Giving Talks: Communicational aspects

1. English presentation skills: seminars in chemical biology Giving Talks:Communicational aspects

2. Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre Gail Godwin American novelist

3. Overview • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication + technical equipment • Handling Q&A • Do’s and don’t’s

4. Verbal communication • Make full sentences • Don’t mumble at end of sentence • Don’t make long sentences • It’s a verbal, not written communication • Avoid fillers • Eh, um, so, now, etc. • Try use a pause instead

5. English pronunciation • Practice difficult words • Look up pronunciation: • http://www.howjsay.com • http://dict.leo.org

6. English pronunciation

7. Common mispronounciations • ‘eu’, for example in ‘Leucine’ ‘eu’ as in ‘goo’ or ‘Lucy’ Leucine in the sky?

8. Common mispronunications • ‘y’, for example in ‘methyl’, ‘phenyl’, ‘cysteine’ • ‘i’, for example in E. coli, biotin, micelle ‘i’ as in ‘lie’ • Analysis, proteolysis

9. Common mispronunciations • Open syllable: long vowel • ba by; e ven; pa per • Closed syllable: short vowel • cap; sit; man

10. Wrong choice of words

11. Posture and breathing • Upright position • Relaxing exercises: • rotate shoulders backwards • shoulder bounce • Diaphragmatic breathing

12. Phonation - excersizes • Find your optimal pitch: • Imagine eating something delicious • ‘mjam mjam’  optimal pitch • Warm up your voice: • Humming • Practice change in pitch: • siren with ‘m’ or ‘ng’

13. Articulation - exercises • Warm up: • Massage jaws • Flutter lips • Tongue twisters ‘Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’ ‘How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?’

14. Speech melody • Natural way of speaking • Pitch goes down at end of sentence • Avoid speaking with pitch going up! • Be enthousiastic not a monotone voice • Prevent sighs or signs of frustration • Exercise: • Read aloud + exaggerate

15. Take care of your voice • No harrumph-ing • Warm up your voice • No spicy food, cigarettes, alcohol, peppermint • Drink a lot

16. Overview • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication + technical equipment • Handling Q&A • Do’s and don’t’s

17. Non-verbal communication = important • In normal situations: • 93% of communication is not about words • 38% Voice tone • 55% Body language

18. Your appearance = first impression • First judgment made in less than a minute • The way you look can make a statement

19. Dresscode • How should you dress? Formal? Casual?

20. Dresscode • Job talk: suit • When in doubt, ask! • Better a bit overdressed

21. Dressing well adds to confidence • Dress well, but comfortable Sweat stains May reduce confidence

22. Non verbal communication:posture & position • Stand up straight. Head up! • This pose shows confidence • Exercise: • Elastic band Don’t be Mr. Burns

23. Non verbal communication:posture & position • Stand on balls of your feet • Feet shoulder width apart • Take your space!

24. Non verbal communication:posture & position • Face the audience, not the presentation • If possible, place computer in front of you • Do not block people’s view • Try to make eye-contact • Walk around?

25. What to do with your arms/hands? • Don’t cross your arms: • Uncertainty • Defensive • Closed/superiority

26. Don’t touch your face! • Shows nervousness • Lack of understanding • Signs of lying

27. Solution: Hold something in your hand • Pen, laserpointer • Beware: no distracting/nervous behaviour

28. What to do with your arms/hands? • Showing palms: • Open-minded, confident

29. Facial expression • Smile (but not all the time) • It relaxes • Shows confidence

30. Rules of the pointer • 1st rule: Do not point at text • 2nd rule: Do NOT point at text • 3rd rule: Don’t wave; avoid trembling • 4th rule: Only point at details • 5th rule: Do not point at audience

31. Alternatives to laser pointer • Mouse: don’t use it • A stick • No device at all

32. Microphone • Use if necessary • Ask for it some days before (job interview) • Do not tap on it or start with ‘hello?’

33. Remote control • More mobile as a speaker • Beware: press the correct buttons!

34. Don’t bring hand-outs, unless required • Distracts the audience • What amount to bring? • OK for teaching purposes

35. Overview • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication + technical equipment • Handling Q&A • Do’s and don’t’s

36. Questions/answers: The chair • 1 question at a time • Don’t let 1 audience member take over • Have one question ready

37. Questions/answers: The speaker • Q&A is part of your presentation • How NOT to handle Q&A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhBnTzO-tvE • No distracting behaviour • Answer relevant to the question

38. Questions/answers: The speaker • Take questions in between? • Not during a short talk • Only if you feel comfortable • Repeat the question

39. Questions/answers • Answer briefly • Don’t go back to slides, unless absolutely necessary • Don’t bring up a ton of new slides • It’s OK to say “I don’t know” • Don’t get agressive!

40. Overview • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication + technical equipment • Handling Q&A • Do’s and don’t’s

41. Do’s and Don’t’s • Know your audience: • What do they want out of the talk? • Use a spelling checker! • Test your Powerpoint presentation

42. Do’s and Don’t’s • Do NOT skip through slides • Do NOT arrive last minute • Do NOT use acronyms or jargon

43. Do’s and Don’t’s • Explain technical terms: • For example: • MuDPIT = Multi-Dimensional Protein Identification Technology Sample To MS Cation Exchange Reverse Phase

44. Do’s and Don’t’s • No ‘false endings’ • no ‘conclusion slides’ halfway your talk

45. Do’s and Don’t’s • Do NOT tell too much • Better one good example than four poor ones • The secret of being boring is in telling everything. • Voltaire

46. Next week • Powerpoint use • Questions about chemical biology