Academic Presentation
Academic Presentation #6: Speak Clearly and Use Your Body Well
Speak Clearly and Use Your Body Well
Clear delivery comes from useful pauses, clear words, and a connection with the audience.
LESSON 06 OF 08 · READ + PRACTISEYou do not need to remove your accent to give a strong talk. Aim for speech that your audience can follow. Practise key terms, important numbers, and the sentences that connect your ideas. A short pause often helps more than a faster explanation.
THE IDEA IN ONE PICTURE
Swipe across the diagram to see the full picture.
Group words by meaning
Say one small idea at a time: “We tested TWO designs / under the SAME conditions / but their temperatures were DIFFERENT.” The slashes below mark pauses; the larger words mark emphasis. This is a practice guide, not a rule for every sentence. Let your pitch change naturally to show the important words. Avoid giving every word equal force.
Make technical words and numbers clear
Check difficult terms in a reliable dictionary with audio, or ask a colleague in your field. Practise them inside sentences. Distinguish “thirteen” from “thirty” by making the stressed syllable clear. Show important numbers on the slide too. Say “zero point zero five,” then the unit. Define an abbreviation before using it repeatedly.
Make your movements useful
Face the audience when speaking. Look toward different parts of the room in a way that feels comfortable; constant eye contact is not required. Use a hand or pointer to show one part of a figure, then stop moving it. Keep an open, relaxed posture. A calm expression is enough; you do not need to smile throughout a serious result. Choose comfortable clothing suitable for the event and test the microphone.
WATCH A REAL EXAMPLE · THREE-MINUTE RESEARCH PRESENTATION
Make a technical explanation sound like a conversation
Watch a researcher explain cell transport using a train-system comparison. The opening discusses a serious childhood illness; focus on the delivery and the explanation.
Use the YouTube link if the player does not load. Turn on English captions in the player settings when available; automatic captions may contain errors.
What to notice
- 1:25–2:26: Listen to the short questions and meaning groups in the train comparison.
- 2:46–3:11: Notice the shift from explaining the disease to describing the research.
Try it: Listen to 20 seconds, then explain your own method with similar pauses. Keep your own accent and wording.
Check your viewing task
Pause between ideas and emphasise the words that carry meaning. Ask a partner to repeat the main idea. Clear speech matters more than imitating the speaker’s accent.
The recording includes an introduction before the talk. This player starts at 0:28. An emotional opening is optional; choose a tone appropriate to your topic and audience.
Video credit: Maria Caluianu · Students’ Union UCL · 2022 3MT winner. Source and attribution ↗
Your turn · 2-minute practice
Record a 30-second explanation. Listen once without looking at the slide. Can you identify the key result, the important number, and the unit?
See a model answer or self-check
If the message is hard to hear, shorten the sentence and add a pause before the result. Ask a partner to repeat the number. If they hear a different number, practise that phrase again.
Explore all eight lessons
Academic Presentation · Science & Engineering · Original teaching examples. Numerical examples are illustrative, not published research results.
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