HOW TO GET STUDENTS TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS

People are social creatures who thrive in each other’s company. The only way to establish close bonds with people in our immediate social circle and in the wider community is to engage with them through speech. It is through the direct exchange of ideas and through conversation that we form close relationships with people. This is true of friends, family members and professionals of all stripes. Sometimes, the ideas to be conveyed to others in a business or other public setting may require a person to take the floor and address his audience for a certain length of time. This form of public speaking comes easily to some people who by definition like the sound of their own voices or who engage in public speaking as a part of their jobs such as politicians, lawyers, priests and teachers. For others, it is an acquired skill and for yet others, it is something to be avoided at all costs. Universities try to encourage students to learn to speak in public about issues close to their hearts but sometimes it is an uphill struggle. There are, however, various reasons why some students may be averse to the idea of public speaking and presentations and there is also quite a lot teachers can do to change the situation.

There are various underlying factors that need to be taken into account before discussing ways to persuade people to address a crowd. One reason some people may be averse to the idea of public speaking in general and making presentations in particular is sometimes cultural. In some countries such as Japan, it is considered bad manners to stand out and put yourself forward. People who have grown up in such a culture may find it hard to get used to the idea of making presentations. A second reason may be the education system. A classroom environment which is very authoritarian, where teachers aim to deliver the knowledge to the students who are expected to ingest it, no questions asked is not conducive to public speaking to say the least. In fact, students are expected to be seen and not heard as passive recipients of all the teacher passes on to them. Come the age of 18, these students are suddenly plunged into the more liberal atmosphere of modern universities like Boğaziçi where they are expected to carry on like their counterparts in the US for example. Naturally, this does not come easily and takes a little getting used to.

A second reason why students in some countries may have more trouble than others is the way they have been treated in class throughout their primary and secondary education. The difference between the classroom atmosphere in various countries can be easily seen when a primary school classroom in countries like Finland is compared with one in countries like Korea or Japan. The former is colorful, attractive and child friendly, an inviting place for kids in other words; the latter has desks facing a board. In the former, students are encouraged and expected to actively participate in the lesson; in the latter they are expected to sit quietly and learn. In the former, they receive the message that their opinions matter; in the latter, they receive the message that they have no opinions worth considering. Students who have been through the former system will readily make presentations taking to the whole exercise like ducks to water; students who have been through the latter system however, need time to recover from the shock and brave the stage. In short, persuading some students to make presentations may take time.

A third reason why students may feel disinclined to make presentations is the methods which have been used to motivate them to study throughout their primary and secondary education. As can be easily surmised, students going through a system such as the one in Finland are accustomed to addressing their friends in class because their personal interests, their opinions and their take on things have always been valued. Conversely, in a more authoritarian country, this is not the case. The students are required to regurgitate what they have been fed by their teachers. Their reward is a good grade whereas the reward in the former system is the pleasure the student making the presentation derives from the whole experience and the interest of his friends. Grades play a negligible part in the whole process. In short, students who see only grades as their reward for doing what they are required to do will then, naturally, go on to do the math and decide whether to put themselves through the ordeal or not.

There is a magic solution to deal with students dragging their feet come the time for presentations. To be able to get the ball rolling teachers should be disabused of the idea that cracking the whip will do the trick because it won’t work unless the students’ lives depend on the presentation. The silver bullet is to adopt the approach that should have been adopted from the beginning. The students should be encouraged to think that they are doing this for themselves not for grades; they should be made to understand that it is a worthwhile activity which will benefit them and they should be told that their views matter. The lead up to the presentations needs to be carefully planned: the teacher or, better still, another colleague, should make a short presentation to show them how it works; the ways to make a good presentation should be explained and a blog should be set up. Students should be told that their presentations will be recorded and posted on the teacher’s blog so that they can look back and watch them and so that future students can refer to them and view them. Exams like the TOEFL and IELTS have a speaking component and recording presentations will help students improve their speaking skills. Another way to motivate students is to get students from other classes to come and make presentations. Telling a student that his presentation is so interesting that everyone should hear it is a very effective technique. The students in the class which is visited could then return the favor. In short, grades should be incidental not the reward.

To conclude, there are many reasons which make it difficult to get students accustomed to public speaking but the issue can be dealt with provided the teacher is enthusiastic and willing to get out of his comfort zone. A little effort on his part will help students blossom and become the kind of people who are really useful to society.