Business English Presentations- Shifting Stress in Phrases
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Changing the meaning by changing the stress in typical presentations phrases, including the most commonly stressed words.
Lesson Plan Content:
Shifting stress in presentation phrases
The following phrases can change meaning (at least a little) if you change the word which you stress strongly. Try to find at least two words which you can stress in ways that change the meaning (a little or a lot). Three different meanings are also possible in some (but not all) cases.
Starting presentations
Hooking the audience
- It might shock you to hear that…
It might shock you to hear that…
It might shock you to hear that…
- By the end of this presentation, you will know the answer.
By the end of this presentation, you will know the answer.
By the end of this presentation, you will know the answer.
Explaining the structure/ organisation/ parts of your presentation
- For the first part of my presentation,…
For the first part of my presentation,…
For the first part of my presentation,…
Explaining your policy on the audience asking questions
- I will be very happy to answer any questions after I finish.
I will be very happy to answer any questions after I finish.
I will be very happy to answer any questions after I finish.
Body of the presentation
Talking about visuals (PowerPoint, etc)
- This diagram is a bar chart which shows…
This diagram is a bar chart which shows…
This diagram is a bar chart which shows…
- If you look at this slide,…
If you look at this slide,…
If you look at this slide,…
- These three bullet points represent…
These three bullet points represent…
These three bullet points represent…
Ending presentations
Before the Q&A: Summary/ Conclusion
- From what I’ve shown, it should be obvious that…
From what I’ve shown, it should be obvious that…
From what I’ve shown, it should be obvious that…
- I think all this proves that…
I think all this proves that…
I think all this proves that…
What stress pattern is most common for each of the lines above? Draw a star next to that line (after marking that stress pattern if you didn’t before).
Test each other on the phrases:
- Say one with the most common stress for your partner to repeat back
- Say one with the most common stress for your partner to identify the stressed word in
- Say one with less common stress for your partner to repeat back with more common stress
- Say one without strongly stressing any words for your partner to repeat back with suitable stress
- Say the name of a category of phrase above and maybe the first few words for your partner to repeat back the whole phrase with suitable stress
Without looking above, orally brainstorm suitable phrases into these categories, using normal stress and intonation:
Starting presentations (hooking, explaining the structure/ organisation/ of your presentation, explaining your policy on audience questions, etc)
Body of the presentation (talking about visuals, etc)
Ending presentations (summary/ conclusion, etc)
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