Oral Presentation Skills

Definition: Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or learner.

Here are the essential elements and some tips on preparing and organizing a successful oral presentation in English or any other language to be presented to fellow students, colleagues or other interested groups.. The same structure can also be used to some extent in the context of a written text, i.e. dividing the text into three parts - introduction, development and conclusion. Other useful elements for the written text include expressions to indicate lists, narrative, links and examples.

It is also important to remember that there are perhaps several formulae for an oral presentation, this being just one. Are you explaining a procedure, trying to convince or persuade, give information or outline possible courses of action? What you are trying to do in your presentation should have a bearing on how you present. There are also cultural aspects to take into consideration in that different communities will react differently to the same presentation.

Each one will expect and react in various ways according to the linguistic, scientific, academic or business culture it is familiar with. Different people speak in different ways in different languages and different conventions depending on to whom, where, when and why they are speaking. All of these questions are, of course, vital to take into consideration during the preparation.

Remember: anyone can give a good presentation. Don’t worry if you are not naturally extrovert. Preparation and practice can be the keys to success!