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Business Presentations: An Easy-to-Learn Skill or a Nightmare?

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  • Kateřina Young

Abstract

Most Business English instructors at the university level face a problem when dealing with Czech college students: an "information" loaded report, which is a result of the knowledge based educational system where the old "referat" still seems to prevail but has been replaced by a trendier term, called a "presentation," in a Power Point format. When faced with the "Anglo" presentation style, students often fall in despair mentioned above. Their prior experience of a "presentation" stands in sharp contrast to the foreign instructors' requirements and to the demands of the current workplace. The lack of students' awareness of and skills in preparing such presentations is alarming and, therefore, the need to teach this "survival" skill becomes even more critical. This paper reviews the findings of a mini-survey administered to the author's freshmen and sophomores with limited exposure to making presentations in English. The findings are then discussed in terms of the Czech teachers' understanding of discourse analysis and communicative competence as opposed to the Czech rhetorical tradition experienced so far by the students. Consequently, effective teaching strategies, which build on developmental psychology research, are suggested as possible ways to guide university students in successfully creating and delivering professional presentations.

Suggested Citation

  • Kateřina Young, 2011. "Business Presentations: An Easy-to-Learn Skill or a Nightmare?," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2011(6), pages 80-92.
  • Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2011:y:2011:i:6:id:353:p:80-92
    DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.353
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert Pollin & Michael Stone, 1991. "Analysis," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 53-57, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    business presentations; English for Specific Purposes; Business English; business communication;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • P30 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - General
    • Z00 - Other Special Topics - - General - - - General

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