Page 36 - 2_studijní opora - modul 8ANG

about forgetting what you were going to say or having your mind go blank.
When you decide to use cards, number them just in case you drop them.
Know your notes very well and keep in mind transitions from one idea to
another.

However, as already discussed, a much better way is to organize your visuals
so that they´ll lead you through the presentation. Moreover, new versions of
PowerPoint enable different views on the screen - for the audience - and on
the monitor - for the speaker. So you may have your notes directly on the
monitor and they can´t be seen by the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9E83Onv6J8 (How To Remember Your

Speech 2:07)

3. Language and style. Keep in mind that oral and written styles are quite
different. Thus, in your presentation use suitable language means: short
sentences, personal pronouns, concrete terms, active verbs, sign posts,
repetitions of key terms, parallel structures, etc. Look up the pronunciation of
all your key words. It´s irritating to hear wrong pronunciation of the word which
is repeated many times by the speaker. Think of your diction: don´t present
too fast, or too slow, don´t repeat the same phrase and sentence structures,
don´t use slang words.

4. Visuals. Use relevant visual aids and make sure they´re perfectly clear and
not confusing. Make sure they can be read from the back of the room. If you
need a pointer, make sure you have one before you start. Don´t let a picture
remain on the screen when you have finished referring to it. As a rule of
thumb, allow 2 minutes for each general screen you use, but longer for any
that you want to use for developing specific points. The audience will
definitely get bored with something that is on the screen for more than 5
minutes, especially if you are not actively talking about it.
5. Contact with audience. Use verbal and non-verbal means to establish the
contact with your audience (rhetorical questions, human touch, “let’s”,
“you”). Maintain eye contact with the entire audience, not only with one or
two people in the room. Eye contact is your primary tool to involve the

audience. For some people this is a skill to be trained. If it´s difficult for you to
keep an eye contact with the audience, find a person near the middle of the
crowd who you know or have a friendly relationship with. Look at this person,
but be sure to also look around to the other ends of the room. When you look

36
From the beginner to the mentor (Supporting strategies of education of teachers in Zlin region)
Fund of Educational Policy project, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports