691. Me, a university presentation in English!?




One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “Yesterday a teacher told me her experience at training another girl, a novice university lecturer, to give a presentation in English.


The main lines relating the final conducting on the stage were as follow. This trainer told her she ought to utter a brief presentation [I’ve changed some details of this real story].


The trainer told her friend: Be yourself. You might begin your speech by just saying something like ‘Sorry, I am very nervous, because it’s the first time I speak in English to an audience like you, my colleagues. Sorry for my mistakes’, while smiling. ‘I’m grateful to be here in Saskatchewan, at the State University of… [This State is one of Canada], invited by Professor R.L. Smith, to honor him for his lifelong career and commitment, up to the point of becoming a world authority in the research on… I also thank the administration… and also you my colleagues, present here today...’ Or whatever could came to her mind then.


The trainer advised her to say something really relevant and interesting; rigor is compatible with some sense of humor; and that she should not care to be afraid (if afraid, so what?): she carried with herself a long period of preparation to say her speech, she’s read a lot, she’s removed contents from her presentation, etc.” / Photo from: beatechie com. Not necessary to say the picture has nothing to do with the story.


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