ORAL PRESENTATION

Preparing A Speech Or Oral Report

• some students and professonals do not like the idea of speaking

in public, whether infront of small or large group.
• it may come as an unplanned activity in which you will be forced
to speak imprumptu or it may be previously planned event that
has given you sufficient time to prepare
• as student, you should take seriously any opportunity that comes
your way and that requires you to deliver a talk.
• being able to speak effectively in front of an audience will always
be an advanatge.
Consider the following so you can render an effective speech and be a good public speaker:

1. Audience

Know the profile of your listeners. It is important that you know who will listen to you- their
age, gender, educational backgraound, religion, economic status, and interests. Also, know how
much the audience knows about the topic.

2. Logistics

It is something basic or essential for every speaker to know who is organizing the event.
Know who will be introducing you and who will be speaking before and after you.
2.1 Venue

The venue is equally important. Locate the lights and if you have movable visual aids, know
where to position them. Do not block the view of your visual aids as you present them. Employ
a balanced posture by not standing on one leg only.

2.2 Facilities

Ask beforehand about the pieces of equipment available for you. These facilities should
match the presentation aids that will use. If there are any electrical problems or technical
glitches you encounter, know how to trouble-shoot them.
3. Content of report/speech/lecture
Since you have been invited as a speaker, the organizers might have sought
you because of your reputation as an effective speaker. If the purpose of the
event is to inform, it is expected that you are able to contribute new information.
If the purpose is to entertain, your speech should be lighthearted, amusing, and
lively. If the purpose is to persuade, your presentation should should sound
convincing enough. Note, however, that any communicative event may have
more than one purpose but there is always a more dominant one.
Tips on how to prepare for big event:
1. Read a lot. research on the topic assigned to you. With the fast-changing items, it is certain
that there are new developments that have occured in the field.
2. Prepare your oral presentation with an introduction, body and a conclusion. there are
different techniques to open and close your presentation:
a) using a startling or shocking statement
b) beginning with a question
c) using a quotation
d) narrating an anecdote or a story
e) singing a line from a song
f) presenting statistics
• The strategy you will employ should match the topic that you will present.
• As regards the body of your presentation, emphasize the major points you wished to make
backed up with supporting statements to further elucidate your main points.
3. Rehearse by practicing aloud and getting the feedback of those who will act
as your audience during the rehearsal stage.

For the introduction, use gambits such as:

a. I would like to talk about...
b. I believe that the topic is...
c. Let me relate a...
For the conclusion, use gambits or expressions such as:
a. Summing up the points I discussed earlier...
b. To summarize...
c. In conclusion...
d. To conclude...
e. Finally...
f. To end my talk or speech...
4. Use technology. In this day and age, most speakers use
technology. Technology forms part of their audio and visual
aids. Technology tools should be used sparingly.
Delivering The Report/Speech/Talk
When you deliver your report, speech or talk, make use of both the verbal and non-verbal
code. These two are always linked together. While the former is important, the latter is equally
essential as it gives emphasis to a striking thought or idea.
1. Paralinguistic cues
• Subsumed under thus category ae facial expression, posture, gesture, and movement. for
facial expression, the eyes and eye-to-eye contact are very important. there is the saying
states: “the eyes are the window to the soul”. this means that by establishing eye contact or
through gazing, pe can detect emotional state of a person.
• Posture, on the other hand, refers to the speakers' stance. how speakers carry themselves
during the presentation wll show wether or not they posses credibility.
• Another important variable is gesture. Speakers who employ gestures in their speeches or
reports are more convincing than those who do not. Gestures are used to make a point more
emphatic.
• Finally there is movement. Whereas gestures are made by some parts of the body such as
the hand and the arm, movement is made by the entire body.
• One way to attract the attention of the audience is by dressing up properly. while dress or
attire is not considered as a paralinguistic cue, it is still classified as non-verbal.

2. Prosodic features
When making a presentation, there are features that you need to be observe. when you
speak, aim at delivering your message clearly through intelligible and comprehensible
pronunciation. You need to articulate the sounds clearly by paying attention to how you move
your lips, tongue, and teeth. An aspect of articulation is assimilation.

Examples:
to each his own the pros and cons for a while the splendor in the grass
to eachizown the prosend cons fora while thus plendor in the grass
Presenting In Groups
• Guidelines should be strictly followed especially if it is a group task. Planning is of the
essence so that your presentation is coherent and does not become fragmented.
Tips for preparing your presentation:
1. Assign a specific task to each group member.
2. Divide the work accordingly. Each should know the part assigned to him/her as well as the
time alloted to each.
3. Decide on a strategy as to how you will begin and end your group presentation.
4. Prepare your audio-visual aids to hold the attention and increase the interest of the listeners.
5. Practice on your own. Then come up with a schedule acceptableto the team in which you can
rehearse as a group.
6. Get feedback from your teammates as to how you can still improve your presentation in
particular and the presentation of the group in general.
7. As individuals and group presenters, think of possible questions that may
arise after the presentation. If you cannot think of an answer, seek the help of
your groupmates.

8. As an individual and group presenters, respond to questions effectively

during the question time. If it happens that nobody from the group knows the
answer, be honest to admit that you will find time to research on the matter
Overcoming Anxiety Or Stage Fright

Eugene White and Claire Henderlinder (1956)

stated that “we do not actually fear the process of speaking as such
but a negative response from the listeners”.

There are ways by which you can overcome stage fright.

• One way is by preparing thoroughly for your presentation .
• Another way is to practice.

Stage fright then can be minimized. It is not also a negative feeling all the time. Learn how to
convert this social fear into something positive so that you can aspire for top performance