At least once in a student's university career, he or she will have to stand before a group of peers and give an oral presentation. Let’s take a look at how to write and deliver them.
Structure and Content
The general structure of a presentation is much like that of an essay in that it has an introduction, a main body and a conclusion. However, there are obvious differences between addressing a crowd and composing an essay. Here is the basic structure to follow:
Introduction
- Hook
- The easiest way to get your audience's attention at the beginning of a presentation is with a simple greeting. Do not underestimate the significance of a simple "Hello, everyone".
- Much like the essay, begin the presentation by introducing the topic with an engaging statement, a surprising fact, a rhetorical question, or a powerful image.
- Background
- Provide context for your audience—any general information about the topic they will need to fully understand the issue.
- Thesis
- Clearly convey the purpose of your presentation and the main points you will discuss.
- While it is inappropriate in essay writing, in a presentation, the speaker is expected to announce his or her intentions. For example, "Today, I would like to discuss why..." or "First, I will explain why ...and afterwards, I will look at..."
Body
- The Argument
- Present a logical argument that is easy to follow.
- Support the claim within the thesis.
- Develop each supporting point with specific details to exemplify or explain your position.
- These specific details should include relevant information from credible sources.
- Provide clear transitions from one key point to the next.
- Use visuals to emphasize points and engage with the audience.
Conclusion
- Like the conclusion of an essay, the conclusion of a presentation includes a restatement of the main idea and a summary of the main points.
- Make one final statement to leave an impression on the audience, to leave the listener with something to consider.
- Make it clear to the audience that your presentation is coming to an end with a simple "Thank you."
Delivery
Do not read
- Prepare beforehand and know the material well enough that you can talk to your audience. Reading too much from a card or screen makes the speaker seem unprepared and nervous.
Do not try to memorize the material
- Understand your argument but do not try to memorize a sequence of sentences. Know your presentation well enough that a quick glance at your notes or visuals will remind you if you lose your place.
Make eye-contact
- Eye contact is an effective way of engaging an audience. However, do not stare at one particular person in the crowd for the entire presentation; let your eyes move freely from person to person.
Be aware of body language
- Your ideas and facts may not matter if your body language does not reflect the strength of your words. Having good posture and appearing confident have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of a presentation.
Be aware of your voice
- Volume
- Make sure you are speaking loudly enough to be heard by everyone.
- Clarity
- Be sure that you are speaking clearly.
- Practice the pronunciation of difficult vocabulary before the presentation until you are certain that you are pronouncing it correctly. A repeatedly mispronounced word can confuse the audience.
- Tone
- Speak with a lively tone to keep the audience engaged—monotonous speech will lose attention.
- Pace
- Slow down and breathe. If you speak too quickly, the audience may be unable to follow your argument.
- Watch your time—if you are going too slow, pick up speed so you do not go too long. If you are going too fast, slow down.