Oral reports are often difficult to complete, but
luckily there is a good method of completing them. Some research, a good
outline, and some practice is sure to improve the outcome
Step # 1
1
Go to Wikipedia and search for your topic. Despite its academic reputation, Wikipedia is
definitely a great starting point; just make sure to write down the related
footnotes instead of Wikipedia as a source.
2
Read the article through, scanning for related and
interesting facts on the topic.
3
As you find the points you'd like to make in your
report, paraphrase them in bullet format in a word processor, such as Microsoft
Word or Open Office.The reason
you should use bullet format is that if you don't have complete sentences to
read off a page, you look more human to your audience. You will also have to
make sure you know what each bullet point means, forcing you to practice.
4
Open all the external links that the article
hyperlinks to, and read them thoroughly. Again, if you find facts you'd like to reference, write them down
in bullet format in your word processor. At this step make sure to write down
the URLs for any external links you use.
5
If you don't have enough material, search Google
for some more sources and information. Answers.com is also a great reference. Otherwise, go to the next
step.
6
Compile all your sources into a list, in the format
your teacher or professor prefers.
7
Streamline your bullet points as much as possible. Write down the basic point you'd like to
make(summarized in one key word, if possible), and any necessary statistics or
facts. The bullet point method requires that you know what you are talking
about, and that you are able to improvise vocally from sentence to sentence. If
you are afraid you won't be great at this, practice before adding more to your
bullets.
8
Re-read your outline;
when you are confident it is the best possible, print it out.
9
Practice, practice, practice! Get to the point where you are making a
speech - and not just reading your paper. If it helps, have a friend critique
you.
Tips
·
The best way
to learn a speech is to practice it several times over.
·
Remember that
you will usually speak faster in front of an audience. Keep this in mind if you
have a time limit to aim for.
·
Make eye
contact while making your points, and use hand gestures at key points. If you
overuse hand gestures, it minimizes the impact you make when you use a hand
gesture on the most important point, but a nice median will successfully
compliment your voice and eyes.
Warnings
·
Make sure to
allot the right amount of time to each project; if it is only worth a small
amount in relation to your final grade, don't overdo the report.
·
Don't panic;
that will do nothing to help you. Just start, and get as much done as possible.
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