You will learn English About giving presentations using eye contact and how to make eye contact in English presentations. I will teach you good eye contact tips and some of the best eye contact tips in English presentations. Let's learn English about how to give presentations in English along with giving presentations in English - how to give a presentation - business English. Learn English presentations in English by using eye contact in English.
The topic for this post is eye contact for presentation in English. In the last post, we learned helpful tips and tricks for using good body language while presenting . We talked about things like posture, hand placement and facial expressions. Another important aspect of body language when we present is eye contact.
So, what is good eye contact?
When we make eye contact, we look other people in the eyes while we speak. Do you think eye contact is important? Why or why not? How do you feel when you are talking to someone and they do not make eye contact with you? How do you feel when you are watching a presentation and they do not make eye contact with you?
Eye contact is important because it shows the audience that you are confident and prepared. It also helps keep the audience from losing focus or losing interest because you are looking at them and talking to them in a more personal way.
Let us talk about five helpful tips for using good eye contact during English presentations.
Tip #1 - Be prepared.
Preparing for your presentation is important for many reasons, as we will learn throughout this series. One reason why it is so important to prepare is because if we are unprepared, we will not make good eye contact. If you are looking at your notes or reading a script because you did not prepare, it will have a negative effect on your presentation.
Prepare and practice for your presentation so you are able to focus on not just what you are seeing, but how you are seeing it and how you are connecting with the audience. Preparing well means you can make eye contact with your audience in a meaningful way. It is OK to use note cards but try to look at the audience about 90 percent of the time.
Tip #2 - Keep eye contact with each person for about three to five seconds.
When you are presenting, keep eye contact long enough to make a connection and then move on. This means that you should not look at one person for a long time. It is uncomfortable, right? It is important to note that you do not have to make eye contact with every person in the room. But when you do make eye contact, make sure it’s just for about three to five seconds and not for too long.
Tip #3 - Talk to everyone in the audience, not just the people you know or are comfortable with.
See the audience as individual listeners. When you make eye contact, make sure you do not just make eye contact with your friends or your teacher or the people you know well. Try to connect with the whole audience. This means you should make eye contact all around the room as you present.
Tip #4 - Do not do the sprinkler when presenting in English.
It can be a little stressful to look at people when we present, and that can make us do things that do not look very natural. If you feel nervous making eye contact when you present, remember this tip. Do not look around the room too evenly left to right like a sprinkler. We do not normally talk like that. Look at all sections of the room at random.
Maybe this means looking to the left than the middle. Then the left again, then the right, then the people in the back and so on just do not do this. This does not look natural, right? So, look at random parts of the room.
Tip #5 - When you are thinking of what to say, look at the space between people.
Do not worry, you do not have to look people in the eyes for every single moment of your presentation. For example, it is OK to look at your notes from time to time if you are thinking of what to say next or need a little break from looking at everyone because it’s making you a little uncomfortable.
You can look at the space between people this way. You are still looking out at the audience but have a moment to think clearly without looking into someone’s eyes. It can help reduce your stress, too.
Don’t feel too anxious
If you are feeling a little anxious, remember, be prepared. Keep eye contact with each person for three to five seconds. Talk to everyone. Do not do the sprinkler and look at the space between people when you are thinking of what to say next. These eye contact tips will help you give a better presentation.
Read part 1: Presenting in English - How to Present an Introduction in an English Presentation https://www.dannyenglish.com/post/presenting-in-english-how-to-present-an-introduction-in-an-english-presentation
Read Part 2: Give GREAT Presentations in English: Learn Body Language for English Presentations! https://www.dannyenglish.com/post/learn-body-language-for-english-presentations
