Oral presentations: the listening mind

This posting is adapted from content published in Tomorrow’s Professor.

Do you have to give a formal talk or presentation? You will need to plan for a listening audience. Obvious? It should be, but your focus as a student and writer may distract you from this goal.

The spoken word is ancient and powerful - especially when what the speaker says is meant to be heard and not read. A speech is not "an essay on hind legs," as James A. Winans, a noted scholar of rhetoric, famously observed. As tempting as it is to borrow language and structure from a paper you've already written, instead try to reappraise your paper, remembering that your audience is listening to your ideas rather than reading them. Studies reveal that listeners cannot process as much information as readers, they have difficulty staying focussed and, unless they hear something more than once, it is difficult for them to retain it.

Here are some strategies to bear in mind when "translating" your writing into an oral presentation.

In the first few seconds of a presentation you are not only introducing your topic but also yourself. Use the opportunity to connect with the audience personally, as well as helping them understand the topic.

Tip: begin with a few interesting facts about yourself that are related to the overall topic.

Listeners remember what they hear first and last, so it is important to also think carefully about your concluding remarks.

Tip: conclude with an overview of the main points

Your audience depends on your organisation of the content for them. You need to use "signpost" language such as "first," "next," or "finally" to reinforce transitions and show your progress through your talk.

Tip: start each of your main points with a question to keep your audience on track - questions invite silent answers, so they help to keep your audience interested.

Readers can set their own pace, reread a complicated paragraph, or leaf back over several pages to refresh their understanding, but listeners cannot.

Tip: be aware of pace and attend to the listeners' need to keep up with what is being said.

Tip: use very clear language and examples, and try to use metaphors to help the audience understand the complicated parts of your presentation.

Kirsten