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Resources for Excellence Across the Curriculum

Spoken Words Tips - Professor Preston L. Allen

Professor Preston L. Allen's Spoken Word Tips

Scholarly Presentation

Managing Speech Anxiety

Mental Preparation

  • Prepare. None of the tips on this sheet will help you if you have not prepared a clear, well organized presentation. Give yourself time to do so.
  • Rehearse. Speak your talk or lecture aloud at least once. If possible, give a practice talk for a friend or colleague.
  • Start your day off in a relaxed way—give yourself time to sit down and eat breakfast in the morning.
  • Set a clear objective in relation to your audience. Give yourself a “pep talk.” Remind yourself of the bigger objectives involved in this talk. Why is it important to share this material with your audience?
  • Get the attention off of yourself and onto your audience. It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM. Make eye contact with the audience and pay attention to their reactions. Ask yourself—are my ideas “landing?” Are they getting it?

Designing a Research Poster for Humanities

How to Prepare a Research Poster

Scholarly Paper

Scholarly Poster

Spoken Word - Working the Crowd with Confidence

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