Oral Presentations
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Introduction
Admittedly, public speaking can be stressful and overwhelming. It requires attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery. However, oral presentation are also one of the most fruitful sources of personal growth as they develop communication skills and confidence in expressing opinions and facts. This section discusses all the useful techniques for delivering a good presentation.
Contents
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...by studentsOral PresentationThe purpose of most oral presentation is almost same as any piece of writing. It involves at least one of communicating data analysis, discussing result of a research, persuading or informing audience about a particular subject matter or suggesting instructions on how to do a specific task. Similarly simplicity, clarity and logical organisation are also the key principles of successful oral presentation. However, there are also significant differences between an oral presentation and writing. These include time restriction, short attention span/concentration of the audience and the lack of chance to revise the content of the presentation from the audience’s perspective. The audience gets the chance to hear your presentation once.
Guidelines for preparation and delivery1.Think about your audienceIt is crucial to answer these questions when preparing your presentation
TIP: Make sure you address the lowest common denominator in your audience and adjust the presentation’s technical level appropriately.
TIP: If they are new to the topic, their level of absorption may be lower than for an expert audience.Leave your audience with a clear picture of the gist of your contribution, and provide them with the source if they want to read further after the presentation.
2.Preparing the presentationIt’s important to give your presentation a structure like your writing. As stated above, oral presentation has lots of common features and principles as writing. One of these features is the way you organise your speech using the ABC approach like you would for a piece of writing. This is to grasp your audience attention and help them follow closely. Here is an indication of how to organise your speech using the ABC format.
Goal: Tell them how what you are going to tell them Main points to include are:
Goal: Tell them what you said you would tell them The most important part of the presentation where you expound, discuss and support the Points stated in the introduction in the same order.
Goal: You tell them what you just told them The presentation should conclude with a well-planned ending. The following are the key points to include in your presentation.
3. Stick to a few main pointsDo not try to include too much content in the time allowed. Audience’s short term memory has limited capacity so organise the presentation around few major points.
4.Put your outline on cards, paper or cardsIt is important to remember that the best presentations are extemporaneous, where the presenter conveys his/her depth of the material by relying less on written material except for occasional reference. This also allows last-minute changes in phrasing and adding emphasis that improve delivering. However, the appropriate use of notes for reference makes a presenter look more natural.Depending on personal preference, a presenter can use different materials for writing speech notes. Refer to table 1 below to see the pros and cons of each of these materials TABLE COMING.....
5. Practice makes perfectPractice is the most important factor in making a good presentation. The effects of practice will be apparent on your attitude towards the material and the audience. Some effective techniques of practising for speech include:
6. Speak vigorously and deliberatelyVigorously = enthusiasm Deliberately = care, attention and emphasis on key words and phrases You have a limited amount of time and audience’s short attention span to work with - so it’s crucial to convey your interest in the topic and demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm. Remember: Engaging audience’s attention and maintaining their interest is just as necessary as informing them about the subject matter. Use the videotaping technique discussed above for evaluating your performance.
7. Avoid filler wordsFiller words like ‘um’s, ‘uh’s, ya know, ‘like etc tend to common in most people’s speech. In fact, in most cases you would be surprise to find out how much you use them and not even realize it. However, filler words are distracting and irritating to the audience. To avoid using filler words in your presentation, practise your speech as many times as you can because excessive use filler words tend to be indicative of lack of familiarity with the topic of discussion. It is also suggested that you replace filler words with strategic pauses for an effective speech. These short pauses allow readers to expect a change in subject. Best way to evaluate your self as to how much you use them would be to use the videotaping technique once again .
8. Use rhetorical questionsRhetorical questions are those that you ask to get listeners’ thinking. You don’t expect them to answer it but rather make them think about it and prepare them for the important information you are about to discuss following the question. When is it most effective to use rhetorical questions in your presentation?
9. Maintain eye contactAlways maintain eye contact and never turn your back on audience. Remember to visit every section of the audience as much as you can.
10. Use appropriate gesturesIncorporate appropriate gestures in your presentation. This reinforces your speech and helps in maintaining the audience’s attention. |