As you prepare for Touchstone 3, let's take a moment to go over some tips for your oral presentation.
| Oral Presentation Tips | Description |
|---|---|
| Keep an Eye on the Clock | You should carefully align the length of your presentation with the requirements of your audience, setting, topic, and purpose. Make sure to distribute information across your slides in a way that makes sense for your argument—this will keep you on track when you’re in front of your audience. For your assignment in this course, your presentation should last between 3 and 5 minutes. |
| Use Your Speaker Notes | This week, you will be adding speaker notes to your slides. Because you want to keep the text on each slide to a minimum, the speaker notes are a great place to write down everything you want to say during your presentation. Speaker notes can’t be seen by your audience; only you can see them. When it’s time to record your presentation, all you have to do is follow the notes! |
| Prepare, then Relax | Make sure you know what the most important points of your presentation are and that you have the information you need to support those points. Adequate preparation can help even the most nervous speaker feel more comfortable. When you have everything ready, take a deep breath and go. You’ve got this! |
This challenge is the perfect time to reflect on what makes a powerful speech and how you can apply lessons from great speakers in history to improve your own communication skill. Now, let’s read about a few examples.
Communication: Skill in Action |
The Techniques
As you watch excerpts from President Kennedy’s speech, pop-ups will point out how he:
Thank you. There are many people in the world who really don't understand or say they don't what is the great issue between the free world and the communist world. Let them come to Berlin.
[CHEERING]
There are some who say-- there are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin.
[CHEERING]
And there are even a few who say that it's true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Let them come to Berlin.
[INAUDIBLE] as your mayor has said an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, dividing up people who wish to be joined together.
[CHEERING]
And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ich bin ein Berliner.
[CHEERING]
The Results
Kennedy's speech helped democracies claim the moral high ground over communist dictatorships, and played an important role in restoring European confidence in the United States. In 1990, Kennedy’s vision came true: Berlin was unified as one democratic city.
The Techniques
As you watch excerpts from Jordan’s speech, pop-ups will point out how she uses:
The honorable Barbara Jordan, Democrat of Houston, Texas.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
There is something different about tonight. There is something special about tonight. What is different? What is special? I, Barbara Jordan, am a keynote speaker.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
I feel that notwithstanding the past, that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American dream need not forever be deferred.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
As you listen to these words of Abraham Lincoln, relate them to the concept of a national community, in which every last one of us participate. "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference is no democracy." Thank you.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The Results
Jordan’s speech made a positive impression on people at the convention and around the country. On November 2, 1976, Americans elected a Democrat to the presidency for the first time in 12 years. A key factor in Jimmy Carter’s victory: 83 percent of Black Americans voted for him.
The Techniques
As you watch excerpts from President Reagan’s speech, pop-ups will point out how he:
I plan to speak to you tonight to report on the State of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering.
Nancy and I are pained to the core over the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
The families of the seven we cannot bear as you do the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about so very much.
I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it.
There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and yes more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here. Our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades and we know of your anguish. We share it.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us for the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.
The Results
Reagan was often called "The Great Communicator," and his Challenger speech justified that nickname. Audiences, allies, and political foes all agreed that this address was both heartfelt and unifying. Despite this tragedy, the space shuttle program continued until 2011.
The Techniques
As you watch excerpts from President Obama’s speech, pop-ups will point out how he:
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that we've received over the past few weeks. But tonight, tonight it's my turn to say thanks. And every day I have learned from you. You made me a better president, and you made me a better man.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
If I had told you that we would win marriage equality and secure the right to insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens, [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING], if I told y'all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. That's what you did, you were the change,
You answered people's hopes. And because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] I do have one final ask of you as your president-- the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me 8 years ago. I'm asking you to believe, not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.
I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents, that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon, a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written. Yes, we can. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]. Yes we did. Yes we can. Thank you. God bless you.
The Results
Obama’s final speech helped cement his legacy as he left office. In the final days of his presidency, Obama’s approval ratings were at 60 percent — their highest point since 2009, when he was sworn into office.
In the section above, you saw how four great leaders — who were also great speakers — used effective oral communication techniques at turning points in American history.
They employed techniques like strategic pauses, conveying positive emotion, and speaking to a variety of audiences as they delivered relevant messages. Luckily, you don’t have to be a political leader to be a successful communicator. By practicing and using these same techniques, you can make your message resonate. Check out the Quick Tips below!
| Before You Speak | |
|---|---|
| Do | Don’t |
| Prewrite, draft, and revise. | Decide to just “wing it.” |
| Focus on a few key points. | Try to force in too many ideas. |
| Practice out loud and in front of others. | Read your remarks silently. |
| Know your audience. | Speak about topics with limited appeal. |
| Use stories people will remember. | Put in useless details to fill time. |
| Make note-cards for your main points. | Assume you’ll remember everything |
| When You Speak | |
| Do | Don’t |
| Move your body and mouth before starting. | Deliver a speech without warming up. |
| Be authentic and make it personal. | Keep it too general. |
| Speak conversationally. | Have a robotic delivery. |
| Let the audience absorb your words.. | Be afraid of pauses. |
| Try to avoid fillers like “um” and “uh.” | Worry if one or two slip out. |
Source: Strategic Education, Inc. 2020. Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future.
