Managing Presentation Anxiety Through Structure | Learn Danish in English

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

EN → DA / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Managing Presentation Anxiety Through Structure to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg kender materialet, men når jeg holder oplæg, bliver mine tanker spredte.

yai KEN-uh muh-teh-ree-EL-uh, men nor yai HAW-luh OH-pleg, BLEE-uh MEE-nuh TAHNG-uh SPREH-duh. I know the material, but presenting makes my thinking scattered.
B

Angst kan forstyrre strukturen i en præsentation, selv når du er godt forberedt.

AHNGST kan foh-STUR-uh strohk-DOO-uhn ee en preh-sen-TAH-shohn, sel nor doo air got foh-BEH-uhd. Anxiety can disrupt the structure of a presentation, even when you are well prepared.
A

Jeg har tendens til at skynde mig gennem komplekse overgange.

yai har TEN-tens teel ed SGUN-uh my gen-um kom-PLEK-suh OH-vuh-geng-uh. I tend to rush through complex transitions.
B

Det kan måske hjælpe at fremhæve overgangene i dine noter.

deh kan MOS-keh YEL-puh ed frem-HEH-vuh OH-vuh-GENG-uh-nuh ee DEE-nuh NOH-duh. Highlighting transitions in your notes may help.
A

Jeg kunne også kun øve mig på de vanskelige afsnit.

yai KUN-uh OH-suh koon LYOO-thuh my paw deh VAN-skeh-lee-uh OW-sneet. I could also rehearse only the difficult sections.
B

Det er effektivt, fordi ikke alle dele behøver lige meget øvelse.

deh air eh-fek-TEET, foh-DEE EH-guh AL-uh DEH-luh beh-HUR LEE-uh MY-uhd UR-vuhl-suh. That is efficient, since not every part needs equal practice.
A

Jeg vil gerne lyde forberedt uden at virke, som om jeg har lært det udenad.

yai vel YAIR-nuh LYOO-thuh foh-BEH-uhd OO-den ed VEER-kuh, som om yai har LAIRD deh OO-den-NED. I want to sound prepared without seeming memorized.
B

Gå efter fleksible markører i stedet for faste sætninger.

goh EF-duh flek-SEE-bluh mar-KUR-uh ee STEH-duh foh FAS-tuh SED-ning-uh. Aim for flexible signposts rather than fixed sentences.

Word by Word

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” and is the speaker referring to themself. In “Jeg kender materialet”, it is the subject before the verb; use it when talking about your own actions or thoughts.
kender “Kender” means “know” or “be familiar with” here, referring to the presentation material. In “Jeg kender materialet”, it is used with a person as subject and the known thing as object.
materialet “Materialet” means “the material” being studied or presented. The form refers to specific, known material; use it when talking about material already identified in the conversation.
men “Men” means “but” and contrasts knowing the material with having scattered thoughts while presenting. Use it to connect two ideas that do not fit together as expected.
når “Når” means “when” and introduces the situation in “når jeg holder oplæg”. Use it before a clause describing the time or situation in which something happens.
holder In “holder oplæg”, “holder” means “give” or “deliver”, as in delivering a presentation. This verb is used with “oplæg” when describing the act of giving a talk.
oplæg “Oplæg” means “presentation” or “talk” in this context. It is the thing being delivered in “holder oplæg”; use this expression when talking about giving a presentation.
bliver “Bliver” means “becomes” or “gets” and marks a change into the state described by “spredte”. In “bliver mine tanker spredte”, it links the thoughts to their resulting state.
mine “Mine” means “my” before “tanker”, referring to thoughts belonging to the speaker. Use it before the plural thing you are identifying as yours, as in “mine tanker”.
tanker “Tanker” means “thoughts” and is the subject of “bliver” in the description of the speaker’s thinking. Use it when referring to ideas or thoughts in someone’s mind.
spredte “Spredte” means “scattered” here, describing thoughts that lack a clear focus or order. It follows “bliver” to name the resulting condition of the thoughts.
Angst “Angst” means “anxiety” and is presented as something that can affect a presentation. It is the subject in “Angst kan forstyrre”; use it when naming anxiety as a cause or influence.
kan “Kan” expresses possibility in “Angst kan forstyrre”, meaning that anxiety can disrupt the presentation. It is placed before the following verb to describe something that may happen or be possible.
forstyrre “Forstyrre” means “disrupt” or “disturb”, describing the effect anxiety may have on the structure. In “kan forstyrre”, it follows “kan” to name the possible action.
strukturen “Strukturen” means “the structure” of the presentation. The form refers to a specific structure, and it is the thing that anxiety may disrupt in “forstyrre strukturen”.
i “I” connects “strukturen” with “en præsentation” and shows the context in which the structure exists. Use it to link something with the setting or whole it belongs to, as in “i en præsentation”.
en “En” means “a” and introduces the singular noun “præsentation”. Use it before one presentation that is being mentioned without being specified as a particular known one.
præsentation “Præsentation” means “presentation” and is the context for the structure discussed here. In “en præsentation”, it follows the indefinite article when referring to one presentation.
selv “Selv” means “even” and emphasizes that the disruption can happen despite being well prepared. In “selv når du er godt forberedt”, it highlights a condition that does not prevent the result.
du “Du” means “you” and refers to the person being addressed. It is the subject in “du er godt forberedt”; use it when speaking directly to one person.
er “Er” means “are” here and links “du” with the description “godt forberedt”. Use it to state someone’s condition or situation.
godt “Godt” means “well” in “godt forberedt”, strengthening the description of being prepared. Together with “forberedt”, it describes a high or satisfactory degree of preparation.
forberedt “Forberedt” means “prepared” and describes the person’s state in “du er godt forberedt”. Use it after “er” when describing whether someone is ready for an activity.
har “Har” means “have” in “har tendens til at skynde mig”. It introduces something the speaker possesses or experiences, here a recurring tendency.
tendens “Tendens” means “tendency” and names a repeated pattern of behavior. The reusable expression “har tendens til at” is followed by the action that someone often does.
til In “tendens til at skynde mig”, “til” links the tendency with the action that follows. Together with “at”, it introduces the behavior associated with the tendency.
at “At” marks the verb that follows in “til at skynde mig”. It helps introduce an action after an expression such as “tendens til”; use it before the verb describing that action.
skynde “Skynde” means “hurry” in “skynde mig gennem komplekse overgange”. It names the action the speaker tends to perform and is used here with “mig” and “gennem”.
mig “Mig” means “me” or “myself” and refers back to the speaker in “skynde mig”. It appears with the action of hurrying when the speaker is the person affected by that action.
gennem “Gennem” means “through” and describes moving quickly across the transitions. Use it before a path, sequence, or set of stages that someone moves through.
komplekse “Komplekse” means “complex” and describes the transitions as difficult or involved. It comes before “overgange”; use it before a noun when characterizing that noun as complex.
overgange “Overgange” means “transitions”, the points where one part of the presentation moves to another. In “gennem komplekse overgange”, it names the stages the speaker rushes through.
Det “Det” introduces the suggestion in “Det kan måske hjælpe at fremhæve overgangene”. Here it functions as an impersonal “it” rather than naming a particular object; use it to frame a general suggestion or evaluation.
måske “Måske” means “maybe” and makes the suggestion tentative in “kan måske hjælpe”. Use it when offering a possibility without presenting it as certain.
hjælpe “Hjælpe” means “help” and refers to the possible benefit of highlighting the transitions. In “kan måske hjælpe”, it follows “kan” and names the result that may occur.
fremhæve “Fremhæve” means “highlight” or “make noticeable” in “at fremhæve overgangene”. It names the suggested action involving the transitions in the notes.
overgangene “Overgangene” means “the transitions” and refers to the specific transitions being discussed. The form is used when the transitions are already identifiable, here as something to highlight.
dine “Dine” means “your” before “noter”, referring to notes belonging to the person addressed. Use it before the plural thing you are identifying as someone else’s.
noter “Noter” means “notes” and provides the place or medium where the transitions can be highlighted. In “i dine noter”, it refers to notes used to support the presentation.
kunne “Kunne” means “could” and presents rehearsal as a possible option in “Jeg kunne også kun øve mig”. Use it when suggesting something that is possible or available as a choice.
også “Også” means “also” and adds this rehearsal idea to the earlier suggestion about highlighting transitions. Use it to introduce another action or option.
kun “Kun” means “only” and limits the rehearsal to the difficult sections. In “kun øve mig på de vanskelige afsnit”, it shows that the speaker is excluding the other sections from this focused practice.
øve “Øve” means “practice” or “rehearse” in “øve mig på de vanskelige afsnit”. It names the activity of preparing by repeating or working on a performance.
på In “øve mig på de vanskelige afsnit”, “på” marks what the practice is directed toward. Use it in this construction to connect practicing with the skill, task, or section being practiced.
de “De” means “the” before the plural expression “de vanskelige afsnit”. Use it to identify particular plural things that are known or specified.
vanskelige “Vanskelige” means “difficult” and describes the sections that need focused rehearsal. It comes before “afsnit” as part of “de vanskelige afsnit”.
afsnit “Afsnit” means “sections” and refers to divisions of the presentation. In “de vanskelige afsnit”, it identifies the specific parts that the speaker plans to rehearse.
effektivt “Effektivt” means “efficient” and evaluates the strategy of practicing only the difficult parts. In “Det er effektivt”, it describes the strategy as producing a useful result without unnecessary effort.
fordi “Fordi” means “because” and introduces the reason for calling the strategy efficient. Use it to connect a statement with the explanation that supports it.
ikke “Ikke” means “not” and negates the idea that every part needs the same amount of practice. In “ikke alle dele”, it comes before the group being limited or denied.
alle “Alle” means “all” or “every” and refers to the complete set of parts. In “ikke alle dele”, it creates the meaning “not every part”, rather than referring to just one part.
dele “Dele” means “parts” and refers to the separate sections of the presentation. It is the subject of “behøver” in the explanation about how much practice is needed.
behøver “Behøver” means “need” or “require” in “ikke alle dele behøver lige meget øvelse”. It states what amount of practice the different parts require.
lige “Lige” means “equally” in the expression “lige meget øvelse”. It shows that the amount is the same across the parts being compared.
meget “Meget” means “much” and describes the amount of “øvelse” needed. Together with “lige”, it forms “lige meget øvelse”, meaning an equal amount of practice.
øvelse “Øvelse” means “practice” and refers to preparation through rehearsal. In “lige meget øvelse”, it is the activity whose required amount may differ between parts.
vil In “vil gerne lyde forberedt”, “vil” expresses the speaker’s wish or intention to sound prepared. Use “vil gerne” before a verb when stating something you would like to do.
gerne “Gerne” combines with “vil” in “vil gerne lyde” to express a personal wish or preference. The phrase “vil gerne” is used before an action the speaker would like to carry out.
lyde “Lyde” means “sound” in “lyde forberedt”, describing how the speaker wants to come across to listeners. It follows “vil gerne” and is followed by the description of the impression.
uden “Uden” means “without” and introduces something the speaker wants to avoid in “uden at virke”. Use it before an action or situation that should not accompany the main action.
virke “Virke” means “seem” or “appear” in “uden at virke, som om...”. It describes the impression the speaker wants to avoid giving and follows “uden at” here.
som om “Som om” means “as if” and introduces an imagined impression rather than a confirmed fact. “Som” contributes the comparison-like link and “om” introduces the imagined condition; together they form the construction in “virke, som om jeg har lært det udenad”.
lært “Lært” means “learned” in “har lært det udenad”. Together with “udenad”, it describes having memorized something, so the speaker does not want to seem to have memorized the presentation word for word.
Gå In “Gå efter fleksible markører”, “Gå” is part of the advice expression meaning “aim for” or “go for”. It is used here to recommend a particular approach to preparing the presentation.
efter In “Gå efter”, “efter” contributes the idea of pursuing or aiming toward something. The whole expression “Gå efter fleksible markører” means to aim for flexible signposts.
fleksible “Fleksible” means “flexible” and describes signposts that can adapt during the presentation. It comes before “markører” and identifies the recommended type of signpost.
markører “Markører” means “signposts” or “markers” and refers to cues that guide the structure of a presentation. In “fleksible markører”, these cues are recommended instead of memorized fixed sentences.
i stedet for “I stedet for” means “instead of” and introduces the alternative being chosen. “I” marks the relation, “stedet” refers to the place or position, and “for” introduces what is replaced; together they form “i stedet for faste sætninger”. A reusable pattern is to put one option before “i stedet for” and the rejected alternative after it.
faste “Faste” means “fixed” and describes sentences that are predetermined and not easily adapted. In “faste sætninger”, it identifies the approach that the tutor recommends replacing.
sætninger “Sætninger” means “sentences” and refers to complete prepared lines in the presentation. In “i stedet for faste sætninger”, these sentences are contrasted with more flexible signposts.

Grammar Points

have tendens til at + infinitiv

Jeg har tendens til at skynde mig.

yai har TEN-tens teel ed SGUN-uh my.

I tend to rush.

After tendens til, use at before the infinitive. The reflexive verb keeps its pronoun: skynde sig.

gå efter + substantiv

Gå efter fleksible markører.

GOH EF-duh flek-SEE-bluh mar-KUR-uh.

Aim for flexible signposts.

Gå efter is followed directly by the thing you aim for; no at is used.

Danish Vocabulary

angst noun
AHNGST anxiety
Gender
common
forstyrre verb
foh-STUR-uh disrupt
fremhæve verb
frem-HEH-vuh highlight
have tendens til phrase
HAH-vuh TEN-tens teel tend to har tendens til
holde oplæg phrase
HAW-luh OH-pleg give a presentation holder oplæg
kompleks adj
kom-PLEKS complex komplekse
materiale noun
muh-teh-ree-EL-uh material materialet
Gender
neuter
overgang noun
OH-vuh-GANG transition overgange
Gender
common
præsentation noun
preh-sen-TAH-shohn presentation
Gender
common
skynde sig verb
SGUN-uh sai hurry; rush skynde mig
spredt adj
SPREHD scattered spredte
struktur noun
strohk-DOO-uh structure strukturen
Gender
common

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

structure

Show Answerstrukturen

material

Show Answermaterialet

scattered

Show Answerspredte

presentation

Show Answerpræsentation