Hwang Mee-na

Hwang Mee-na, an instructor of presentation English for beginners at YBM/Sisa.com cyber language institute, said the ability to give presentations in English is being used to evaluate an individual’s ability, especially in recruiting.

More and more companies select employees based on English presentations, not just TOEIC scores.

According to a survey conducted by Incruit in July, an Internet recruitment portal site, about 45.3 percent, or 63 out of 139 companies, conduct English interviews to evaluate applicants.

``Presentation skills are an important evaluation standard for corporations when selecting employees,’’ she said in an interview with The Korea Times.

She said that a U.S.-based human resources development consulting firm has suggested 17 international standards to be used to evaluate employees.

However, many Koreans find it difficult to overcome nervousness before giving a presentation to interviewers and an audience.

She pointed out that Koreans worry too much about the little things.

``Self-confidence is important. Many speakers get nervous because they are not assertive enough in what they are presenting and their pronunciation,’’ she said.

In addition to confidence, speakers should have an understanding of other cultures when they speak in foreign languages, she added.

However, English presentations seem to be a lofty goal for many Korean interviewees, not only because it tests their ability to speak English but also because of the difficult questions.

She gave four tips on how to cope with tough and unexpected questions.

First, when speakers are asked questions by the audience and interviewers, they can answer with a question by asking ``What do you think?’’ or ``How do you think that should be done?’’

Second, speakers can find answers from the audience by saying ``That is a good question. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer. Does anyone in the audience have an opinion on that?’’

If you want to change the subject or avoid a negative issue, you can say, ``I would like to discuss the low birthrate instead, because I think that addresses the problem much more effectively than what you just said.’’

Speakers can address an issue that they feel is important rather than answer a question about an subject in which they are not well informed.

She advised students to ask questions like ``How does this case study apply to small- and medium-sized companies?’’

Hwang also suggested that speakers return to the topic of the presentation with ``I would like to get back to the topic that we are here to discuss.’’

But speakers who do not want to answer questions can say ``I need more information before I can answer that,’’ or ``I’m sorry, but I’m unable to offer you any more information at this point.’’

She said that most of her students are young people, such as workers with a good command of English and college students who are preparing for job interviews.

As for preparing for English presentations, people are required to practice speaking clearly and concisely.

``Speakers should keep in mind that they are supposed to speak from the perspective of the audience. In a nutshell, speakers should be trained to think from the listeners’ point of view,’’ she said.

Hwang stressed that the best way to give a good English presentation is to improve one’s English ability in general instead of just to get a high score on English language tests.

Many corporations evaluate candidates based on soft skills, such as communication and problem solving, she said.

Good presentations are becoming crucial for successful business activities, such as mergers and acquisitions and sales.

``Informal conversation is also part of a presentation. Presentation is one-way communication, which delivers what you think to other people. It is a basic skill for communication,’’ she said.

Hwang has served as a human resources development staff member at ANS, a human capital company that was established in 1998.