EAP Foundation: Academic Presentations begins by identifying questions to consider when preparing for a presentation, covering audience, purpose, tone, venue, timing and content. Planning is also considered in the first unit (Unit 1: Preparation & Planning). The book continues by examining presentation structure - introduction, main body, conclusion and Q&A - and considering what each section should contain (Unit 2: Structure). A key area which supports the structure, namely signpost language, is considered in a separate unit (Unit 3: Language), while an area which supports the content, namely visuals, is also considered separately (Unit 4: Visual Aids). The final areas of the book relate to presentation performance, namely body language (Unit 5: Body Language) and delivery (Unit 6: Delivery).
As with all books in the EAP Foundation series, the units focus on presenting practical information in a straightforward and readable manner. There are additional tips in each unit to help students perform well. There are also numerous 'In short' boxes which give a summary of the main points covered. These will help the student to preview the unit before reading in detail, and provide a useful way to review the unit later. Each unit also contains a checklist, which is used either to check understanding or to give feedback (self or peer). Each unit concludes with a range of exercises to check comprehension and deepen understanding. At the end of the book there are appendices, giving information on accessing online resources, answers to exercises, three presentation topics, data for visual aids, a presentation planning grid and a presentation outline.
The EAP Foundation series is written for EFL students who are preparing for, or currently studying at, a Western university, including those on foundation or pre-sessional courses.
Sheldon Smith has been teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) since 2002, working in the UK, Indonesia and China. Since 2005 he has been working on pathway programmes which prepare non-native English speakers for university study at Western universities, chiefly in the USA, UK and Australia. In addition to text books for academic English, he is the author of several novels and text books for Chinese language learning. He is the founder and chief developer of the EAPFoundation.com website. He currently resides in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
