Presenting and communicating
Presenting your ideas in front of others is a common assessment method at York St John University. Your seminars and lectures will also include many opportunities to speak, communicate and discuss your ideas with others. Presenting and communicating successfully requires:
understanding the presenting/communicating task your lecturer has set
planning and deciding what you will say and how you will communicate it, and
(for presentations) practising and rehearsing.
Take charge of your own communication development. As you progress through your studies, you should develop your communication and presentation skills and apply your lecturer's feedback from previous work.
As a York St John University student, you are expected to develop appropriate academic and professional communication skills that will help you to get your ideas across to an audience. You will need to:
choose and use an appropriate tone (such as an academic or a professional tone)
develop skills in communicating clearly and in an engaging way, and
structure your communication so that your ideas are communicated effectively.
Presentation and non-written communication skills are fundamental for success on your degree course and are vital for your employability.
We have 2 types of support available:
Presentation and communication self-development resources, and
1 to 1 or small group support.
But first, our advice!
Advice to improve your speaking, communication and discussion confidence
Maybe you don’t feel very confident in speaking and participating in discussions because English is not your first language, because you feel shy or nervous in this situation or because you’re not sure of the expectations and rules around participating in a discussion at university.
That’s understandable, and you are certainly not alone in feeling this way.
Before the seminar or class:
You will be expected to participate, so think about the role you can take. Can you answer questions? Can you talk to others about your ideas?
Prepare before the seminar or class. It will make you feel less nervous. You’ll find the topic, text or materials on the Moodle site for that class. Think about the topic / text / materials and find important words connected to it. Write notes but not complete sentences.
If you think you have no ideas on the topic, think about what you already know that is similar, or what you can find out.
Don’t tell yourself your ideas are not valuable or ‘good enough.’ You’re learning a skill.
During the seminar or class:
You don’t need to wait for someone to call your name before you speak. Try to make a contribution and don’t allow worries about mistakes to stop you. It’s a discussion – not an exam.
You are allowed to interrupt if you do this politely: you could say ‘Could I add something?’
In a small group task, some students may talk a lot and some might be very quiet. Don’t sit silently just because someone else in your group seems more confident.
Express your ideas and if possible, use evidence or examples to strengthen your points (for example, ‘I think the cost of living is creating problems: lots of people are now using food banks or worrying about paying their bills.’)
Listen and show that you are listening, by nodding or by responding to what the speaker is saying (for example, ‘Yes, I agree’ or ‘When you say ‘creating problems’, which problems do you mean?’)
You can disagree with other students and / or with the text you are discussing. Just remember to say why. It’s a good idea to start your reply with a polite phrase like ‘I understand what you’re saying, but…’ or ‘That’s a good point, but…’ .
After the seminar or class:
Reflect on the discussion and your participation. What would you do or prepare differently next time? Celebrate your participation!
Skills Guides self-development resources page
Our Skills Guides resources are designed to support your development in a self-guided way. This means you can access support resources wherever you are, whenever you need. We have resources to support you with:
presentation skills
Access Study Success Skills Guides
You can also use our resources on specific presentation tools, like Microsoft PowerPoint.
Access Microsoft PowerPoint help pages
Did you know that Microsoft PowerPoint has a powerful Speaker Coach that can help you improve your presentation style?
Develop your presentation skills with Microsoft PowerPoint Speaker Coach
1 to 1 or small group support
Need 1 to 1 or small group support to develop your assignment planning and time management skills? We have lots of group and 1 to 1 learning opportunities to help you here.
Focus and Forward
Visit our weekly Focus and Forward Planning Hub on the York campus or online for access to a focused space to plan your presentation work:
Academic and language discussion groups
Attend an academic and language discussion group to grow your confidence in speaking. You do not need to prepare anything to join in and practice.
On the York campus, join the international discussion group every Wednesday, 1.00pm to 2.00pm, in the Creative Centre, Room: CC/001.
On the London campus, join the Communicating with Confidence group by booking: Book to join a Communicating with Confidence group.
York and London campus students
A range of tutors at York St John University can help you:
grow your confidence in speaking and presenting
develop new and existing presenting and communication skills, and
set you on a path to success with your presentations.
If you are a York campus student, you can book an in-person tutorial on campus or an online tutorial:
Book a 1 to 1 learning tutorial with a Study Development Tutor
If you are a London campus student, you can book a tutorial with a tutor from London Learning and Wellness team:
Book a small group learning tutorial with London Learning and Wellness tutor