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Guide to Speaking, for Academics
I have been back in Academia for 6-and-a-half years now, and though I used to think I was a passable speaker, now that I have sat through hundreds of academic talks I am forced to conclude that I have been going about it all wrong.
Motivation. Great talks motivate themselves. There is no need to motivate your work to the audience. If they get it, they will get it. If they don’t, they are clearly too stupid to bother wasting your time. Dispensing with the introduction (and conclusion) altogether will also give more time to talk about your research.
Material. A one-hour talk means prepare 60 minutes of material. If any time is wasted before the presentation with introductions, announcements, or technical difficulties, it is the fault of the organizers, not the speaker.
Microphone Awareness. Don’t bother. Interested people sit in the front. If the mike picks you up, great. If not, things should be clear from your slides.
Slides. No fewer than ten bullet points per slide. If your talk can’t be condensed into bullet points, it is sufficient to photocopy your paper and use that instead. Interested people will sit up front anyway, so font size is not an issue. Make sure to make use of the entire slide area. Margins are optional.
Questions. Questions are intended for the presenter’s ears only—it would be a waste of time to repeat every questioner’s query before answering. Launch right into the explanation. Take as much time is necessary. Interested parties will happily stay 30 or 40 minutes overtime.
Timing. If time becomes tight, do not cut any material. This will disrupt the flow of your talk. Simply wait until you are within a few minutes of your scheduled completion time, and cover the remaining material at triple-speed.
Following these simple tips will not make you a better speaker. They will however remind your audience that you are an academic. And after all, wasn’t that the goal of your talk?
Kjell Wooding
January 1, 2008
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