Oral Communication
Perhaps no other college assignment is more feared or dreaded than an oral presentation. Even speaking up in class holds a certain amount of terror for some. Yet we all know–at least on some level–that oral communication is an important skill, both in school and in life. In fact, according to a LinkedIn’s job report, communication skills and specifically, strong oral communication skills, “help you understand your peers and superiors as well as expressing yourself. They enable you to convey complex ideas, engage audiences, drive action and ask for help or support when stress arises. A strong communicator will also have the ability to explain tasks, projects and meeting content succinctly. This helps people understand exactly what is needed and keeps people accountable to consistently meet deadlines.” Being an effective communicator can help you in the classroom as well as all aspects of your personal and professional life.
Like any other skill, oral communication can be developed through guidance and practice. And like other forms of communication, it requires attention to purpose and audience. The resources below offer approaches to oral communication in a variety of contexts, and examples to help you take this important skill to the next level.
ConnectED skills related to Oral Communication: Communicative fluency; Ethical reasoning; Global and cultural responsiveness
Citing Sources Orally
- Orally Citing Sources in a Speech – Janene Davison
Class Discussion/Participation
- 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation – (video) Celeste Headlee
- Why and How Do I Participate in Class? – Dempster, Fernandez, and Pallo, VCU
- Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges – Marcelle E. DuPraw and Marya Axner
Famous Speeches
- The Ballot or the Bullet – Malcolm X
- The Electrifying Speeches of Sojourner Truth – (video) Daina Ramey Berry
- March on Washington Speech – John Lewis
- The Perils of Indifference – Elie Wiesel
- Top 100 Speeches – Various (through 1999)
- 49 Important Speeches in 21st Century America – Various
Public Speaking Skills
- 10 Tips for Speaking Like a Ted-Talk Pro – Katherine Lee, APA.org
- ComCoach Video Tutorials – The Cain Project, Rice University
- How I Beat Stage Fright – (video) Joe Kowan
- How to Make a Great Presentation – video playlist provided by TED
- The Science of Stage Fright (and How to Overcome It) – (animated video) Mikael Cho
- Why I Live in Mortal Dread of Public Speaking – (video) Megan Washington
Using Visuals in Presentations
- How to Make Visual Presentations: 7 Types of Visuals… – Dr. Echo Rivera, Creative Research Communications
- Life After Death by Powerpoint – Don McMillan
- Using Visuals in Your Presentations – Rebecca Ezekiel
See the Student Work page for oral presentations by students shared at the annual FI Expo.
For resources to assist with the ethical use of images and other info in presentations, see Academic Integrity.