- Rehearse your speech or presentation before recording it. Use note cards to help you remember important points. You might want to highlight words or ideas that you want to emphasize.
- Practise using whatever equipment you need to work with (e.g., projector).
- Remember to speak clearly—and not too fast. You should pause at the end of sentences, and you should speak slowly enough so that you can pronounce each word distinctly. Of course, you must avoid pausing awkwardly. Rehearsing your speech and organizing your ideas effectively will eliminate the confusion that causes awkward pauses.
- Monitor the volume of your voice. Naturally, you’ll need to speak more loudly in a large room filled with people. Adjust your volume for effect, if merited.
- Use your voice effectively to stress the important points. Vary the pitch of your voice. If you speak consistently in a monotone, your audience will soon lose interest in what you’re saying. On the other hand, if you use a loud voice throughout, you’ll irritate your audience. Use a tone appropriate to purpose, form, and audience.
- Your body language is also important during an oral presentation. Try to look pleasant and confident as you speak. Think of the audience as a group of people who are interested in what you have to say. They aren’t there to criticize or attack you. If adopting a persona, use postures and gestures to properly convey this.
- Maintain and/or vary personal distance and eye contact appropriate for the communication situation.
- Review and incorporate the strategies from this site or from the 9 Tips for Becoming a Great Public Speaker
- In this course, the most important part of representing is not the artwork itself but the ideas behind the art. Try to demonstrate that you’ve thoughtfully considered the assignment. Present your representation as neatly as you can. Take the time to use colours when it’s appropriate.
- Proofread any verbal text accompanying the representation to avoid making spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
- In some assignments, you may be able to use online images. If drawing isn’t your strength, take advantage of these options.
- Use elements and principles of design to convey meaning and create effects appropriate to purpose and audience.
- When delivering a slide presentation, follow the strategies from How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint