Transformative Teachers
Webinar 20 - Speaking - Presentation tasks (ISE III Topic)
Summary notes
Thank you for participating in the Trinity College London teacher support webinar series. We are delighted to have over 1000 teachers from 70 countries participate in the series.
In this webinar, Ben Beaumont, TESOL Qualification Manager, interviews Alex Thorp, Academic Lead, Europe (Language), about Presentation Tasks, with particular focus on teh ISE III topic task.
If you were unable to attend the webinar, you can watch it again via the following link:
Webinar 20 - Speaking - Presentation tasks (ISE III)
Summary of questions and responses
Interview: Ben Beaumont and Alex Thorp
Alex – could you summarise what Robin covers in the video
Robin considers the Topic task in ISE III, the first task of the S&L exam, in which the candidate gives an uninterrupted presentation, on a topic of their choice, to the examiner. Robin addresses two questions; firstly, how does the candidate know if the examiner is following the presentation, and, secondly, what is a good handout to use?
1: To ensure the examiner can follow the presentation is the candidates responsibility and they can do this by giving a clear structure to the presentation (say what you’re going to say, say it, say what you’ve said), and by using sign posting and discourse markers to help the examiner know where you are in the presentation.
2: The handout should be a simple list or graphic to help follow the topic – perhaps a bullet list, or mind-map.
Overall, Robin highlights the importance for a clear structure offering stages of the presentation, and to use signposting to help navigate through.
How is the Topic Presentation assessed?
All the assessment rating scales are available in the teacher guides available online. There are four scales as below and a score of 0 – 4 is awarded for each scale, covering all speaking tasks:
- Communicative effectiveness
- Interactive listening (not relevant here)
- Language Control
- Delivery
Why is the Topic Presentation different in ISE III than in ISE Foundation, I or II?
As language competence increases, there are more challenging demands to express and elaborate in the target language. CEFR OECD
Reflects demands listed in the CEFR
-that the candidate can present a discursive topic with different view-points and sub-themes
-show how they can construct, develop and present an argument and expand and support points of view
Further functions of C1 (hypothesising, staging etc.)
More able to handle discursive issues, sensitive matters and offer a range of shades of expression around a given topic.
It’s important to note that candidates should end their own presentation after 4 minutes and then engage the examiner by inviting questions or comments on the topic of the presentation.
So, really, we’re only talking about preparing for ISE III or IV – or is this relevant for teachers that don’t prepare for Trinity ISE?
Teaching learners how to give an effective, monologic dialogue is an essential skill, with or without a formal assessment. Giving presentations is highlighted in many contexts as a key transferable skill for success both in an academic and career environment. Within academic settings students are required to offer content presentations, both in their course of study and in assessment; take seminars for example, where a learner may present their research on a given topic.
More importantly, presenting skills are important for career development. Projects like the OECD and the CEFR highlight presentation skills for employability. Interviews for posts in many disciplines will involve giving a presentation of one form or another, and most roles will require individuals to present throughout their career.
In addition, developing presentation skills enhances self-confidence, and communicating in another language, wherein lies a raft of related skills.
Going back to structure, Robin mentions developing an introduction, a body and a summary - is this all you need for a presentation?
Put simply, yes, but we can develop this staging and include more detail, for example we could include:
- introduce self
- introduce talk
- overview
- body
- summary
- conclusion
- invite questions
One practical activity with a group preparing a presentation task, is to brainstorm these stages and write them randomly on a board or on pieces of paper, and then to get pairs to describe what each stage covers and then put them into the correct order.
We’ve talked about structure and signposting – but what about the content of a presentation?
Ultimately, in a language assessment context (excluding CLIL), the content is not assessed - only the language that is the vehicle to communicate that content is assessed. If the content is intelligible and clear, and if the language is being used effectively to communicate the content, then the content doesn’t really matter.
It’s important to note that the content is never assessed within an ISE exam.
So, topic choice really doesn’t matter?
Well, although it is not assessed, it does matter. Trinity believes in a high level of personalisation within testing, where the test-taker sits at the centre of the test and has ownership of the language they are using. Therefore, candidates should choose a topic that interests them, that they want to talk about – whatever that might be. Again, the veracity or accuracy of content is not the point, but if a candidate is familiar with, and interested in the content, then this will help motivate both preparation and language learning around that topic.
A very useful approach to preparing presentations is to start by preparing and presenting the topic in L1, the local language, and then, repeating in English. Candidates can then compare the two performances and investigate what went well, what was easy, and what was more challenging.
This also highlights the point that presentation skills are very much transferable between languages, and of course there are many opportunities to present in one’s first language.
Are there good topics and bad topics for presentation tasks?
Not really, as long as the topic is exploited to use language appropriate for the level. ISE III, for example, is CEFR level C1, and therefore a topic should provide the opportunity to use the functions that the CEFR lists at a C1 level. These include:
- Developing and justifying an argument
- Speculating
- Hypothesising
- Staging
- Summarising
Obviously, if I am going to talk about my pet puppy in a presentation, it will be more difficult to demonstrate these higher-level functions. Whereas a discursive issue, such as levels of unemployment, equality, or teaching techniques for example, are all more conducive to more complex language use.
We’ve talked about structure and language – what about body language and non-verbals
A valuable point. Whilst these are not explicitly assessed in most evaluation contexts, they are clearly a key part of successful presentation tasks. It’s worth considering:
- Posture – to sit or stand, what to do with hands
- Eye contact – direct engagement
- Facial expression – smiling
- Movement – avoid fidgeting or playing with a pen
What practical classroom activities can you suggest for preparing for a presentation task?
Spot the signpost – listening dictation, identify signposting used
Signpost mess – listening dictation, identify incorrect use
Signpost race – Give learners a list of signposts and ask them to categorise (there is a HO available). Then give pairs 5 minutes to prepare a talk on a given subject with the objective of including as many of the signposts as possible. Pairs then give the presentation and the group note down which signposts are correctly used. The pair that successfully includes the most wins.
TED talk examples - Watch relevant and interesting presentations and write a critique of what made the presentation successful and what made it difficult to follow.
Reordering sections – A learner presents in 7 sections as above, giving each section a letter – the class then reorder into the correct order.
Film at home – play at class – Learners prepare and then film themselves and present the video to the class. This gives the opportunity for formative feedback and can help shier learners.
Topic presentations – ask candidates to prepare a topic on any topical issue that can provide a springboard into a communicative lesson discussing or debating the point at hand.
Ultimately, this comes down to two key ingredients, preparation and practice. Learners have no limit to the amount of time they can use to prepare a topic presentation.
Presentations are a great way to practise a wide range of skills and to build the general confidence of your students.
What are some common dangers with the Topic Presentation task
- Topics that are too simple or too complex, this is why practising in L1 is a good idea
- Preparing much too much – in ISE III for example you only have 4 minutes – this isn’t long at all
- Trying to memorise a script, often with language beyond the capability of the learner
- Speed - many candidates try to do too much and go too fast – a good pace is important for intelligibility and often, less is more when considering quality of production
- Lack of structure - so the listener get’s lost or confused. It’s important for candidates to think of how easy it is for the examiner to follow the presentation
- Nerves - usually owing to lack of practice, and this can lead to fidgeting and distracting behaviours that detract from the presentation
- Overly complex slides or handouts - again, given the time, a simple hand-out that is not technology dependent is best
You mentioned memorisation as a bad thing – but shouldn’t a candidate script their presentation?
Preparation is a good idea, but not as a script. I would recommend students prepare their presentations first with a structure, with sections and sub-headings and then prepares each section - not as a script, but in chunks of language so that they can talk around the subject. The presentation will be easier if it is slightly flexible, and not simply a repetition exercise, where the individual can talk around the subject in a structured format.
The danger with scripts is that if a candidate recites the presentation can lack genuine expression of interest or engagement.
In addition to the points we’ve discussed, what tips would you offer relating to presentation tasks?
There are many practical tips, but for presenting in general I would emphasise:
- Strong and clear structure and signposting – as discussed
- Interesting start – a rhetorical question, dilemma or story to engage audience
- Voice control and pace – use your voice and keep a steady pace, use pauses
- Use relaxation techniques like breathing
- Express real interest in your topic – passion is infectious