ORAL PRESENTATION A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS

Elements of communication Sender, receiver, communicator - people who send and receive messages using channels Message - idea, concept, emotion, desire, or feeling that a person wants to share with another Channel / medium - the means by which the senders send their message Feedback - the receiver’s response to the message she received Noise - interference that keeps a message from being understood or correctly interpreted Setting - the environment in which the communication occurs

Oral communication - definition A two-way process by which information, meanings, and feelings are shared through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages.

Functions of oral communication To inquire - to request for information, assistance, services or supplies without persuasive effort To inform – to convey information to intended audience by giving instructions or directions, description of something, explanation of how and why a thing or process operates, reports or lectures To persuade - to motivate others to act or behave in a certain way, agree with our opinion or beliefs, get action on a matter, reinforce or intensify their beliefs To entertain – to divert, amuse, decrease the tension, or build rapport with others

Types of oral communication Intrapersonal communication – communication with oneself Interpersonal communication – involves two people in the communication process Group communication – involves three to six persons, actively working together towards a common goal Public communication – requires an individual to deliver a message in front of an audience Mass communication – communication with a large number of people using the media

Characteristics of oral communication Verbal You use speech to communicate a message – you speak and your audience listens You need to keep your listener engaged You help your listener to understand you by using different linguistic and non-linguistic devices Non-verbal – use of body language Voice Posture Gestures Eye-contact Overall impression – clothes, adornments etc.

Oral presentation – a public type of oral communication Aims – to inform, persuade, entertain, motivate and inspire Audience – number, specialists/non-specialists, passive/interactive Preparation – choosing a topic, brainstorming ideas, researching, analyzing, planning, structuring (introduction, body, conclusion), rehearsing Delivery – overcoming the stage fright, organization, pace, interaction with audience, dealing with questions

Structure of the oral presentation Introduction – you say what you are going to talk about Body – you talk about it Conclusion – you say what you have just talked about _______________________________ *For more details you may refer to this practical guide

Example structure of an oral presentation Introduction An engaging beginning – quote, interesting fact, analogy, rhetorical question, joke Stating the aim of the talk Outlining the main point of the talk Body Main idea 1 + arguments + examples Main idea 2 + arguments + examples Main idea 3 + arguments + examples Conclusion Summary of the main ideas Conclusive statement adding the final touch to the presentation

Basic principles K.I.S.S – keep it straight and simple 7P – purpose, people, place, preparation, planning, personality, performance

Power point presentation Tips for effective power point presentation Adapted from: Bankerd, Kathy. “How to Optimize Projection Technology: Using Fonts, Graphics, and Color to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Presentation”. Syllabus. November/December 1997. Bird, Linda. “Avoid the Mistakes of PowerPoint Rookies.” Smart Computing. January 2001. Brown, David G. “PowerPoint-Induced Sleep.” Syllabus. January 2001.

GOOD LUCK! Simona Bali OOOK410