ENDING THE PRESENTATION

ENDING THE PRESENTATION

Summaries and Conclusions

Make sure you summarize:
A summary restates the main points and emphasizes what the audience must
remember. It should be brief and must not contain any new information.
Create an Effective Conclusion:
Don't just present data or summarized results and leave the audience to draw
its own conclusions.
You need to state the logical consequences of what you have said. The
conclusion may often contain recommendations. However, the conclusion
must also be brief.
Read the two texts that follow: 1 is the summary and 2 is the conclusion. In
the summary we highlight the salient points, while in the conclusion we give
recommendations.

1.  I’d like to end by emphasizing the
main points.
·  Contrary to our expectations our
students are not performing
better…..
·  This is mainly due to our inability
to improve teaching methods….
·  The students from rural areas
faced various difficulties in
overcoming cultural and
communication barriers

2  So what do we conclude from this?
·  We must have specific training in
communication skills especially
in English.
·  We must use an eclectic approach
in teaching English.
·  Encourage all groups of students
to interact and visit each other’s
homes.

Questions / Discussion

During a presentation you are required
to give the audience a chance to ask
questions. Your policy on questions
must be stated right at the outset.
While presenting the outline you
should let the audience know whether
they can interrupt you with questions
in the course of the presentations or
you would like them to ask questions
at the end of your presentation.
Alternatively you can invite the
audience to a discussion.

Remember that when members of the audience ask you questions, it means
that they have a genuine interest in what you are saying and want to know
more. Treat this as an opportunity to get your message across better.
Here are some helpful clues for handling questions:

·  try to anticipate questions and prepare responses in advance
·  rehearse answers to difficult questions
·  listen very carefully – avoid the temptation to interrupt
·  make sure you understand the question - paraphrase it, if necessary; repeat
it, if needed
·  give yourself time to think
·  be Honest: if you can't answer the question, say so
·  keep control over the audience and don’t allow any chaos
·  ensure that you entertain only relevant questions
·  keep a lookout for time – don’t allow the question / discussion session to
linger interminably
·  be polite
·  don’t forget to thank the audience at the end

VISUAL AIDS IN PRESENTATIONS

 VISUAL AIDS IN PRESENTATIONS

A variety of visual aids like flip charts,
line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts,
pictograms, maps, tables, diagrams,
photographs, etc. can be used for
presentations. Visual aids are commonly
used in presentations to present
information which is complex or
statistical in nature.
Visual aids can make a presentation more
interesting and easier to understand. They
also help you to cut down on the amount
of talking you have to do.
However, you must ensure that your visuals are relevant, appropriate and
clear. You must never overload them with information. Effective presenters
introduce and highlight visual information briefly and clearly, making sure
they allow their audience time to absorb the information.
Use visuals to reinforce and clarify, and not to overwhelm the audience.
Here is a sample of a visual commonly used for presentations. In order to be
able to talk about it you need language which is specifically used to describe
visuals.
Let us recap the useful expressions for introducing visuals and apply them to
the given visuals. The expressions are highlighted in bold. In addition, you
will also be introduced to some more formulaic language useful for describing
visuals.

LANGUAGE FOCUS IN PRESENTATION

LANGUAGE FOCUS IN PRESENTATION

Signposting

Signposts help to guide the audience through a presentation. Look at the
phrases given below. These will help you to guide your audience through a
presentation.
to move on              to go back                to summarize
to expand on            to recap                    to turn to
to digress                 to conclude             to elaborate on
to illustrate

Choose one of the signpost expressions from above for the following
situations:

i When you want to make your next point To………………………
ii When you want to change direction To………………………
iii When you want to refer to an earlier point To………………………
iv When you want to repeat the main points To………………………
v When you want to give a wider perspective To………………………
vi When you want to give an example To………………………
vii When you want to do a deeper analysis To………………………
viii When you just want to give the basic points To………………………
once again
ix When you want to deviate from your plan To………………………
x When you want to finish your talk To……………………....

More Signposting

Here are some more helpful signposts which you could use in the middle stage
of your presentations.
Showing steps
First of all let’s look at…………………………
Then………………………..
Next………………………..
Lastly………………………

Visuals too are included in the middle of a presentation. 

Using Visuals

Visuals like bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, pictograms, maps,
photographs, charts, PowerPoint slides are commonly used in presentations to
present statistical information or to make comparisons.

 ways to present them:
Introducing a visual

I’d like to show you……………………
Have a look at this……………………..
This graph shows / represents………….
Here we can see………………………..
Let’s look at this……………………….
As you can see in this graph / table……
Comparisons This compares x with y
Let’s compare the………………
Here you see a comparison between…………..

Conclusion                     And here is some language input for the end of your

                                               presentation

Comparisons                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    This compares x with y

                                                Let’s compare the………………

                                                Here you see a comparison between…………..

Closing                    

                                 Finally, to sum up…………………….
                                 I’d like to sum up now………………..
                                 That concludes my presentation.

Questions / Discussion

At the end of a presentation you are required to invite the audience to ask any
questions that they may like to ask. Alternatively you could also permit them
to ask questions whenever they want in the course of your presentation. This
has to be told to them in the very beginning.

Inviting questions                

 Are there any questions?
If there are any questions I’ll be glad to try to answer

I’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Now we could have a discussion on…………

ENGLISH IN INDIA : IT'S STATUS, ROLE AND FUNCTIONS

ENGLISH IN INDIA : IT'S STATUS, ROLE AND
FUNCTIONS

Why do you think we need to talk about the status, role and function English in India? We need to talk about these terns because they, to a very large extent, govern tile importance of English in India.

 Perhaps this can be explained wilt the help of an Analogy. Let me offer you some food for thought! I am sure most of us are familiar with various types of delicacies associated with certain cuisines. Most of us are familiar with Chinese cuisine. Soup, noodles and Manchurian is what immediately comes to our mind and not its actual delicacy which is 'Peking Duck'. Why is this? This is because the status of Chinese cuisine has become totally Indianised over the years. 

The availability of 'Indian Chinese' is no longer restricted to restaurants or hotels but can readily be found at roadside mobile vans. Our taste buds whole-heartedly welcome tile flavor of Indian Chinese noodles, which tlie Chinese would perhaps totally disown, if they were to get a taste of it  Indian family has the option of having this interesting diversion at least once a week. You may be wondering why we are talking about Chinese cuisine. What is the connection between this cuisine and English language'? Well, there certainly is a common link. Both have become an integral component of our lives, playing vital roles, Irldian Chinese cuisine in satisfying our palate on the one hand and English language - in satisfying our practical need for social mobility, opportunity, Powel and communication on the other hand. After all, aren't food and language two of our basic needs!

English in India, has the status of 'associate official language'. It is also popularly referred to as a second language. It has die status of a second language as we in India acquire and use one or more Indian language(s) as our first language.

The roles and function of English are innumerable. Its need can be discerned in every domain -administration, bureaucracy, education, science and technology, judiciary, trade and commerce. It is not only in tiles public domains that the knowledge of English is considered an essential necessity but also it is very important to take care of our personal 'communicative needs as well. Whether it is applying for school admission or a job, facing an interview, opening a bank account, ordering a meal, working as a receptionist or simply being a tourist guide at Taj Mahal - the need for English is felt by each one of us in our daily lives. The youth, especially, seem to be favorably inclined towards the language as they perceive it as significant for their career advancement.

It is actually the domain of education most interested in. So let's talk about its role in this sphere. English is learnt for a period ranging from six to twelve years depending on whether a child goes to ail English medium school or an Indian language medium school. In English medium schools, children get exposure to the language as a subject and as a medium instruction as well.

However, in Indian language medium schools, children get limited exposure to English, only as a subject, which is taught like any other subject History, Math’s or Science.

At the level of higher education, English in India plays a central role especially in fields of pure applied sciences, medicine, law, management, etc.

Going further up the ladder after higher education, job opportunities, social advancement, prestige, power become issues of consideration and English is often perceived as the language fulfilling these aspirations.

In the course of the spread of English all over the world, its role and functions diversified and multiplied in virtually all major walks of life. This increasingly led to a demand for English education in India. The practical value of the language and its benefits have contributed to Indian learners having a high motivation and positive attitude towards the English language. Although there is no major English speaking community in India, it is possible to learn and practice. English outside the formal educational setting: radio, TV, internet, books, newspapers, magazines are all readily available and accessible.

Although English is spoken as a first language in the five countries mentioned below-American English, British English, Canadian English, Australian English and New Zealand English-all differ in significant ways from each other. Not only that, English within each country lends itself to several varieties, each variety being distinct because of several factors - social, personal, geographical boundaries. We'll appreciate this better if we compare this to Hindi being spoken differently in Eastern U.P. (Bllojpuri and Avadhi) as compared to M.P.(Chattisgarhi and Bhageli) In Britain itself we have several varieties. All the varieties are' generally marked by a distinct accent, words and their usage. If you have heard Tony Greg and Geoffrey Boycott giving cricket commentary, you would understand that though both speak British English the e former speaks the Standard variety while the latter, the Yorkshire variety.

Let us consider a few examples from British English and American English and see Non-native varieties of English are all those varieties which are spoken as second or foreign languages. In other words, in all these diverse cultural contexts, English is not their first language.

 English in these socio-cultural contexts is learnt at different

stages, for different purposes, goals and aspirations. Since there is already a presence of another language, such as Hindi, Bangla, Tamil, etc. which is acquired as a first language, these languages have a considerable influence on English. When this happens, English begins to sound quite different in each context, with its own flavour and nuances.

'Indian English' has emerged in India which is systematically different from Standard British English. However, we must keep this in mind that this deviation is in no way a failure to learn English but a natural consequence of prolonged use of the language in the social context in which it is spoken. Consequently 'IndianEnglish' is an outcome of the 'Indianisation of English' which is culture bound in the socio-cultural context of India.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

In order to develop a deep understanding of the subject of communication, it is important that everyone understands the complete process of communication. Broadly, it has two parts:
 Process at communicator‟s end (Senders‟ Part)
 Process at communicatee‟s end (Receivers‟ Part)

These have been described below:

 PROCESS AT COMMUNICATORS‟ END (SENDERS‟ PART)

The process at communicators‟ end can also be looked at in two halves as below:
(1) Inward journey
It entails the following steps:

(i) As received by senses

A human being perceives the world around him from spoken words, written words, visuals and cues from body language in terms of sounds, gestures, expressions, signs, signals etc through the five human senses of seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting and touching.
These are the external five senses – our antennas. However, ultimately senses only capture feelings, images etc and convey them to the human brain which is main receptacle of what is perceived by the five senses. That is why it is said that it is not the eyes that see but the brain; it is not the nose that smells, it is the brain; it is not the ears that hear, it is the brain; it is not the tongue that tastes, it is the brain and it is not the skin or hands that feel, it is the brain.

All that is captured by the human senses from environments are far from ideal i.e., without noise or distractions. On the contrary all kinds of distractions intervene and messages transmitted to the brain are far from perfect.

Additionally, there is also the problem of sensitivity of the senses. How sensitized they are varies very widely from one person to another. Someone remembers a scene from a movie very vividly after many years and another person cannot recall the scene from a movie seen a few minutes ago. Some people can detect a smell from long distance while others would not notice it even when they are passing besides its source. Some singers can hear a small variation in a note very clearly while others cannot. Thus this process of perceiving is very heavily dependent upon the faculty of receivers. Human beings vary widely in their ability to perceive different sensual inputs.

(ii) Influence of sources of distraction

If one is hearing music, even a small level of noise can be very disparaging – no wonder, music recording studious are noise proof. Similarly, speech delivered in noisy circumstances can be very difficult to understand and absorb. Noisy classrooms can be lethal for good learning. Even visuals placed in noisy room fail to make the impact they are intended to. Similarly, listeners may miss many cues from the body language that normally forms a major chunk of the message being delivered. A shabbily dressed person cannot make as good an impression as a well-dressed one.
If there are too many distractions behind or besides the speaker, the message may fall flat. The situation is similar to a young man having gone to see a bride at a place where there are many more beautiful girls present, finds very difficult to decide!

(iii) Receiving information by the brain

When information arrives at the brain, it passes through a kind of sieve that separates out difficult, strange or awkward words and simplifies them into familiar words. This is a part of the process of abstraction that takes place before the message is classified and stored

(iv) Searching for similar material in the brain memory

This is the second part of the process of abstraction that goes on in the brain – it is somewhat like classifying the message before storing. Once this search is completed, the material is stored next to the similar stuff already in the memory. Rarely, one can get identical material and one should be happy to get as near to the one in memory as possible. If it is totally new or alien material, it may not be possible to retrieve it when required!

(v) Storing the material in the brain

This is a complex stage. Needless to say that human memory is still the fastest to retrieve and recall. Owing to overload or bounded rationality, there is
 always a limit to what and how much can be stored in the human memory. This faculty or capacity to store also varies widely among individuals and has a significant influence on ones‟ competence to communicate.

(2)Outward journey

When an individual has the need to communicate with others, the process starts with the happenings in the brain of the sender who is already subjected to a lot of experiences, emotions, knowledge and opinions.

(i) Retrieval of information from human memory

This is very much like pulling a file from the filing cabinet. Since it is in response to a need, the file pulled out may not always be the one most appropriate to the stimuli. This may bring in variations in interpreting the message received.

(ii) Choosing the right words and phrases

This stage is highly subjective and is greatly influenced by the mastery of the sender over the language used for communication. Besides, linguistic competence extends to proper use of form of verbs, adjectives, adverbs etc

(iii) Delivery of message

Role of sender continues to be important as the style, speed and manner of speaking decide the impact of the message. The body language and ability of the sender to throw his voice towards the audience form the major part of the message delivered.

(iv) Sources of distraction

Once again, the message passes through a medium that may have one or several sources of distraction, impairing the message as received by the communicatee

GRAMMAR: VERBS OFTEN REQUIRED IN PRESENTATIONS

GRAMMAR: VERBS OFTEN REQUIRED IN
PRESENTATIONS

The grammar section is primarily for creating awareness which will be
useful for editing your written work. Do read it if you are shaky on some
aspects of English language.

Outlining Your Presentation

It is important to present an outline of your presentation at the very beginning.
This helps the audience to understand how you have structured your
presentation. A presentation will be much clearer to the audience if the
structure is clearly signaled.

The use of a variety of presentation verbs can help you to present the outline
clearly, specifically and effectively.

talking                 discuss             outline           filling         sharing
bring                   highlight             tell               report            start
go on to

Here are some more ways of signalling the structure of your presentation.
Pay particular attention to the verbs in bold.

Introduction

Greeting                     Good morning ladies and gentlemen / everyone…………..
Topic                           I’d like to talk to you about………….
                                     I’d like to say a few words about…………….
                                     I’m here to make a presentation on…………

This morning I’m going to be talking to you about / telling you
about / showing you / reporting / taking a look at…………….

Outline                          I’ll be dealing with three areas.

                                             I’ve divided my talk into………….
                                             So I’ll start off by filling you in on the background to /
                                             bringing you up-to-date on / giving you an overview of/
                                             making a few observations about / outlining………… and then
                                             I’ll go on to discuss in more depth / highlight what I see as the
                                            main / make detailed recommendations regarding………….
                                            I will conclude with……… / I will end my presentation
                                            with………………. / At the end of my presentation I will
                                            invite you to ask me any questions that you may have.

Communication and Power

Communication and Power

Communication is also the most powerful input resource in an enterprise. The various resources, just to recount, are as below:
1 Men
2 Money
3 Materials
4 Machines
5 Methods
6 Management
7 Measurement
8 Message covering both information and communication flows
9 Motive Power
10 Motivational Leadership
Messaging has emerged as the most important resource for, without it, nothing can be transacted anywhere. It is the lifeline of any society. It is the glue that holds companies, communities and countries together.
There is another process that is also used to influence others – it is the use of authority or power. They say if person has power it shows because it quickly shows his influence or hold on others‟ opinion. However, it must be understood in its proper perspective. Power has been described as „a process of influencing others to do something that, left to themselves, they will not do‟. This process is, then, quite different from that of communication where we influence others as equals - members of the family, members of the inter-departmental teams or customers or fellow members of an association. The process of communication is greatly dependent on the skill of individuals who, as equal members, are in a position to influence others so as to compel, propel or impel them to work together to achieve common goals!

PRESENTATION SKILLS

PRESENTATION SKILLS

When you give a presentation, how you deliver the information is just as important as what you say.
Knowing your subject well and knowing your audience are both very important. But there are other
considerations. Here are some of them. What is your opinion on these? Can you add some more to the list?

body language                 notes                     language
visual aids                      humour                  length
                  Confidence               voice speed

Presentation skills are absolutely essential in almost all work areas. In order to be effective and impressive in your presentations you need to prepare the presentation before you actually deliver it. Even experts in communication need to plan and prepare their presentations in advance.

Look at these tips on Presentation skills and decide whether you would put
them in Preparation or Delivery.

i  If you are not enthusiastic about what you say you cannot expect to
generate interest amongst the audience; Adapt to response – don’t stick
to your plan unnecessarily. If you find that it is not working, alter it to
adapt to the audience.
ii   Check room, seating, acoustics, OHT or Computer (depending on what
you decide to use).
iii  Vary your tone and pitch. Ensure proper modulation. Everything should
not be said with equal amount of stress. Certain things need to be
emphasized more than others.
iv  Memorize your introduction. This will help you to sound confident and
in control.
v  Try to involve the audience and respond to their reactions.
vi  Keep your sentences short and simple. Use deliberate pauses to
punctuate your speech.
vii  Never talk down or up to your audience. Treat them as equals, no matter
who they are.
viii  Whenever you make a really important point, pause and let the full
significance of what you have said sink in……before you move on.
ix  Don’t put boring tables of figures and long lines of text on the overhead
projector and read them out.
x  When showing a visual, keep quiet and give people time to take it in.
xi  Welcome questions from your audience. When members of your
audience ask you a question, it is usually because they have a genuine
interest in what you are saying and want to know more. Treat questions
as an opportunity to get your message across better.
xii  Know the size and the knowledge level of your audience. You must not
tell them what they already know.
xiii  Be clear about the purpose of your presentation – is it to inform or to
persuade.
xiv  Key ideas should be emphasized – you must ensure that the importance
of your key points is not lost because of over-emphasis on sub points.
xv  Don’t cram – if you have a lot of information to give you could consider
giving some of it through handouts rather than cram all of it into your
presentation.
xvi  You must present an outline in the beginning of your presentation so that
your audience knows how your presentation is structured. This should be
well prepared in advance.
xvii  Rehearse your presentation in order to time it, and to become familiar
with names and figures as well as any complex information you need to
give to the audience.
xviii  Pay attention to your body language: eye contact; gestures; posture;

Organizing student practice of a new language

Organizing student practice of a new language

There are many ways to organize student practice of new language.

Among them are:

Open class

All students listen to the teacher or to the contributions of individual students. This is particularly appropriate when the teacher is introducing new topics before pair/group work and also when getting students to report back after closed pairs/group practice.

Open pairs

Two students are chosen by the teacher to ask and answer while the rest of the class listen. It is often a good idea to choose students from very different parts of the class so that the rest of the class can hear what is happening and feel included. This often provides a good model and clarifies instructions before a ‘closed pairs’ activity.

Closed pairs

All students work with a partner. This encourages maximum practice and is particularly appropriate for dialogue work. It is important that the teacher monitors the different pairs as they are working and doesn't spend too long with any individual pair.

Group work

This is best for activities which involve the collection or discussion of ideas. Students work in small groups and usually report back ‘open class’ to share their ideas with the class as a whole.

‘Mingle’ activities

These allow constant repetition of a particular question or collection of the opinions of many students. Students stand up and walk from one student to another, asking and answering as required - they ‘mingle’! These activities are effective with classes where furniture can be moved out of the way to allow for free movement around the room. Clearly, activities like this (especially with a large class) need to be set up carefully with clear instructions given.

Giving examples

It is always a good idea to give students an example of any exercise or practice activity that you want them to do. It is much easier to understand a practical example than a verbal one. If, for example, you want them to do an exercise where they have to choose the correct tense in a series of sentences then ask students to look at the first one and say which tense they think is correct. Confirm the correct answer and then let them continue.

Classroom management

If your class is large and mingling is not possible, put students in groups of four or five. They take it in turns to ask the question while the others listen and write the answers, or they ask:
• the student on their right.
• the student on their left.
• the student behind them.
• the student in front of them.
If you are setting up a pairwork activity and you have an odd number of students in your class, put three students together where possible. This will leave you free to monitor the other students. It may, however, sometimes be more appropriate for you to act as a student's partner, in order to balance the numbers and help that student with particular problems.

BODY LANGUAGE IN PRESENTATION

BODY LANGUAGE IN PRESENTATION

More than what behaviour reveals, it is the non-verbal behaviour that is of

significance. Self respect, confident behaviour and tone and eye contact are

some positive indicators.

Some of the ways in which body language can improve the desired

atmosphere

1 Keeping eye contact with the audience you are talking to, and with every

one in the hall.

2 Standing ‘tall’ and walking in with head held high, instead of shuffling

in, head bowed;

3 Having a calm, relaxed face – smiling and laughing easily;

4 Using facial expressions that show you are listening and responding to

what the audience is saying;

5 Smiling and nodding when a student is saying something;

6 Walking around the class when a discussion is going on;

7 Walking towards the person who is talking;

8 Capturing and holding attention of the class through exaggerated

movements when explaining something;

9 Using your voice appropriately in different situations, e.g. whispering

when required along with gestures;

10 Using inclusive language such as, yesterday we read about ….. and

11 Wearing smart and comfortable clothing.

Your body language should show that you are willing to lead without

bullying. Avoid the following as they are signs of indifference and casualness:

1 Do not slouch;

2 Do not look out of the window while teaching/while students are

completing an assigned task;

3 Do not wear very informal clothing such as jeans and a T-Shirt;

4 Do not remove your shoes and sit in class;

5 Do not fold your arms and speak to the class;

6 Do not keep playing with your pen/fingers while teaching/listening to

students;

7 Do not sit with your face/jaw on your hand with a faraway look in your

eyes; and

8 Keeping your hands in your pockets or tying your tie loosely around

your neck are indicators of a careless/casual attitude.

Presenting new language-2

Presenting new language-2

Here are two examples of presentation techniques which are both engaging and involving for the students:

Picture presentation

This first example is called a picture presentation and it also makes good use of the board. As you read, consider the role of the student during the process.
Using a picture of a person is a simple way to present the present perfect with ‘for’ and ‘since’ without using the course book. Take a picture of a man or a women from a magazine or newspaper or even draw one yourself. Pin it up on the board so that all of the students can see it. Ask the students to build up an imaginary life history for this person.

To do this you can ask them questions - ask them what the person’s name is, how old they are, where do they live? what do they do? Ask about hobbies, children, marriage and pets. Remember that the more unusual the life history is, the more interested students will be. So encourage them to use their imaginations.

Write up their answers on the board, but don’t write whole sentences - just write words. For example, What does he do?
He’s a postman - write ‘postman’. Make sure you include dates and times so that you can introduce ‘for’ and ‘since’ later. Now use the words that you’ ve got on the board to focus on the language. Get a student to try to make a sentence using two words from the board. E.g. ‘postman’, ‘1995’. With any luck the student should come up with the sentence, ‘He’s been a postman since 1995’. Write the sentence on the board and highlight the language. If the student doesn’t come up with the sentence, write it yourself and highlight the language. Write up another example on the board with ‘for’. Such as, ‘He’s had a pet dog for seven years’.

Encourage students to give more examples using the language and words on the board. You can then compare and contrast the difference between ‘for’ and ‘since’.

Did you notice that the students have an active role in the process? They actually provide all the information that the teacher needs to present the language. Rather than just telling the students the target language, the teacher has tried to elicit it from the students. Asking questions and eliciting are good techniques for involving the students more in the lesson.

Realia presentation

This second presentation method uses realia. This time consider the way that the teacher introduces the context. One way to present the present perfect with ‘for’ and ‘since’ is to use an object from the real world or what we call a piece of realia. My favourite pieces of realia are my shoes. I don’t take them off, that might be a little too dangerous for the students! However, I do focus the students’ attention on them.

First, I talk with the class about fashion - what kind of clothes do they like and so on. It’s also an opportunity to teach some vocabulary on that subject - items of clothing, for example. Then I focus them on my shoes. I ask them questions. Do they look fashionable? Do they look new? Do they look old? Do they look clean? You can do the same with any item of clothing. Then I ask the students to discuss in pairs, ‘How long have I had my shoes?’. While they’re discussing their ideas, on the board I write the beginning of my marker sentence, that is, my example sentence. In this case, ‘I’ve
had my shoes …’.

Once I have written my marker sentence on the board I ask the students for their suggestions as to how long I’ve had my shoes. I write their answers on the board leaving a space between my marker sentence, ‘I have had my shoes’ and their answers, ‘2 years’, ‘6 months’, ‘1995’. Then I ask the students what word connects the beginning of the sentence with the end of the sentence. Some students may know, if not, I can tell them, ‘I have had my shoes ‘for’ 2 years’, or ‘I
have had my shoes ‘since’ 1995’. Then, showing other examples they can see the difference between the use of ‘for’ and ‘since’. So the grammar point has been explained through a clear, real world example. I have created interest in the language by creating interest in the subject of fashion and in particular, my shoes. And so their interest - as well as a clear context - should lead to a good, clear understanding of the grammar point in question.

Presenting new language

Presenting new language

When planning to present a new language item the teacher needs to be sure of the following points:
• How the language item is made - what the grammatical structure of the form is, how it is pronounced and written, how negatives and questions are formed if appropriate.

• Concept - what the form actually means.
• Context - when the form is actually used.

Once those points are clear for the planner, a way has to be thought of to pass on that knowledge to students. Only telling a class what something means and how it is used is not usually a good way for the students to learn.

Thankfully there is a wide range of interesting activities, techniques and materials for presenting new language. Most involve exposing the students to the language through written texts and dialogues. Most course books have these but here are a few more of the materials that are commonly used to introduce new language:

• Video tapes
• Audio tapes
• Newspapers
• Songs
• Pictures
• Realia
• Stories and anecdotes
Using different approaches to presentation in your teaching helps to create the variety that is so important to effective class
management.