Many colleges and universities require students to create presentations for seminars and tutorials. You may be asked to create many presentations and the following recommendations can help you manage this work and develop your speaking skills.
Planning the Presentation
- Pick the topic from the presentation topics list or choose any you like, if there is no list.
- Know the time limit. Find out how much time you need to cover your topic and make conclusions about the amount of details to include in your presentation.
- Decide the way you will present your topic: slides, video, board, etc.
- Write the introduction and tell what the presentation is about. Grab attention with greeting the audience and state your topic. State the outline of the main points and their background.
- Write the body of the presentation. Develop the topic points and don’t forget to give explanations and examples. Provide colorful visual aids to raise the audience’s interest and give visual explanations of the topic.
- Write the conclusion – a summary of the main points that you have been discussing in the body of the presentation. Signal the ending of the presentation with closing words. Thank the audience and restate the purpose of your speech.
Tips of Delivering the Presentation
- Use cards that will prevent you from reading your speech. Don’t forget to number them according to the number of slides.
- Plan your opening with an engaging statement to attract the audience’s interest. Tell a joke, quotation or just an interesting fact.
- Rehearse the presentation in front of family or at least in front of the mirror.
- Take a comfortable position and face the audience; this will make you appear confident.
- Take a deep breath and greet the audience. Do not forget to smile; warm the audience.
- Take a moderate tempo and speak clearly. Try to control the speed of your speech and don’t rush.
- Pause between the main points of the presentation to emphasize on the beginning of each one.
- Make eye contact, but don’t stare. Divide the room into virtual sections and sweep eyes from one section to another.
- Don’t read the slides; it will be boring for the audience. Always try to speak on your own.
Sometimes a presentation may include a group discussion. If it is your case, start preparing some questions according to your topic. When you start the presentation, tell the audience that you will ask questions at the end of your speech. In addition, you may print the copies of questions and hand them out to the class or just make a slide and show it at the end of the presentation.