The student can pitch/ present an idea/ concept in English in a social and business context in a professional way.
Reflection:
How I have met the learning goal
Item 1:
The first item includes the presentation of the classroom pitch. In this case I did not record the pitch but since the lecturer was present in the room it was said that we could upload the presentation as proof instead. This pitch proves that I have met my learning goal, since it shows that I can convince and persuade people whilst pitching. I think it is important that you can have a professional pitch but can still be persuasive and convincing. In the case of pitching an idea there is a fine line between being pushy or being convincing. You have to keep in mind to stay professional whilst answering questions but also keep up the spirit so people will actually remember what you say. In this case I decided to start the pitch with an attention grabber in terms of a joke so it might be a part people would remember easily. In this case I was pitching for my classmates, so I knew It would be accepted. If I where to pitch in front of a CEO I would most likely keep the jokes out and get to the point since they are focused more on the result instead of the length of the pitch.
Item 2:
The second item includes the social post I created in English class, this post shows that I can present ideas to multiple audience in a correct manner. In this case the post is about hoping to gain interest of the audience in the product that is being sold. This post is therefor more on the side of the presentation of an idea. I would say that this post proves that I met the learning goal since it is professionally written for multiple different audiences in a business context. It contains casual vocabulary to attract the multiple audience, but it is professional enough to also attract big companies to invest in my business. In this case the post turns into a promotion as well.
Item 3:
The third item is the crowd management presentation, this is the very first presentation I have done this year for English. In the presentation you can see that I am still not very sure on how to act and present in a professional matter. This is because I am always very nervous whilst pitching and in this case even more so. I know now that this item has a big contribution to the learning goal since it has become clear to me how to present in a way that is comfortable for me but can also still be seen as professional. From now on I only pitch or present without preparing a set text. I found out that the pressure of getting the text right kept me from actually acting professional and calm.
Item 4:
The fourth item is my profile statement, this item is used because it can be seen as a personal pitch. I have never been a fan of selling myself and with this profile statement I feel like I am doing exactly that. In this case it includes some of my qualities but also future plans and objectives. I would say this profile statement contributes to this learning goal because it shows a different side of pitching. It shows that pitches can also be personal and written instead of spoken. I feel like written pitches have an advantage because people can read over it themselves and read again if they do not understand part of it. I also think that written pitches are dangerous because you cannot influence the tone and energy behind the words, it is easy to become boring without the tone differences.
Item 5:
The fifth item is a bit different then the others, it shows a script of a presentation. From this script you can read exactly what is going to be said and when. This script contributes to the learning goal because in this case you can read about the presentation, and in this way get across the professionalism a bit more. In my case this is useful because as I said in item number 3 I am not very good at presenting, by showing this script you can see what was meant to be said and done instead of some of the mistakes you might see during the presentation. The only thing however about using this script is that it does not show the attitude and tone of the speaker.
What I have learned
By presenting and pitching multiple times in class for English but also in other courses I have found my ideal way of pitching without stammering on my words so much. I would say that when I am not using a text or paper with keywords I will come across as a calmer and more professional person. I can look people in the eye and not stress about the words that I have to read. I now know that if I improvise most of the text in a presentation I will be able to present in a clearer way.
What I still want/ need to learn.
What I still need to learn connects to what I have already learned. I have now found my ideal way of pitching/ presenting, but it is still a big work in progress. The way I talk can still be enhanced and improved. I need to be comfortable to show my vocabulary and English language skills. This will show that I am able to present in a professional way like I know I can. I also want to learn how to be more outgoing and get the audiences attention a bit better whilst presenting. I can say that presentations can get a bit boring and I would like to make it so I can keep the audiences attention a bit longer.
Documents and files that show I have met this learning goal:
Item 1: pitch classroom
Item 2: social post English
Item 3: presentation crowd management
Item 4: profile statement
Item 5: script cultural differences