Oral Presentations in the Composition Course: A Brief Guide

Get the advice you need to plan, prepare, and present your work effectively through oral presentations with Oral Presentations in the Composition Course.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Choosing a Topic         Brainstorming         Consulting with Others         Researching Ideas         Making a Choice 2. Determining Your Purpose         Informative Presentations             Description             Demonstration             Definition             Explanation         Persuasive Presentations             Propositions of Fact             Propositions of Value             Concerns about a Problem             Propositions of Policy         A Final Word 3. Analyzing Your Audience         Types of Audiences              The Selected Audience and the Concerted Audience              The Passive Audience              The Pedestrian Audience and the Organized Audience              Box: Audience Characteristics and Strategies         Audience Attitudes             Hostile Audiences              Sympathetic Audiences              Neutral Audiences         Communication Barriers              Barriers That Involve Content              Barriers That Involve Audience and Delivery 4. Adapting Your Ideas and Evidence         Listening and Learning         Choosing Forms of Support              Explanation              Examples              Statistics              Testimony              Visual Aids         Choosing Forms of Proof              Motivational Proof or Pathos              Ethical Proof or Ethos              Logical Proof or Logos 5. Organizing Your Presentation         Creating an Outline         Choosing an Organizational Pattern              Chronological Pattern              Topical Pattern              Spatial or Geographical Pattern              Cause-Effect Pattern              Problem-Solution Pattern              Compare and Contrast Pattern              Box: Patterns of Organization 6. Developing Effective Introductions, Transitions, and Conclusions         The Introduction         Language Choices         Transitions         The Conclusion 7. Using Visual Aids         Choosing Effective Visuals         Choosing a Mode of Delivery              Chalkboard or Whiteboard              Handouts              Overhead Transparencies              Presentation Software         Designing Visual Aids             Fonts              Contrast and Spacing              Color              Images         Avoiding Technical Problems 8. Practicing, Polishing, and Delivering the Presentation         Modes of Speaking              Impromptu Speaking              Extemporaneous Speaking              Speaking from a Script              Speaking from Memory         Voice and Body Language         Dealing with Stage Fright         Polishing the Presentation 9. Presenting as a Group         Dividing the Work         Transitioning Between Speakers         Acknowledging Non-Speaking Group Members 10. Evaluating Presentations         Checklist for Evaluating a Presentation              The Speaker’s Delivery              Content and Coherence              Argument and Persuasion         Thinking Critically about Your Own Presentation

Review :
"Because this supplement was produced for the composition classroom, it focuses on how to create oral presentations from a written work and maps out the similarities between writing and speaking. The focus is refreshing and informative, and the supplement would be a great addition to any composition student’s assigned reading." — Julie M. Barst, Purdue University