BILL GATES: Presentation Skills
Intermediate Level:
•
Grammar: Apostrophe
•
Pronunciation: Contractions
•
Functional Vocabulary: Linking and Signalling Words
•
Listening: Bill Gates: Microsoft and Beyond
•
Reading: Bill Gates Presents
•
Business Expressions: Presentation
•
Role Play: Present Yourself or Your Company
1
www.ibeschool.com
INTRODUCTION:
Discuss these questions: What do you know about Bill Gates? How did he
become so successful?
Do you know the meaning of these words? You will hear them in the listening:
Dropout – Hardware – Software - Monopolizing – Aggressive - Fined
LISTENING 1:
You are going to hear a spokesman talk about Bill Gates. Answer these questions.
1. What were the famous words Bill Gates said?
2. How many people does Microsoft employ?
3. What was IBM doing in the 1980s?
4. How did Microsoft enter the Internet sector?
5. What is the criticism of Microsoft?
PRONUNCIATION - USING CONTRACTIONS
For natural sounding English it is important to use contractions. Here are the most
Auxiliary
Form
Am
Is
Contraction With
Pronouns
I’m working this
morning
He's going to come.
You're doing a great
job
Has
He’s been to Milan
twice.
Have
I've finished my work.
Will
I'll go to the shop.
important examples.
Contractions with
Nouns
I’m on a training course
Contractions with
Question Words
Bill’s on the phone.
Who’s on the phone?
What’s he doing?
What’re you going to do?
The Manager’s gone to
the meeting.
What’s she been doing?
Are
EXERCISE: Say these sentences using the appropriate contractions
1. We are here and you are there.
2. She will call the boss because he is late, and Tom’s already arrived.
3. They are here for the presentation. I am very excited and he is too.
2
www.ibeschool.com
Introductory Question: What do you think makes a good or a bad presentation?
Functional Vocabulary: Classic Presentation Style
PREPARATION - DELIVERY - BODY LANGUAGE
This is very important. Think about the audience, they will be asking: Is this
interesting, why am I here?
Surveys show that the audience decides if they are interested in the first seven
seconds. So the first seven seconds must be good.
•
Start and finish with a bang: Use a famous quote, tell a story, or ask a question
e.g. “Is it better to be proactive or reactive?’
“My dream is to put a computer on every desk and in every home … “ Bill Gates.
•
Know the audience: Who are you presenting to? What do the audience know?
What do they expect from you? Is English their second language?
•
Know your material: Make sure you know the subject in detail. Practice your
presentation and deliver it naturally. Don’t read from notes. Keep it clear and
make sure it has a structure.
•
Concentrate on your message: The central theme (in the title) must be linked to
every point you make.
•
Use good linking and signaling: Tell the audience that you have finished one
point and you are now moving onto the next one. Lead them from point to point.
•
Body language: Breathe slowly and don’t speak quickly, it will sound nervous.
Have good posture, control your hands, make eye contact with different people in
the audience, be enthusiastic … smile! Smile! SMILE!
Speaking exercise: In pairs
Think of examples of an opening line: a
question, a quote, or a story e.g.
• Let me ask you, how many people here
work harder than their boss?
• Walt Disney said: “If you can dream it,
you can do it”
• On the way here I got lost and I had to
ask somebody for directions …
•
Take turns in delivering an opening.
Other students should give feedback on
why it is good or how it can improve.
3
www.ibeschool.com
CLASSIC BUSINESS PRESENTATION STRUCTURE
Open with a
QUESTION, or a
QUOTE, to get
the audience
interested
Greet & introduce:
• Yourself
• Your role
• Presentation title
Overview of main presentation
points & duration of talk
Introduce 1st main point
and present.
Note timing: Main points
should have equal time
value
Introduce 2nd main point
and present
Introduce 3rd main point
and present
Summary & conclusion
Question & answer session
4
www.ibeschool.com
FUNCTIONAL VOCABULARY: Signalling & Connecting Points
Signalling Structure
• I’ve divided my presentation into three parts.
• First, I’ll talk about ... Second ... Third ...
Introducing a Main Point:
• Let me start with …
• I’d like to begin by …
Finishing a Point:
• That’s all I have to say about that …
• We’ve looked at …
Starting a New Point
• Now let’s turn to / move on to …
• I’d like now to look at …
Linking Expressions
• To add another idea
Furthermore, as well as, also
• To arrange ideas in order or time
Firstly, secondly, next, finally
• To add an explanation
For example, for instance, in other words
• To connect two contrasting ideas
But, however, although, despite, even though
• To emphasise or confirm
Obviously, in fact, certainly, definitely
Referring to What You Have Said
• As I said before, As I mentioned earlier
Referring to What You Will Say
• I’ll come to that later, We’ll look at that in the next part
Summarizing and Concluding
• To summarize, in conclusion
Inviting Questions – The Q & A Session
• Are there any questions - Please feel fee to ask any questions …
EXERCISE: Connect these sentences using the Linking Expressions above. More
than one answer is possible:
1. We sell computer games. They are very successful
2. The company is based in California. It is not near other computer companies.
3. I want to talk about how the company started. I want to talk about what the
company is doing now. I want to talk about what the company’s future plans.
4. Bill Gates works very hard. He works 14 hours a day, 6 days a week.
5. The team has finished the email project. The team has not started a new project.
5
www.ibeschool.com
GRAMMAR PRACTICE – Apostrophe
The rules about the use of the Apostrophe in written English are very simple:
1. Apostrophes are used to indicate a letter is missing, for example:
I can't (I cannot)
I don't (I do not)
It's (it is)
2. Apostrophes are used to signal possession, for example:
Bill’s computer (the computer of Bill)
The company's logo (the logo of the company)
James’s office (the office of James)
NOTE: Apostrophes are NEVER used to signal plurals. Common mistakes include:
Computer's for sale (correct form: Computers for sale)
1000's of people work here (correct form: 1000s of people work here)
NOTE: Your and You're sound the same but are used differently:
Your is a possessive pronoun e.g. this is your computer
You're is a contraction of you are e.g. you're working hard
Exercise: Place an apostrophe where appropriate in the sentences:
1. Im going to collect Ians car
2. Youre in the office and dont have a meeting until 3 oclock.
3. Its Tuesday and were going to Carloss party
4. Isnt it good that Toms house is so big
5. This years sales figures arent very high.
6
www.ibeschool.com
BUSINESS EXPRESSIONS – PRESENTATIONS
Complete the sentences with the correct alternative.
1. Thank-you for the question but I’m not an expert in that _______.
a) Place b) Field
c) Ground
2. Nerves make it hard for me to control my ________.
a) Air
b) Inhaling
c) Breathing
3. I’m sorry, can you repeat your question, I didn’t ________ it.
a) Catch b) Reach c) Take
READING EXERCISE:
Introductory question: Are PowerPoint Presentations easy to operate?
Exercise: Read the article and choose the correct word to fill the gaps
Bill Gates Presents
1.
(Despite / Obviously) suffering technical problems, Bill Gates said that
Microsoft will help millions of consumers with digital music, movies, Wi-Fi Internet
access, video games and television shows.
"We predicted a digital decade, and it happened," Gates told the audience, at his
presentation, "2.
(firstly / but) it's happening faster than we expected."
3.
(However / In conclusion) when he was promoting the "digital lifestyle," Bill
Gates showed how risky technology can be, even if he is the boss of Microsoft.
In the PowerPoint presentation Bill’s computer screen went blank. It was a problem
4.
(finally / but) he demonstrated his professionalism and continued his
presentation using only words.
5.
, (Next / Although) the challenge for Microsoft is to compete with Google on
the World Wide Web. 6.
(Even though / In addition) Microsoft failed in its
attempt to buy Yahoo in 2008, it will continue to look for opportunities to compete
7
www.ibeschool.com
LISTENING 2:
Do you know what these words mean? You will hear them in the listening exercise.
Retire - Charity – AIDS – Disease
Now listen to the recording and answer the questions below.
1. What did Bill Gates do in 2008?
2. How much money does he have?
3. Why does Bill Gates think he has too much money?
4. What does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation do?
5. How much money has the foundation given in aid?
ROLE-PLAY
Background: You need to give a presentation to a potential client or
employer. Decide what you want to present – a product, a service, yourself,
or an idea.
Prepare a 5-minute presentation
Presentation: Take it in turns to give the presentation to the class.
Other students should ask questions and give feedback on presentation
style and delivery.
Practise: Using the pronunciation, vocabulary and functional language you
have learnt in this unit.
8
www.ibeschool.com
AUDIO 1 – intermediate – Bill Gates
Bill Gates – Intermediate level
“We want to put a computer on every desk and in every home". These were the
famous words that Bill Gates said at a business presentation in the 1970s.
And it was this vision that turned a simple idea into the Microsoft Corporation. In
2008 the company employed 90,000 people and had revenues of over $60 billion.
How did Bill Gates do it?
•
•
In the 1980s, when IBM was concentrating on hardware, Microsoft focused on
software, and developed the Windows operating system. Microsoft gained control
of the market by installing the operating system on the majority of new
computers.
Next Bill Gates saw an opportunity in the Internet sector. Microsoft put its
Explorer system in the Windows software package for free.
A criticism of Microsoft is that it completely dominates every market it enters by using
aggressive business tactics, and the company has been fined millions of dollars.
However, it is not the number one company on the Internet. Its main rival Google is a
lot bigger.
AUDIO 2 – intermediate – Bill Gates
Love him or hate him, Bill Gates is an extremely successful business entrepreneur.
He retired from the Microsoft management in 2008 and now works full-time at his
charity, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world, but that is not important to him.
With a lot of money comes a lot of responsibility, he believes.
“I have over $100 billion and that’s far too much,” he said. “I could spend 3 million
dollars a day, every day, for the next 100 years and still have too much money.”
In 2000, he and his wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a charity
organization, which provides money for AIDS prevention, and other diseases that
affect poor people in the world.
The foundation has given over $28 billion in aid.
9
www.ibeschool.com
LESSON PLAN – Bill Gates – intermediate
Key objectives – to practise aural and oral Business English
INTRODUCTION: Ask the students what they know about Microsoft and Bill Gates.
Teacher (T) – Students (SS) 5 mins
LISTENING 1: Next tell students they are going to hear a spokesman talking about
the vision of Bill Gates. They need to answer the questions at the end. Play the
listening and ask students the questions. (T) – (SS) 10 mins
PRONUNCIATION: Ask the students what they know about contractions? Go
through the exercise. (T) – (SS) 10 mins
FUNCTIONAL VOCABULARY: Elicit opinions on what makes great and bad
presentations. Go through vocabulary and explanation of what makes a classic
presentation. Do written exercise. (T) – (SS) 15 mins
GRAMMAR: Ask the students when to use an apostrophe
Go through the rules and do the exercise that follows.
Ask students to read the questions and answers out loud. (S) – (T) 10 mins
Go to
BUSINESS VOCABULARY: Go through the exercises. (S) – (T) 10 mins
READING: Find out if the students if they know anything about PowerPoint
presentations. Go through reading and ask students to read out loud, and fill the
gaps. (S) – (T) 10 mins
Go to
LISTENING 2: Tell students they are going to hear the 2nd part of the listening. Play
the listening and students answer the questions (SS) – (T) 10 mins
Go to
ROLE PLAY: Ask students to prepare a 5-minute presentation. Give them 5-minutes
to prepare. Make sure they practice the grammar and vocabulary learnt in the lesson
and to try and use the case study material in their argument. Get the other students
to ask questions and offer feedback. (SS) – (SS) 20 mins
10
www.ibeschool.com
EXERCISE ANSWERS
LISTENING 1:
1. We want to put a computer on every desk and in every home
2. 90,000
3. Concentrating on hardware
4. Microsoft included its Explorer system in the Windows software package for free.
5. It dominates every market it enters through aggressive business tactics
PRONUNCIATION:
1. We’re here and you’re there.
2. She’ll call the boss because he’s late, and Tom’s already arrived.
3. They’re here for the presentation. I’m very excited and he is too.
FUNCTIONAL VOCABULARY:
1. We sell computer games. Furthermore, they are very successful.
2. The company is based in California. However, is not near other computer companies.
3. Firstly, I want to talk about how the company started, secondly, I want to talk about what
the company is doing now, and finally I want to talk about what the company’s future
plans.
4. Bill Gates works very hard. In fact he works 14 hours a day, 6 days a week.
5. The team has finished the email project. The team has not started a new project.
GRAMMAR PRACTICE:
1. I’m going to collect Ian’s car
2. You’re in the office and don’t have a meeting until 3 o’clock
3. It’s Tuesday and we’re going to Carlos’s party
4. Isn’t it good that Tom’s house is so big
5. This year’s sales figures aren’t very high.
BUSINESS EXPRESSIONS – PRESENTATIONS
1. Thank-you for the question but I’m not an expert in that field.
2. Presentation nerves make it hard for me to control my breathing.
3. I’m sorry, can you speak up I didn’t catch the question.
READING EXERCISE:
1. Despite
2. Although
3. However
4. But
5. Next
6. Even Though
LISTENING 2:
1. He retired from the Microsoft management and now works full-time at his charity, The Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation.
2. $100 billion
3. He could spend 3 million dollars a day, every day, for the next 100 years and still have
too much money
4. Provides money for AIDS prevention, and other diseases that affect poor people.
5. $28 billion
11
www.ibeschool.com