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XV. Speak on the topic “Applying for a Job” using the communicative scheme below.
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PUBLIC SPEAKING
Imagine that you are starting a presentation. What phrases might you use? Write down five of them.
Some ideas are given below for you. Read and translate them.
· Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming along here today.
· The purpose of today’s presentation is to discuss how we can …
· I’ve invited you here today to have a look at my findings.
· Now let me begin by …
· Secondly …
· … and finally …
· I’d be very happy to invite you to ask questions at the end of the session.
· At the end I’d be very happy to answer any of your questions.
Listen to two people and hear two ways of opening presentations. While listening, see if you can hear some of the phrases above.
3. Check your understanding by reading the scripts below:
Clip 1
“ Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming along here today. I hope my presentation isn’t going to take too long and that you will find it interesting. The purpose of today’s presentation is to discuss how we can improve internal communications within our company.
Now let me begin by explaining that I’d like to talk about the business case for better communication; secondly, I want to cover different styles and methods; and finally I would like to finish off by talking about some of the basics we need to have in place to deliver good quality, consistent communications across the company. I’d be very happy to invite you to ask questions at the end of the session and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for us to discuss some of the points that have been raised.”
Clip 2
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for finding the time to come and join me for this presentation this afternoon. My name is Tim Mason, I‘m a retail consultant, and many of you will have seen me shadowing you in your jobs and looking through the accounts and so on in the company over the last week. I’ve invited you here today to have a look at my findings. First, I’d like to have a look at the performance of the company, the sales of the company over the last three years; then I’d like to have a look at our market share in the womenswear market and look at our competitors; and thirdly, I’d like to suggest some improvements in our range of womenswear. At the end I’d be happy to answer any of your questions. ”
Finish the following sentences with the correct phrase.
1. Which sentence might you hear at the beginning of a presentation?
A Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving today
B Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appearing today
C Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today
D Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for showing your faces today
2. The _________ of today’s presentation is to discuss my findings.
A purpose
B reason
C cause
D points
3. Now, __________ begin by introducing myself.
A allow me
B let me
C I
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D presentation
4. I’d be very happy to __________ you to ask questions at the end of the session.
A tell
B invite
C order
D request
Answers
1. Which sentence might you hear at the beginning of a presentation?
A Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving today. Feedback: Wrong – the audience’s arrival is just the moment they appear at the presentation
B Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appearing today. Feedback: Wrong – this sounds like the speaker wasn’t expecting the audience to come to the presentation
C Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today. Feedback: Correct – this is a straightforward way to greet an audience
D Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for showing your faces today. Feedback: Wrong – if you ‘show your face’ you go somewhere for a short time because you feel you have to, not because you want to. So this is quite a rude thing to say!
2. The _________ of today’s presentation is to discuss my findings.
A purpose. Feedback: Correct – the speaker is stating the reason for giving the presentation
B reason. Feedback: Wrong – you can say ‘The reason why…’ but not ‘The reason of…’
C cause. Feedback: Wrong – a cause is a reason that belongs to the past, but the speaker is stating what he wants to do in the presentation, so he’s talking about the future
D points. Feedback: Wrong – The speaker is talking about the reason for giving the presentation, so he can say ‘The point of today’s presentation’ but not ‘The points of today’s presentation’
3. Now, __________ begin by introducing myself.
A allow me. Feedback: Wrong – you can say ‘allow me to begin’ but not just ‘allow me begin’
B let me. Feedback: Correct – this is one way to start a presentation
C I. Feedback: Wrong – if you are describing something you are about to do, use the future tense
D presentation. Feedback: Wrong – ‘presentation’ is not the subject of this sentence
4. I’d be very happy to __________ you to ask questions at the end of the session.
A tell. Feedback: Wrong – if you tell someone to do something, you don’t give them a choice!
B invite. Feedback: Correct – the speaker will give the audience a chance to ask questions later if they wish
C order. Feedback: Wrong – if you order someone to do something you don’t give them a choice!
D request. Feedback: Wrong – if you request someone to do something, you ask them to do it for you. But the speaker says ‘I’d be very happy to’ which implies that he is willing to answer questions if the audience wants to ask them.
After you have greeted your guests, you will begin to go through the main body of your presentation. It's very useful to have some visual aids - some slides, pictures or graphs that help explain what you are saying. Sometimes they can also help to keep your audience interested in your presentation.
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