Talk the talk

Week 1: Getting started

Introduction

Welcome to Talk the talk. This course will provide you with the language and strategies to deliver talks with a difference. It will boost your confidence and turn public speaking into a valuable experience.

First, watch the following video, in which Marshal Anderson introduces the course.

Download this video clip.Video player: ou_futurelearn_talk_vid_1001.mp4

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Transcript

Marshal Anderson

Welcome to Talk the talk. I'm Marshal Anderson. In my years as an English tutor at The Open University, and also as an occasional standup comedian, I've learned a great deal about what it means to be able to present an idea to an audience in a way that's both effective and persuasive. Most people struggle with public speaking and believe they will never be good at it. It can be scary but this course will help boost your confidence. We're going to break down the elements of a good presentation.

Let's get started, and watch some experienced speakers, think about how their talks are structured and what makes them work.

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Marshal Anderson will be your guide through the course. An Open University Associate Lecturer and occasional stand-up comedian, Marshal has years of experience presenting himself both online and offline. He’ll introduce each week, reminding you of what you’ve learned and mentioning the highlights of the week ahead.

Each week’s work is designed to take about three hours. This includes engaging with the course material online and working on your own talk – but if you want to develop your oral presentation skills you may well spend longer than this. Even just a short introduction can take a while to get right.

Before you start, The Open University would really appreciate a few minutes of your time to tell us about yourself and your expectations of the course. Your input will help to further improve the online learning experience. If you’d like to help, and if you haven’t done so already, please fill in this optional survey [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .