Ready to make a real difference while having a blast? Imagine helping your students become awesome speakers, full of confidence and cool ideas. That’s what the ‘Presentation Skills’ English Club is all about! As a Peace Corps volunteer, you know that being a good speaker isn’t just about talking—it’s like having a superpower that lets you share your thoughts and dreams. This post will show you how to start your own club and teach your learners these amazing skills. Get ready for an adventure that’s all about speaking up, making friends, and having fun while you teach. Let’s jump into this exciting journey together and help your students shine, one presentation at a time.
Overview of the Presentation Skills English Club
Let’s take a step back and understand what this ‘Presentation Skills’ English Club is all about. The club has a powerful goal: to equip your students with the presentation skills they need to thrive in English class and beyond.
Why Is This Important?
Being able to present ideas with confidence isn’t just for performances. It’s a life skill that lets people share their stories, connect with different audiences, and make positive change. In places where good communication can lead to progress, building these skills is more than important—it’s transformative.
What Will You Do?
Over five exciting days, involve your students in fun activities designed to unlock their potential as presenters. From finding inspiration in ‘Shark Tank’ to mastering public speaking, each day builds a specific part of presentation talent. By the end, your students will not only be better presenters, but also more confident communicators.
The 5-Day Schedule
Here’s a quick look at a jam-packed schedule:
- Day 1: Get inspiration from ‘Shark Tank’ to grasp what makes a powerful presentation.
- Day 2: Explore creative brainstorming to invent solutions.
- Day 3: Craft presentations for maximum impact.
- Day 4: Build skills and confidence through practice and mock sessions.
- Day 5: See your students’ growth as they present innovations in a ‘Shark Tank’ event.
Now that you see what’s ahead, let’s start with Day 1 and embark on this exciting journey together!
Day 1: Inspiration from “Shark Tank”
On the TV show “Shark Tank,” entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to celebrity investors called “sharks.” The sharks decide if the product, business, and pitch are good enough to deserve money to start.
Have your students view examples of winning Shark Tank pitches to see what makes a good presentation. They’ll see how skills like storytelling, passion, and preparation help contestants get money from the sharks. Arina (PCV Armenia) used the following videos:
- Things Get Awkward In The Tank With Pashion Footwear | Shark Tank US
- A Bidding War Breaks Out During Scrub Daddy’s Pitch | Shark Tank US
To start, have your students watch clips of favorite Shark Tank pitches. Discuss as a class:
- What presentation techniques did you notice?
- How did the entrepreneur excite the sharks?
- What made their business idea easy to understand?
As Arina (PCV Armenia) experienced, students may make observations that surprise you – let their perspectives shine through! For example, one of Arina’s students noticed a Shark Tank contestant seemed nervous even though their presentation was well-rehearsed. Valuing their input helps get them actively involved and participating.
Let your students share their observations. Highlight positive techniques for an engaging pitch. Explain that by the end of the club, they’ll have the skills to impress even the sharks!
Day 2: Inventive Brainstorming
Yesterday your students found inspiration in “Shark Tank.” Today you’ll introduce them to brainstorming for the first time to generate innovative ideas!
Explain that brainstorming is a creative thinking process for coming up with solutions. There are no bad ideas in brainstorming – the goal is to open up imagination. Have your learners share any issues they want to solve – big or small. Let all ideas flow freely without judgment!
Then break into small groups and take turns sharing invention ideas. The inventions themselves aren’t important right now. The focus is getting them to think expansively and collaboratively.
As Arina (PCV Armenia) shared, this invention theme sparks creativity and lets students present on topics they’re passionate about. Arina observed it was great to see the students bring out their ingenuity.
After brainstorming, have each student choose one idea. For Ariana (PCV Armenia), she supplied the students with play-dough to create a model of their inventions. But you could use other materials like paper or cardboard. The students really like this part of the process so think if you can include this in your English club. The hands-on creativity boosts engagement. Making invention prototypes also previews building visual aids for presentations, a key skill.
To wrap up, have each student choose one idea that sparks their passion. They don’t have to develop it fully today – just get their innovative juices flowing! The hands-on process introduces them to imagination and collaboration.
Day 3: Crafting the Storyboard
Your students have brainstormed creative inventions. Now have them storyboard their presentations!
Explain that storyboarding means planning a presentation step-by-step, like a comic strip. This structures ideas logically.
Share that an effective presentation has these key parts:
- Introduction: Get the audience’s attention and state your central message.
- Problem Statement: Explain the major problem your invention will solve.
- Solution: Describe how your invention addresses the problem.
- Benefits: Highlight the advantages your audience will gain.
- Conclusion: Summarize the importance of your invention and key points.
Have your students each craft a storyboard. Provide blank sheets for them to sketch ideas for each presentation section.
Planning the flow ahead of time will help them deliver a clear, organized pitch. The visuals will also make concepts more memorable!
With engaging introductions and compelling problem statements, they’ll hook the audience on their ingenious solutions. Then drive their points home in powerful conclusions.
Arina (PCV Armenia) experienced first-hand that students will really enjoy this hands-on lesson – it brings their ideas to life. Making play-dough inventions was a major hit with Arina’s students.
Your students can now start storyboarding inventive presentations that will wow the crowd!
Day 4: Mastering Presentation Skills & Delivery
Your students have planned their presentations. Now it’s time to practice delivery.
Share tips for effective verbal and nonverbal communication:
- Vary tone, inflection, eye contact, gestures
- Use clear language and define terms
- Involve the audience with questions
Emphasize the importance of practice. Have students give mock presentations and provide friendly feedback.
Offer tips like:
- Go slowly at first
- Project voice
- Time themselves
Then discuss managing nerves and stage fright. Remind them some anxiety is normal. Share calming strategies:
- Deep breathing
- Focus on the message
- Channel energy into enthusiasm
With preparation and courage, your students can present like pros! This practice will turn fear into an adrenaline rush. Public speaking takes bravery, but the skills gained make it rewarding. They’ve got this!
Day 5: “Shark Tank” Inspired Presentation Day
This is it – your Shark Tank day! It’s time for your students to pitch their inventions.
To start, draw straws to decide the presentation order. This keeps it fair and random, just like real Shark Tank.
Consider inviting local community members to be the “sharks” and give your students a real audience. Have your students wow them with storytelling, visuals, and persuasion!
Remind them to:
- Open with an attention-grabbing introduction.
- Explain the problem clearly and emphasize its importance.
- Describe the creative solution, highlighting benefits.
- Close by summarizing key details persuasively.
- Use engaging visual aids to illustrate concepts.
Your students have worked incredibly hard and learned so much. Now they can put it all together for an impactful presentation!
This is their chance to shine. Remind them that you believe in them. Have them focus on sharing their brilliant invention that will make your community better. They’ve got this!
Creating Your Own Presentation Skills Club
Want to start your own presentation skills English camp? Follow these steps:
Planning:
- Determine the length (we did 5 days). Adjust based on your schedule.
- Select a theme like inventions or environmental solutions.
- Outline hands-on activities and discussions.
- Invite guest speakers from your community if possible. It adds variety!
- And know where you are going to hold the English Club/Camp
Preparing:
- Gather any needed supplies ahead of time like art supplies (paper, colored pencils, play-dough if available)
- Adapt lessons for different ages or English levels.
- Translate materials if needed based on your students’ native languages.
Presenting:
- Keep energy and enthusiasm high!
- Take lots of pictures/videos to share.
- Celebrate your students’ growth on the last day with certificates.
Follow-up:
- Send thank you notes to volunteers and schools involved.
- Share photos and student quotes with your community.
- Reflect on what worked well and improvements for next time.
The camp format is flexible. Adjust it to fit your context and students’ needs. Most importantly, have fun!
Now it’s Your Turn
In this post, we’ve explored an exciting English camp focused on presentation skills. Over 5 days, your students can brainstorm inventions, craft storyboards, master public speaking techniques, and bring their ideas to life. A camp like this builds confidence along with language abilities. Your students will discover the power of their voice.
As Arina (PCV Armenia) observed, a camp like this builds confidence and participation. Even Arina’s quietest student was speaking up by the end of the camp!
Hopefully this motivates you to organize your own “Presentation Skills” club or English event.
Keep the lessons engaging and celebrate growth. Your learners can gain skills to share ideas, inspire others, and create positive change. The rewarding journey begins with a single step. We hope you’ll embark on this adventure with your students!
Other Resources:
- 8 Ways to Teach Your Students Presentation Skills
- 20 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills
- Public Speaking: 30 Tips To Improve Your Presentation Skills
- How to give a good presentation: 8 tips
- How to Give a Killer Presentation
- Feature Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash
