This document provides guidelines for creating a podcast that focuses on presentation speaking style concepts. It discusses what podcasts are, choosing a subject and focus, and how to create and write a podcast script. The podcast script should have an introduction, body with key points, and conclusion, and last 1-3 minutes. It then defines several presentation speaking style concepts like vocal variety, rate of speech, diction, and pause. The goal is to sound conversational and engaging while explaining these concepts to student peers within the time limit. Exercises are suggested to help improve areas of speaking style.

1. How to Create the Podcast
Requirements and Guidelines

2. Table of Contents
What are podcasts? 3
Subject and focus of your podcast. 4
How to create your podcast.
Presentation Speaking Style Concepts 10-14
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How to write your podcast script. 6-9
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3. What are podcasts?
A British journalist combined the Apple’s iPod with the word
broadcast to coin the term Podcast. Podcasts can be audio-only,
video, or broadcasted live.
Businesses and Organizations Use Podcasts
• Externally: to promote products and services to customers.
• Internally: to share information between employees, particularly,
in project teams.
You will compose an audio only podcast aimed at an external
general audience.
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4. Subject and focus of your podcast.
The subject of your podcast will be presentation speaking style
concepts. The concepts are explained in this slidedoc.
Your audience will be student peers at the University of Idaho who
are interested in improving their speaking style.
Your purpose will be to explain some of the concepts and suggest
exercises for developing an effective speaking style.
You will not be able to cover ALL presentation speaking style
concepts, so you will need to focus your podcast.
Make this decision based on studying the concepts and then
identifying what you want to cover in a podcast of up to 3 minutes.
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5. How to create your podcast.
• You will need a microphone, and the one in your computer will be
fine for this project.
• Your will need site to host your digital file and play without a
user needing to download the file.
• You will need some tools. Under tools and resources on the
project 1 page you will find options for how to create the podcast,
including a free cloud computing tool.
• You will need to write a script. Adapt the prose style concepts
for the ear by keeping the sentences short. You should be able to
say each sentence in a single breath.
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6. How to write the script.
Write exactly what you want to say.
You script needs a clear structure:
• Introduction
• Body with Key Points
• Conclusion
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7. Timing: Introduction
Keep it short, a few seconds. Here are two
options:
1. Greet the audience and tell them who you
are. Then give them an idea of what you
will be presenting in the podcast.
2. Start with an engaging question such as
“have you ever wondered about . . .?” and
then greet the audience and tell them who
you are and what the podcast will be
about.
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8. Timing: Body
Think about how many key points about
presentation speaking style that you can
reasonably talk about in a 1 to 3 minute
podcast.
When writing your script cut out key points if
you script is going over 3 minutes.
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9. Timing: Conclusion
Keep it short like the introduction. Just a few
seconds.
Here are some options.
• Point listeners to future podcasts.
• Point the listeners to where they can learn
more about presentation speaking style.
Always thank the audience for their time.
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10. Presentation Speaking Style Concept: Vocal Variety
Vocal variety refers to the following nonverbal features of our
speaking style:
• Pitch. Our voices all have a natural pitch which is like music with high
and low notes. If your pitch range is narrow, mostly high or mostly low
notes, your voice will sound monotone.
• Tone. Our voices carry emotional content through the tone we use. If your
voice lacks expression, it will be flat and lack energy. If you fill your
speech with too much energy, it will seem overly exuberant and forced.
• Volume. Some of us naturally speak softer or louder than others. Volume
affects how the audience perceives your trustworthiness.
• Rate. When we speak, rate refers to the pace of our speech. Speech rate
is calculated at the number of words spoken in a minute. See the next
slide for some typical speech rates.
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11. Presentation Speaking Style Concept: Rate of Speech
• Slow speech is less than 110 wpm.
• Conversational speech falls between 120 wpm at the slow end to 160 -
200 wpm in the fast range.
• People who read books for radio or podcasts speak at 150-160 wpm.
• Auctioneers or commentators who practice speed speech are usually
in the 250 to 400 wpm range.
To calculate your rate of speech. Time yourself speaking from your script.
Next, take the total number of words spoken and divide it by the number of
minutes it too you to speak them.
Speaking Rate = Total Word / # of Minutes.
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12. Presentation Speaking Style Concept: Diction
Diction is not about changing your accent (yes, we all have an
accent). It’s about clearly enunciating the words you speak.
Your rate of speech affects diction. Speaking too fast will prevent
you from clearly enunciating your words.
Tip for ESL speakers. Pausing after a word you find difficult to say in
English will greatly help the audience to understand you.
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13. Presentation Speaking Style Concept: Pause
Pausing periodically while speaking will help the audience
understand you.
It also helps you avoid saying distracting filler words like
“um” “er” “ah”.
If English is your second language and you struggle to pronounce
difficult English words, try pausing before saying them.
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14. Speaking Style Exercises
If you need help with your speaking style, try the exercises posted
on the project page to improve aspects of your style.
The goal is not to sound like a professional broadcaster in your
podcast but to sound conversational and engaging to listen to.
Don’t be too hard on yourself about this if you struggle with your
speaking style. It takes time to develop an effective style.
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