Acing An Oral Presentation
AHHHH, the dreaded Oral Presentation.
Don’t like getting up in front of your classmates to give a presentation? You are not alone. Public speaking ranks right up the top when it comes to teenage fears. And it’s not just teenagers. Some experts estimate that as much as 74% of the population has some level of anxiety regarding public speaking.
What is an Oral Presentation?
An Oral Presentation consists of an individual or group verbally addressing an audience on a particular topic.
Oral Presentations can be set as formal assessments or simply a class task set by your teacher.
They can occur in all Year levels throughout high school and across most subjects. In particular, subjects based in Humanities, Commerce, Arts, Languages and English. Some of the common types of Orals include:
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Research Presentation with a PowerPoint or other visual
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Debate
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Role-play
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Interview
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Oral Conversation in Language Classes
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Monologue/Speech
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Book Report or Analysis
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Demonstration
So, why do schools put you through the torture?
If most students dislike the oral component of assessments then why do teachers insist on making them a part of the assessment schedule?
1. For starters, teachers are usually follow mandatory requirements by most Australian Curriculums that suggest some form of oral task is included in the assessment schedule.
3. Furthermore, Oral Presentations are amongst the most common forms of assessment at university. It is beneficial that by the time you get to university you have had sufficient practice at speaking in front of a crowd.
2. Secondly, some students actually prefer oral assessments. Most assessments are written, and not all students have great writing skills. Having an oral component mixes it up so those that are skilled in public speaking and presenting also have an opportunity to shine.
4. The benefits don’t stop at university. Just like playing sports or learning an instrument, the more practice the better when it comes to public speaking. Continued Oral Presentations builds up confidence when speaking to others and in a group without feeling anxious or nervous. It is also training you for the workforce. Whether it’s customer service, sales or a meeting with the boss, almost all jobs will require some type of public speaking. What about when you are going for a job interview or a speech at your best mate's 21st? Even further down the track, your wedding speech. Oral Presentations at high school are the starting practice point to some significant events in your life.
Overcoming the anxiety of an Oral Presentation
Speaking in front of people is nerve racking, and most people feel some form of anxiety. However, for some , standing up in front of a classroom, or even in front of a teacher, and being assessed on your performance is just about as terrifying as it gets.
This anxiety is called glossophobia.
And I know from experience, because I too felt this fear as a student. Fast forward 25 years and I am still not a fan of public speaking. I still feel anxious when I am teaching to a new class or have to present to other teachers. I was nervous presenting assessments at university. I was trembling before my wedding speech. The truth is that for most, this anxiety does not disappear. But I have learnt to face my anxiety and have ended in a career in which I have to speak to students everyday. I have learnt that there are ways to deal with anxiety when public speaking. Let’s look at some strategies I and other students use to help overcome anxiety when giving an oral presentation.
1. The acceptance that the anxiety will probably never fade away
No matter how much you practice, even after years of experience, for most there will always be some degree of anxiety before an oral presentation. Figuring out some magical formula that will rid you of all nerves is probably a waste of time. Even veteran speakers and celebrities admit to getting nervous. It is totally normal. So by accepting the reality that the fear probably isn’t going to go away any time soon, we can start to learn how to manage it. You can still be good, even great at public speaking, but learn to accept that the nerves will always be there.
Superstar singer Adele still gets nervous singing to an audience, after years of live apperances.
2. Choose a topic you are interested in
Arguably the best way to calm the nerves, and overall delivery and quality of your oral presentation is to choose a topic that you actually care about. Speaking about something that you are passionate about or at least interested in improves the authenticity of your speech. If you are engaged, it is easier for your audience to become engaged. Talking about something boring or a topic you know little about will look forced through your delivery, and can easily cause you to stumble and become anxious. If the topic is a passion of yours, it will be easier to push through your fears and you will feel so much more comfortable in front of your peers and teacher.
The "Sweet Spot Topic" is one in which you are interested in, your audience is interested in, and you have thoroughly prepared and researched the topic. All three elements combined will give you a great deal of confidence and will calm the nerves.
3. Keep your choice of words simple
If you are struggling with confidence, keep the script simple.
It is different to writing an essay, where you are using a very formal structure, fancy vocabulary and long sentences. This looks good on paper, but doesn’t always work when you read out aloud, especially if you are nervous.
This is not to say your oral should sound impressive, but you need to prepare an oral that you can verbalise, not one that sounds good on paper. Make your speech work for you by choosing words and sentences you can easily deliver to an audience. The last thing you want to worry about is fumbling over difficult language or complex sentences. Some tips to help make your oral work for you include:
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Make your arguments short and straight to the point. Try not to get off topic. Have a look at the marking criteria and stick to that.
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Even though you want to be straight to the point, use a mixture of short and long sentences. Short sentences are easier for the audience to follow and are less prone to tripping up. However, too many short sentences can disrupt the flow of your oral. So mix up the short sentence with some long, meaningful sentences.
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Embrace silence and pause between key points. Students feel that they need to keep talking and waffle to avoid silence. Between each slide or main point, stop, catch your breath and go again.
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Orals sound so much better when they are delivered in a conversational manner. Deliver your oral like you normally speak, without the slang and some added professional and intelligent words. This can relax your nerves a little and this approach is far more interesting to the audience as opposed to you reading like a news presenter
"Make your speech work for you by choosing words and sentences you can easily deliver to an audience."
4. Memorise your script
One mistake many students fall into is to write the whole speech on cue cards to calm the nerves. This can actually hinder your performance by making you too reliant on your cards and can take away the natural, conversational delivery of the oral. A better way is to memorise your speech by practising as much as possible. Practise well in advance. Practice standing up. Practice in front of your family. Practice in front of the mirror. Get to a point where you have memorised everything you are going to say. Your cue cards should only have the key points as a back up. This strategy works in two ways:
1.You will feel super confident leading into the big day because you know everything you are going to say.
2. You have the main points on the cue cards as back up, and without the whole script your delivery will sound more conversational.
5. Really know your topic
One step further than memorising, is to really understand the topic you are addressing. Understanding your topic means you are less likely to make mistakes, and if you do, you should be able to recover quickly. If your peers or teacher ask questions you will also be better prepared to answer them on the spot.
6. Take a few deep breaths
As young children, our parents soothed our crying by urging us to take deep breaths. Olympians are often seen deep breathing before a big race, jump or throw. Deep breathing can help calm us down. Take three or four deep, slow breaths before you get up to do your speech. You can even do this during your speech, in between slides or to start a new argument. Don't underestimate the power of a long slow deep breath
Check out Paul Sheppard on TikTok @mindsetchangecoach and YouTube for breathing and other anxiety related strategies
7. Scope out the room/area of your oral presentation
Another way to calm your anxiety is to get a feel for the environment of your presentation. Most likely, it will be in your classroom, so make sure in the morning or day before, you learn how to use any of the IT for the presentation, microphone or lighting. Nothing should surprise you on the day, you want to make sure everything runs smoothly.
8. Water
Sip water before the presentation. This helps with a dry mouth and clears the throat. Have a bottle of water with you during your speech too, if you need it.
9. Light exercise the morning of the presentation
For some students, going for a light run or brisk walk in the morning can be good for the nerves. This rids the body of excess energy and sends oxygen to the brain. If you are still feeling nervous before your speech, do some light stretches at the back of the room, or if you can, take a quick walk around the school or down the hall.
10. Stand up five minutes prior to your presentation
If you are sitting at your desk waiting for your presentation and you are feeling really nervous, then if you can, go and stand up at the back of the class. Sitting puts you in a motionless and inactive mood. Instead, stand up and place yourself in a position ready for action.
11. Dim the lights
A darker room can also help to reduce anxiety. Faces become less visible and the setting becomes a little less scary. Professional speakers and comedians often ask for the lights to be turned down. Ask your teacher, I am sure they will let you try this.
12. Try not to take it too seriously
Last of all, this might be easier said than done, but try to relax and not take the speech too seriously. It is just a High School Oral Presentation. Yes it can be scary, yes it might go to your school grade, but in the whole scheme of things, it is not the be-all and end-all. Will it matter in 5 years time? Probably not. Have a crack, if you make a mistake then so be it. The more attempts you make the better you will get at presenting in front of people.
Creating An Awesome Oral Presentation
Despite the regularity and importance of oral presentations, the practice is rarely properly taught by your teachers. Below is a guide on how to plan, create and execute an awesome presentation that will ultimately inform your peers and help you achieve success in your oral assessments.
The 4 Ps of Creating an Oral Presentation
1. Planning
2. PowerPoint
3. Practising
4. Presenting
1. Planning
Start Early
If it is an assessment you are more than likely going to get the oral task a couple of weeks in advance. START AS EARLY AS YOU CAN. This gives you time to research, structure your presentation and practice. If you leave it to the night before you present, you will find yourself unprepared and anxious on the day.
Read the Assessment Criteria
As a teacher who has marked 1000s of oral presentations, it astounds me how many students do not read the assessment criteria when planning their oral. The criteria is basically a checklist for the teacher to help assess your oral. Make sure you read it carefully and include all requirements in your oral.
Most Oral Assessments should have a marking criteria similar to this History Oral. Use your criteria as a checklist of what MUST be included in the presentation.
Research your topic thoroughly. Use multiple sources, ask your teacher for advice, you want all angles covered. It’s so much easier to present when you know what you are talking about. When I am teaching a topic that is not my strength, I feel like my lesson is not at a peak level. However, when I am teaching something I know alot about, I am super confident and the lesson feels like it is flowing perfectly. You will also be more confident when your peers or teacher ask you questions at the end of the presentation.
Research (alot)
Know your audience
Most likely your audience will be your classmates and your teacher.
Your teacher will be assessing you, so make sure you have covered all areas of the marking guide. Ask your teacher for tips or help, what are they looking for?
Your classmates are similar to you. Same age, similar interests and knowledge. Don’t create a presentation as if you are speaking to University Professors with words that your classmate won’t understand or will find boring. The language should be formal, but it should not be a strain for your peers to understand it. Make sure to define keywords that might be unfamiliar to them.
Structuring and writing your presentation
The best presentations have an easy-to-follow structure. You must deliver your message in a logical and simple way that the audience can follow and stay focused. Structure not only helps the audience but it is also helpful for you as the presenter. It will help you remain calm, prevent you from going off topic and avoid awkward silences.
Although all presentations are different, below is a useful scaffold to follow, which has a good flow and sets out a structure which you can easily add content to.
Start with a captivating introduction
The start of your presentation is super important. If you have captured your classmates and teacher’s attention in the first minute, there is a good chance you have won them over for the rest of the presentation. If you start off slow, boring or unoriginal, it is hard to gain back their attention.
Keep your introduction short and sweet, roughly between 30 seconds to 2 minutes ( depending on how long your oral is).
The introduction is a teaser of what you’ll be presenting, and if done successfully, should include the following:
1. Start with an engaging idea that grabs your classmates and teacher’s attention. This is an important tip that most of your classmates will ignore.
You need something that catches the audience’s attention early on and will make your presentation stand out from your peers. And I’m not talking about something over the top like singing a song or dressing up in costume. It can be more discreet like some of the techniques below.
Begin with a question
One way of keeping your classmates on their toes is to start with a question. The question might be directed at an individual of your choice (maybe a friend) or you might even do a quick poll or a raise of hands. The question might be rhetorical (a question not intended to require an answer). This method makes the audience feel invested in your presentation and forces them to be pay attention.
Watch the introduction of the presentation on the right. Notice how Kaishika Rodrigo looks to the audience and asks very direct questions. She is not looking for answers, but immediately grabs the audience's attention. This and more presentations can be found on YouTube on The Toastmasters International Channel
Share a personal story
Consider telling a story within your introduction. People love hearing stories, and it is especially powerful if it is related to you, the speaker. A story gives your presentation a personal touch and can add rapport with the audience. The story should be something related to the topic, perhaps something you might have experienced that is familiar with the main points of the presentation. Your story works best if it’s humorous or thought-provoking.
Watch Tim Urban start off a Ted Talk with a story on his college life when introducing a talk on procrastination.
Shock the audience
Perhaps start with a statement that will shock your classmates. A bold statement will spark curiosity and will leave the audience hanging to hear more.
Listen to Jane McGonigal introduce a Ted Talk, telling the audience they will live 7.5 minutes longer, just by liystening to her talk. A bold statement, right? But no doubt it hooks the audience in for the rest of the talk.
Share a thought provoking image
The old saying "A picture can say a thousand words" can be used to your advantage to start off a presentation. A captivating image, perhaps on a slide, in a handout, or a large image you have brought in can set the scene for your presentation and show the audience what message or theme you are trying to deliver.
The image on the left, "The vulture and the little girl", is an award winning photograph by Kevin Carter, which, which first appeared in The New York Times in 1993. The photograph is of a little boy (first thought to be a girl) collapsed to the ground, with a nearby vulture eyeing him off in Sudan during the 1993 famine. This controversial picture would be such a powerful introduction to a presentation on poverty or famine, hooking the audience in almost immediately, without even saying a word.
Use humour
Quote an influential person
Are you able to pull off a funny joke? Are you know for your sense of humour? Not everyone is, but if you are, use to that to your advantage by starting with some light humour to break the ice and relax the audience. Presentations don't have to always be uptight or uncomfortable, have some fun with them.
Watch Simon Lancaster started off his Ted Talk with a light hearted, funny story about the Australian accent.
A common but effective way to introduce a presentation is to quote an influential person. The quote should be from someone known by your audience, should be related to your topic and relatively short.
Carl Kwan has an awesome YouTube Channel with heaps of presentation and multimedia skills. The video on the right is of Carl giving some tips on how to use a quote to begin an oral presentation.
Here are some useful websites that contain quotations for almost any topic:
Use a surprsing fact or statistic
In the example to the right, Jamie Oliver starts his Ted Talk with the stat , "In the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat." What a powerful way to start a presentation on obesity and food.
You could do something similar, based on your topic, to hook the audience in right from the start.
Watch author and teacher Vanessa Van Edwards humorous take on the best and worst ways to start a presentation. More content from the multi-time best selling author can be found on the YouTube Channel "Science of People"
2. A very brief introduction of yourself and welcome to the audience.
Even though your teacher and classmates know you, confidently introducing yourself and welcoming your teacher and classmates, immediately establishes authority and credibility. This is a lot better then what most students do, which is fumble straight into the presentation.
EXAMPLES
”Good morning. My name is Chris Vlahov, and I’m here today to talk to you about the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.
"Good morning everyone, my name is Chris Vlahov and welcome to my presentation on the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. First of all, let me thank you all for giving me the opportunity to present today."
3. Summarise the content and order of your presentation.
Explain to the class what your presentation will be about and perhaps a quick outline of the scaffold of your presentation.
KEY PHRASES
Saying what your topic/title/subject is
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What I’d like to present to you today is...
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As you can see on the PowerPoint, my topic today is...
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The subject/focus/topic/title of my presentation is...
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In this talk, I/we would like to concentrate on...
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In my presentation I would like to report on...
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I’m here today to present...
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This morning I’m going to be talking to you about/ telling you about/ showing you how to deal with/ taking a look at the recent development in/ reporting on the results of the study we carried out...
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What I’m going to do/What I intend to do is describe to you/show you/tell you about...
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My presentation is based on three main points. Firstly...The second point is that...This will then lead me to...Finally...'
KEY PHRASES
Presenting the structure of your presentation
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I’ve divided my presentation into three main parts.
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In my presentation I’ll focus on three major issues.
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The subject can be looked at under the following headings:...
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This presentation is structured as follows:...
4. Explain any instructions the audience needs to know.
Is the audience required to do anything? Do they need a pen? Is there time for questions during or after the presentation? Inform the audience with these details at the beginning.
KEY PHRASES
Giving instructions
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I’ll be handing out copies of the slides at the end of my talk.
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I’ve put all the important statistics on a handout for you.
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If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time.
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Please interrupt me, if there is something which needs clarifying. Otherwise, there’ll be time for discussion at the end.
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If you have any questions you’d like to ask, I’ll be happy to answer them.
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There will be time for questions after my presentation.
The body
The real meat of your oral happens in the body. The body is the middle section of the presentation where the main points or key ideas need to be presented to the audience. It is the most important part of your presentation and where most of your marks will come from.
Let's go through a few tips on how to make the body of your presentation bulletproof
1. How many points? There is no magic number of points you should present in your body, however most presentation experts will agree that the fewer the points the better. A presentation is not like a book, where you can go back and revisit a page. Your audience will be listening once only and will only be able to remember a very small part of your presentation. Experts recommend two or three main points as a rough guide to the amount of points in the body. This could alter depending on the length of the presentation. Two or three main points is much easier for an audience to engage and remember as opposed to 9-10 points. Plus, with fewer points, you can develop each one further with examples, statistics and other sources, which is more entertaining for your audience.
2. What points should you include? The first thing you need to look at is your assessment criteria for the presentation. This will give you an overview of what to include in your presentation. Make sure you include any specifics mentioned in the marking guide. This is what your teacher will be looking at when marking your oral.
When you are researching your topic you will probably come across quite a few points you would like to include in your presentation. Start by writing down all the main points you would like to mention in your oral. Consider the following:
Now that you have a list of main points, you must narrow them into two or three main points. When looking at your points, you will notice that many are related. Your goal is to group all these individual points to make two or three main points. This is called chunking.
You now have a scaffold for your body, with three main points and subheadings within each point. As you can see above, not all main points have to have the same amount of subpoints. Some subpoints might be short and others might need to me fully developed.
2. Balancing Main Points?
2. Maintaining logical flow?
2. Transitioning between main points?
2. Otehr body tips?
Now that you have brainstormed and developed a list of possible points, how do you go about narrowing them down to just two or three main ones? Remember, your main points are the key ideas that help build your speech. When you look over the preceding list, you can then start to see that many of the points are related to one another. Your goal in narrowing down your main points is to identify which individual, potentially minor points can be combined to make main points. This process is called chunking because it involves taking smaller chunks of information and putting them together with like chunks to create more fully developed chunks of information. Before reading our chunking of the preceding list, see if you can determine three large chunks out of the list (note that not all chunks are equal).
When you write your specific purpose and review the research you have done on your topic, you will probably find yourself thinking of quite a few points that you’d like to make in your speech. Whether that’s the case or not, we recommend taking a few minutes to brainstorm and develop a list of points. In brainstorming, your goal is simply to think of as many different points as you can, not to judge how valuable or important they are. What information does your audience need to know to understand your topic? What information does your speech need to convey to accomplish its specific purpose? Consider the following example:
The real “meat” of your speech happens in the body. In this section, we’re going to discuss how to think strategically about the body of your speech.
Main points are the key ideas you present to enable your speech to accomplish its specific purpose. In this section, we’re going to discuss how to determine your main points and how to organize those main points into a coherent, strategic speech.
Let's go through some In the body you should discuss each of your main points in a clear and logical order.
How many points? This is all depends on the length and topic of your presentation, but usually anywhere between 3 -5
Tips to follow
- Break up each main point use examples etc clearly identify main point
- Use the marking criteria as a guide for main points
Think about the order - chronological, importance
- Define key words
- Examples
- refer to experts