A HANDBOOK TO ORAL PRESENTATIONS in English A Short Guide for Students and Public Speakers by Jasna Potočnik Topler University of Maribor Jasna Potočnik Topler A HANDBOOK TO ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH Author: Jasna Potočnik Topler Prepress: Založba Obzorja d. d.. Maribor Published by: Založba Obzorja d.d., Maribor On behalf of the publishing house: Nevenka Richter Peče First edition: 2015 ISBN: 978-961-230-476-8 Copyright © Založba Obzorja, 2015 Access method (URL): http://itunes.apple.com/si/book/isbn9789612304768 CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Univerzitetna knjižnica Maribor 811.111’24(075.3) POTOČNIK, Jasna, anglistka A handbook to oral presentations in English [Elektronski vir] : a short guide for students and public speakers / by Jasna Potočnik Topler. - 1st ed. - Maribor : Založba Obzorja, 2015 COBISS.SI-ID 82575873 1.FOREWORD Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will. (George Bernard Shaw, The Serpent, in Back to Methuselah, 1921, Part I, Act I) Good public speaking and presenting skills are very important in many areas of our lives. Ocassionally we all have to speak in public – and that is a fact. Surely you need to have presentations at school or at faculty, maybe at a meeting. You might have to talk about your company at a fair, maybe present a project or a paper at a conference, and give a speech at your friend's party or anniversary. Yes, it is very important that you learn how to speak and present well! Why is that so? Well, good public speaking skills can help you improve your grades, enhance your personal brand, find new personal and business opportunities and advance your career. The really good news is that speaking in public can be taught and that overcoming stage fright, which is very common, is possible. Or as an American coach and football player Vince Lombardi said: »Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.« The same goes for public speaking skills. Besides breathing exercises, the best advice for overcoming stage fright is to focus on the material being presented and the purpose of the presentation. Good preparation is the key, especially when English is not your mother tongue. For learners of English it is essential to prepare for presentations thoroughly and to focus on the vocabulary of the oral language that will be used during the presentation. Practising pronunciation of the vocabulary used in your presentation is also recommended. This booklet should help you prepare yourself for speaking in public, especially for an oral presentation, and avoid some of the most obvious pitfalls when making presentations in front of the audience. Break a leg! 2.LET'S GET STARTED! - SETTING YOUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE The primary objective is your main concern when you stand up to speak. Whether your primary objective is to inform, entertain, persuade, inspire or debate, your goal should be to provoke either an action or feeling from your audience. If this action or feeling is forthcoming, you have succeeded in fulfilling your purpose in speaking (Bostock, 11). »A speech without an objective is like a car without an engine … The only way it can go is downhill.« (John Bowden, 10) Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery. »Proficiency in speaking is not a gift – it can be learnt. This is fact, not fancy. By getting back to basics, by concentrating on the essentials, and by learning about the things that really matter, you can and will dramatically improve your effectiveness as a public speaker.« (John Bowden) 3.THE AUDIENCE A good teacher, like a good entertainer first must hold his audience's attention, then he can teach his lesson. (John Henrik Clarke) If you want to gain an audience's attention you must not speak to them as people in general. You need to focus specifically on what matters to them (Bowden, 11). Some basic questions to ask about an audience are: 1.Who will I be speaking to? (Age, Sex, Education, Economic Status etc.) 2.What do they know about my topic already? 3.What would they want to know about my topic? 4.What do I want them to know by the end of my talk? By answering these questions, you can make sure that your presentation will be in tune with your audience. What you want to say about your topic may be much less important than what your audience wants to hear about it. Humour is very important. Try to incorporate it into your speech. You should not be a stand-up comedian, but you should give an opportunity to the humorous side of your personality (Bowden, 14). Make sure that the audience knows what they are going to get out of your presentation, and if you are speaking under any special circumstances, acknowledge those circumstances (maybe the room is stuffy or cold etc.) (Kushner, 2004: 26). 4.PLANNING THE PRESENTATION SPEECH »Never overestimate your audience's knowledge; never underestimate its intelligence.« (John Bowden, 13) Great speeches do not happen accidentally. Keep the audience, its needs and expectations firmly in mind (Bostock, 21). And remember that careful preparation is the key. Do your research and do it well. It will definitely take you more than half an hour to create a presentation speech. Select your topic as early as possible, think about it, brood over it, sleep on it, dream on it (Bowden, 17). Brainstorming is very important. Do you have many ideas? Crazy ideas? Strange ideas? Excellent! Then – after careful consideration – choose the best and most suitable of them, and put together a speech that focuses on what you want the audience – or perhaps that student sitting in the front row – to know, think, or do. Outcome is all (Bowden, 20). Preparation is very important: prepare, prepare, prepare! 5.DEVELOPING AND ORGANIZING A PRESENTATION »Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment,« said the American motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. So once again: plan carefully. Try to keep your presentation's design simple. The overall design of your speech will be shaped by the topic you select, your purpose, and of course by the main points you wish to make (Osborn 1997: 46). The presentation needs to be well structured and organized. It should have the introductory, the main and the conclusion parts. 5.1. Introduction – Let's Get Down To Business! The basic purposes of an introduction are to arouse the interest of your audience, to prepare them for the rest of the speech, and to build a good relationship between them and yourself. The best introductions tend to be written after the main part or the body of the speech, because, as Osborn says, »it is difficult to draw a map if you don't know where you are going« (Osborn 1997: 48-49). 5.2. The Main Part or the Body This is the most important part of your presentation. It is here that you develop your ideas, your message and the main points. For a five-minute presentation, you should restrict yourself to three main points. By concentrating on three main points, you can provide your audience with useful and appealing listening experience. Remember also that every main point in your presentation should be supported with facts and figures, testimony, examples, or narratives. Using facts, figures, and other supporting material builds the impression that you know what you are talking about (Osborn 1997: 49-50). Three basic rules regarding forms of support according to Kushner (2004: 53) are: 1.Make sure that your support really supports something. Do not use quotes, statistics, and stories just to show off or to prolong your speech. Use them in order to clarify, prove, or illustrate a point. 2.Use a variety of support. Some people like statistics, others like quotes, examples and stories. 3.Remember that less is more. Using one dramatic statistic gets more attention than three boring statistics. One great example makes more of an impact than two average examples. 5.3. Conclusion – All's Well That Ends Well A presentation that has a good ending is good even if you made some mistakes along the way. That is why the conclusion is very important. If the introduction is your first impression, the conclusion is your last one, and it plays an important role in determining how your audience will remember you. The conclusion often includes a summary, but what is most important: the conclusion must give the audience a feeling that your presentation is complete. People have a psychological need for closure, they do not want to be left hanging, and your conclusion should address this need (Kushner, 2004:76). The conclusion ties your speech together and summarizes the main points, but note that it is not appropriate for introducing any additional points in it. 6.HOW TO CARRY OUT A PRESENTATION – useful phrases In this chapter you will find some very useful phrases that will help you divide your presentation in parts. 6.1. INTRODUCTORY PART 6.1.1. Greeting •Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm honoured to have an opportunity to address such a distinguished audience ... •Good afternoon, esteemed guests. Shall we start? … •Good evening, members of the board, fellow colleagues, Mr Chairman … •I'm glad to be here ... •Welcome to ... 6.1.2. Introducing Yourself •On behalf of myself and the Drava Tourist Agency I would like to welcome you ...My name is ... •My name is ... and I work for the Drava Tourist Agency ... •I know I have met some of you, but just for the benefit of those I haven't, my name is ... 6.1.3. Introducing the Subject •My talk is called ... •My theme is ... •The subject of my presentation is ... •We are here to learn about ... •The purpose of this talk is to ... •What I want my listeners to get out of my presentation is … •You can tell a personal story and gain your audience's attention: When I ... / I remember how I once ..../ You know, I used to be a waiter. Let me tell you about the time I brought warm wine …/ Well, in my experience ... •You can offer an interesting fact: Maybe you will find it hard to believe, but let me give you a statistic ... •You can ask your audience a question: I wonder if you know the answer to the following question ... •You can present a problem: Let's face it. We're dealing with a problem/crisis ... •There are ... I want to talk about ... •I have divided my presentation in three parts ... 6.1.4. Inviting Questions •Please, interrupt me if there is something which needs clarifying. •If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to interrupt me. •There will be plenty of time at the end of my speech for questions and discussion. •If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them immediately/at the end of the presentation/at the end of my talk. •I will be glad to answer any questions at the end of my presentation. 6.2. MAIN PART •To begin, let's look at ... •Let's start with ... •Let's move on to ... •Let's go on to ... •Could I draw your attention to this slide ... •As you can see on this picture/graph/slide ... •As you know ... •As we are aware ... •That brings us to ... •Time flies, so let's turn to ... 6.3. CLOSING •To sum up ... •Let me sum up ... •To conclude ... •To summarise ... •In conclusion I would like to ... •In closing … •That brings me to the end of my presentation. Are there any questions? •Firstly, we looked at ...., secondly, we .... and last .... •And finally, let's look at ... •That completes my presentation. Let's throw it to open questions. •That's all from me. Thank you for listening. •That's all I have to say. Thank you for listening. Do you have any questions? •I believe that's a good place to stop. Thank you very much for your attention. Any questions. 6.4. ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS •Thank you for your question. •Sorry, I didn't catch the question. Could you, please, speak up and repeat the question? •Thank you for your comment. •That's a fair point, but I believe that ... •That is confidential. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you that information ... •That is really not my field. But I can put you in touch with Mr Kralj in my company ... •Well, that is an interesting question, but I think it goes beyond the scope of today's presentation ...I wanted to concentrate on ..., not to go into particulars ... •Sorry, but we have run out of time. If you would like to continue this discussion with me, please, come during my office hours, and I will try to give you the answers. •Thank you again. You have been a wonderful audience. 6.5. GRAPHS AND CHARTS Graphs and charts are often used to present information and data. Below you will find useful phrases and vocabulary for presenting figures and trends. PIE CHART BAR CHART LINE GRAPH 6.5.1. Presenting Visuals - Useful Phrases and Vocabulary: •As you will see from this graph ... •I'd like to show you ... •Let me draw your attention to this part of the graph … •Let's look more closely at this month's figures. •This figure refers to the sales in China only. •This pie chart shows our share of the European market today. •As you can see, our main competitor has an even bigger share. •The bar chart represents sales in our Asian outlets. •Here you can see a comparison between ... •On the line graph you will note a strong upward trend in the sales of product A (despite occasional fluctuations / with a slight drop during the holiday season /with occasional variations due to …) •On the line graph you will note that the initial surge in sales was followed by a period of slower growth in the second half of the year. •On the line graph you will note that the instant success of the product was followed by a period of stabilization in the level of sales. 6.5.2. Commenting Trends - Useful Phrases: •Increases : oa slight/constant/marked/substantial/increase in sales oan increase of about/roughly/approximately/in the region of ... % oa little over/above what we predicted othe recovery/upturn began in (month) oan overall increase in ... oan upward trend in the demand for ... osales reached record levels / reached a peak in (month) oa strong surge in the sales of ... oby (month), the figure had risen to ... owe predict that sales will soar in the coming year / over the next ... months •Decreases : ojust under our target oway below our expectations oa slight / notable / significant decrease in ... othe downturn began in (month) othe situation began to deteriorate in (month) othe number has continued to fall •Fluctuations : oa slow start developed into steady progress in sales oan initial upward trend was followed by ... owe note slight fluctuations through the year onormal seasonal variations are the cause of occasional downward trends osales have been (rather) irregular othe level / the rate has been unstable since ... oyou will note a certain instability in the rate of … 6.5.3. Conclusions - Useful Phrases: •We must focus our attention on ... •What I suggest is ... •There is a necessity for ... •We need more ... •We have no choice but to ... •Appropriate measures must be taken •The only option we have is to ... •These changes are inevitable. •We will have to revise our estimation. •The result / outcome will be ... •I strongly recommend ... •To conclude, I am happy / I regret to announce that … (Source: http://www.learn-english-today.com/business-english/graphs-charts.html) 6.6. Presenting your company You may need to present your company to visitors, potential investors or partners, or new suppliers and clients. Here is some useful English vocabulary to learn that will help you talk clearly, concisely and positively about what your company does. 6.6.1. Giving the History of Your Company •We were founded / set up / established in 1999. •We merged with X company in 2010. •We set up a subsidiary in the Prekmurje region. •The subsidiary was sold off two years after and the remaining company was split into five different divisions. •We floated on the stock exchange last year, and we are now listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. 6.6.2. Presenting Your Products and Services •We make/produce toys for babies. •We manufacture car engines. •We supply printing materials. •We launched a new shampoo last month. It has revolutionised the washing of the hair. •We have pioneered new ways of reducing energy costs in public services. •We are researching new products for the gardening industry. We hope to roll them out early next year. •We are developing new software for the internet. Our R&D department is working closely with our international partners. 6.6.3. Company Performance •We are the market leaders in three European countries. •We have expanded our business. •Our company has grown by one-third. •We make annual profits of $1 million. •Our turnover is in excess of $2 million. 6.6.4. Company Structure •At the head is the President, or CEO (Chief Executive Officer). •Below the President is the Managing Director, who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company. •The company is divided into different departments, each with its own director. The Marketing and Sales department consists of the sales team, and customer services. The Administration department also includes Human Resources. •We employ more than 2000 people worldwide. 6.6.5. Responsibilities •I report to the Marketing Manager. •I deal with customer complaints. •We work closely with the sales team, who are in charge of customer accounts. •We have more than one branch in some countries. •We are responsible for our own markets. 7.EDITING YOUR SPEECH Don't exercise your freedom of speech until you have exercised your freedom of thought. (Tim Fargo) Speeches need editing. Kushner (85) points out that just as you would never think of giving a speech without practising it, do not think of even practising your speech until you have edited it. It is very important that you use conversational and simple language in your speech. Avoid long sentences, foreign words and complicated phrases, but do use the active voice and be specific. One of the most common mistakes speakers make according to Kushner (85) is the failure to distinguish between oral and written language. They write a speech as though it is a written report, which is a big mistake – because a speech must be read orally, not visually. The presentation speech must be designed for the ear, not the eye. Read your speech out loud and check its sound, rhythm etc. Tone and style are important. Among the greatest writers Oscar Wilde is well known as a spokesman for aestheticism and style. In his work The Importance of Being Earnest he wrote: »In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.« Of course, it needs to be argued that sincerity is important as well, but let us devote a few words to style. Devote enough time to the choice of words and their order because this can really make a difference. Use words and adjectives that generate emotional reactions. Kushner (96) advises creating catch phrases for drawing attention to key points and spicing up your speech with classic rhetorical devices and figures of speech (repetition = repeating words; hyperbole = exaggeration; allusion = reference to a person, object or event from literature or mythology; metaphor = short, implied comparison; rhetorical question etc.). 7.1. Effective Use of Notes Good speakers vary a great deal in their use of notes, point out experts from the English Centre Staff for the Business Communication (BBA, http://www4.caes.hku.hk/epc/presentation/). Some do not use notes at all and some write out their talk in great detail. If you are not an experienced speaker it is not a good idea to speak without notes because you will soon lose your thread. You should also avoid reading a prepared text aloud as this will be boring. The best solution may be to use notes with headings and the points to be covered. You may also want to write down some of the key sentences. Notes can be on paper or cards. The trick in using notes is to avoid shifting your attention from the audience for too long. However, even to the best speakers can happen that they blank out in front of the audience. Outlines, notes, cards, handouts, PowerPoint slides can therefore be helpful (they remind you where you need to be and what you need to say). Davidson (296) warns that the usage of all manner of props may really ensure that you do not lose your place in the presentation, but this practice may on the other hand restrict the presentation flow, diminish potentially effective gestures and make your presentation less interesting. If you do lose your place, do not panic! Here are some useful phrases that can save you (for the greatest effect they need to be said in a humorous manner): •Now, you've gotten me off track. •Okay, now where were we? •Okay, who knows where we left off? 8.Visual Aids – Every picture is worth a thousand words. Well, one picture is worth a thousand words only under certain circumstances. Visual aids definitely help to make a presentation livelier. They can also help the audience to follow your presentation and help you to present information that would be difficult to follow through speech alone. The two most common forms of visual aid are computer slide shows (e.g. PowerPoint, Prezi) and overhead transparencies (OHTs). Do not have too much information on the presentation slides (it can happen that the audience will follow only the slides instead of listen to your presentation). Well-designed slides can highlight your main points, add variety to your talk, and capture audience attention. But slides, warns Kushner (103), also have two big disadvantages. Projecting them requires you to darken the room; and another disadvantage is the tendency some speakers have to run through slides too rapidly (allow at least 20 seconds for each slide). Objects that can be passed round the audience can also be very effective and often help to relax the audience (http://www4.caes.hku.hk/epc /presentation/). Some speakers give printed handouts to the audience at the beginning of the presentation to follow as they speak. Others prefer to give their handouts at the end of the talk, because the handouts can distract the audience from the presentation. Whatever you decide, remember that everyone likes to receive handouts. They should be good looking because they represent you (Kushner, 116). Note that the spoken language should be a complement to the visual material, not a direct reading of the text. Once the presentation has begun, you need to draw your audience's attention to a specific image or slide ("let me draw your attention to ..." or "as you can see ..."). Then you connect the audience to the content of the visual presentation ("you'll also notice that ..." or "this image supports my idea of ..."). Kushner (105-106) also advises to keep the following in mind: -Check for spelling mistakes. -Use relevant graphics (they should support a point). -Be consistent (do not mix and match slides or overheads from different presentations if they have different design styles). -Take advantage of templates (many software programs for creating slides include predesigned templates). -Keep the text style simple. -Keep the use of your logo to a minimum. -Use a mixture of uppercase and lowercase text (it is easier to read). -Use minimal text (a common mistake is putting too much text on a slide or overhead). -Emphasize major points – not everything. -Use only four colours per visual (one colour for the background, one colour for headlines, one colour for body copy, and perhaps another colour for emphasis; you can make an exception for graphs). It is essential that you focus on how to speak clearly and communicate to the audience. By shifting the focus toward the material, you can begin to relax and enjoy the audience's reaction to your successful presentation. 9.DELIVERING YOUR PRESENTATION – SHOW TIME! The secret of getting ahead is getting started. (Mark Twain) People vary in their ability to speak confidently in public. But almost everyone gets nervous. Your hands or legs shake. Your heart starts pounding faster. Your mouth goes dry and your stomach feels strange etc. Even though that fear is normal, you can overcome it. And what is more, you can use your fear to make your presentation better. Everyone can learn how to improve their presentation skills by applying a few simple techniques. According to Oberg (1994: 6-8) you may try one of the following: 1.Don't fight your fear. Realize that it is completely natural for you to be nervous. Believe that it can help you. 2.Walk before presenting. If it is possible, go for a brisk walk before you present. Even if it's just in the hall between classes, exercise can relax you. Walking before presenting will loosen up your whole body and prevent you from shaking during presentations. 3.Don't cross your legs while you are preparing to speak. If you do, the leg on the bottom may fall asleep and won't support you when you get up to speak. 4.Dangle your arms and twirl your wrists while waiting to speak. Let your arms dangle loosely at your sides. Twirl your wrists gently to shake off nervous energy. 5.Take deep breaths before you speak. This also relaxes you and gives you the air you so desperately need when you are nervous. (Take a deep breath. Hold it. Hold it. Let it out slowly.) 6.Choose a topic you like. If you are excited about what you are going to say, you will less likely to worry about how you will say it. You may even be excited to share your topic with the audience. 7.Be prepared. The more you know about the topic, the less likely you are to forget anything. The less likely you are to forget your speech, the less nervous you will be. Likewise, the more you have practised, the more confidence you will feel. 8.Imagine yourself speaking well. Positive visualization can be very helpful. Before you speak, close your eyes and imagine yourself giving a strong, fluent speech. If you picture yourself being successful, you're more likely to actually be successful. 9.Don't call attention to your nervousness. If you are openly uncomfortable, the audience will be less likely to listen to you and to respect you. You might even make them nervous. Also, if you act confident, you may trick yourself into being confident! 10.Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you make a mistake, correct yourself and go on. It's far more important and realistic for you to deal with mistakes well than to avoid them completely. The main points to pay attention to in delivery are the quality of your voice (paying attention to volume, speed and fluency, clarity and pronunciation), your rapport with the audience (eye contact, sensitivity to how the audience is responding to your talk and what you look like from the point of view of the audience), use of notes and use of visual aids. All this can be improved by practising in front of one or two friends or video-taping your rehearsal. Rehearsal in front of the mirror can also be very helpful. Kushner (127) offers the following tips: rehearse out loud, simulate real conditions, time your talk, and rehearse questions and answers. 10.BODY LANGUAGE - It is what you DO and SAY that counts! We always convey our messages with two languages: one is the language we are speaking and the other one is body language. Let us devote a few words to body language. Realizing how important body language is can help you get your message across. Connecting with the audience is a crucial component of effective communication. Many research studies have shown that body language influences how others percieve us. According to Albert Mehrabian's communications research 7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken, 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said), 55% of meaning is in facial expression. This is also known as 'the 7-38-55 rule' (http://www.businessballs.com/mehrabiancommunications.htm). Although Mehrabian did not intend the statistic to be used or applied freely to all communications and meaning, this is often the case. However, it is important that you try to remember that your voice and the movement of your body convey more meaning than the words you say and thus it is crucial that you pay attention to your POSTURE, EYE CONTACT, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, GESTURES WITH HANDS AND ARMS, SPEECH and TONE OF VOICE. When it comes to body language, here are some things you should pay attention to (Kushner, 131- 132; Kumaran, https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=EAHo2cA7-YU): -Watch how you sit or how you stand (posture), whether you have your arms down or up (poor posture makes you look as if you have low self-esteem or low energy). Try to stand up straight with your feet slightly apart and your arms ready to gesture. -If you sit, sit up straight, your chin should be up (this way you look more confident). -Lean sligtly toward the audience. Leaning forward shows that you are actively engaged with audience members. -Avoid standing with your hands on your hips. You are not a gym teacher. -Avoid swaying back and forth. It is distracting. -Try avoiding crossed arms (some people feel comfortable keeping their arms crossed, but others might think that you are closed or uninterested). -Avoid standing with your arms behind your back. Use your hands to emphasize points of your presentation. -Avoid standing in the fig leaf position. That is when you hold both hands together over your crotch – like the fig leaves that Adam and Eve wore. -Avoid burying your hands in your pockets. It is okay to put one hand in your pocket from time to time. But do not keep it there. It prevents you from using your hands to gesture when you are explaining your points. -Give a firm handshake, not too firm of course, but definitely firm (and while giving a handshake, give an eyecontact and smile at the same time). -Smiling makes you feel comfortable and so confident (too much smiling can also be tricky). -When someone is talking to you, you want to remain in eye contact (if you don't remain in eye contact, you might seem uninterested or bored or even not honest). -Don't look down when you are making a point (people might think that you are uncomfortable, not confident or that you are lying). -Don't play with your clothes, don't play with your hair, and don't bite your nails! The truth is, as Davidson (2003: 73) puts it, that audiences believe body language before they believe words: »If you're not convincing with your movements, no matter how eloquent your words, you are not likely to be convincing (ibid.). 11.REFERENCES and FURTHER READING: Bostock, Louise. 1994. Speaking in Public. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers. Bowden, John. 1999. Speaking in Public. Oxford: How To Books Ltd. Davidson, Jeff. 2003. The Complete Guide to Public Speaking. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Kumaran, Ahalya. 2013. Body Language of Confident People – How to Look Confident and Be Confident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAHo2cA7-YU Kushner, Malcolm. 2004. Public Speaking for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Oberg, C. Brent. 1994. Speechcraft: An introduction to public speaking. Colorado Springs: Meriwether Publishing Ltd. Osborn, Michael, S. Osborn. 1997. Public Speaking. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. http://www.learn-english-today.com/business-english/graphs-charts.html http://www.businessballs.com/mehrabiancommunications.htm http://www4.caes.hku.hk/epc/presentation/ English for Professional Communication http://www.it-sudparis.eu/lsh/ressources/ops2.php http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030077 12.ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jasna Potočnik Topler received her PhD at the University of Ljubljana in American Studies and Literatures in 2012 with a dissertation comparing Norman Mailer and Louis Adamič. She is the author of several articles on American and European literatures and cultures. In 2014 her book, "Norman Mailer – dežurni kritik in kulturna ikona", has been published. She has been extremely active in the field of language in general, in particular using her linguistic and public speaking skills. At the University of Maribor she has been elected to the status of English language lector. She teaches English and enjoys work with her students very much.