Unit - 2

Presentation and Interaction Skills

2.1 Speech Delivery

‘Speech Delivery' refers to the way in which you actually deliver or perform or give your presentation. It is a vital aspect of all presentations. Speech Delivery is at least as important as content, especially in a multi-cultural context.

Most speakers are a little nervous at the beginning of a presentation. So, it is normal if you are nervous. The answer is to pay special attention to the beginning of your presentation. First impressions count. This is the time when you establish a rapport with your audience. During this time, try to speak slowly and calmly. You should perhaps learn your introduction by heart. After a few moments, you will relax and gain confidence.

2.1.1 Objectives and Methodology

Audience Rapport

You need to build a warm and friendly relationship with your audience. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic your audience will be enthusiastic too. And be careful to establish eye contact with each member of your audience. Each person should feel that you are speaking directly to him or her. This means that you must look at each person in turn - in as natural a way as possible. This will also give you the opportunity to detect signs of boredom, disinterest or even disagreement, allowing you to modify your presentation as appropriate.

Body Language

What you do not say is at least as important as what you do say. Your body is speaking to your audience even before you open your mouth. Generally speaking, it is better to stand rather than sit when making a presentation. Be aware of and avoid any repetitive and irritating gestures. Be aware, too, that the movement of your body is one of your methods of control. When you move to or from the whiteboard, for example, you can move fast or slowly, raising or reducing the dynamism within the audience. You can stand very still while talking or you can stroll from side to side. What effect do you think these two different approaches would have on an audience?

Voice quality

It is, of course, important that your audience be able to hear you clearly throughout your presentation. Remember that if you turn away from your audience, for example towards the whiteboard, you need to speak a little more loudly. In general, you should try to vary your voice. Your voice will then be more interesting for your audience. You can vary your voice in at least three ways:

The important point is not to speak in the same, flat, monotonous voice throughout your presentation - this is the voice that hypnotists use to put their patients into trance!

2.2 Group- Discussion

Group discussion is formed by combining two different words i.e., group and discussion. Here, group means a number of people or things that are put together considered as a unit whereas the word ‘discuss’ is derived from the Latin ‘discutere’, which means to shake or strike. Thus ‘discussion’ refers to examine the topic thoroughly to reach a conclusion. Collectively, it is called Group discussion which means the exchange of ideas by participated candidates on a specific subject or topic. The whole concept is to bring collectively a unit of people on a common platform to share their ideas.

Generally, group discussion is a method used by the companies or organizations to check whether the candidates have certain personality or skills which are must for their members or employees. Nowadays, group discussions have become a main stage in the recruitment process. In this discussion, the group of applicants or candidates is given a topic or a scenario and few minutes are provided them to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the situation among them for a limited time. Organizations conduct group discussion after the written test so as to test the interactive skills of the candidates and how good they are at interacting with other people. Group discussion also tells about how candidates behave, participate and contribute in a group. Also, recruiters come to know about how much importance applicants give to the team objectives as well as their own, how well they listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are they in accepting the views contrary to their own. Group Discussion is conducted to evaluate your following skills:

      Confidence.

      Effective Communication.

      Quality of Language.

      Listening Skills.

      Assertive Attitude.

      Paraphrasing Skills.

      Leadership.

Types of Group Discussion

Generally, group discussion categorized into two categories i.e., Topic-based group discussion and Case-based group discussion as discussed below.

Topic-Based Group Discussion: In this discussion, a topic is provided to the candidates about what they have to perform the discussion. This logic has been drawn from the actual work scenarios. In this discussion, the given topics are of three kinds i.e., Factual topics, Controversial topics and Abstract topics (related to intangible things).

Case-Based Group Discussion: Instead of the topics, small cases are handover to the candidates which leads to the questions and they have to discuss those questions. This will help in finding out the problem-solving abilities of the candidates.

Purpose of Group Discussion

There are several purposes for group discussions. Some of them are listed below:

To reach a solution on an issue of concern.

      To generate new ideas for solving a problem.

      For choosing the applicants after the written test for a job or for admission to educational institutes.

      To train ourselves in various interpersonal skills.

2.3 Theme Presentation Method

“A theme is a memory aid, it helps you through the presentation just as it also provides the thread of continuity for your audience.” Dave Carey 

We have all been to presentations where confusion surrounds the first 15 minutes, trying to understand what the presenter is attempting to establish. For example, an entrepreneur goes to pitch to an investor, and spends the first 20 minutes talking about his and his team’s credentials. The investors, who expected to hear a business proposal, are frustrated and confused. In this example, the presenter failed to set a theme for the presentation, and lost the audience’s attention. In another example, an entrepreneur enters a room, and sets the stage by telling the investors “Today we will show you a revolutionary product which is going to change the way you read a book”. With a single sentence, the investor knows in essence, what is going to be talked about and what the main objective is.

Once a theme is developed, we need to support it with a story. I believe when both these components are brought together in a logical and sequential manner, great presentations are created. In the second example above, when the presenter sets the theme but follows it through only with a product demo and all its features and functionalities, it fall’s short of the expectations which were created. To support your theme, one needs to weave a sequential story to help bring the investors/customers from where they are, to where you want them to be. The presentation needs to flow naturally to help them understand your concept, how it will change the way to read, what the benefits are, and why they should invest in this opportunity. For a more detailed explanation of the art of story telling please view the video by Ira Glass below.

Master presenters like Steve Jobs begins presentations with statements such as “There is something in the air today”, “Today, we are going to change the way the world views a phone”. His keynote addresses are often launch pads for new product releases and enhancements, and he uses themes to set the tone and expectations right from the word Go. Whenever we have to prepare a presentation, take a step back before you open up PowerPoint, and ask yourself, what is the one message I want to communicate to my audience? What is the most effective way of communicating this message? Once we have the answers to these questions, it will be easier to figure out the optimal way of delivering the message. One word of advice, irrespective of how much effort is put into theme and story development, if there is no passion or enthusiasm from the presenter, all is lost. It is your job to get your audience interested, and the only way to do that, is to be interesting yourself.

2.4 Argumentation Skills

The development of spoken language skills is well documented. However, little has been said in terms of how argumentative skills, understood in this study as one of the components of communicative competence, are being developed in the EFL classroom.

Argumentation skills integrate both the capacity to make use of a linguistic repertoire and the capacity to use language with a communicative purpose. Although a communicative purpose can be achieved without the use of augmentation skills, we hold the view that argumentation must be conceived as a dialogic process in which opposing or similar claims meet, as well as a discourse mechanism whereby the user of the language can demonstrate his/her ability to use knowledge acquired for effective communication.

People use arguments on a daily basis for different purposes, like persuasion, negotiation, debate, consultation, and resolving differences of opinion; thus, "argumentation or the use of arguments plays a critical role in the development of critical thinking and in developing a deep understanding of complex issues and ideas". Actually, argumentation is a fundamental cognitive skill required for the 21st century thinking citizen.

The ability to generate and evaluate sound arguments has received increasing recognition as fundamental to good thinking, since "argumentation is a dialogue in which participants may take many different positions and change their minds as it proceeds”. Therefore, argumentation skills are not detached from Hymes (1972) and Bachman's (1990) notion of communicative competence that has to do with the functional use of language. Both authors emphasize interaction among learners and the use of meaningful and contextualized language.

THE ESSENTIALS OF ARGUMENT

Argument: Argument concerns itself with neither fact nor taste, but with that vast middle territory of statements that are more or less probable. ... An arguable statement can evoke degrees of adherence, and its grounds of support do not depend on the individual who holds them. ... [E]ven the side that wins [an] argument has not established a truth, only a probable wisdom of a particular choice.

Every argument has four essential elements:

1. A thesis statement, a claim, a proposition to be supported, which deals with a matter of probability, not a fact or a matter of opinion.

2. An audience to be convinced of the thesis statement.

3. Exigence: the need to make an argument at a certain time, in a circumstance, or for a purpose.

4. Grounds, reasons, or, as they are sometimes formally called, premises that support the thesis.

Thesis Statement: Every argument, no matter how complicated, has a single,

overriding thesis. That thesis may be qualified, elaborated, complicated, or hedged all around, yet the arguer must always be able to answer the "What is your point?"... [A] arguments can be summed upon a single statement that the whole discourse is designed to support… Whether the unit of argument is a paragraph or a book, that basic element, the thesis statement, must be discoverable.

Audience: An argument needs a human audience to convince. … The particular audience of an argument influences how you argue--coolly or with passion, tentatively or with strong conviction, elliptically or in great detail. … Thus, different audiences require significant differences in the support, organization, and working of your argument.

Exigence: In order for a real argument to occur there must be some forum and occasion, like a town meeting, some push in the time and circumstances and some purpose for making claims and supporting them. The combination of all these factors has been called the exigence. To compensate for [the often] inherent disconnection from its audience, a written argument must frequently create its own exigence.

Support: also called premise(s). Support is the reason(s) for an audience to be convinced of the thesis statement. You should follow the thesis with at least one reason or "because" statement. You may make much longer arguments by introducing more supporting statements for the thesis or by supporting the supporting statements themselves, but at least one premise, one statement that gives the audience a reason to adhere to the thesis, is necessary.

An unspoken premise is called an "assumption." Assumptions are common ground, shared preconceptions and beliefs of arguer and audiences.

2.5 Debate and Discussion

We often take part in debates and group discussions, in our school, college and office, which is not just important in grooming oneself, but it also refines the thoughts of a person and helps in understanding different perspectives. People often get confused between these two, but a debate is a form of a contest, where one of the two sides wins.

In a debate, all the participants of the team, get a fair opportunity to express their views on the particular topic and whichever side has stated more influencing and factual points, wins.

On the contrary, group discussion involves face to face communication between the participants, in which they orally interact, share, originate and discuss the ideas and views, to arrive at a consensus.

Comparison Chart

Definition of Debate

The debate is also a form of discussion on a particular issue, in which a number of people participate, to give their opinion. Formally, in a debate, the group is divided into two teams – one in favour or support, while the other opposing it.

Along with the two teams, there is an adjudicator and audience. The audience judge the quality of the facts and arguments stated.

It is helpful in building confidence and self-esteem in the participants and also improves public speaking skills.

Further, the debate is driven by certain rules, which are agreed upon, in the beginning. It is being judged and so one side wins while the other loses it. It is started by the affirmative team, i.e., the one supporting the subject, followed by the one opposing it and the pattern continues. In this way, each team gets a fair chance to fend off the argument of the opponent.

In a debate, each speaker is given a set amount of time so as to present their points and answering the questions raised by the opponent team. And so, there is a warning bell to give them some time to wrap up and complete which is followed by a final bell.

Definition of Group Discussion

Group Discussion can be defined as an extensive technique, used to assess the fitness of an individual with respect to the concerned criteria for the job, admission, etc. It is meant to refine the views of the participants.

It is used to analyse the entire personality of a person such as his/her thoughts, views, behaviour, emotional intelligence, perspective and so on.

In this technique, a topic is given to the members for discussion and the exchange of information and ideas takes place in a systematic manner. The sitting of the candidates is done in such a way that they face each other.

A panel of judges observe, compare and form an opinion about the participants, on the basis of their intellectual, social, leadership and communication skills.

2.6 Unity, Coherence and Emphasis

Unity

Unity is the idea that all parts of the writing work to achieve the same goal: proving the thesis. Just as the content of a paragraph should focus on a topic sentence, the content of an essay must focus on the thesis.  The introduction paragraph introduces the thesis, the body paragraphs each have a proof point (topic sentence) with content that proves the thesis, and the concluding paragraph sums up the proof and restates the thesis. Extraneous information in any part of the essay which is not related to the thesis is distracting and takes away from the strength of proving the thesis.

Coherence

An essay must have coherence. The sentences must flow smoothly and logically from one to the next as they support the purpose of each paragraph in proving the thesis.

Just as the last sentence in a paragraph must connect back to the topic sentence of the paragraph, the last paragraph of the essay should connect back to the thesis by reviewing the proof and restating the thesis.

Emphasis

Emphasis is the principle of the paragraph composition in which the important ideas are made to stand. In here it is very important that the main points of the writer should be evident inside the paragraph.

Having an emphasis can be achieved by using some devices such as the Use of emphasis by proportion, emphasis by pause and emphasis by position. In the emphasis by proportion, the subordinate ideas should be given less substance while ideas which have greater importance should be given more substance. In the emphasis by pause, the emphasis is established by making chapter divisions, paragraph breaks as well as mark of punctuation. In the emphasis by position, the beginning and end of the paragraph are considered as crucial points where emphasis should be placed, emphasis are usually positioned in these places.

2.7 Public Speaking: Audience Analysis; Approach and Style

Audience analysis involves identifying the audience and adapting a speech to their interests, level of understanding, attitudes, and beliefs. Taking an audience-centered approach is important because a speaker’s effectiveness will be improved if the presentation is created and delivered in an appropriate manner. Identifying the audience through extensive research is often difficult, so audience adaptation often relies on the healthy use of imagination.

As with many valuable tools, audience analysis can be used to excess. Adapting a speech to an audience is not the same thing as simply telling an audience what they want to hear. Audience analysis does not mean ‘grandstanding’ or ‘kowtowing’ to a public. Rather, adaptation guides the stylistic and content choices a speaker makes for a presentation. Audience adaptation often involves walking a very fine line between over-adapting and under-adapting – a distinction that can be greater appreciated by understanding the general components of this skill. 

There are three phases in audience analysis: adaptation before, during, and after the speech. When we analyze our audience, there are three ways to do this; demographic analysis, attitudinal analysis, and environmental analysis.

2.8 Interview: Types; Focus & Objectives

Definition:

Interview is the widely used (election method. It is a face-to-face interaction between interviewee and interviewer. If handled carefully, it can be a powerful technique in having accurate information of the interviewee otherwise unavailable. At the same time, if the interview is not handled carefully, it can be a source of bias, restricting or distorting the flow of communication.

Different scholars have defined ‘interview’ differently. According to Scott and others, “an interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication between two or more persons”. Bingham and others define an interview as a ‘conversation with a purpose”.

Objectives of Interview:

In the selection process, interview serves the following objectives:

1. Verifies the information obtained through application form and tests.

2. Helps obtain additional information from the applicant otherwise not available.

3. Gives the candidate necessary facts and information about the job and the organization.

4. Helps establish mutual understanding between the company and the candidate and build the company’s image.

According to Richard Calhoon, employment interview serves the following three objectives:

First, it is the only way to see an applicant in action – how he looks, his manner, his bearing.

Second, it is the only way to witness how he interacts and how he responds, his way of thinking, the effect of his personality on others.

Third, it is perhaps the best way to get at the ‘will do’ features of a performance- motivation, initiative, stability, perseverance, work, habits and judgments.

Types of Interviews:

Four types of interviews for selection have been identified:

These are:

1. Preliminary Interview:

The interviews conducted to screen the applicants to decide whether further detailed interview will be required are called preliminary interviews. The candidate is given freedom by giving job details during the interview to decide whether the job will suit him.

One of the drawbacks associated with the preliminary interview is that it might lead to the elimination of many desirable candidates in case interviewers do not have much and proper experience in evaluating candidates. The positive argument, if any, for this method is that it saves time and money for the company.

2. Patterned Interview:

In this interview, the pattern of the interview is decided in advance. What kind of information is to be sought or given, how the interview is to be conducted, and how much time is to be allotted to it, all these are worked out in advance. In case interviewee drifts, he/she is swiftly guided back to the structured questions. Such interviews are also called standardised interviews.

3. Depth Interview:

As the term itself implies, depth interview tries to portray the interviewee in depth and detail. It, accordingly, covers the life history of the applicant along with his/her work experience, academic qualifications, health, attitude, interest, and hobbies. This method is particularly suitable for executive selection. Expectedly, depth interview involves more time and money in conducting it.

4. Stress Interview:

Such interviews are conducted for the jobs which are to be performed under stressful conditions. The objective of stress interview is to make deliberate attempts to create stressful or strained conditions for the interviewee to observe how the applicant behaves under stressful conditions.

The common methods used to induce stress include frequent interruptions, keeping silent for an extended period of time, asking too many questions at a time, making derogatory remarks about the candidate, accusing him that he is lying and so on. The purpose is to observe how the candidate behaves under the stressful conditions – whether he loses his temper, gets confused or frightened.

However, stress-inducing must be done very carefully by trained and skilled interviewer otherwise it may result in dangers. Emotionally charged candidates must not be subjected to further stressful conditions. The candidate should be given sufficient chance to cope with such induced stress before he leaves.

References