Managing presentation anxiety through structure | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: During an academic tutoring session, a student and tutor discuss using notes, rehearsal, and flexible signposts to manage presentation anxiety..

EN → ES / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Managing presentation anxiety through structure to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Conozco el material, pero al presentar mi pensamiento se vuelve disperso.

koh-NOHS-koh ehl mah-teh-ree-AHL, PEH-roh ahl preh-sehn-TAR mee pehn-sah-MYEN-toh seh BWEHL-beh dees-PEHR-soh. I know the material, but presenting makes my thinking scattered.
B

La ansiedad puede alterar la estructura de una presentación, incluso cuando te has preparado bien.

lah ahn-see-eh-DAD PWEH-deh ahl-teh-RAR lah ehk-strook-TOO-rah deh OO-nah preh-sehn-tah-SYOWN, een-KLOO-soh KWAHN-doh teh ahs preh-pah-RAH-doh byen. Anxiety can disrupt the structure of a presentation, even when you are well prepared.
A

Suelo pasar demasiado rápido por las transiciones complejas.

SWEH-loh pah-SAR deh-mah-see-AH-doh RRAH-pee-doh por lahs trahn-see-SYOH-nehs kohm-PLEH-hahs. I tend to rush through complex transitions.
B

Resaltar las transiciones en tus apuntes podría ayudarte.

rehs-ahl-TAR lahs trahn-see-SYOH-nehs ehn toos ah-POON-tehs poh-DREE-ah ah-yoo-DAR-teh. Highlighting transitions in your notes may help.
A

También podría ensayar solo las secciones difíciles.

tahm-BYEN poh-DREE-ah ehn-sah-YAR SOH-loh lahs sehk-SYOH-nehs dee-FEE-see-lehs. I could also rehearse only the difficult sections.
B

Es eficiente, ya que no todas las partes necesitan la misma cantidad de práctica.

ehs eh-fee-see-EHN-teh, yah keh noh TOH-dahs lahs PAR-tehs neh-seh-SEE-tahn lah MEE-smah kahn-tee-DAD deh PRAHK-tee-kah. That is efficient, since not every part needs equal practice.
A

Quiero que se note que me he preparado, sin parecer que me lo he aprendido de memoria.

KYEH-roh keh seh NOH-teh keh meh eh preh-pah-RAH-doh, seen pah-reh-SEHR keh meh loh eh ah-prehn-DEE-doh deh meh-MOH-ryah. I want to sound prepared without seeming memorized.
B

Procura usar marcadores flexibles en lugar de frases fijas.

proh-KOO-rah oo-SAR mar-kah-DOH-rehs flehk-SEE-blehs ehn loo-GAR deh FRAH-sehs FEE-hahs. Aim for flexible signposts rather than fixed sentences.

Word by Word

Conozco Conozco means “I know” or “I am familiar with” in this dialogue, referring to the material. It is the first-person form of conocer and is used with a direct object, as in conozco el material. A learner can use it when saying that they know a subject, person, or place.
el El is the masculine singular form of “the” in el material. It comes before the singular noun material and identifies a specific subject matter. Use el before a masculine singular noun when referring to a particular thing.
material Material means the subject matter or content that the speaker knows in el material. Here it refers to the academic content of the presentation. It can be used with el to discuss a specific body of study content.
pero Pero means “but” and introduces a contrast between knowing the material and becoming scattered while presenting. It connects two contrasting statements, as in A, pero B. Use it when the second idea limits or contrasts with the first.
al Al means “when” or “upon” in al presentar, where it links the act of presenting with the change in the speaker’s thinking. It is the combined form of a and el. The reusable pattern al + infinitive expresses the time or circumstance of an action.
presentar Presentar means “to present” and names the action after al in al presentar. It is an infinitive used as part of the time expression “when presenting.” Use presentar when referring to giving information or speaking about a topic before an audience.
mi Mi means “my” and identifies pensamiento as belonging to the speaker in mi pensamiento. It is placed directly before the singular noun it describes. Use mi + singular noun when referring to something belonging to or associated with yourself.
pensamiento Pensamiento means “thinking” or “thought” in mi pensamiento. In this sentence, it is the speaker’s thinking that becomes scattered during the presentation. It can be used with mi to describe one’s own thoughts or thinking.
se Se helps express the change of state in se vuelve disperso: the speaker’s thinking becomes scattered. It works together with vuelve rather than carrying the full meaning by itself. The pattern se vuelve + adjective describes something becoming a certain way.
vuelve Vuelve means “becomes” in se vuelve disperso, describing a change in the state of the speaker’s thinking. It is the dialogue form of volver used with se and an adjective. Use se vuelve + adjective when describing something changing into a new condition.
disperso Disperso means “scattered” or “unfocused” and describes the speaker’s pensamiento in se vuelve disperso. Its masculine singular form agrees with pensamiento. It can describe thoughts or attention that lose a clear focus.
La La means “the” in La ansiedad and is the feminine singular article before ansiedad. It identifies a specific idea or condition being discussed. Use la before a feminine singular noun.
ansiedad Ansiedad means “anxiety” and is the condition that may alter the presentation’s structure. In La ansiedad, it is the subject of the statement. It is useful when discussing nervousness or worry in an academic or presentation situation.
puede Puede expresses possibility in puede alterar: anxiety can or may disrupt the structure. It is the dialogue form of poder and is followed here by the infinitive alterar. Use puede + infinitive to describe what someone or something can do or what may happen.
alterar Alterar means “to disrupt” or “to alter” in puede alterar la estructura. It is an infinitive following puede and identifies the possible effect of anxiety. Use alterar + object when describing a change that interferes with an arrangement or condition.
estructura Estructura means “structure” and refers to the organization of the presentation in la estructura de una presentación. It is the object affected by alterar. It can be used to discuss how a presentation, argument, or plan is organized.
de De links estructura with una presentación in la estructura de una presentación, meaning the structure belonging to or associated with a presentation. The reusable pattern noun + de + noun connects two related nouns. Here it specifies what kind of structure is meant.
una Una means “a” or “one” before the feminine singular noun presentación in una presentación. It introduces one presentation without identifying a particular one. Use una before a feminine singular noun when introducing a non-specific item.
presentación Presentación means “presentation” and names the academic talk whose structure may be altered. In una presentación, it is a feminine singular noun after the article una. It can be used when discussing giving or organizing an academic presentation.
incluso Incluso means “even” and emphasizes that the following circumstance does not prevent the problem: anxiety may disrupt the structure incluso cuando the person has prepared well. It adds an unexpected or noteworthy condition. Use incluso before a phrase or clause that should be understood as surprising or included.
cuando Cuando means “when” in incluso cuando te has preparado bien and introduces the circumstance of being well prepared. It connects that circumstance to the main statement. Use cuando before a clause describing when something happens or under what timing-related condition.
te Te identifies the person addressed as the one who has prepared in te has preparado bien. With preparado, it forms the pronominal expression for preparing oneself. It is placed before the auxiliary has in this verb phrase and refers to one informal addressee.
has Has is the auxiliary form of haber in te has preparado, helping express that the addressee has prepared. It is the second-person singular form used with a participle. The reusable pattern has + participle refers to an action completed by one addressee.
preparado Preparado contributes the meaning “prepared” in te has preparado bien. Together with has, it describes the addressee’s completed preparation. Use it with haber in a phrase such as has preparado when talking about preparation that has already taken place.
bien Bien means “well” and describes the quality of the preparation in te has preparado bien. It modifies the completed action rather than naming another object. It can be placed after a verb phrase to say that an action was done well.
Suelo Suelo means “I tend to” in Suelo pasar demasiado rápido, describing a recurring habit during presentations. It is the first-person form of soler and is followed by the infinitive pasar. Use suelo + infinitive to describe something you regularly do.
pasar Pasar means “to go through” or “to pass” in pasar demasiado rápido por las transiciones. Here it refers to moving through parts of a presentation. The pattern pasar por + noun is useful for describing moving through stages, topics, or sections.
demasiado Demasiado means “too” or “excessively” in demasiado rápido, showing that the speed is greater than desired. It modifies the description of how the speaker moves through the transitions. Use demasiado + adjective or adverb when an amount or degree is excessive.
rápido Rápido describes the speed of passing through the transitions in pasar demasiado rápido, meaning “too quickly.” Although it can describe something directly, here it describes how the action happens. It is useful after an action when explaining that someone is moving or speaking quickly.
por Por means “through” in pasar por las transiciones and identifies the material or stages being moved through. It forms the expression pasar por + noun. Use this pattern when describing progress through topics, stages, or sections.
las Las means “the” before the feminine plural noun transiciones in las transiciones. It identifies several specific transitions. Use las before feminine plural nouns when referring to particular items.
transiciones Transiciones means “transitions” and refers to the points where the presentation moves from one part to another. In las transiciones complejas, it is modified by the adjective complejas. It can be used when discussing movement between topics or sections.
complejas Complejas means “complex” and describes the feminine plural noun transiciones in las transiciones complejas. Its form agrees with the plural feminine noun. Use a noun + adjective pattern to describe transitions or other plural feminine items as complex.
Resaltar Resaltar means “to highlight” in Resaltar las transiciones en tus apuntes, the suggested action for making transitions easier to notice. The infinitive phrase functions as the action being recommended. Use resaltar + object when suggesting that someone mark important information.
en En means “in” in en tus apuntes and identifies where the transitions should be highlighted. It links an action with a place or document. Use en + noun when saying that something is located or done in a particular place or set of notes.
tus Tus means “your” when speaking informally to one person, and it describes the plural noun apuntes in tus apuntes. The form is plural because the possessed noun is plural. Use tus before a plural noun belonging to or associated with the person addressed.
apuntes Apuntes means “notes,” specifically the notes used for studying or preparing the presentation. In en tus apuntes, it identifies the document where the transitions can be highlighted. It is commonly used with en when referring to information written in study notes.
podría Podría expresses a tentative possibility or suggestion in podría ayudarte: highlighting the transitions could help you. It is the conditional form of poder and is followed by the infinitive ayudarte. Use podría + infinitive when offering cautious advice or describing a possible result.
ayudarte Ayudarte means “to help you” in podría ayudarte. It combines the infinitive ayudar with the object pronoun te attached to the end. The pattern infinitive + te is used when the action is directed at the person addressed.
También También means “also” and adds another possible strategy in También podría ensayar. It shows that rehearsal is an additional option, not a replacement for the previous suggestion. Use también before a verb or phrase when adding related information.
ensayar Ensayar means “to rehearse” in podría ensayar solo las secciones difíciles. It names the additional practice activity after podría. It is useful with an object when referring to rehearsing a presentation, performance, or selected section.
solo Solo means “only” and limits the rehearsal to the difficult sections in ensayar solo las secciones difíciles. It marks the restricted focus of the action. Use solo before the word or phrase that represents the limited choice.
secciones Secciones means “sections” and refers to parts of the presentation selected for rehearsal. In las secciones difíciles, it is modified by the adjective difíciles. It can be used when dividing a presentation, document, or activity into distinct parts.
difíciles Difíciles means “difficult” and describes the plural noun secciones in las secciones difíciles. Its plural form agrees with secciones. Use a noun + adjective pattern to identify which sections require more attention.
Es Es means “is” in Es eficiente and states that the suggested approach has the quality of being efficient. It is the third-person singular form of ser used to link the approach with an adjective. Use es + adjective when evaluating or describing something.
eficiente Eficiente means “efficient” and evaluates the strategy of rehearsing only the difficult sections in Es eficiente. It describes a method that uses practice effectively. It can be used after es to give an assessment of a plan or action.
ya Ya appears with que in the connector ya que, which introduces the reason for the previous statement. Together, ya que means “since” or “given that”; ya is not carrying the whole causal meaning alone. Use ya que when giving a reason for a choice or conclusion.
que Que completes the connector ya que in ya que no todas las partes necesitan la misma cantidad de práctica. The two words together introduce the reason explaining why the strategy is efficient. Use que here as part of this causal connector rather than as an independent translation of the whole phrase.
no No negates necesitan in no todas las partes necesitan la misma cantidad de práctica. It states that the claim does not apply equally to all the parts. Use no directly before the verb or clause being negated.
todas Todas means “all” and refers to the feminine plural noun partes in no todas las partes. Together with no, it means that not every part has the same requirement. Use todas las + plural noun when referring to all items in a feminine plural group.
partes Partes means “parts” and refers to the different sections of the presentation. In no todas las partes, it is the group being discussed. It can be used when comparing or organizing the components of a larger activity or presentation.
necesitan Necesitan means “need” in no todas las partes necesitan la misma cantidad de práctica. It is the plural form used because the subject is todas las partes. Use necesitar with a noun or an action to state what someone or something requires.
misma Misma means “same” in la misma cantidad de práctica and emphasizes equal amount. Its feminine singular form agrees with cantidad. Use la misma + noun when comparing an amount or characteristic with another one.
cantidad Cantidad means “amount” in la misma cantidad de práctica. The phrase cantidad de + noun specifies what is being measured, here practice. Use cantidad de when discussing how much of something there is.
práctica Práctica means “practice” in la misma cantidad de práctica and refers to rehearsal or training time. It is the noun that specifies what the amount consists of. It can be used after cantidad de when discussing the amount of practice needed.
Quiero Quiero means “I want” in Quiero que se note que me he preparado, expressing the speaker’s desired impression. It is the first-person form of querer and is followed here by que and a clause. Use quiero + infinitive or quiero que + clause to state a personal aim or desired result.
note Note in se note expresses that the speaker’s preparation should be noticeable. The form is used after Quiero que to present the desired result, and se note makes the idea of being noticed impersonal. Use quiero que + clause when stating what you want others to notice or what you want to happen.
me Me identifies the speaker as the person who has prepared in me he preparado. With preparado, it belongs to the expression for preparing oneself and appears before the auxiliary he. Use me before the verb phrase when the speaker is the person affected by the action.
he He is the first-person auxiliary form of haber in me he preparado. Together with preparado, it expresses that the speaker has prepared. Use he + participle to refer to an action completed by yourself.
sin Sin means “without” in sin parecer que me lo he aprendido de memoria and introduces an action or condition that should not occur. It is followed here by the infinitive parecer. Use sin + infinitive to describe doing one thing without producing another impression or result.
parecer Parecer means “to seem” or “to appear” after sin in sin parecer. It refers to the impression the speaker wants to avoid giving. Use parecer with a description or clause when talking about how someone or something appears to others.
lo Lo is the object pronoun for the thing referred to in me lo he aprendido de memoria. It appears before he in the verb phrase and represents content that has been learned by heart. Use an object pronoun before the auxiliary when referring back to an already understood thing.
aprendido Aprendido is the participle in me lo he aprendido de memoria and contributes the meaning “learned.” Together with he, it describes completed learning; together with de memoria, the phrase describes memorizing something. Use it after haber when referring to something that has been learned.
memoria Memoria means “memory” in de memoria. The full expression de memoria means “by heart” or “from memory,” describing how the material was learned. Use de memoria when discussing information learned without relying on written notes.
Procura Procura means “aim to” or “try to” in Procura usar marcadores flexibles, giving direct advice to the person addressed. It is the informal imperative form of procurar and is followed by the infinitive usar. Use procura + infinitive when encouraging one person to make a particular effort.
usar Usar means “to use” after Procura in Procura usar marcadores flexibles. It names the action being recommended and takes marcadores flexibles as its object. Use it after procurar when advising someone to use a particular tool or method.
marcadores Marcadores means “signposts” or “markers” in marcadores flexibles, referring to expressions that help organize movement through a presentation. It is the object of usar. It can be used when discussing verbal or written markers that guide an audience through ideas.
flexibles Flexibles means “flexible” and describes the plural noun marcadores in marcadores flexibles. Here it suggests signposts that can adapt instead of sounding like fixed sentences. Use a plural noun + flexibles when describing several items as adaptable.
lugar Lugar means “place,” but in en lugar de frases fijas the whole expression en lugar de means “instead of.” Lugar is part of this fixed construction and does not mean a physical place here. Use en lugar de + noun or infinitive when presenting an alternative.
frases Frases means “sentences” or “phrases” in frases fijas, referring to set wording used in a presentation. It is modified by fijas. It can be used with an adjective to describe the type or character of spoken or written phrases.
fijas Fijas means “fixed” and describes frases in frases fijas, meaning wording that remains set rather than adapting. Its feminine plural form agrees with frases. Use a feminine plural noun + fijas when describing several expressions as fixed or predetermined.

Grammar Points

soler + infinitivo

Suelo pasar por las secciones difíciles.

SWEH-loh pah-SAR por lahs sehk-SYOH-nehs dee-FEE-see-lehs.

I usually go through the difficult sections.

Soler expresses a habitual action and is followed by an infinitive. Its form changes with the subject: suelo, sueles, suele.

aprenderse algo de memoria

Me lo he aprendido de memoria.

meh loh eh ah-prehn-DEE-doh deh meh-MOH-ryah.

I have memorized it.

The reflexive pronoun and object pronoun come before haber in the perfect tense: me lo he aprendido.

Spanish Vocabulary

alterar verb
ahl-teh-RAR to disrupt; to alter

puede alterar

ansiedad noun
ahn-see-eh-DAD anxiety

La ansiedad puede alterar la estructura.

disperso adj
dees-PEHR-soh scattered

mi pensamiento se vuelve disperso

estructura noun
ehk-strook-TOO-rah structure

la estructura de una presentación

incluso adv
een-KLOO-soh even

incluso cuando te has preparado bien

material noun
mah-teh-ree-AHL material

Conozco el material.

pasar verb
pah-SAR to go through; to pass

Suelo pasar demasiado rápido por las transiciones

pensamiento noun
pehn-sah-MYEN-toh thinking; thought

mi pensamiento se vuelve disperso

prepararse verb
preh-pah-RAHR-seh to prepare oneself te has preparado

te has preparado bien

presentación noun
preh-sehn-tah-SYOWN presentation

una presentación

presentar verb
preh-sehn-TAR to present

al presentar

soler verb
soh-LEHR to tend to; usually to Suelo

Suelo pasar demasiado rápido

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

scattered

Show Answerdisperso

even

Show Answerincluso

to present

Show Answerpresentar

thinking; thought

Show Answerpensamiento