How to Give a Spanish Presentation of an Author

When I was asked this question I was reminded of the fact that while the answer may seem quite simple to those of us who are used to putting together these types of events, it may not be so simple for someone who has never done one before.

Let’s look at this one step at a time. Firstly, a presentation should get and maintain an audience’s attention. It should be based on the selected author, in a way that most audience members will find attractive. Also keep in mind that there are a number of different types of media formats available that you can use to give a presentation. You could for example hang a sign on the wall displaying relevant details about the author, which involves some research and a little writing on your part looking for images and biographical information and creating short texts (stay as brief as possible). Another possibility is to give a presentation which you could prepare on the computer using tools such as Power Point or Prezi, and you could add sound or even video files. You could also give a lecture on the author, using images and/or texts… as a Spanish teacher, this last option is the one I like to have students do in class, because it forces them to verbally express what they’ve learned about the person they’re giving the presentation on, although one problem that often arises is the fear that some people have about public speaking.

Presentations in Spanish

When collecting information in preparation for the event, it’s important, fundamental rather, to compare information you’ve found with other sources, since not everything on the internet is necessarily accurate. Make sure that your explanation of the author is as accurate as possible. Students who give in to the temptation to “copy and paste” information they’ve found online are later faced with a problem when giving their presentations: the vocabulary used does not coincide with the student’s usual “style”, and the words clearly “sound awkward”. That’s why I always advise students to avoid copying (although it’s of course the easiest method) and encourage them to instead paraphrase, putting what they read into their own words. It involves a bit more effort, but the final result is infinitely better than when students simply parrot someone else’s text, texts they sometimes don’t even completely understand.

If you’d like to give a biographical overview of the author, remember that the excessive use of dates and figures can end up overwhelming audiences. I always recommend to students that they “sacrifice” a bit of the accuracy that dates may provide opting instead for linking phrases like “cinco años después”, “a los siete meses...”, etc. reserving specific dates for particularly significant events either related to the person’s life or the historical context.

To give a presentation that audiences will find interesting from the very beginning, I also recommend preparing a general introduction about the author’s identity, their type of work, and the scope of their influence both geographically and historically. Afterwards, offer a short summary of two or three facts related to the author’s work or life, keeping it simple, and then launch into the main part of the presentation.  

It’s important for students to remember that if they don’t “believe” what they’re saying, it’ll be impossible to expect other people to believe it. They should also remember that the idea is not to accumulate piles of information, that’s what encyclopedias are for. The goal of every presentation should be to get listeners interested in the person being talked about in a way that inspires them to want to find out more about that person on their own. 

Remember what they say: “lo bueno, si (es) breve, (es) dos veces bueno”.