How to turn a written paper into a presentation

There are three reasons why we ask English seminar students to give presentation versions of their term papers:
1. To give students the opportunity to tell the class about their research
2. To enable class members to ask questions about the research of their fellow students
3. To enable students to learn the differences and similarities between presentations and written papers as ways of communicating research findings.
During your career at Keio, and after graduation, there will be many occasions when you are required to give short presentations about, for example, research you have undertaken, or projects that you have been involved in. It is therefore a useful skill to acquire.

Please note the time limit.This will vary according to the level and size of the class. However, you will only be able to present a summary of your main point(s) and supporting evidence. What is your main finding? What do you really want us to know? In some cases, you will want to present the whole paper in a shortened form; in other cases you might want to focus on one section in particular. If you know that someone else has written on a similar topic, try to organise your presentations so that you complement each other rather than overlap completely.

Do not just read out parts of the paper. You should use presentation-style language, clear transitions, and try to speak from notes rather than reading out from a full text.

Remember that your audience will only have ONE chance to understand what you are saying. Simplify your contents and vocabulary so that your main point(s) can be easily understood. Make sure that your structure is clear (an outline visual would help here). You might need a glossary if you have to use technical words.

You will need appropriate visuals. These should obviously include an outline visual and possibly a different one for the conclusion. If you have prepared graphs for your paper you can - and probably should - use these, but it might be a good idea to simplify them. If you use Power Point, do not display a lot of text, but limit yourself to the key points. Try to explain ideas visually, for example by using flow charts. Make the sources of your information clear at the bottom of graphs, and at the end of the Power Point display. (For more advice on PowerPoint, click here.)

Remember that a presentation is a performance. Use eye contact and gestures where appropriate, smile (at least before you start speaking), and inflect your voice. You should try to catch the attention of your audience at the beginning, and leave them with a message at the end.

At the end of each paper, there will be time for at least one question. Think of the sort of questions you might be asked, and imagine how you would answer them.