EAP Delivering Oral Presentations 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a 'claim' from 'evidence' in the structure of an academic oral argument?
- A claim is factual; evidence is an opinion
- A claim is the assertion being made; evidence is the data or source used to support it (Correct answer)
- A claim is longer than evidence in spoken presentations
- Claims and evidence serve the same structural function
Correct answer: A claim is the assertion being made; evidence is the data or source used to support it
In academic argumentation, a claim states what the speaker asserts to be true, while evidence provides the empirical or scholarly support for that claim.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the '10-20-30 Rule' sometimes applied to presentation slide design?
- A presentation should be 10 minutes, use 20 slides, and have 30-point minimum font size (Correct answer)
- Spend 10 seconds on each slide, use 20 images, and include 30 words per slide
- Allow 10 minutes for Q&A, 20 for main content, and 30 seconds for the introduction
- Use 10 colors, 20 animations, and 30 bullet points maximum
Correct answer: A presentation should be 10 minutes, use 20 slides, and have 30-point minimum font size
The 10-20-30 Rule (attributed to Guy Kawasaki) recommends no more than 10 slides, a 20-minute time limit, and 30-point minimum font for readability.
Question 3: During peer feedback on a presentation, a classmate says your delivery 'lacked prosody.' What aspect of speaking should you work on?
- The logical organization of arguments
- The use of intonation, stress, rhythm, and pitch variation in speech (Correct answer)
- The accuracy of your citations
- Your use of technical vocabulary
Correct answer: The use of intonation, stress, rhythm, and pitch variation in speech
Prosody refers to the musical elements of speech—pitch, rhythm, stress, and intonation—which give spoken language its expressive and communicative quality.
Question 4: A presenter says: 'As Chen (2023) demonstrates, X leads to Y. However, Wang (2024) challenges this, arguing Z.' What presentation skill is being demonstrated?
- Comparing different historical periods
- Synthesizing multiple sources to build a nuanced academic argument (Correct answer)
- Reading quotations directly from sources
- Defining key terminology
Correct answer: Synthesizing multiple sources to build a nuanced academic argument
Presenting multiple scholarly perspectives and showing how they relate demonstrates synthesis, a high-level academic skill.
Question 5: When a presenter delivers remarks 'extemporaneously,' this means they are speaking:
- From a fully memorized script
- From brief notes or an outline, prepared but not word-for-word scripted (Correct answer)
- Completely without preparation or notes
- By reading directly from a written paper
Correct answer: From brief notes or an outline, prepared but not word-for-word scripted
Extemporaneous speaking is prepared and rehearsed but delivered spontaneously in the moment, guided by notes rather than a full script.
Question 6: Which of the following best explains why practicing a presentation aloud (not just mentally) is strongly recommended in EAP courses?
- It allows the speaker to memorize the script word for word
- It reveals timing issues, awkward phrasing, and pronunciation challenges that silent review misses (Correct answer)
- It is only useful if recorded on video
- Mental rehearsal is equally effective for most speakers
Correct answer: It reveals timing issues, awkward phrasing, and pronunciation challenges that silent review misses
Speaking aloud activates different cognitive and motor processes that expose real delivery problems, such as unclear transitions or mispronunciations, which silent review cannot detect.
Question 7: In an academic presentation, a speaker says 'This finding has important implications for policy, though further research is needed to confirm causality.' This statement reflects which academic convention?
- Overstating the significance of findings to persuade the audience
- Appropriately qualifying conclusions and acknowledging limitations (Correct answer)
- Introducing a new claim without evidence
- Avoiding a direct conclusion to prevent criticism
Correct answer: Appropriately qualifying conclusions and acknowledging limitations
Qualifying conclusions and acknowledging where evidence is still limited is a hallmark of academic rigor and intellectual honesty.
EAP Delivering Oral Presentations 5
What distinguishes a 'claim' from 'evidence' in the structure of an academic oral argument?