Giving a talk

A good talk is planned like a piece of writing but spoken to listeners. Your audience cannot go back and reread, so make the structure clear with signposts, keep it simple and speak so that everyone can follow.

Key facts

  • Plan for your purpose and audience: what do you want them to know or feel at the end? Choose three main points and an example for each.
  • Beginning: greet the audience, introduce yourself and the topic, and hook them with a question or a surprising fact: ⟦Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?⟧
  • Middle: give your points in order with signposts: ⟦First⟧, ⟦Moving on to my second point⟧, ⟦For example⟧.
  • End: sum up (⟦To sum up⟧, ⟦In conclusion⟧), thank the audience and invite questions: ⟦Does anyone have any questions?⟧
  • Speak clearly: look at the audience, speak slowly, pause after important points and use short notes with key words. Slides should have pictures and a few words, not paragraphs. Practise before the day.

Worked examples

Example 1

What does this sentence do in a talk? ⟦Moving on to my second point…⟧

  1. ⟦Moving on⟧ tells the audience that one point has ended.
  2. A new point is starting.

Answer: It moves to the next point.

Example 2

Which is good advice: ⟦Read every word from your notes.⟧ or ⟦Look at your audience.⟧?

  1. Reading every word makes a talk flat and hard to follow.
  2. Looking at the audience keeps them interested.

Answer: ⟦Look at your audience.⟧

Example 3

Put the parts of a talk in order: sum up, introduce the topic, give your points, invite questions.

  1. Start by introducing yourself and the topic, then give your points.
  2. End by summing up, then invite questions.

Answer: introduce the topic, give your points, sum up, invite questions