How International Student Must Counter Questions During A Presentation?

When it is your turn to deliver a presentation, it is quite easy to feel as if you are the center of all the attention in the world. You are standing on the front and people have come to see what you have got to tell. But the truth is you are not the one running the show, your audience is. Things can especially be difficult for students studying abroad.

They might become nervous and tongue-tied during the presentation, or forget their points, especially if they are having difficulty understanding the audiences’ reactions. So how an international student must prepare for questions during a presentation.

Here are a few tips:

1. Prepare for resistance

Many people look at resistance as negative and as a sign of failure. But that’s not true. Resistance doesn’t always have to be bad. Indeed, if you consider resistance as a reaction to your presentation, you can prepare for it in advance and sharpen your presentation skills by developing a strategy to win over your audience.

You can think of a possible difference in opinions and address the doubts that might come up as others ask questions during your presentation. You can tackle possible doubts and fears before they become obstructions.

2. Enhance your vocabulary

Giving a presentation as an international student, it means you might not be speaking in your native language. To enhance your communication with the audience, you would need a rich vocabulary. It would not only improve your presentation but also impress your audience amazingly.

If your presentation topic is based on a foreign country, then adding the local words of that country in your presentation will come in very handy. However, almost everywhere, English is also necessary. So do not forget to enrich your English vocabulary as well.

3. Work on your pronunciation to improve it

Whether you are in England or the USA, both countries are English-spoken countries, however with different accents and pronunciations. You need to be very fluent in the language you are delivering your presentation. There is a lot more to have fluency in a foreign language than just enriching your vocabulary and grammar.

Wrong pronunciation can ruin your presentation like no other, except perhaps a lack of knowledge on your part. So practice as much as you can and try to make the right balance with correct pronunciation and tone. You can practice your pronunciation with a local listener.

4. Include visuals in your presentation

To communicate and connect with your audience in a better way, you can add visual support in your presentation. Visuals can be very effective if you are not confident about your speaking. If you are not very assured when it comes to your spoken skills, you can write the points on your PowerPoint slides as well. That means you and the audience; both would be able to read the points and understand them.

5. Make notes and do some practice

Going into a presentation without preparing in advance for any errors would be an unwise move on your part. You can control your anxiety by preparing notes so that you can refer to them in case you have forgotten any point during your presentation.

Also, rehearse every point before you go in front of your audience. By making yourself familiar multiple times with your presentation content, you would feel more inflow while talking your points and answering audience queries and doubts.