OBERLIN COLLEGE
WRITING ASSOCIATES
Speaking
Choose which type of resource you would like to view:
Speaking Tips and Best Practices
These are some basic speaking guidelines to get you or students you are working with started! Many of these documents could also be used as handouts in the Speaking Center or during workshops.
Content, Structure, and Delivery Basics
This document outlines helpful tips and questions to ask yourself when preparing a presentation.
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Presentation Checklist
SWA Leo Ross created this helpful checklist that students can use to make sure their presentation has all the necessary elements.
This document provides strategies for keeping the audience engaged during your presentation.
Managing Public Speaking Anxiety
Basic tips for keeping your cool during a presentation
Creating Effective Presentation Notes
A guide to writing and using notes during oral presentations.
This document defines important rhetorical terms, including the Rhetorical Triangle.
This guide outlines the best practices of body language and voice during a presentation.
Navigating Multilingualism
WA Ryo Adachi describes how a student's language and cultural background can inform their writing.
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Speaking Workshop Protocol
Start here if you are working on creating a workshop as a CWA or SSWA!
General Tips for Leading a Workshop
Helpful advice for getting started as you plan your speaking workshop.
A list of attributes that make a workshop successful, compiled by WAs and SSWAs.
Important questions to ask faculty (and yourself!) as you plan a speaking workshop as a CWA
Satellite Speaking Workshop Protocol
Follow these steps if you are a SSWA leading a satellite workshop.
Basic Speaking Workshop Outlines
These workshops talk about the basics of speaking in general terms and could be used in a variety of disciplines and classes. For workshops that are more discipline and class specific, see the next section.
The Foundation of a Speaking Workshop
This very basic outline provides a great structure to build a speaking workshop.
This brief workshop goes over rhetorical terms, how to structure a presentation, and delivery tips. It was created by Frances Purcell in 2018.
An introductory workshop to the basics of public speaking, specifically thinking about audience, purpose and occasion. This workshop was created by Faith Shaeffer and Charlie Kimball in the Spring of 2017.
How to Give a 10 Minute Presentation
This workshop helps students plan and deliver an effective 10 minute presentation.
The Differences Between Speaking and Writing
This workshop covers the differences between speaking and writing. It also goes through delivery best practices.
Audience, Purpose, and Occasion
This workshop teaches students how to use the concepts of audience, purpose, and occasion to help them create and deliver presentations in a variety of settings. It was created by Faith Shaeffer and Charlie Kimball in the Spring of 2017.
This workshop walks students through some of the most common causes for speaking anxiety and provides tools to overcome them. It was created by Paige Reinstein in Spring 2021.
Oral vs. Written Communication
This longer workshop covers differences between writing and speaking. It also includes time and structure for students to work on their own presentations. It was created by Ally Fulton and Professor Cortney Smith.
FYSP 085 Workshop: Speaking Basics
This 50 minute workshop goes through the rhetorical triangle; differences between speaking and writing; and the basics of content, organization, and delivery. It was created by Sarah Dalgleish in the Fall of 2020.
Discipline-Specific Workshops
These are speaking workshops that past CWAs and SSWAs created for specific classes. Check below for workshop slides that accompany many of these outlines.
Science and STEM Workshops
This workshop provides time for students to work on their group presentations and goes through speaking best practices. It could be adapted for other higher level STEM classes.
This workshop gave students lots of time to practice various speaking techniques. It covers how to present scientific material to a general audience and how to handle audience questions.
This workshop helps students navigate an assignment that involved presenting in a mock crime scene court trial. It was created by Ally Fulton and Eliza Guinn.
Establishing Credibility in Scientific Presentations (CHEM 211)
This workshop is to prepare students for the criminal trial helping them to create and deliver orally a complex argument. It could be adapted for other courses doing a similar project. It was created by Ally Fulton and Eliza Guinn in Fall 2016.
Presenting Primary Scientific Literature
This workshop walks students through the basics of presenting a piece of primary scientific literature, from breaking down the reading itself, to crafting effective visual aids to support the oral component of the presentation. It was created by Ally Fulton and Noah Last.
Foreign Language Workshops
This workshop walks students through how to best prepare and manage anxiety when presenting in a language you are still learning. It was created by Emily Peterson, Zach Taylor, and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2019.
This workshop helps students frame their capstone projects for presentations to a general audience. It was created by Hayley Segall and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2020, so it also goes through best practices for presenting on Zoom.
This workshop walks students through how to best prepare and manage anxiety when presenting in a language you are still learning.
Other Workshops
This workshop walks students through how to start turning their capstone projects into presentations. It was created by Faith Shaeffer and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2018.
This workshop helps students complete the assignment of recording a 3-minute presentation over Zoom introducing a discourse community that the student is familiar with to the class. It was created by Arman Luczkow in Fall 2020.
RHET 401 Speaking Workshop: Oral Essays
This workshop was designed to help WAs in RHET 401 prepare oral essays. It uses the principles of effective writing discussed in 401 to start thinking about effective speaking techniques. The workshop was created by Sarah Dalgleish in Fall 2020
This workshop helps students condense complex philosophical concepts and theses into 5 minute presentations. It was created by Charlie Kimball and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2018.
ESOL 130 Speaking Tips
This workshop goes over presentation tips. It was created by WA Julia Rohde for ESOL 130 in Fall 2020. While it is aimed at ESOL students, it can be helpful for all students.
Sample Workshop Slides
These slides provide a variety of examples of effective visual aids to use during a speaking workshop. Many of them accompany the outlines above.
Slides for a workshop introducing students to the basic concepts of speaking. Created by Ellen Ward-Packer and Hayley Segall.
These slides walk students how to manage the anxiety of presenting.
Speaking? Presentations? Oh my!
This workshop covers the basic rhetorical elements of speaking. It was created by Kam Dunbar.
This workshop walks students through how to start turning their capstone projects into presentations. It was created by Faith Shaeffer and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2018.
This workshop covers the differences between speaking and writing and various delivery techniques. It was created by Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2019.
This workshop was designed to help WAs in RHET 401 prepare oral essays. It uses the principles of effective writing discussed in 401 to start thinking about effective speaking techniques. The workshop was created by Sarah Dalgleish in Fall 2020
These slides provide examples of good and bad visual aids. They could be incorporated into workshops for various disciplines and classes.
This workshop helps students condense complex philosophical concepts and theses into 5 minute presentations. These slides also cover effective use of visual aids in a presentation. It was created by Charlie Kimball and Sarah Dalgleish in Spring 2018.
FYSP 085 Speaking Basics Workshop
This 50 minute workshop goes through the rhetorical triangle; differences between speaking and writing; and the basics of content, organization, and delivery. It was created by Sarah Dalgleish in the Fall of 2020.
This workshop covers best practices and helpful tips for creating a successful 5-7 minute presentation. It was created by Eva Hilton in the Fall of 2020
Handouts and Activities
These handouts and activities can be used in the Speaking Center or during workshops.
6 Tips for Giving the Best Presentation of Your Life
A handout with brief guidelines for speaking best practices.
This handout breaks preparing a presentation into 5 basic steps.
A Quick Guide to Speech Patterns
This document discusses different ways a speech could be structured and organized
This handout discusses the importance of transitions in oral presentations and provides examples of effective transition strategies.
This document provides a template for students to give feedback to each other during presentations.
These activities can be incorporated into various speaking workshops. They could also be modified to be used in the Speaking Center
Content, Structure, Delivery Guidelines
This document outlines helpful tips and questions to ask yourself when preparing a presentation.
Making a Presentation in a Week
This guide walks through how a student could prepare a successful presentation in a week.
Six Things to Consider About Planning and Giving a Talk
This handout helps students prepare a presentation by breaking the process into six steps.
This document provides tips for students preparing group presentations.
Key Ideas for Preparing a Presentation
This handout was designed to introduce first years to best practices for creating an effective oral presentation. It covers the rhetorical triangle, how to organize a 5-7 minute presentation, and delivery tips. It was created by Eva Hilton in the Fall of 2020.
These light, silly topics can be used as part of various speaking activities during a workshop.
Zoom Speaking Tips
These resources provide advice for presenting over Zoom.
Zoom Meetings: Pro Tips for Presenters
This page provides technical tips and delivery suggestions for successful Zoom presentations. It comes from Duke University.
This resource goes over the similarities and differences between speaking in person and speaking on Zoom. It comes from Hamilton College.
This guide walks through tips for giving a presentation specifically in a Zoom webinar.
Screen Sharing a Powerpoint Presentation on Zoom
These guidelines from Zoom walk through different ways you can share your screen during a Zoom meeting.
Have a workshop or lesson that you think is awesome? Email owap@oberlin.edu with your outline!
Overview of the Writing and Speaking Center
This workshop provides an overview of the writing and speaking centers, explaining what we do, the value of peer editing, as well as how to log into WCOnline. It can be used on its own or as an add-on to other workshops. Created by WA Jaimie Yue in the Fall of 2021.
Overview of the Writing and Speaking Center
This workshop provides an overview of the writing and speaking centers, explaining what we do, the value of peer editing, as well as how to log into WCOnline. It can be used on its own or as an add-on to other workshops. Created by WA Jaimie Yue in the Fall of 2021.