Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills How to deal with stage fright

Confidence • In your topic • In your message • In your delivery • Backstage • Ways to deal with stage fright

Confidence in Your Topic • This is your presentation • You have created it • You know it better than anyone Take ownership of your topic

Confidence in Your Message • You have something of value to say • You have worked on this for the whole semester • Tell what is most important and interesting • Ask yourself: • Would this be interesting in Chinese? • If not, work on message content again • If so, then move on to practice presentation skills in English.

Confidence in Delivery • Practice, practice, and practice • Do NOT memorize • Memorized presentations: • Mechanical, lifeless • Little connection to audience • Know your material • Tell your audience about it

Confidence Backstage • Stage fright—everybody gets it • Being nervous is not being unconfident • Think CONFIDENCE not nervousness • “I’m confident in my topic.” • “I’m confident in my message.” • “I’m confident in my delivery.”

Ways to Deal with Stage Fright • Take a brisk 10-minute walk 15 to 30 minutes before your presentation • Breath deeply for a count of 10 • Pay attention to other students’ presentations • Don’t think about your presentation • Watch and think about how you will do your presentation better • Look at notes one last time

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Presentation Skills