TUTOR: OK, now let’s think about actually giving the presentation. You’ve only given one before, if I remember correctly, about an experiment you’d been involved in.
RUSS: That’s right. It was pretty rubbish!
TUTOR: Let’s say it was better in some respects than in others. With regard to the structure. I felt that you ended rather abruptly, without rounding it off. Be careful not to do that in next week’s presentation.
RUSS: OK.
TUTOR: And you made very little eye contact with the audience, because you were looking down at your notes most of the time. You need to be looking at the audience and only occasionally glancing at your notes.
RUSS: Mmm.
TUTOR: Your body language was a little odd. Every time you showed a slide, you turned your back on the audience so you could look at it – you should have been looking at your laptop. And you kept scratching your head, so I found myself wondering when you were next going to do that, instead of listening to what you were saying!
RUSS: Oh dear. What did you think of the language? I knew that not everyone was familiar with the subject, so I tried to make it as simple as I could.
TUTOR: Yes, that came across. You used a few words that are specific to the field, but you always explained what they meant, so the audience wouldn’t have had any difficulty understanding.
RUSS: Uh-huh.
TUTOR: I must say the handouts you prepared were well thought out. They were a good summary of your presentation, which people would be able to refer to later on. So well done on that.
RUSS: Thank you.
TUTOR: Well, I hope that helps you with next week’s presentation.
RUSS: Yes, it will. Thanks a lot.
TUTOR: I’ll look forward to seeing a big improvement, then.
4/5