Semi-urgent but not really subject I've been thinking about.

I'm currently studying at a Japanese University. (awesome btw you should try it) and we are required to give speeches pretty much weekly. The problem for me is that I skipped up into the intermediate level Japanese thanks to the resources found on this site being so awesome for general comprehension on japanese. My major　weak point is speaking and a little better but still lacking is my writing grammar for essays. I'm seeking input from experienced veterans of the speech style that is commonplace for japanese. The only actual speech type thing i kinda know (or rather copied from others) is introducing the subject as　今日は私が　なになになに　について話したいと思います。

Is there a book resource in Japanese or english designed to help learn how to write and speak for formal japanese instances such as this. that outlines differences in speeches and regular speaking for me to mimic to give me an edge when i move up to the next level Japanese Class at my uni.

As always yoroshiku ne

NSTF

Hi NoSleepTillFluent

You know, this is a big one and I decided to create a blog on this.

http://japanesemasters.wordpress.com/

Everyone that has true intentions of reaching a new level in japanese please support the site (still in the making!)

Presentations, Speech(Improv) and Writing I think are the ultimate level in japanese fluency.
This is where the rubber meets the road, where all your study comes into action.
SRS Reps, reading books, talking to friends are like a dojo.
But presentations, speech , writing and describing events and things are
like kumite. Fast paced things that just require practice.

I've seen people that seem to have an amazing level of japanese,
sound super fluent on email, on a normal "nichijou" conversation,
but then show their "gaikokujin" side almost INMEDIATELY
when giving a speech, or explaining something difficult (a long conversation).
(including myself lol)

I work at a japanese company in USA,
and do customer service in japanese.
I do email and so many things in japanese.
But these are in my opinion passive things, because you have time to think
them through, look up words, etc.
Explanations , Speeches and presentations are
very active things that require muscle memory and practice.

The funny thing is i sew very few resources for foreigners about this online.
it's all in japanese
(thus the purpose of my blog)

When you have to explain something in japanese by yourself, and make the other person understand it, it takes a totally different level of skill to do this.

So right off the batt some advice I can give is.

What is the tone of your speech?
Are you going to write in です・ます？だ・である？
Another thing i hear in speaches is the

"question style" speech.

"皆様、●●はご存知ですか？
これについてお話させて頂きます。"
And then start talking and asking questions to the audience.
I saw a couple of "ryugakusei" speeches, and
this pattern won a lot of them.

Are you taking notes of your fellow class mates? Are you in a ryuugakusei
class or taking class with other japanese people?

If you can take classes with other japanese peoples,
copy what they say and how they say it, then integrate it into your
speech.

This is in my opinion a very uncharted field by foreigners
and thus just fills me with excitement to start creating a path for others to follow

I liked the "How to Sound Intelligent in Japanese" book pretty much.

It is very basic though, but it helps to get the "feeling" of talking in a fancy way...