2.1 where to start
Remind yourself that giving a talk is not the same as writing an essay that you then read out. Simply reading a prewritten essay out aloud will sound wooden and stilted. This sort of presentation gives the audience little chance to take notes, and ensures there is little or no eye contact between the presenter and the audience. Reading aloud from a script will result in poor marks for the 'communication skills'aspect of any marking scheme. So, writing an essay and then reading it is not an option
A talk is about communicating with a particular audience by talking to them, just as you would talk to a group of friends, but with more formality and structure. Indeed, free speech around a subject is much more interesting than anything that might be read out. It does not matter about the odd 'um' or 'err' -that is perfectly natural. As long as you are well prepared you should be able to talk freely around the subject with confidence.
That is not to say that you should not use any notes. The use of prompt cards or bullet points on PowerPoint slides helps to keep you focused on the key points, and the structure of the talk. Showing these bullet points on slides or handouts also helps the audience to follow your talk, take notes more easily, and remember the key points afterwards.
To help with the preparation of your talk, use the following activity to check what needs to be done and monitor your progress.