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presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

Effective Presentation Skills for Graduate Students in English

Table of Contents

Introduction

Have you ever given a presentation in public?  As graduate students, are you afraid of public speaking and presenting effectively? 

 

Graduate students not only memorize the necessary facts and information but also need to improve their English communication skills. It will be used throughout your personal and professional life. Communication surrounds many things, such as listening and reflecting on what you hear and relaying ideas and points with clarity.

 

As a graduate student, you can expect to work on presenting your ideas and viewpoints through writing and conversations. With presentation skills, you will be able to give both solo and group presentations. You can fearlessly coordinate with others and share in big group projects.

 

In this blog, three extensive tips will help graduate students tune up their English communications. 

 presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

Step 1: Build confidence

The first and most common step to feeling great about your presentation skills is to bring the best that you have with confidence. If you are confident inside, it will reflect outside. Both of them are critical when it comes to public speaking.

 

If you enter from a place of anxiety toward public speaking, this can be a hard pill to swallow. It’s important to avoid jumping quickly. Here are some ways to build your confidence well before your time to speak.

  • Attend Public Speaking Events

Sometimes, it can be helpful to have a role model. Going to public speaking events, such as lectures or plays, or even taping a podcast, can get you familiar with what makes an effective public speaker, improve your presentation skills and enhance your English communication. 

 

If you’ve never addressed an audience before, having a mental template to follow on your first attempt can also be helpful. Finally, the mystique can be dispelled when you observe others give public talks. If they can accomplish it, so can you.

  • Get a Public Speaking Class

You won’t believe the classes and events geared toward helping people improve their public speaking and presentation skills.  If you ever found that you struggled with public speaking in the past, and you’re aware that this will be part of your daily activities as a graduation student, then consider taking a public speaking class. 

This can be a jump on getting ahead with speaking skills and becoming part of individuals overcoming the very same issues as you.


  • Practice Visualization Exercises

Fear and anxiety most of the time arise from fear of the unknown. Public speaking is no exception to that rule. Of course, you cannot promise how your presentation skills will go, but there are ways to make it seem less frightening, and one of those ways is with visualization exercises.

 

In a quiet, peaceful space, close your eyes and think of the presentation. Think of the room around you, the people in it, and yourself delivering your work perfectly. That way, presentation day won’t seem like such a new experience when it arrives.

  • Just Keep Going if You Mess Up

Do you flub a line? Got ahead of yourself a bit?  It’s all right- mistakes happen to everyone. If you flub, don’t make a big ordeal out of it. The odds are that your audience engagement gets negligible . 

 

But they will if you bring attention to it. Just keep going and adjust as you go along. Your audience doesn’t have your script, anyway.

  • Smile and Make Eye Contact

It sounds simple, but sometimes it is only this that makes you feel more confident. As you stand up to present, give your audience a smile and then look right at a friendly face.

presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

 View your audience as friends rather than a faceless crowd. This will remind you they are individuals, and there’s nothing to fear when speaking to them.

  • Try to Overcome Your Imposter Syndrome

Do you know the feeling when you have no clue about a subject, and it’s already been months? Do you fear being exposed during your presentation skills, especially as ESL students? It’s a sign of imposter syndrome.

 

It is a psychological pattern where capable individuals feel like they are frauds despite having the necessary qualifications and achievements. Imposter syndrome can be overcome. 


  • Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Ever come across the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy”? It’s a popular saying for a reason- you’re you, and comparing yourself to others is unfair to you and to them as well. 

 

Comparisons are simply impossible since everyone has strengths in different areas, likes different amounts of social interaction, and feels differently about how hard their grad school projects can/should be. Just trade tips with each other and support one another.

presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

Step 2. Use Appealing PowerPoint Backgrounds

A speech might form the core of your presentations, but great visuals will bring it alive. Don’t forget, though, that the show is about you and not the projector screen. Here are some ideas to produce quality PowerPoints that hold their audience’s attention to you and your presentation rather than the screen.

 

Use visual aids and templates to create visually appealing presentations effortlessly. You don’t need graphic design skills—pre-made templates provide a sleek and attractive format. PowerPoint comes with many free templates built right in.

  • Simplify the Content on Each Slide

Your slides are intended to enhance your presentation rather than replace it.  Keeping each slide very simple indeed, with only minimal text. Ideally, a few key phrases or bullet points and a relevant picture or graphic — like a photo or a visual representation of a data point — are all a slide needs.

  • Keep Readability in Mind

Remember, keep it readable for your readers: avoid optical character recognition and ensure that there is a rich contrast between text and background color, such as black on white or vice versa, rather than a close match. Headline each slide.

  • Think About Fonts & Font Size

Fonts may be something as mundane as one would think to ponder, but an easy-to-read font and the appropriate size are vital to your slides’ understanding. Avoid messy fonts; it’s better to use simple fonts, like Helvetica or some other sans serif font.

 

Your font size should be large enough for everyone to read from across the room. Use a font size of at least 24 points or larger for comfortable reading.

  • Use Only High-quality Images

Images and graphics are fun but don’t overdo it. Too many images or poorly rendered images that do not enhance your content will just make your presentation look crowded.

 

Avoid the memes and blurry photographs; settle instead for high-quality images that add something to the overall point you’re trying to make with your presentation. Think about lively and compelling photographs, infographics, logos of relevant organizations, and so much more.

  • Check spelling and grammar

Time to proofread! Typical mistakes and other errors occur frequently in academic presentations. But for your audience, they can distract and detract from the overall presentation.

 

Proofread slides several times before your presentation and make any errors. That way, you can make any needed corrections before you present.

  • Prepare a Suitable Number of Slides

Again, time constraints, on most occasions, will apply to your presentation. Ensure that you have an appropriate number of slides so that you can have an opportunity to go through them at an appropriate pace, given the length of your presentation and what needs to be covered.

 

So keep it simple when in doubt. Rather than racing through a pile of slides with precious little time to go, the old “linger” on a particularly well-crafted slide is much preferred.

 

presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

Step 3: Speak Like a Pro

Any public speaker of experience knows small things you do that keep people interested and focused on what you’re saying. I have a few tips to take away from the pros as you are speaking to a group.

  • Be Aware of Body Language

Speaking is not just about the voice. Your body, how you position yourself, the expressions on your face, how you use your hands, and the manner in which you use any objects you are handling cards, or even a microphone, can carry a major message for your speech.

 

Use your face and movements in ways that complement your words and engage the audience but don’t distract from your message.


  • Do not read your slides

Remember that your audience can read, too! Avoid reading off of your slides. Not only will you just be re-reading information on the slide that your audience can read for themselves, but you’ll be shifting your attention away from your audience and may even be turning away from them physically.

 

But if you really mess up or find yourself lost or forget what to say next during your presentation, it is perfectly okay to sneak a peek at your slides to remind you of what to continue with.

  • Speak Clearly and Loudly

It’s hard enough to sit through someone babbling or mumbling his way through a sentence, but the challenge is compounded when someone is speaking to an audience. Be sure you are clear and loud enough for the space in which you are standing.

 

As you consider volume, you may also want to decide whether a microphone will be available when you speak. Your volume decisions can be based on the space and the equipment involved.

Enhance your presentation skills by also mastering the art of advanced listening techniques for lectures and seminars which can significantly improve your ability to engage with and respond to your audience effectively.

  • Vary Your Tone to Match the Content

Or are you discussing a less serious topic — perhaps you have written a paper on the history of rubber ducks released out to sea and are presenting it to your class? Go ahead and make jokes. You’re using as much sarcasm and humor as possible because this is such a ludicrous idea. However, if you’re presenting groundbreaking research on how to prevent starvation in the world, then the subject is serious, and so should your tone be.

 

Remember, public speaking is just conversation, so the same rules apply regarding what you might joke about and how you must speak.

  • Do Not Rush, but be Time-aware

While you do not want to rush through your presentation, time may run out. Be cognizant of that and keep a lively pace when you speak so that you will not overrun before you are able to finish all the material you did not have time to cover.

 

This is also something you need to be on your watch for during the rehearsing. Rehearse using a timer to ensure that your presentation skills fit into the time allocated to you.

  • Leave Time for Questions

After you’ve given your presentation, allow some questions from your professors and classmates. There may be a time limit that caps the number of questions you can answer but try for at least one to three.

 

Answers will probably be stressful, too, since you won’t have the benefit of advanced preparation. Just be honest and relax; after all, you have just spoken and are an expert on your own work. If you really do not know the answer, let them know you will get back with that answer when you have time to do further research. 

  • Keep It Simple

Do you know the feeling when you have no clue about a subject, and it’s already been months? Do you fear being exposed due to lacking presentation skills? It’s a sign of imposter syndrome.

A simple, concise slide presentation can help your audience understand, visualize, and see the points you are trying to make without overpowering your words or focusing their attention on the slides as you speak.

 

presentation skills, graduate students, English communication

Final Words:

In conclusion, practicing all of these skills is part of a strong graduate student experience. 

Achieving effective presentation skills is an important aspect for graduate students, especially when presenting in English. Effective presentation, fluency improvement, and confident delivery are key points to making a lasting impression. 

These skills not only boost your academic success but also enhance your professional prospects. Investing time in improving your presentation abilities will open doors to opportunities both in academia and beyond.

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