Review
Dynamic Presentations
Michael Hood. Tokyo: Longman Kirihara Shoten,2007. (pp. vii + 118).
ISBN: 978-4-342-54970-0

Reviewed by Paul Rowan
Yokohama City University
What It’s Got
Every presentations textbook has its own style and focus. Whilesome look at the organization, professionalism or the materials of thepresenter, others focus on body language and gestures. Michael Hood’s
Dynamic Presentations (with DVD), centers on the western businesspresentation structure (introduction with a theme statement, support,and conclusion) and the presenter’s vocal skills to add emphasis totheir speech. Hood’s 18-unit textbook is designed for the intermediateor higher English language learner although the low-level learnercan gain from the extended speaking activities incorporated in thistextbook.
The first 17 units comprise seven components each: Communication
Skills, Speech Building Strategies, Performance and Purpose, Sound
Pronunciation, Stress for Meaning and Clarity, Grammar Review,and the DVD. Unit 18 is a review of the textbook’s objectives. The
accompanying DVD demonstrates a different presentation for eachunit. Also available is a class set of audio CDs which focuses on thespeaking tasks found in the textbook and a Teacher’s Manual which
provides the tape scripts to the DVD and CDs.

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Where It’s Weak
There are, as with many first-edition language textbooks, a numberof problems that hopefully will be addressed in the second edition.
One problem that needs consideration is with the use of Japanese
influenced phrases. For example, “Wedding Party,” (p. 1) is referringto the party and not the wedding group. From my viewpoint, thisphrase is not problematic. However, not all agree as I learnt fromone instructor also using this textbook. Those who disagree argue thata language textbook’s value is in its authenticity. While it is normal
and even expected for the author not to notice some mistaken crosscultural phrases, a little more care at the editorial level can mitigate thisproblem. Otherwise, credibility with the textbook may be lost alongwith the learner’s chance to build his/her overall language ability.
Another issue deals with the poor sound quality on the DVD.
Basically, with the volume of my computer or TV at full, the soundechoes, and is fuzzy, tinny and just barely audible. A lapel microphone
alone would do wonders to improve the sound quality of thepresentations and this, in turn, will make the whole textbook a more
professional product.
Yet another issue, also concerning the DVD’s production, is thelack of PowerPoint or realia interaction in the presentations. The DVD
falls short of its potential due to its weak attention to necessary detail.
Ideally, the DVD should show the student how the presenter manages
the stage in a “normal” office setting. Further, it could include presenters
using OHP and Flip-charts as they are still widely used and, dependingon the venue, very effective.

The Final Call
The first thing I noticed with this textbook, and something I havenot seen in others I have referenced, is the structured outline of thepresentation (p. 2). The “introduction with main theme, support, andconclusion” style is almost exactly what I studied in my university242

Dynamic Presentations, OnCUE Journal, 2(3), pages 241-244

communications classes. Indeed, a quick check in my old textbook,Public Speaking (Dance & Zak-Dance, 1986, p. 26) confirmed myrecollection. Hood’s continual reinforcement of this structure
throughout his textbook is appreciated. Although there is far morematerial on the audio CD than I can reasonably fit into my classes,
packaging the CD with the textbook and DVD would alleviate myclassroom logistics problem and would allow my students morepractice time by being able to study on their own. I would add, as arequest to the publisher from some of my students: package the CDand DVD as an .mpeg and/or audio files for computer playback or iPoduse. I recognize that this may cause a problem with copyright, and I
am not an expert in this field, but allowing the student to use thesematerials as they can when they can, would greatly assist their learning
the skills that this textbook endeavors to teach.
Dynamic Presentations provides exactly what my international
students need: a model of how to structure a presentation; follow-up
exercises that help them understand how each component fits within
the presentation’s basic structure; visual examples, as seen on theDVD, of what a presentation can look like and emulate; and voice
exercises that are effective and beneficial in helping student’s use theirvoice more effectively in front of an audience. Complaints aside, I
have found this text to be far more effective than other texts on thesame subject of presentations (Comfort, 1995; Harrignton & LeBean,1996; Mandel, 2000) and have no hesitation in recommending it toothers looking to build their students’ presentation skills in the westernbusiness style.
Since completing his BA in history at the University of Victoria, Paul
Rowan has worked in high schools, eikawas, and for business English
teaching companies. He started teaching in post-secondary schools
in 2005 while working on his Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics.
Since 2007, he has been teaching at Yokohama City University as a full243

Rowantime lecturer and at Waseda University as a part-time lecturer. His researchinterests are in Language Acquisition and Reading.

References
Comfort, J. (1995). Effective presentations. Oxford: Oxford Press.
Dance, F.E.X., & Zak-Dance, C.C. (1986). Public speaking. New
York: Harper & Row.
Harrington, D., & LeBean, C. (1996). Speaking of speech. Tokyo:
Macmillan Languagehouse.
Mandel, S. (2000). Effective presentation skills. Menlo Park. CA:Crisp Publications.

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