Ashley Baek
For visiting teams and program participants
Rehearse one clear slide before your Korea visit.
A slide full of words is not a speaking plan. Decide which idea the listener needs, then practise saying it without relying on the screen.
Choose one thing the listener should take away
Write a plain-language purpose before editing the slide: "After this explanation, the listener can name the two practice steps." That is narrower than "understand our whole program." Put unrelated details in a separate note if the organizer wants them.
Use only material your group is allowed to share. For this rehearsal, invent a simple activity rather than copying confidential company slides into a worksheet or lesson inquiry. Ask the host which language, format and access arrangements the real session needs.
Build a three-part speaking card
- Show: a short title and the two labels the audience needs.
- Say: one explanation for each label, including any important visual information.
- Leave behind: the one idea the audience should remember, plus the agreed place for extra detail.
An invented example: a two-step workshop
Show: "Practice together" with two labels: "1. Try" and "2. Compare."
Say: "First, each person tries the activity. Then partners compare what they noticed." These are English rehearsal prompts, not a Korean translation.
Leave behind: "Everyone gets a turn before the comparison." Your actual workshop may work differently; replace the example with verified, shareable information.
Make the explanation usable without pointing
W3C's accessibility guidance recommends limiting slide text, making important content readable and describing relevant visual information aloud. It also advises sharing materials in accessible formats and coordinating with interpreters or captioners when needed. Read the W3C presentation checklist.
For your rehearsal, replace "the box over here" with the actual label. Do not rely on a color alone to identify a step. If your group plans an interpreted session, confirm the working arrangement with the organizer and qualified interpreter; a few rehearsed Korean lines do not replace that service.
An eight-minute one-slide check
- Minutes 1-2: reduce the task. Write the listener's one takeaway. Remove an abbreviation or extra fact that is not needed for it. Keep names and figures only when verified and appropriate to share.
- Minutes 3-4: explain in a shared language. Give a short explanation while a partner looks at the slide. Ask them to identify a label you mentioned without pointing. Rename vague references.
- Minutes 5-6: try without the screen. Let the partner listen without looking. They note which visual detail is missing from your explanation. This checks the spoken description; it is not a complete accessibility audit.
- Minutes 7-8: compare with the purpose. Ask what the listener thinks the main point was. If it differs, revise the purpose sentence or explanation, not just the font size. Record one part that needs Korean language practice.
Separate language preparation from slide approval
A useful teacher brief might be: "I need to introduce a simple activity and refer clearly to its two steps." Your organization remains responsible for factual, commercial and confidentiality approval. Ask a qualified professional about specialist translation or interpreting needs.
For arriving and introducing the people in your group, use the separate team-introduction rehearsal. For questions after an explanation, use the clarification plan. Neither substitutes for testing your actual presentation with its intended audience.
Give Korean preparation a clear speaking task
Tell Ashley the everyday explanation you want to practise, the group's Korean experience and the expected setting. Do not attach private presentation files to an initial inquiry. Scope, availability and fee are discussed separately.
Ask about Korean preparation for your team