Page 29 - 2_studijní opora - modul 8ANG

1. Bad habits
Some body language can be distracting or confusing for the audience. Which
of the following, you think, you do? Complete with some more possibilities.

keeping your hands at your sides

keeping your hands in the pockets
grasping your hand behind your back

grasping your hands in front of you

playing with small objects (paperclips, pens, etc.)

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How would you like to improve your gestures?

We all have a few bad or annoying habits. For example, somebody says "uh,"
"you know," very often, or puts his hands in the pocket and jingles the keys, which
distracts the audience from the message they are trying to communicate. Avoid
bad habits; if you know that during presentations you play with buttons or put
your hands in the pockets, try to not wear clothes with pockets or buttons. And
even more, if you put hands in the pockets for a long time, it makes you look
offensive and ill-mannered.
The best way to break some of these distracting habits is to get immediate
feedback from co-workers or friends.

2. Body language

Some ideas you are presenting can be strengthened by your hands. Below you
will find several possibilities; add some more ideas.
Gestures enable to

mimic or demonstrate an action (using an imaginary tool)

outline the shape, size of the thing you are talking about (tall, round)

demonstrate characteristics of an object (elastic, smooth)

stress an object by pointing at it (a person, a step in a process)
emphasize a key point in a presentation

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From the beginner to the mentor (Supporting strategies of education of teachers in Zlin region)
Fund of Educational Policy project, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports