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University of Florida
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ASE1 Video Feedback EAP 5835 - Fall 2008

ASE 1 Homepage

Instructor(s) Email Office Tel. Classes
Emily Kirby eebourne@ufl.edu 317 YON 846-0147 Vid/Fdbk T 7 & 8
Classroom: 320 Yon

Meeting Schedule

Per. Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri
7 Class V/F Class Class Class
8 Lab V/F Lab Free Lab

Course Objective
The ASE 1 Video/Feedback section helps international graduate students master the skills needed for academic presentations. You will give a ten-minute presentation on a topic of your choice, usually one related to your field of study. After analyzing the videotape, you will meet in a feedback session the following week to analyze the effectiveness of the talk.

Benefits Of This Course
VF in action
  1. Increased participation in class and seminar discussions.
  2. Practice for successful oral defense of Master's thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation.
  3. Increased ability to successfully communicate with those outside of your field
    for example, the outside member of your committee).
  4. Practice for successful presentations at conferences and other professional forums.
  5. Ability to teach in the U.S. university setting.
  6. Development of communicative skills necessary for leading others.
  7. Better listening comprehension from listening practice and from understanding the format of presentations.
  8. Greater success in the academic environment because you can communicate ideas articulately.

Successful Verbal Communication
A verbal interaction is successful when you communicate your ideas to your audience in such a way that they understand what you wanted them to understand in the way you wanted them to understand it. To achieve this, tailor your speech to match your audience's expectations of how information should be communicated. In other words, successful communication happens when the transmission of information matches what the audience expects.
For example, if you type into a computer, "I'd like to do some word-processing" the computer would not respond because you aren't speaking its language. However, if you adjust your request to match what the computer expects (i.e., click on the Word icon), the word processing program would appear. In the same fashion, if you structure a presentation in the manner the audience expects, they will listen to your information and respond appropriately instead of being confused by the format and missing your message. In this class you will learn to give presentations in the interactive form which most American audiences expect.

Some General Guidelines For This Course
Be on time! Presentations start immediately when the class period begins, and time must be budgeted so that each person can complete the presentation. Three tardies count as one absence. You are allowed 7 absences TOTAL in ALL three components of ASE 1 (classroom, video/feedback, and lab.) This will be strictly enforced. Excessive absences will result in a grade of U.

Strategies For Your Presentations

Before presenting:

  1. Always PLAN your talk. Write an outline of what you are going to say. Your presentation has to be carefully organized if listeners are to follow your ideas. However, do not write the talk word for word and memorize it. This is not an acceptable academic presentation style.
  2. Employ an interactive style, asking questions and getting answers from your audience.
  3. PRACTICE ALOUD at least once. Time yourself. Your presentation should be ten minutes maximum. By practicing, you can see what in your speech must be adjusted. Does anything need to be added? Deleted? Expressed more clearly? Practice also helps you speak more fluently and accurately.

During the presentation, remember:

  1. Eye contact: Look at people in your audience (not desks, walls, your papers, the blackboard, etc.) Use a sweeping motion around the room; look at everyone in your audience.
  2. Voice quality: Speak firmly, smoothly and confidently. Project your voice so that all can hear without effort (but don't shout.) This is important so your audience can hear and understand you. Audiences in this country do not like monotony. They expect variety in voice, gesture, and facial expression. Don't speak in a monotone; vary the tone of voice and volume.
  3. Posture: Stand up straight, and keep your hands free. This conveys an impression of confidence and authority. Make gestures. Use your body to express and support your ideas.
  4. Movement: Audiences in this country do not like monotony. They expect variety in voice, gesture, and facial expression. Vary your tone of voice and volume. Walk to another position when you change topics; use the board; make gestures. Be expressive.
  5. Energy: Show enthusiasm and interest in what you are presenting. Make it fun for yourself as well as your listeners. Smile and make eye contact. Use your face, posture, gestures, and movement to show that you are confident and relaxed.

Listener's Responsibilities
Be a good listener. Listening attentively makes the presentation easier for the speaker. Maintain eye contact with the speaker. The speaker depends on your facial expressions to know whether s/he is communicating effectively. This is not a time to do homework or prepare your own talk. Ask thoughtful questions. Analyze and critique classmates' presentations. Evaluating their presentations will help you to improve your own.

Self-Critique
Preparing and giving a talk begins the learning process. Analyzing and revising the presentation are the final essential steps toward improving spoken language skills. Your presentations will be videotaped. Using the self-critique forms, you will:
  1. View the videotape to analyze presentation strategies.
  2. Listen to the audiotape to analyze language skills. Transcribe a 10-sentence segment.
  3. Correct and practice the transcription. Bring all materials to feedback class.
  4. Summarize your critique and present the revised segment.

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