This study looks at the way in which students give meaning to the examples that are presented to them during educational presentations. Our research objectives are (1) to identify the properties of examples, (2) to observe their impacts for students and (3) to establish connections between their properties and their impacts. Start from 15 individual interviews with university students, we were able to identify twelve specific properties, six distinct ranges of impacts. More over, several connections can be woven between their (...) properties and their effects. To conclude, this study stresses the value and even the necessity, of taking into account the impact of language in pedagogical presentations and to continue research into this specific language practice in order to improve teaching practices. (shrink)