All Things Oral

Oral presentations. When I heard those words in elementary school, I would freeze and just start panicking before I had even heard about the subject of the presentation. The idea of standing in front of my whole class and seeing their faces staring at mine was really quite terrifying. 

But situation completely changed in Grade 8. My teacher encouraged me to participate in an 8 minute speech competition held by a national French speech competition within my school. I was terrified and so began practicing every night in front of the mirror until my mouth and throat were dry. When the time came, I stood in front of the judges, presented my speech and answered questions. I had surprisingly enjoyed listening to the other participants (who were also my classmates) but was grateful when it was over. However that was not the end. I would soon be chosen, along with a classmate, to compete in the regional and then the national. 

This is the logo for the Concours D'art Oratoire held by the Canadian Parents for French (CPF) I participated in.

Havergal University (2011). Retrieved April 13, 2012 from URL http://www.havergal.on.ca/page.cfm?p=402&newsid=146

Although cheesy but true, this experience had really changed me as a person. I discovered that preparation was the key to confidence. Practice alone was not enough; you had practice in the same nervous and anxious mindset. Even though I was still extremely nervous in front of the judges and fellow presenters, practicing in front of my teacher and other classmates subconsciously eased my nerves. Practising with an audience also provides you immediate feedback on your performance; your audience can tell you if you spoke too quickly, too quietly or too hesitantly. This immediate feedback allows you to make the required changes to further improve your overall performance. If an audience is unavailable, substitutes such as voice recorders, laptops and social media like Audioboo are great ways to evaluate yourself. By recording your speech, you can assess your own tone, intensity, volume and breathing. In a way, it is like editing your own oral presentation.

As Jami has phrased, oral presentation “is an art”. She was referring to interviewing but the same concepts can be applied to any kind of oral communication. The tone, pitch, volume and pleasantness of your voice are crucial to an engaging presentation. The content of an interviewee’s answers must, like a speech, be insightful, thorough, and involve critical thinking where necessary. In other words, what you present needs to be as appealing as how you present it. A website called Six Minutes also has some very useful tips concerning speaking and presenting skills. The article titled Speech Preparation #8: How to Practice Your Presentation provides insightful and practical tips corresponding with practicing and feedback.