Differences between spoken and written texts
In general, the same rules apply for spoken texts as for written ones:
You surely know that it is not always easy to follow a lecture or presentation. On the other hand, imagine how a speaker must feel if nobody is listening. With just a few tricks, however, you can win your audience's attention:
Tip: Depending on the topic or your audience, you can also hand out questions that your listeners have to answer during the presentation, or you announce that there will be a quiz in the end. That will definitely make your audience listen very attentively.
For an even more sophisticated presentation, use some of the stylistic devices typical for spoken texts, e.g.:
Very important: Don't try to show off your knowledge of English using complex sentences or difficult words. Always keep your audience in mind: they need to follow your presentation and will therefore appreciate simple language and sentence structure.
In general, the same rules apply for spoken texts as for written ones:
- use simple language
- keep subordinate clauses short
- prefer verbs to nouns (not: The meaning of this is that …, but: This means that …)
- avoid slang and techy language
- Keep your sentences short and simple.
- Avoid participle constructions. (In written texts they are often used to increase the density of information in a sentence. In spoken texts, however, they make it more difficult for the listeners to follow.)
You surely know that it is not always easy to follow a lecture or presentation. On the other hand, imagine how a speaker must feel if nobody is listening. With just a few tricks, however, you can win your audience's attention:
- Speak clearly and slowly. Use simple words and short sentences.
- Have little breaks in between the sentences to allow your audience to reflect on what has been said.
- Communicate freely (don't read the whole text from a piece of paper).
- Outline to the audience how your paper is structured. (e.g. I will first explain … / Then I will … / After that … / Finally …) and indicate when you come to another sub-topic (I will now talk about …). This way your audience can follow your presentation more easily.
- Use pictures and graphics as an illustration.
- Use a rhetorical question or hypophora from time to time. Your listeners will think that you've asked them a question and thus listen more attentively.
- Use enumerations starting first / second / third. This also draws your audience's attention.
Tip: Depending on the topic or your audience, you can also hand out questions that your listeners have to answer during the presentation, or you announce that there will be a quiz in the end. That will definitely make your audience listen very attentively.
For an even more sophisticated presentation, use some of the stylistic devices typical for spoken texts, e.g.:
- alliteration
- allusion
- anaphora
- antithesis
- hyperbole
- hypophora
- metaphor
- rhetorical question
- simile
Very important: Don't try to show off your knowledge of English using complex sentences or difficult words. Always keep your audience in mind: they need to follow your presentation and will therefore appreciate simple language and sentence structure.