Lena's erroneous zone

http://www.marquette.edu/aegs/advice/speakread.htm

Dr. Rebecca Nowacek, Department of English, Marquette University

While it's desirable to deliver your presentation (not just read it), it's probably not a good idea to memorize the entire thing and rely solely on your memory and nerves of steel. If either gives even a little bit, you could find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation. Instead, try to speak-read your presentation. You should be like an actor with a well marked script: know it inside out so you can use it well and fall back on it if you need to.

1. Make sure the order and organization of your presentation is fixed in your mind. You don't need to memorize all the details, but you should know the general outline of it cold.
2. Make a custom-made "script" for yourself. Be sure the or your handwriting clear enough to read easily. Consider double--or even triple-spacing the text. Type or write on only one side of the page, and keep the pages or cards loose, so you can slide rather than flip them over. (Be sure to number those loose sheets of paper, in case you drop them.)
3. Organize your "script" so that it shows the units of the presentation's organization as clearly as possible. Make the transitional phrases easy to find. (See "Organizing the script" handout.)
4. Mark your "script" to note pauses, volume shifts, particularly important phrases, etc.
5. Practice multiple times to reduce your dependence on your "script." The better you know it, the more you can "chunk" (or comprehend as you read) at one time. While this familiarity may seem like memorizing the presentation, it's not really the same thing. It's not the same thing because you're going to . .
6. Try to think on your feet and almost recreate the presentation in your mind as you're going along and chunking / reading. That doesn't mean that you're adding new points and going off on tangents; it means you're thinking about how this sounds to someone hearing it for the first time. When you deliver the presentation, concentrate on the meaning, not just individual words; doing so will help you speak with appropriate emphasis, phrasing, intonation and rate.
7. Then practice and polish the delivery of the speech. Consider practicing in front of a full length mirror watching your expressions, gestures and posture. The point is not to plan every move out in advance but to notice and eliminate any distracting movements. Don't let the presentation become canned.

1. Full sentence script. Includes all your sentences as you intend to speak them.

This form is best for those who are least confident of their ability to do anything other than a straight reading of the paper. With this script you read, but you know it so well that your audience doesn't know if you're reading or not. Be sure to double- or triple-space this script and put lots of space between main ideas or sections. Consider highlighting important transitions or summaries.

2. Notecard script. Includes full sentences of important examples or transitions, but mostly just key words and phrases that trigger you to put together sentences in your mind.

Don't put too much text on a single card, or the card will become difficult to read. If you need most of the sentences written out and find that many of your cards are too full, you're probably better off with the full sentence script. Be sure to give each card a number; that way if you drop them they are relatively easily reorganized.

3. Full outline script. Includes full sentences of important examples or transitions, but mostly just key words and phrases that trigger you to put together sentences in your mind.

All sections are well labeled in traditional outline form. Keep the elements of the outline simple so that it is as easy to read as possible. If you need most of your sentences written out and find that much of your outline is too detailed, you're probably better off with the full sentence script.

4. Handout-Hybrid script. Includes full sentences of important examples or transitions, but mostly just key words and phrases that trigger you to put together sentences in your mind.

Made primarily of annotated copies of the handouts or overheads. May also include pages of full sentence script or full outline script. Especially useful if you're using handouts or overheads as an important part of your presentation.