1Ah... come in, Russ.
2Thank you.
3Now you wanted to consult me about your class presentation on nanotechnology -
4you're due to give it in next week, aren't you?
5That's right. And I'm really struggling.
6I chose the topic because I didn't know much about it and wanted to learn more,
7but now I've read so much about it, in a way there's too much to say -
8I could talk for much longer than the twenty minutes I've been allocated.
9Should I assume the other students don't know much, and give them a kind of general introduction,
10or should I try and make them share my fascination with a particular aspect?
11You could do either,
12but you'll need to have it clear in your own mind.
13Then I think I'll give an overview.
14OK.
15Now, one way of approaching this is to work through developments in chronological order.
16On the other hand, you could talk about the numerous ways that nanotechnology is being applied.
17You mean things like thin films on camera displays to make them water-repellent,
18and additives to make motorcycle helmets stronger and lighter.
19Exactly.
20Or another way would be to focus on its impact in one particular area,
21say medicine, or space exploration.
22That would make it easier to focus.
23Perhaps I should do that.
24I think that would be a good idea.
25Right.
26How important is it to include slides in the presentation?
27They aren't essential, by any means.
28And there's a danger of tailoring what you say to fit whatever slides you can find.
29While it can be good to include slides,
30you could end up spending too long looking for suitable ones.
31You might find it better to leave them out.
32I see.
33Another thing I was wondering about was how to start.
34I know presentations often begin with
35'First I'm going to talk about this, and then I'll talk about that',
36but I thought about asking the audience what they know about nanotechnology.
37That would be fine if you had an hour or two for the presentation,
38but you might find that you can't do anything with the answers you get,
39and it simply eats into the short time that's available.
40So, maybe I should mention a particular way that nanotechnology is used, to focus people's attention.
41That sounds sensible.
42What do you think I should do next?
43I really have to plan the presentation today and tomorrow.
44Well, initially I think you should ignore all the notes you've made,
45take a small piece of paper, and write a single short sentence that ties together the whole presentation:
46it can be something as simple as 'Nanotechnology is already improving our lives'.
47Then start planning the content around that.
48You can always modify that sentence later, if you need to.
49OK.
50OK, now let's think about actually giving the presentation.
51You've only given one before, if I remember correctly,
52about an experiment you'd been involved in.
53That's right.
54It was pretty rubbish!
55Let's say it was better in some respects than in others.
56With regard to the structure.
57I felt that you ended rather abruptly, without rounding it off.
58Be careful not to do that in next week's presentation.
59OK.
60And you made very little eye contact with the audience,
61because you were looking down at your notes most of the time.
62You need to be looking at the audience and only occasionally glancing at your notes.
63Your body language was a little odd.
64Every time you showed a slide, you turned your back on the audience so you could look at it -
65you should have been looking at your laptop.
66And you kept scratching your head,
67so I found myself wondering when you were next going to do that,
68instead of listening to what you were saying!
69Oh dear.
70What did you think of the language?
71I knew that not everyone was familiar with the subject,
72so I tried to make it as simple as I could.
73Yes, that came across.
74You used a few words that are specific to the field,
75but you always explained what they meant,
76so the audience wouldn't have had any difficulty understanding.
77I must say the handouts you prepared were well thought out.
78They were a good summary of your presentation,
79which people would have been able to refer to later on.
80So well done on that.
81Thank you.
82Well, I hope that helps you with next week's presentation.
83Yes, it will. Thanks a lot.
84I'll look forward to seeing a big improvement, then.