Preparing for A Seminar-----A Summary

My class at the University of Massachusetts is unique in the respect that they are all engaged in scientific research in different medical and biological fields. Most live in Central Massachusetts , but one student lives in Rhode Island, comes to class on Wednesday, and then drives to his lab in Boston. How's that for ambition! The students come from China, Taiwan,Korea, India, Israel, Poland, and France. All are university educated and post doctoral.
Doctors and science researchers are constantly SHARING their knowledge with each other ORALLY in seminars both formally and informally. Therefore, I,as an ESL teacher, have taken a somewhat different approach to teaching this unique group of individuals. So far grammar has taken a back seat and oral presentations in English have taken over the spotlight.
The information above is enough for now for the regular readers of this blog to let you know what is going on. WHAT FOLLOWS IS FOR THE MEMBERS OF MY WEDNESDAY CLASS AT UMASS: It is the summary of the important points in preparing for an oral presentation that we have talked about in class so far. I will number each point, and those that I consider the most important I will print in red. You may want to make a copy and bring it to class on Wednesday to discuss any points that you still think need to be CLARIFIED.
1. REMEMBER THE "5 P'S"--"PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE.
2. Ask the important questions: Why am I making this presentation?
Who will my audience be? Where will I be speaking? When will I be speaking? What equipment do I need to bring with me?
3. Plan your presentation so that you have three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
4. Write notes based on keywords.
5. Select the right equipment for the job.
6. Use clear, powerful visual aids that do not overpower your audience
7. Use clear simple language.---Favor active voice sentences over passive voice--(The mouse ate the cheese.------rather than: The cheese was eaten by the mouse.) (We will discuss more about this.)
8. Explain the structure of your presentation at the beginning so that your listeners know what to expect.
9. USE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO OVERCOME YOUR NERVES--(We will talk more about this also.)
10.Establish audience RAPPORT. (We will talk more about this item also.
11.Be aware of your body language
12Understand cultural differences.
13.Control the quality of your voice
14.Maintain interest by varying the speed, VOLUME, and pitch of your voice.
15.Deal with listeners' questions politely.
16.Respond to your audience positively.
This is a summary of some of the important points we have talked about in class. From my observations, the one that we are going to have to work the hardest on is number 14! Do you agree?