How do you make your oral stand out?

[Tessyoh]

I'm still deciding my topic but at the moment I'm tossing up between asylum seekers and animal testing. Both of these topics are quite cliche in my eyes but there is a lot of information readily available for these kinds of cliche topics. So how can I make mine stand out from the rest?

[EvangelionZeta]

Worlds University Debating Championships 2013 Motions

Try using one of these as the basis for a topic instead if you want something more interesting.  Maybe you could adapt some of the ideas in these to something more realistic to argue for?

Alternatively, find something novel or new about the topic to talk about, so that you add a new "spin" to the debate.

[alondouek]

The slightest bit off-topic, but perhaps one of the most valid ways of making your oral stand out is your actual presentation of it.

When presenting the speech, try not to use any cards if possible, and always keep eye contact with your audience. Stand up straight, and use gestures to accompany your points. An open-handed, sweeping gesture (as if going to shake someone’s hand) will bring the audience to agree with the points you’re making, while sharp, close-handed gestures bring force and emphasis to your argument.

Speak in a clear voice, and ensure that you alternate your vocal tone as needed. To get this right, you'll need to practice out loud a lot, in front of a mirror, friends, family, or even video yourself presenting the speech so you can play it back and see where you can improve.

Also consider creating a basic visual presentation to go alongside your speech (i.e. a powerpoint). It greatly aids you in getting a point across, and it gives you something for you to momentarily divert your attention from the audience if you're finding keeping constant eye-contact difficult.

[platypus]

Hm I remember we had to choose from a pre-selected list of topics and I chose livestock slaughtering, which is pretty similar to animal testing.

There were a few others who also did the same topic and I remember they only talked about how the practice was cruel, inhumane and a violation of animal rights etc. What I did was I tried to relate the issue to my audience in the sense that they were consumers who had failed to respect the natural laws by condoning the barbaric slaughtering of livestock through the purchase of meat in sterilised supermarkets. It is these little details, these little images you paint of an aspect of life as ordinary as going to the supermarket that provokes a favourable response from teachers since you're showing them that you have clearly addressed the audience. Since my oral ws targeted towards young people (i.e. the age of my Yr 12 peers), I did a sort of rally cry and argued that as members of the future generation, they had the power to alleviate the suffering of these animals.

To be able to deliver your speech well and with confidence requires a strong belief in what you're saying. Honestly I can say that I believed in every word I said in my oral because I really wanted my peers to recognise that such barbarism was occuring in this very country.

So rather than using overly complex or sophisticated language to impress your teacher, think about what audience you're targeting and how you can relate to them, even if its through very colloquial or non verbose language (:

Hope that helps a bit

[brenden]

Be really passionate.

[pi]

If you believe in what you're going to say, your oral will go a long way as you'll be delivering it with confidence, passion and knowledge; you'll ring of authoritativeness, which is important. Furthermore, getting to a point where you don't have to rely on cue cards will also allow you to expressively use hand gestures and the like, which will enhance your presentation too.

[AllAboutTheLGs]

My class mate flipped the table, shouted, as well as repeatedly slamming his fists on the white board.
I on the other hand chose to give a textbook speech without the added effects.
For some reason I got 29/35 whereas he got 34/35 ^__^

tl;dr FLIP MORE TABLES, GET MORE MARKS!

[platypus]

My class mate flipped the table, shouted, as well as repeatedly slamming his fists on the white board.
I on the other hand chose to give a textbook speech without the added effects.
For some reason I got 29/35 whereas he got 34/35 ^__^

tl;dr FLIP MORE TABLES, GET MORE MARKS!

aahahaha where did you guys have your orals? Did you friend flip the table in the lecture theatre?

Yea I think if you can provoke some sort of unexpected response (negative or positive, but generally positive) from the audience you get better marks lol. I had a visual with my presentation and I think I jus grossed everyone out with images of animals getting slaughtered.

[AllAboutTheLGs]

we had it in our class room!

[platypus]

yea the mainstreams had it in the lecture theatre so I don't think anyone could've done anything violent in there. Worst was when somebody tried to play the piano lol

[jeanweasley]

You also have to consider your audience and your purpose for delivering the speech. I think oral presentation or any presentation for that matter is a performance so when you get up there to deliver your speech, you have to develop a persona. You have to leave yourself and develop a new "you". Are you going to be the scientist who insists on animal testing? or a popular animal rights activist? Who are you going to present this argument to? To your peers, to the opposition? What's your purpose of giving the speech? Is it to engage your audience to realise that animal testing is a contribution to the damaging effects of modern society? Is it to appeal to the masses to find alternative ways to meet the demands of a growing society whose wants may no longer be tolerated in the future? Or is it to convince young people that science is a great adventure and that animal testing is only a temporary substitute for underdeveloped models that you hope to build?
I really think you can make it interesting. It's pretty much how you tackle it that can define yourself from a mediocre oral to an outstanding one.
Good luck!

[Tessyoh]

Thankyou for all your replies! I've decided on asylum seekers and how they are treated by Australia's government. I'mgoing to try a unique delivery as mentioned above.

[Charmz]

A friend of mine was a drama student and she did a sort of monologue. It was very effective and different.

[abcdqdxD]

I'm thinking of using a video as well as a powerpoint. Is this overkill? Is two minutes an OK length for the video, or is it too long? Thanks

[alondouek]

I'm thinking of using a video as well as a powerpoint. Is this overkill? Is two minutes an OK length for the video, or is it too long? Thanks

I think you should use either a video or a powerpoint, but not both. Remember that you're being marked primarily on your oral, so in essence any presentation that you give that isn't verbally presented is secondary.

Personally, I believe you should stick to a powerpoint, as you can talk your way through it - thereby satisfying both the requirements of the oral task, as well as an effective medium with which to display your research. A video doesn't really give you an opportunity to do, well, anything