プレゼンテーション資料･スピーチを外国語で準備する際のヒント７つ

Many people, including myself, feel very self-conscious when they speak another language. While you cannot get rid of this anxiety, you can learn how to handle it through effective practice.

1. Know how quickly you speak.
2. Plan points where the pressure is off you and on the audience.
3. Use simple, everyday words whenever possible.
4. Practice with someone.
5. Practice all the way through.
6. Practice the hard parts obsessively.
7. Learn the opening and closing by heart.

1. Know how quickly you speak

Your speaking speed in another language is probably going to be much slower than in your native language. This can be a source of frustration for speakers such as The Coffee Addict. Rather than try to match your native speed, focus on getting a steady rhythm and varying your speaking speed.

2. Plan points where the pressure is off you

A common error is to focus so hard on saying the words correctly that you lose touch with the audience. To avoid this, plan some points where you take the pressure off yourself. For example, ask the audience a rhetorical question or show an interesting slide.

3. Use simple everyday words whenever possible

This helps you put your energy into the delivery, rather than on getting out difficult words. A common error is to try to write words that sound very serious or impressive and failing to pronounce them properly. Most people in the audience prefer to listen to a speaker who wants to tell them something useful, rather than someone who seems to want to show off their vocabulary.

4. Practice with someone

Having another person listen to you also gives you a sense of how the audience might respond. Once, when I was practicing in front of my Japanese teacher, he spent a good part of the time inserting a lead into his pencil! I realized I needed to look away from my notes and focus on my ‘audience’ more. Practicing with someone lets you know when you might lose the audience’s attention.

5. Practice all the way through

People sometimes run out of enthusiasm half way through a presentation. Doing a presentation is physically and mentally tiring. Think of doing a complete run through as ‘stamina training’, and save the solo practice for the really hard parts (Tip 6).

6. Practice the hard parts obsessively

Even after a good edit, you need to identify the sections that are still tough. Practice reading them until you feel comfortable. If you are as bad as me, this will be at least ten times! Try to identify the problem. Are breathing in the wrong place? Are you trying to say too much too quickly? Are you not confident with a particular combination of sounds? Do you really understand the meaning of what you are saying?

7. Learn the opening and closing by heart

People tend to remember the first and last things that they hear, so it’s important that you are able to put all your energy into focusing on the audience, not your script at this point. If you are confident at the beginning, that confidence tends to carry over to the rest of the presentation too. The ending should be powerful and memorable. Reinforce your key message to the audience so that they retain it long after your presentation. Learning these sections by heart means that you can start and finish with confidence.

Is there anything I have forgotten? If you have any other tips for preparing a great presentation in another language, please let me know.