Tutorial – Introduction to

Literary Studies
Julia Geiger

Session 2
17.11.2021
Presentations
 Session Plan for Today
• General Info about Presentations
• Preparing for your Presentation
• Doing Research
• Structuring your Presentation
• Accessible Design
• Talking about People
• Presenting & Audience Interaction
• The Handout
• Works Cited
General Information
 General Info about Presentations
Requirements
specifically stated by the instructor:
– which topic(s) should the presentation cover?
– when do presentations take place?
– does an outline have to be handed in / discussed with the instructor? If
yes, by when?

Different Types of Presentations

1. a presentation about a set text and/or concept
2. a presentation about a set, but rather general topic
3. a presentation about a topic of choice
 Preparing for your Presentation
• Get in contact with your group-members
• Get an overview of your topic
• Make an outline
• Do research: Use the databases available
– Draw on multiple sources
– No “retelling” of sources, use them to support your claims/ideas
→ You can split your group up for this
• Revisit your outline

Talk to your instructor! (Office hours, Zoom call etc.) Do this at least one
week before presenting to check if you are on the right track
 Preparing for your Presentation
• Filter your research for relevance to your topic
– you are the expert → read widely
– be careful to not go off-topic
• Prepare the actual presentation
– Introduction
– Body
– Conclusion
• Prepare visuals (Handout, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Consider time management!
• Practice
Doing Research
 Doing Research
• Use the library and electronic databases (e.g. MLA database, jstor)
• The internet as a resource
– Be critical → are your sources reliable?
– Wikipedia → only as a starting point → cross-reference (e.g. sources)
– Only trust academic sources → e.g. end with “.ac.uk”, “.edu”
• Keep track of your sources: All of them must appear in your “Works Cited”
list
• Cite your sources using MLA → avoid plagiarism
• Careful with hunches, guesses and generalisations
– Prove your claim/support your ideas
 Doing Research – Dos
Use the following:
• Annotated scholarly edition of the work you will talk about
– e.g. Arden, Norton etc. for Shakespeare
• OED: Oxford English Dictionary (http://www.oed.com/)
• Dictionaries in general (esp. specific ones: etymology, drama, rhetoric etc.)
– Scholarly dictionaries also generally include references to the most important texts on the subject
and offer useful further reading sections
• The Literary Encyclopedia (http://www.litencyc.com/)
• The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (esp. relevant for poetry and poetic language)
• Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/)
• MLA Database, the library catalogue as well as physical books
– it’s always worth it to look at the books around the book you’ve originally searched for in the FB
 Doing Research – Don’ts

• Use unreliable sources like blogs (by just anyone pretending

to know something), SparkNotes, GradeSaver, Schmoop, …

• if you do use them (which you should not), however, you

have to cite them, else you commit plagiarism!
• do not use these sources for your tasks and especially not for
your take-home exam and term paper!
• you do not need them: it’s about what you think and interpret!
 Doing Research – Example
1) The Sonnet in Drama: William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet

How would you get started?

 Doing Research – Example
• Define/clarify key words and terminology: “sonnet”, “drama”
• In which scenes can you find sonnets in Romeo and Juliet?
 find examples
 read and understand scenes
• Do these scenes have something in common? Which function do the
sonnets have? Are there other elements of poetry in the play – what
about the play’s language, for example, is it in rhymed or blank verse?
 analyse examples
 look out for function(s) and try to contextualise phenomena within the
whole text
 Doing Research – Example
• What does scholarly research say on this topic?
– Are there different opinions, and if yes, which are they?
– Check historical context: Is there a tradition of using poetry
in drama?
• Compare your own observations to those you found in
scholarly literature.
• Take down notes of your observations and results.
• Write down the bibliographic information of all the texts and
sources you used for doing research.
Structure
 Structuring your Presentation
Introduction:
– Overview of topic
– Outline structure of presentation and why it is structured that way

Body:
– State your arguments clearly
– Give support for your arguments
– Show how point A is connected to point B
– Let the audience know when you are moving to another point
transitional phrases: e.g. “Now that we have discussed Victorian Christmas
traditions, let’s see how the festive period is portrayed in Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol.”
 Structuring your Presentation
Conclusion:
– Summarise topic and discussion that took place in class
(you can take notes during the session for the last part)
– Do not bring up anything new
– Make clear that you are finished (e.g. “This is the end of our
presentation. Thank you for your attention!”)
– Give the audience a chance to ask for questions (even when
your peers do not have questions, your professor will!)
– Don’t panic if you cannot answer the question → look it up
for the next session
– Prepare some questions or comments to start a discussion
Accessibility & Being Inclusive
 Accessible Design
• Fonts
– Use the same font consistently. Sans serif fonts are
recommended (Arial, Helvetica, etc.).
– Text shadow and glow fonts will not be picked up by screen
readers
– Do not use italics or upper case letters for emphasis

• Colours
– Use colour contrast, i.e. black and white
– Do not use colours to convey meaning
 Accessible Design
• Images
– Provide alternative text to images, i.e. descriptive text
– Avoid word art, etc.

• Tables and Graphics

– Provide proper headers and descriptions

• Embedded Audio or Video

– Provide text transcripts and/or descriptive Audio
– If you include links, name them

→ Do not use too many different types of media, it can be disruptive.

 Talking about People
• What to do if you have to talk about a group of people?
→ Acknowledge people’s humanity, e.g. “gay people” not “the
gays”
• What to do if the text you are using includes a slur?
→ Communicate clearly that this word is used in the text and
not by you, e.g. “’faggots’” or “f*****s” not just the word
itself
• Think about your position in relation to the group you are talking
about. Your belonging to the in-group or out-group will shape the
way you think and speak about the group.
Presenting & Audience Interaction
 Presenting & Audience Interaction
Body Language and Voice:
• Speak clearly, loudly & at an appropriate pace → speak to your audience.
– Don’t read from a transcript → remember you are telling your audience an
interesting story and not reciting dull facts
– Keep your body language focused and open.
• Do not turn your back towards the audience (especially not when you point to
something) → If you must, however, (to put up a visual, turn the TV on etc.) stop
talking until you have turned back.
• Use your arms and your hands to gesture when it makes sense.
• Don‘t put your hands in your pockets, stiff at your sides, or on your hips for long
periods of time.
 Presenting & Audience Interaction
Language
• Consider audience/setting, e.g. no colloquialisms
• Prepare certain phrases, key words, questions (!)
– Avoid: „Okay, so what do you think about that passage?“
– Instead use: „Consider the narrative structure of the passage. What
stands out?“
• Try to avoid words like: okay, so, stuff, kind of, „was like“ …
• Polish up your terminology! If you have provided definitions for
technical terms, don’t be afraid to use them.
 Presenting & Audience Interaction
How to deal with Questions
• Should your audience ask questions during your presentation or in the end?
State this clearly in the beginning.
→ Your instructor may interrupt you during your presentation to ask for
clarification, correct you etc.
• If you want to moderate a discussion in the end, include leading questions
on your slides and handout.
• After having done academic research, you probably haven’t found all the
answers. Make transparent where you have questions yourself. These can
fuel the discussion in class and be a good jumping-off point for essays and
term papers.
 Exercise for Presenting
• Each group of five will be allocated one of the statements below.
• In your groups, discuss arguments for / against the statement briefly (5 minutes).
• For each group, one person will do a one-minute presentation, arguing for their position.
• Give each other feedback.

STATEMENTS:
1. “Real learning doesn't occur in a classroom.”
2. “Art is not important to the future of the human race.”
3. “Every college student needs a mentor.”
4. “Friendship is the most important relationship in life.”
5. “Universities should only offer online courses.”
6. “We should move on from reading Shakespeare.”
Handouts & Works Cited
 The Handout
• An outline of your presentation, not a full transcript
• Includes definitions and, if applicable, text examples
• Keep it simple and serious:
– Times New Roman, Arial or comparable fonts, ideally 12 pt.
– Appropriate length; max. 4 pages (double-print)
• Can include questions for further discussion
• Must include a Works Cited list!
 The Handout
Your handout should include a header with the following information:

• Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

• Philosophische Fakultät
• Englisches Seminar Example:
• [your seminar]
• [your lecturer]
• [semester]
• [your name(s)]
• [date of presentation]
 Works Cited
• Works Cited should appear on your slides and your
handout.
• All sources, which you have used ideas or words or
pictures or film clips or anything from, must be included.
• Any direct quotes or use of another person’s words (more
than three words in a row) must be cited fully and correctly
in MLA style.
• All rules for MLA style sources cited list should be followed
• Failure to follow theses rules means you are plagiarising!
Examplary Works Cited List:
Conclusion
 The Perfect Presentation…
• relies on good research.
• has a clear structure (intro, main body, conclusion) which is easy to
follow.
• does not offer too much or too little information.
• uses supportive media.
• pays attention to time.
• has an informative handout.
• interacts with the audience and has the goal of
• teaching the audience.
Time for Your Questions