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1. LECTURE 5

2. SUB TOPICS
◦ Preparing an Oral Presentation
◦ Planning an Oral Presentation
◦ Practicing for an Oral Presentation

3. INTRODUCTION
◦ Presentations are part and parcel of life as a student.
◦ You are required to present your ideas to a group of students,
colleagues, etc.
◦ There are many aspects to consider when preparing for your oral
presentation:

4. ◦ How to prepare and organise the content of your presentation
◦ How to prepare and use your visual aids
◦ How to project your voice effectively
◦ How to use body language
◦ How to overcome your fear of speaking in public

5. ◦ Choosing a Topic: It must be of interest to your audience, and you must
have knowledge on the topic.
◦ Brainstorm ideas: Ask yourself what would be interesting to your
audience.
◦ Narrow down your topic: Make sure your topic has plenty of reference
material, is visually interesting and if you are able to engage your
audience.

6. STRUCTURE OF A PRESENTATION
◦ There are always three important parts:
◦ Introduction: Make sure that you have something that grabs the attention of your
audience. Keep it short and simple. It is basically a preview into your whole topic.
◦ Attention grabbing ideas:
Provide statistics
Ask a rhetorical question
Tell an anecdote
Tell a joke
State a quotation / proverb / saying

7. ◦ Body: Prepare atleast three main points, which should be supported
with examples, illustrations, explanations, elaborations, etc.
◦ Include transitions in your body. It helps to link ideas smoothly and
allows your audience to follow your thoughts smoothly.
◦ Think of interesting ways to engage your audience’s attention, because
their attention can wane after several minutes.

8. ◦ Conclusion: the part everyone looks forward to!
◦ Use this opportunity to summarise your main points, or give a powerful
ending to leave a lasting impression on them.

9. USING VISUAL AIDS
◦ Photographs, charts, graphs, maps, etc, can be presented using
PowerPoint, laptops, projectors, radios, TV, among other forms of
media.
◦ It must be relevant to your presentation content.
◦ Keep visuals simple and minimal. Don’t overuse them.

10. TIPS FOR POWERPOINT SLIDES
◦ Use a suitable background.
◦ Minimise the texts on the slides but ensure that the font is big and clear enough for everyone to
read it.
◦ Use colours sparingly.
◦ Include appropriate visuals.
◦ Have visual balance.
◦ Include any audio files, if necessary.
◦ Must be grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.
◦ Rehearse your presentation
◦ Have Plan B!

11. VOCAL DELIVERY
◦ Use a microphone if your voice is too soft.
◦ Use different levels of volume.
◦ Vary your pitch accordingly.
◦ Don’t speak in monotone.
◦ Speak at an appropriate rate.
◦ Try not to use any fillers: “um” “er” “like”
◦ Pronounce your words clearly. Don’t have fake accents!
◦ Don’t memorise your speech as it will sound unnatural.
◦ Rehearse your presentation.
◦ Speak confidently!

12. BODY LANGUAGE
◦ This usually involves the upper part of the body, including facial expressions, eye
contact and gestures.
◦ Don’t read from the notes.
◦ Use hand gestures appropriately.
◦ Don’t focus too much on the visual aids or media.
◦ Ensure that your expressions are spontaneous, natural, and they match your message.

13. ◦ Avoid distracting facial expressions.
◦ Maintain your posture carefully.

14. OVERCOME YOUR FEAR
OF PRESENTING

15. ◦ Choose your own topic that you have adequate knowledge in.
◦ Start earlier and prepare properly.
◦ Practice and rehearse frequently.
◦ Don’t memorise as your delivery will be affected.
◦ Use cue cards but keep your notes brief.

16. ◦ Ask your friends to help provide you with feedback.
◦ Reduce the amount of text on your slides.
◦ Do some breathing exercises to calm down.
◦ Have a back up plan in case anything happens.
◦ Look at familiar or friendly faces, smile and maintain eye contact.

17. THANK YOU!