What is an oral report?
An oral report is an oral presentation of an occurrence or a given topic. For instance, one can be requested by the school's principal to prepare an oral report of what happened when the students went on a school trip.
Preparation before giving an oral report:
i. Get to know the intended audience. This is useful in determining the kind of language and expressions to use. For instance, if your audience is educated, you may use technical expressions. The opposite is true when presenting an oral report to an audience made of the old.
ii. Make presentation notes. Having good notes for reference during the presentation not only helps you to understand your presentation but also boosts your confidence. The presentation notes should cover the introduction of your presentation, any discussion points involved and the conclusion part of your report.
iii. Prepare visual aids to be used in the presentation. The visual aids help reinforce the oral message. These may be maps, photos, diagrams, etc
iv. Plan on the verbal and non-verbal cues to use during an oral presentation. Verbal and non-verbal skills are important components in an oral presentation. These not only reinforce the messages given but also make the presentation interesting.
1. Verbal skills for use in the oral presentation include:
a. Voice projection: The presenter, must project their voice to be heard clearly by the audience.
b. Tonal variation. The presenter must make appropriate use of tonal variation to convey different messages effectively. Tonal vacation can also be used to put emphasis on the important points.
2. Non-verbal skills that are used in the oral presentation include:
a. Use of facial expressions: While making an oral presentation, the presenter needs to use facial expressions to express various emotions depending on the message. These facial expressions include;
- Smile- shows joy or happiness
- frown- shows anger or seriousness
- Grimace - shows hurt, anger or disgust
- Sneer- shows contempt
- Wink- shows a joke or a secret
b . Maintaining purposeful eye contact with the audience. This holds the attention of the audience and shows confidence and control of the presenter.
c. Use of gestures. The use of gestures involves the use of the head and hands to communicate/pass across a message. These gestures may include: waving, pointing, thumbing, clapping, etc. Each gesture has its meaning. Always avoid putting your hands in your pocket during a presentation.
c. Use of body movement. Body movement refers to making movements that involve the entire body with an aim of passing a particular message across. such movements include jumping, walking, dancing, slouching, etc
d. Posture/poise. This involves the positioning of the body during the presentation. For instance, standing upright with the head held high and relaxed shoulders shows confidence. Drooping shoulders, on the other hand, shows nervousness.
e. Making appropriate use of personal space. Personal space is the space that one is entitled to while interacting with others. The use of personal space is based on gender, trust, familiarity and relationship. When presenting, one should use personal space appropriately.
v. Plan on making appropriate use of the stage. While presenting an oral report, one is expected to make purposeful movements all around the stage. One should also assume as natural a posture as possible during the presentation.
What to do during an oral report presentation:
i. Logically plan the presentation with a clear introduction, middle and end.
ii. Avoid referring to the presentation notes directly as much as possible.
iii. Avoid doing things that may distract the audience such as scratching.
iv. Speak slowly but audibly to the audience
v. Use visual aids to reinforce your message.
vi. Involve the audience in your oral report presentation.
vii. Focus on the main points of the oral presentation while avoiding any irrelevant issues.
viii. Try to make the presentation as humorous and entertaining as possible without becoming irrelevant.
ix. Use the time given for the presentation well.
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