The Group Presentation

The goal of your group presentation is to help you develop your knowledge and understanding
of the environment where you will complete your study abroad experience.

Students will be put into groups according to destination/host country. Each group will typically
consist of 2 to 4 students. In any case, each student must speak for at least 6 minutes. Students
will receive individual and group feedback, as per the instructor’s chosen rubric (posted on
Campus) and based on the overall presentation, preparedness, organization, structure and
English competence; however, the overall grade is an individual grade, allowing for exceptions
related to under-preparedness, sub-standard level/register, etc., in individual cases. Instructors
reserve the right to stop a sub-standard presentation (lack of preparedness, excessive
reading…) at any point, and grade the group accordingly.

Presentations will normally take place from Week 7 to Week 10. (Note: If you know that you
will be absent on one of these dates, it is imperative that you tell your professor at least two
weeks in advance.)

In terms of content, each group presentation must contain a discussion of the

following elements:
1. The country (some suggestions: geography and climate, demography, principal cities, GDP
and key economic sectors, system of government and politics, currency (and in relation to the
euro), etc.)

2. The culture (some suggestions: history, religion(s), language(s), art, cuisine, social structure
and classes, customs, traditions, the role of engineers in society, etc.

a. You must include an activity of 5-7 min where you TEACH the class something. A song, a
dance, a recipie, a game, a tradition... from the country you are presenting.

i. For example: If your country were FRANCE: the tradition of the Galette des rois, how to
make crêpes for la Chandeleur, la contrepèterie!...

3. The city (some suggestions: things to know and to do as a foreign student: history,
geography, cost of living, customs and holidays, tourist attractions, museums, local festivals
(music, art, food, etc.) nightlife, sporting events, etc.

4. The university (some suggestions: history, reputation, demography, campus, specializations,

lodging (on-campus or off-campus), student life (student clubs/associations/activities/events),
dress code, transportation, budget, curriculum, languages used in courses (English, French,
etc.)

Do not hesitate to add a Bizarre, surprising or interesting facts about the country, culture, etc!!

In order to AVOID LISTING facts about the country, choose ONLY 3-5 key facts to share per
section. This will allow your group to go into more detail and be more specific.
Your presentation will require research. While students are free to choose the online
resources they use for their research, students are advised to consult the following
sites: eHRAF World Cultures and the CIA World Factbook.

Each group must also create and use a power point presentation or a Prezi as the visual
format of the presentation. Multimedia, such as photos, images, short videos… are definitely
encouraged.

Note: It is very important to keep in mind that while students are allowed to use notes
during their presentation, they are NOT allowed to READ their presentations. Reading is not
presenting!!! (Students who read their presentations will see their score severely reduced.)