2021 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses English language courses
Academic Presentation in English 13 2
- Academic unit or major
- English language courses
- Instructor(s)
- Lorinda Robertson Kiyama
- Class Format
- Exercise
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Thu
- Class
- 2
- Course Code
- LAE.E441
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course offers trainings in presentation skills for a variety of academic settings. Through practices, students will gain knowledge of how to apply these skills effectively to their presentations, have confidence in tackling real-life situations. Students will receive constructive feedback from the instructor, who would help students develop successful strategies toward presenting ideas in a clear manner. Moreover, as audience, students will improve their listening skills by learning to ask insightful and stimulating questions to their colleagues.
As a 400-level elective course, Academic Presentation in English 13 equips graduate students with the necessary tools to deliver well-informed presentations.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to deliver individual presentations at academic settings, being aware of verbal and non-verbal messages while engaging the audience, followed by a question and answer session, fielding questions from the audience.
Keywords
Presentation skills, listening skills, communication skills
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students will glean strategies on academic presentation and useful phrases from from a variety of sources through homework and in-class exercises. Mini-presentations will be a part of each class. They will incorporate material learned into an academic presentation for which peers and the instructor will provide feedback.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Clarification, Solving Problems, Opening | exercises handling misunderstandings, technical glitches, and engaging the audience with clarity from the start |
| Class 2 | Signposts, Closing | exercises structuring presentations with clear transitions, closing memorably |
| Class 3 | Handling Questions & Answers | exercises for dealing with the most challenging part of presenting, the Q&A |
| Class 4 | Student presentations and peer feedback Student presentations and peer feedback Equipment & Visuals | exercises for talking about equipment and visual material, tips for designing PowerPoint slides |
| Class 5 | Student presentations and peer feedback Body Language & Voice Techniques | Practice with gestures, posture, and vocal techniques such as emphasis |
| Class 6 | Student presentations and peer feedback Poster Presentations | Evolving models for designing and delivering poster presentations |
| Class 7 | Student presentations and peer feedback Socializing at a Conference | Practice talking with conference participants surrounding one's presentation |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
excerpts from various sources
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Powell, Mark. 2010. Dynamic Presentations (Cambridge Business Skills). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wallwork, Adrian. (2016) English for Presentations at International Conferences (2nd edition). London: Springer.
Alley, Michael. (2013) The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid (2nd ed.). London: Springer.
Davis, Martha, Kaaron Davis and Marion Dunagon. (2012) Scientific Papers and Presentations. London: Elsevier.
Claus Ascheron and Angela Kickuth. (2005) Make Your Mark in Science. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Matt Carter. (2013) Designing Science Presentations. London: Elsevier.
Mark D. Stafford. (2012) Successful Presentations: An Interactive Guide. Tokyo: Cengage.
Graham Burton. (2013) Presenting: Deliver presentations with confidence. London: Collins.
Susan Lowe and Louise Pile. (2006) Presenting (Delta Business Communication Skills). Peaslake, UK: Delta.
Alyson Connolly. (2018) Public Speaking Skills for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Kory Floyd. (2015) Public Speaking Matters. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Class Participation: 30%
Homework Preparation: 30%
Presentation: 40%
Related courses
- LAE.E442 ： Academic Presentation in English 14
Prerequisites
None
Other
It is recommended that students take this course in sequence with LAE.E442 (Academic Presentation in English 14).
Attendance at the first class is compulsory for students planning to take this course.