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MMA – Power Punching your Presentations

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MMA, not mixed martial arts but multimodal analysis which is research based on different ways meaning is made in a message. Your message or presentation is more persuasive if it is constructed so that words, visuals, voice and nonverbal communication work together to pack a punch. These four workshops can be taken as stand-alone to work on targeted areas, or participants could take the whole series. Use research findings from multimodal analysis, (Kress, 2009)1 to pack a power punch in your presentations.

The Oral Communication Committee brings you four stand-alone but complementary workshops on content (words and visuals) and delivery (voice and nonverbal communication) that would advance participants’ presentation skills. You can take them singly to focus on specific areas or take all as they are stackable.

1 Kress, G. (2009). Multimodality: A Social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication (1st ed.). Routledge.

7 Feb (Wed), 1pm – 2.30pm
Smooth Moves for Persuasive Presentations – 3 Nonverbal Presentation Techniques

Research has shown that a significant portion of communication is nonverbal. However, most presenters focus on what they are going to say and forget to work on how their facial expressions and bodies can express their thoughts. 
 
This hands-on workshop introduces 3 non-verbal techniques that will help you present a confident and authentic persona to audiences.

We will begin by addressing common anxieties about presenting in front of an audience:
Where do you stand in a presentation space?
How can your hands ‘speak’?
How do you look at the audience?

To address these questions, we will focus on physical, nonverbal moves that mirror and emphasise your verbal moves. We will introduce 3 specific strategies that develop effective non-verbal communication: posture, gesture, and eye contact. 

There will be opportunities to put these skills to practice throughout the session. Come prepared to give an impromptu mini presentation!

In this workshop, you will learn non-verbal communication skills that will help you deliver effective presentations. 

Learn how to:

  1.  Occupy a presentation space confidently.
  2.  Use effective hand gestures.
  3.  Use eye contact and facial expressions to engage.

 

Workshop Facilitator

Jinat Rehana Begum

Jinat Rehana Begum 

Instructor, Centre for English Language Communication
Jinat is passionate about helping students communicate effectively and has been teaching students how to present with conviction and confidence for over 20 years.
Gouin Julie Louise

Gouin Julie Louise

Instructor, Centre for English Language Communication
Julie is equally passionate about helping students to relax and communicate confidently under pressure. A performer turned teacher; she has coached students to impress audiences for over 10 years.

4 Mar (Mon), 3pm – 4.30pm
Captivating Communication: Rhetorical Strategies to Sustain Audience Attention

How do you present your findings in a presentation without boring the audience? Whether for classes or conferences, we often need to present our ideas or research, but we must contend with the fact that the average audience attention span is less than ten minutes. However, it is also around this time in the presentation that we present our findings. This face-to-face workshop will equip you with attention-grabbing speaking strategies to hold audience attention when presenting data or findings without detracting from the content you aim to convey. Get feedback from peers and instructors on the effectiveness of the strategies you employ.


Considering that the average audience attention span is less than ten minutes, this workshop will equip you with strategies to present findings which grab and hold attention without distracting from the content you aim to convey.

Learn how to:

  1. Engage an audience’s attention
  2. Sustain this engagement
  3. Ensure audience members understand and internalise your points

Workshop Facilitators

Yurni Said-Sirhan

Yurni Said-Sirhan

Instructor, Centre for English Language Communication
An avid educator, Yurni enjoys helping students communicate confidently and effectively. She prioritises active learning in class and values the perspectives that every student brings into academic discussions. As someone who has presented at many international conferences, Yurni is happy to share tips on engaging the audience in this workshop.
Harry Owen

Owen Harry

Instructor, Centre for English Language Communication
Owen has taught academic writing at various levels since 2017. As a PhD graduate of NUS, he has substantial experience in delivering presentations at major international conferences in his field. His guiding philosophy of academic communication is that complex information can (and should) be conveyed with clarity and always with an eye towards audience engagement.

20 Mar (Wed), 1pm – 2.30pm
Punch the PowerPoint: Craft Your Deck So Your Audience Focuses on Your Message

Punch the PowerPoint: Craft Your Deck So Your Audience Focuses on Your Message Have you ever left a presentation without a clear idea of the speaker’s message? Do you often find yourself getting distracted? Presentations are often unfocused, resulting in noise and reduced audience comprehension. Try out 5 simple steps that can keep your deck clear, coherent, and relevant.

In this in-person workshop, you will learn how to:

  1. Construct your talk on messages instead of topics
  2. Cohesively support your messages with visual evidence
  3. Direct the audience gaze to keep them in sync with you


Sample data will be provided for the hands-on segment, but you are welcome to bring your work for an upcoming presentation. Participants should bring a laptop.

Workshop Facilitator

Dara Richard

Dara Richard 

Lecturer, Centre for English Language Communication
Dara has over 15 years of experience in university teaching, and conducting hands-on workshops on slide design. She holds an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and a BA in English Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.

27 Mar (Wed), 2pm – 3.30pm
Shaping the Sound of Your Words: Powering Your Voice for Presenting 

In this workshop, you will learn how to give aural shape to the words of your presentations. Aural shape is using your voice to shape or emphasize key points in your message, help your audience listen accurately for key information, stress significant words and pause for dramatic effect. The way you say your words contributes to making a convincing message. Aural shaping commonly uses pitch (stress and intonation), pace and pause reinforcing your intended meaning in the careful crafting of your speech. Learn the 3Ps of powering your presentation voice as you watch skits illustrating the key learning points, take notes on practical tips and try out practice exercises and get feedback on using your voice. The facilitators teach serious points with humour in an encouraging environment. 
 
Learn how to use your voice to aurally shape the content you have painstakingly prepared for a presentation. Learn how to signpost your key points by the sound of your voice.

Learn:

  1. How to use pitch to stress meaning 
  2. How to vary pace 
  3. When to pause for effect

Workshop Facilitators

Tim Groombridge

Tim Groombridge

Lecturer, Centre for English Language Communication
From an EFL / ESL background, Tim received his Master’s in Linguistics from the University of Surrey, UK. His thesis concerned the use of paralinguistic features when giving an oral test of proficiency. He has worked as a teacher and teacher trainer in a number of different locations in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Tim is now beginning his second year in Singapore and NUS and is fascinated by the diverse cultural and linguistic mix. He has conducted workshops and spoken at numerous international conferences, and is interested in what makes different aspects of voice and pronunciation so central to effective oral presentations, both recorded and face-to-face.
Lee Gek Ling

Lee Gek Ling

Senior Lecturer, Centre for English Language Communication
At the Centre for English Language Communication, Gek Ling has taught professional communication and academic literacy including speaking skills for decades. She has given workshops on public speaking for academic and business presentations. She is passionate about helping students find their (speaking) voice, and her teaching philosophy is that learning should be fun.

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Thursday, July 25, 2024
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This event is open to all NUS students/staff.  Booking availability on a first-come-first-served basis. 

For enquiries related to this event, please contact elcbox70@nus.edu.sg.

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