Oral Presentations/ Public Speaking

          As an effective educator, it is important to have strong oral communication skills and to have the ability to captivate an audience (i.e. students). This quality is something that I have seen missing from many of lectures presented by university professors. Quite often, the missing quality is rarely their understanding of the content, as their PhD qualifications are proof that their level of content knowledge is extensive. Where these professors tend to lose their students’ interest, is in their ability to captivate and connect with their audience.

          These missing qualities are not only present in university lectures, but are present in many public speaking presentations from people and students of all ages and qualifications. If the ability to captivate and connect with an audience is something that is missing from such a diverse group of people, it is possible that the characteristics that accompany an effective and memorable oral presentation are not being properly addressed by today’s educators.

Wrench, Jason S. (2011, October 20). "Public Speaking" [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://images.flatworldknowledge.com/wrench/wrench-fig01_x005.jpg

          In the Ontario Language Curriculum, “using speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes” is the second overall expectation found in the oral communication strand. In these expectations students must identify the key characteristics that relate their content to the specific audience and use strategies to help the delivery of oral information. Confidence is one strategy that conveys honesty and a trustworthy demeanor and allows the audience to connect with their speech. This is difficult for a majority of students. The fear of public speaking is such a prominent and fearful experience for so many people that it has been named Glossophobia. 

          The anxiety that surrounds public speaking can possibly be due to the lack of time that teachers spend teaching how to confidently approach the art of public speaking. Consequently, many public speakers feel belittled, nervous, and small.

Brandon. (2010, May 30). "Glossophobia" [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcZf7q7S5AC-LirdpuNw_PNS5b_-8VQ-M06vKcidf05P7fpnqIN_drrDwkDZKVYYJGHTW5XY-G3XnWcWgCPNF4m1z0m2BO2dJEwJN78EGcafxYlyal5a7FvuQlIGuw1uKIHR4K-td3IgB/s1600/fear-of-public-speaking.png

In my experience, teachers would explain to us that a good oral presentation is content rich and should be delivered confidently. The only problem with this directive is that the characteristics that define a confident looking/sounding presentation are not normally discussed or practiced in class. In this blog I will be addressing those important qualities and the benefits that public speaking has for students.

          When orally presenting there are two main areas that need attention: verbal skills, and nonverbal skills. Often times, oral communicators will only focus on the verbal skills of their presentation (pace, pitch, and volume) and do not focus or take time to practice their nonverbal skills. Body language accounts for 55% of overall effective communication skills while words account for 5%. When presenting to an audience, it is important to use effective nonverbal skills such as: eye contact, smiling, and posture.

Visualistan. (2015, February 15). "Body Language" [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcZf7q7S5AC-LirdpuNw_PNS5b_-8VQ-M06vKcidf05P7fpnqIN_drrDwkDZKVYYJGHTW5XY-G3XnWcWgCPNF4m1z0m2BO2dJEwJN78EGcafxYlyal5a7FvuQlIGuw1uKIHR4K-td3IgB/s1600/fear-of-public-speaking.png

           In general, people tend to naturally pay attention to those who make eye contact with them and are more likely to like the individual who is presenting. Smiling is an effective nonverbal communication skill that makes you look trustworthy, attractive, and non-intrusive. Coupled with good eye contact, it makes everyone in the room feel at ease and more receptive to receive the presented information. Finally, using a strong posture that uses open shoulders and an elongated spine will exude confidence to the audience and create feelings of empowerment for the speaker. Furthermore, using open armed gestures will help to accentuate the confident body posture mentioned above.

Aggarwal, Anurag. (2012, June 4). "Body Posture" [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://blog.anuragaggarwal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Body-Language-and-Posture-in-Public-Speaking.2-300x217.jpg

          When public speaking students not only benefit by fine-tuning their verbal and nonverbal skills and overcoming their fear of public speaking, but also benefit by developing critical thinking skills and leadership skills.

          When public speaking, students are required to conduct and analyze research about their topic. In doing so, they are gathering and processing information that will help to support their ideas. Sometimes, students are required to discuss a solution to a problem. During this process, they must critically think about the pros and cons surrounding their solution and the impact that these factors will have on their community and the world around them. 

Firstcovers. (2013, December 10). "Change your Words/World" [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://images.firstcovers.com/covers/userquotes/c/change_your_words-30101.jpg?i

           This level of understanding towards their community and the issues that matter to them are essential qualities that highlight a good leader. Students who actively take part in public speaking are able to effectively communicate to their followers the actions that they should take. By knowing what matters most to them and by effectively expressing this to their peers, students can help their school community to make positive changes in the world around them and to do so as a united student body.

The benefits gained from public speaking are qualities that students will use throughout their lifetime and that will help them “to be the change that [they] want to see in the world” (Gandhi).