Advice from Ancient Rhetoric
Ancient Rhetors such as Gorgias, Aristotle, Demosthenes and Cicero offered much advice on drafting speeches and addressing audiences.
A good way to start preparing for any speech/presentation (or written essay!) is to work through the FIVE CANONS of Rhetoric: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory and Delivery.
1. Invention (thinking about the issue/your subject and the arguments/information you will need; a bit like the modern 'brainstorming' or 'mindmapping')
2. Arrangement (thinking about the structure. Ensure you have an introduction, main body and conclusion. Decide which argument/bit of information goes where and why)
3. Style (how much or how little ornament do you (or your audience!) need or want?; think about using tropes and schemes)
4. Memory (how much, if anything, do you need to memorise?; train your memory)
5. Delivery (think about body language, voice (pitch, pace, tone, pausing, volume), gestures; practice!)
Modern Advice
There's a great deal of advice on the web, in costly books or even more expensive workshops and seminars. The best (and cheapest!) thing you can do is to plan what you want to say and then practice, practice, practice......and then practice some more.
Here are my tried and tested tips for successful presentations.
Luscombe's 10 Ps of Successful Presentations:
1. Prepare thoroughly
– think about the subject, the context and your audience; do your research and plan when you’re going to do what
2. Planning
–plan the order of the speech and the amount of time you will spend on each argument/example/section
3. Pizzazz/Passion
- add your own style to your speech, use interesting language and paint pictures for your audience (if appropriate), be different than other speakers, believe in what you're saying. If you're not interested or interesting, why should the audience bother to be?
4. Pitch
– work on your voice (this is also linked to no. 3)
5. Pace
– vary the pace (don’t be monotonous; this is also linked to no.3)
6. Pause
–insert pauses: they help you to breathe and give the audience time to think
7. Posture
–stand up straight
8. Puff
– do breathing exercises to make sure you can project your voice, make the voice more expressive and calm your nerves (this is also part of no. 1)
9. Power
– the power of positive thought: visualize yourself doing well (this is also part of no. 1); do some energy-giving exercises
10. Practice, practice, practice……..and practice
To work on the voice try taping yourself using a voice recorder, your mobile phone or a simple software programme like Audacity. Listen back to yourself. Once you get over the initial shock, you can record yourself again whilst varying your pitch, pace, volume, tone, emphasis, etc.
A good way to start preparing for any speech/presentation (or written essay!) is to work through the FIVE CANONS of Rhetoric: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory and Delivery.
1. Invention (thinking about the issue/your subject and the arguments/information you will need; a bit like the modern 'brainstorming' or 'mindmapping')
2. Arrangement (thinking about the structure. Ensure you have an introduction, main body and conclusion. Decide which argument/bit of information goes where and why)
3. Style (how much or how little ornament do you (or your audience!) need or want?; think about using tropes and schemes)
4. Memory (how much, if anything, do you need to memorise?; train your memory)
5. Delivery (think about body language, voice (pitch, pace, tone, pausing, volume), gestures; practice!)
Modern Advice
There's a great deal of advice on the web, in costly books or even more expensive workshops and seminars. The best (and cheapest!) thing you can do is to plan what you want to say and then practice, practice, practice......and then practice some more.
Here are my tried and tested tips for successful presentations.
Luscombe's 10 Ps of Successful Presentations:
1. Prepare thoroughly
– think about the subject, the context and your audience; do your research and plan when you’re going to do what
2. Planning
–plan the order of the speech and the amount of time you will spend on each argument/example/section
3. Pizzazz/Passion
- add your own style to your speech, use interesting language and paint pictures for your audience (if appropriate), be different than other speakers, believe in what you're saying. If you're not interested or interesting, why should the audience bother to be?
4. Pitch
– work on your voice (this is also linked to no. 3)
5. Pace
– vary the pace (don’t be monotonous; this is also linked to no.3)
6. Pause
–insert pauses: they help you to breathe and give the audience time to think
7. Posture
–stand up straight
8. Puff
– do breathing exercises to make sure you can project your voice, make the voice more expressive and calm your nerves (this is also part of no. 1)
9. Power
– the power of positive thought: visualize yourself doing well (this is also part of no. 1); do some energy-giving exercises
10. Practice, practice, practice……..and practice
To work on the voice try taping yourself using a voice recorder, your mobile phone or a simple software programme like Audacity. Listen back to yourself. Once you get over the initial shock, you can record yourself again whilst varying your pitch, pace, volume, tone, emphasis, etc.