Public Speaking and Presentation Support


The Public Speaking and Presentation Studio (PSPS) is located in the Peer Learning Commons in Ladd Library. The studio was established as part of a grant award from the Davis Family Foundation. It was developed as a collaboration between the Student Academic Support Center and the Student Writing and Language Center and is staffed by peer tutors from both programs.

PSPS tutors are trained to listen, notice, and provide actionable feedback to help students improve the efficacy of their public speaking and presenting skills. As part of their training, PSPS tutors are equipped with a rhetorical toolkit designed to help students explore and clarify their purpose, audience, and key messages, as well as to give students a dynamic space to practice effective pacing, physical communication, and vocal techniques.

We welcome students to schedule an appointment at any stage in the preparation process; however, we strongly encourage folks to come ready to practice. (For support with early-stage work, such as ideation and basic organization, consider scheduling an appointment with a Student Writing and Language Tutor first.)

Schedule a PSPS Appointment


Students can schedule a PSPS consultation through Penji for 30 minutes or 60 minutes. In addition to individual feedback sessions, we also welcome presentation groups, panels, or individuals who just want to practice together. Unsure if a PSPS session is right for you? Send us your questions by filling out this brief form.

  • Classroom speaking
    • Individual and group presentations
    • Facilitated activities and lessons
    • Memorized and manuscript speeches
  • Conferences
  • Speeches
    • Persuasive speeches
    • Ceremonial addresses
    • Memorized and manuscript speeches
  • Performance speaking
    • While PSPS tutors aren’t specifically trained to support performance speaking, we are happy to give feedback on poem recitations, acting monologues, and other kinds of performances if asked!
Scheduling a PSPS SessionDownload

1. Get to know you
Our tutors start each session with introductions and casual conversation as everyone gets settled. We want you to practice speaking at your best and that means getting comfortable with your tutor and with the practice space.

2. Get to know your assignment
We also want to fully understand your assignment or purpose. This step is important because it helps our tutors understand your goals as a speaker and imagine the possible expectations of your audience members.

3. Set goals for the practice session
We also want to hear what your goals are for the practice session. Our tutors will always observe and give feedback on pacing, voice qualities, and body language. But, we want to make sure our goals are tailored to your goals.

4. Practice!
Next, we will use the technology in our speaking studios to record you as you give your speech or presentation. You can save a copy of the recording to a flash drive or laptop, or to retrieve it from the cloud after your session.

5. Reflect and discuss
A general goal of the PSPS experience is to help speakers develop an awareness of their habits and tendencies. In this part, we invite you to reflect on how the practice session went and discuss your thoughts alongside our PSPS tutors’ feedback.

6. Practice again!
If time allows, we encourage you to practice a second time and apply any of the self-reflective or tutor-provided feedback from the first practice session.

7. Identify key takeaways
Finally, we want to identify a few simple practice and preparation strategies that you can explore to continue improving on your own following the PSPS session.

What to Bring
Always bring your class assignment or any other documents that could help a PSPS tutor understand your purpose, task, timeline, and other important parameters of your speech or presentation. You should also plan to bring:

  • A copy of your presentation or speech (to share)
  • Handouts or materials you plan to give to participants
  • Visual aids such as slides and posters
  • Presentation technology you plan to use
  • Personal items like water, chapstick, or note cards

Come Prepared to Practice
The most important aspect of a PSPS practice session is the practice. If you plan to use slides, we want to help you practice that. If you plan to memorize parts of your speech, we’d like to help you practice that. If you plan to drink water during your presentation, we want to help you practice that too! If you plan to do, say, or use something in your presentation, we want you to come prepared to do, say, or use it in a practice session with us first!

Bates Resources & Academics

Bates Student Groups for Public Speaking

Web Articles

Open Access Books

Assignment Development & Assessment Support

Finally, we hope to host some resources here that can serve as a jumping-off point for faculty and staff who are interested in developing or revising public speaking experiences for students. In the meantime, we encourage folks to connect with our colleagues in the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning for help writing assignments, developing rubrics, and thinking about learning goals.

Looking to Collaborate?

Are you interested in hosting an in-class workshop on public speaking? Do you want to schedule group feedback sessions for your class? Or, are you hoping to make a visit to the PSPS a requirement as part of an assignment? Whatever your interests, please drop us a line at SASC@bates.edu and let us know how we can help!