plenty to enhance your presentation.

And what about this statement? Creating effective cue cards can lead to a more engaging delivery.

Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Pause the video now.

Hopefully you agreed with that statement, because actually, again, for the most part, creating and using cue cards is an effective way to prompt you when delivering your presentation.

It can help create a more naturalistic and engaging delivery.

So instead of trying to memorise a presentation word for word or read every single word from a text, using cue cards as a prompt is a really effective way to engage your audience and to create a warm, naturalistic and engaging persona.

So like we just said about our cue cards, effective cue cards will give you just the right amount of information to help you deliver and structure your presentation.

They're a really good thing to get in the habit of using, 'cause they're a really good thing to use when delivering.

So they should include the following.

Key ideas from your introduction, sentence starters and keywords to help introduce your ideas, any rhetorical devices you might be using, 'cause these are quite difficult to think of on the spot.

So writing those down on your cue cards, things like anecdotes, facts, statistics can be really useful, but they should not include full sentences, because we don't want it to feel like a script or have your whole presentation written down word for word.

So let's look at an example of some effective cue cards.

So you can see here we've got the introduction and point one.

So this person has per imagine this.

So you've got your sentence starter and you can see how that kind of prompts you to remember what you are going to talk about.

And in brackets there we've got an anecdote, imagine how you would feel, and then a reminder to use imagine.

So again, very small pieces of information there, but enough to prompt the speaker to remind them, oh yes, that's what I was going to talk about.

I was going to tell an anecdote that is relevant to my presentation.

And then you can see point one, they've reminded themselves that their first point is all about the increase in academic challenges.

So again, just enough information to prompt that speaker to go, okay, my first point needs to focus on this.

Then they've identified that they're going to use a metaphor about describing a steep mountain.

They're gonna talk about intimidating rocky boulders and places to trip.

So we can see here they've written down what their first point is all about and then that metaphor that they're going to use to really flesh out that main idea.

Then their point two is all about the rise of social media equals damaging and an average of 236 notifications a day.

So this person has added that very important statistic there, that number, 237, 'cause that might be difficult to remember on the spot, but now it's written down, they know that they can talk about the damaging effects of social media and use the statistic to really help bolster their argument.

And then point three, they've put here it's all about economic uncertainty.

So they know that in this part of this presentation, that's what they're going to be focusing on.

They're going to talk about how jobs are not given fairly.

And again, you can see here that they've included a statistic, something that's not necessarily easy to remember, so they've written it down here.

So women less likely to get promotions.

Only 34% of managers are women.

And then that final line, we must change this to remind them of how to do that really impactful ending.

So just to reiterate, you can see how these notes provide just enough detail to prompt you when you are delivering your presentations.

So you can see how they can really help to encourage you to give a much more naturalistic feeling presentation.

Okay, so question time.

Which of the following should be included on your cue cards? Pick your answers now.

Okay, so shall we share? Well done to everyone that said A, B, and D, there were three things there that you should include on your cue cards.

So ideas from your introduction, sentence starters and rhetorical devices.

So just a reminder, C, full sentences, we don't want to include that on our cue cards, because one, they'll take up too much space, it's not very efficient and we're trying to avoid using a script, which full sentences end up being.

Okay, so Izzy has been working on her presentation, but now wants to create some cue cards.

So let's look at what Izzy's written in terms of her presentation.

Imagine a mountain, imagine a mountain that looms over the horizon, its silhouette casting a dark shadow of challenge across the landscape of youth.

Sadly, the slopes of that mountain are not covered with smooth paths and comfy seats.

Instead, they are strewn with the debris of societal pressures, educational barriers and economic uncertainties.

As I stand at the base of this formidable peak, I am reminded of the uphill scramble that awaits the next generation.

There will be hardship I know, but I'm also hoping for the possibility of triumph.

It's a great start to a presentation from Izzy.

So Izzy wants to create some cue cards.

So I want you to look back at this writing and discuss, please, what could Izzy include on her cue cards to help her deliver her presentation? So what are the key things from this speech, this presentation that she could put onto cue cards to help remind her of everything? So pause the video so you've got time to discuss your answers or if you're working by yourself, you may wish to think quietly to yourself or even jot down some ideas.

Okay, pause the video and off you go.

Okay, so here is what Izzy came up with.

So you may have come up with some similar ideas or maybe something a little bit different, but that's fine.

Now is the time to kind of think about and compare what you came up with.

So she's put here that she wants to, this is her intro.

So in her intro she's going to talk about a metaphor, imagine a mountain, so we've got that sentence starter there.

And then she's gonna talk about the mountain slopes filled with obstacles, and she wants to make sure she mentions these three things.

She wants to make sure in her introduction she mentions societal pressures, educational barriers and economic uncertainties.

And you can see that Izzy has made a really good use of bullet points there to really clearly lay out her cue card and really show those three things she wants to include.

And then another sentence starter.

I stand at the base of this formidable peak.

Reminded of the uphill scramble that awaits the next generation, hope for the possibility of triumph.

So you can see she's condensed that big piece of writing into these important key points for her cue card.

She has included key ideas, sentence starters and rhetorical devices.

So there's enough information here to help Izzy present her presentation.

So now it is over to you.

So I would like you to create your own set of cue cards to help you deliver your presentation.

So they should include, just to remind you, key ideas from your introduction, sentence starters or keywords to help introduce your ideas, any rhetorical devices, so for example, anecdotes, facts, statistics you want to include.

But remember, they should not include full sentences.

So make sure you've got everything you need to complete this task and when you are ready, pause the video and get those cue cards done.

Off you go.

Okay, well done everyone.

So I want us just to do a bit of reflection and a bit of thinking about our own cue cards, but first, just look at this, okay? I want us to think about how this cue card or how these cue cards could be improved.

So we've got the intro cue card here.

Everyone in this room desires a better world for their children and future generations.

It is necessary for us to all ensure a world where equality thrives, how can we achieve this? By dismantling the barriers of gender inequality.

It's time to dismantle the structures that uphold gender disparities.

And their second cue card says, point one, gender stereotypes and expectations, point two, mention statistics, point three, use some rhetorical devices.

So I'd like you to discuss now or think to yourself, how could these cue cards be improved? Pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Oh great, lots of great answers there.

So let's just share some of those.

So what lots of you picked up on is that actually sentence starters and key ideas could be used instead of writing out the whole of the introduction.

So you'll notice there that intro cue card is very long and very wordy, but actually just using sentence starters, key ideas or maybe even some bullet points, they could condense that cue card down, so it just provides enough information for them to present.

And the notes on each point, so you'll notice point one, point two, point three, they're not really specific enough, you know, mention statistics and actually what could potentially be more useful is to include the statistics and rhetorical questions that this person wants to include.

So what is the rhetorical question? What is the statistics specifically? So now I would like you exactly like we have just done to check your own cue cards and check that they have the right amount of information on them.

So pause the video to give yourself time to complete that feedback task.

Off you go.

So fantastic work, everyone.

Let's keep going, because we now need to do the second part of our lesson which is all about asking and answering questions effectively.

So at the end of giving a presentation, you may be invited to answer questions, and actually it's a very good habit to get into that when you're giving a presentation or a speech, at the end is asking your audience if they have any questions.

So you should try doing that next time you are delivering a speech or presentation.

Now, as part of this as well, you also need to be able to pose effective questions too, because not only does this show you are a good listener, but practising formulating questions can help you think about how you can effectively answer them too.

So this is a really important thing to do.

And what you want to do when you are posing questions is to use open questions, because these invite developed responses.

So these are questions that go beyond a yes or no answer, because we don't really want to ask the speaker something that is just a one word answer, because it doesn't give them the best opportunity to develop their ideas or develop their presentation.

So these sentence starters can really help you to ask open questions.

You'll notice that a lot of them are about asking an opinion or an idea or a thought.

So what do you think on, what's your opinion on, you mentioned, why do you think? Do you think there is a valid argument to say that or you spoke about, how else do you think? So you can see that these sentence starters really help to open up a discussion.

Instead of just closing off with a one word answer, it's about allowing the presenter to develop their ideas already and just start thinking further beyond what they have delivered.

It's a true or false time.

It is a good idea to use open questions when asking questions about a presentation.

Is this true or false, what do you think? Well done to everyone that said true.

Absolutely, open questions are the ones we are looking for at the moment.

Now I'd like you to justify why that answer is true.

So you may want to pause the video this time to come up with your answer.

Okay, so should we compare? So the reason this is true is because that open questions invite developed responses.

So we've thought about the types of questions that we can pose and now we need to think about how we can potentially answer those questions.

So being asked a question, it can be a good idea to respond with new content or develop an idea covered in your presentation.

So you don't really want to answer a question with stuff that you've already said.

So think about that when you get asked that open question, how can I develop my presentation or respond with some new ideas? So let's look at an example.

So Alex has been asked the following open question at the end of his presentation.

You mentioned parliament, why do you think less women are choosing to be in politics? Now, Alex, he doesn't know how to answer this.

He's drawn a bit of a blank.

So what could he do? Now, this is really important, because sometimes when you're asked a question, you might find it difficult to respond or wonder how to do that.

So what you can do is admit that you are unsure, and I do this all the time.

It's okay to admit you're unsure.

So you could say, "Hmm, I'm unsure", or, "I haven't thought about that." You could speculate using the information that you already have.

And then you can use tentative phrases that can help, so perhaps, maybe, I wonder, if.

So you can admit you're unsure, I haven't thought of that, perhaps or I'm unsure of my answer to that question, I wonder if.

So it's okay to be unsure and using these tentative phrases will help you to develop an answer to any questions.

So let's look at Alex having a go at answering the question.

He says, "Thank you for the great question.

I'm not sure, perhaps this is due to the opportunities offered in educational settings or maybe that stereotypical expectations still exist." So you can see there, Alex admits that he's not sure and then he uses those tentative phrases of perhaps and maybe to offer some ideas.

Okay, so A, B or C, which of the following answers uses a tentative phrase? Pick your answer now.

Okay, who's feeling confident? Ooh, lots of you, great.

So the answer is A.

Maybe we could consider an alternative, such as increased support for those that need it.

So maybe is our tentative phrase.

So you can see in B and C, I unequivocally disagree, that's very certain, isn't it? It's not tentative, it's very sure, and the same as C, yes, that's right.

So again, very certain, very short.

It's not using that tentative phrase like A.

Okay, so what I would like you to do now is using your own presentation or the pupil response found on the next slide, I would like you to create two open questions that could be asked, okay? So use your own presentation or if you don't have a presentation to work on, you can find the pupil response on the next slide, and then you create two questions that could be asked.

And then I would like you to practise answering the questions.

So remember, if you are unsure, you can use tentative statements to help you speculate.

And again, you've got those sentence starters there to help you formulate those open questions.

What I'm going to do before I set you off on the task, so for anyone that doesn't have their own presentation, let's just look at the pupil response together.

So if you're using the pupil response, here it is.

Let's read it through together.

Our disregard for the challenges faced by young people has created a significant problem for our society.

It's harming our communities and the wellbeing of the younger generation.

The delicate balance of their development is threatened by increasing academic pressures, the pervasive influence of social media and growing economic uncertainty.

Currently, young people are expected to meet higher academic standards, maintain a flawless online presence and navigate a future filled with financial instability.

We can improve the situation by acknowledging these challenges and providing better support.

Here's how you can help.

Okay, so if you need to, that's the pupil's presentation that you can use.

So back to the task.

You are creating those two questions and then you're practising answering them.

Okay, so make sure you've got everything you need to complete the task.

Pause the video and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Off you go.

Thank you for your hard work on that task.

Now, let's just look at Jun's example of one of his questions.

So Jun poses this question after listening to the presentation.

So he says, "Do you agree that there are less opportunities for young people?" So what I would like you to do, is I'd like you to look at Jun's question a bit more closely and decide why is Jen's question not as effective as it could be? So pause the video so you can come up with your answers.

Off you go.

Okay, that's great, so lots of you picking up that it is a closed question, isn't it? Do you agree? It's really asking the speaker to say, "Yes, I agree," or "No, I don't agree." So it's a closed question, it's not developing the discussion.

And actually this question has already been covered in the speech.

So in that pupil's response, the pupil already says, "I think that there are less opportunities for young people." So again, it's not really allowing the speaker to develop beyond what they have presented.

And that's my final bullet point there, it does not invite a developed response.

So thinking about all of these points, I would now like you just to spend a few moments considering your own questions.

Would they give you, the speaker, the best opportunity to develop the content in your presentation? Pause the video so you've got time to check through your questions and think about those bullet points.

Off you go.

Fantastic work, everyone.

We have reached the end of the lesson and hopefully you're feeling much more confident about how to prepare to deliver a presentation and how we can deliver it in a naturalistic and interesting way.

So let's just run through everything.

We know that presentations are much more engaging when the speaker does not simply read off a page or memorise word for word, that effective cue cards will just the right amount of information to deliver and structure the presentation.

If you take questions, that you should try and respond with new content.

Asking open questions can invite developed responses and if you are unsure to answer a question, using tentative phrases can help.

And actually, just admitting you're unsure is a really great way to start.

Again, thank you for your hard work and I hope you will join me all again soon in another English lesson.

I will see you then, goodbye.