how to give presentation in class in english

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How to Do a Presentation in Class

Last Updated: March 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,632,687 times.

Doing a presentation in class can be intimidating, but it does not have to be. This wikiHow will give you lots of pointers on how to do a presentation in class with minimal stress.

Planning the Presentation

• Write down keywords or main ideas. If you need to consult your index cards, you're only going to want to scan the index card for information, not read every last word.
• Most of the time, the act of putting information down on your index cards will help you remember the information. So, while you might not strictly need the note cards, it's a nice security blanket to have if you happen to forget what you were going to say.
• You don't want to be reading straight off your notecards during your presentation.

• Practice in front of your family or friends, or in front of the mirror, when you rehearse your presentation. It's probably better to do it in front of friends who you may not know well, as this will help you replicate the feeling of being in front of the class.
• Ask your friends for feedback after you finish your presentation. Was the presentation long enough? How was your eye contact? Did you stammer at all? Were all the points clearly made?
• Make a critique of your practice performance. Challenge yourself to work on all the things that you believe you can improve during the real presentation. When it comes time to deliver the real deal, you'll feel confident knowing that you've worked extra hard on what was toughest for you.

• Get quotes from reliable sources. Good quotes make a good presentation great. Taking what smart people have said and putting it into your presentation not only makes you look smart, it shows the teacher that you spent time thinking about what other people said.
• Make sure your sources are trustworthy. There's nothing that can quite break your confidence like a fact that turns out to not be a fact. Don't always trust the information you get off the Internet.

Delivering the Presentation

• Studies have shown that smiles are infectious; that means that once you smile, it's hard for everyone else not to smile. So if you want your presentation to go off without a hitch, force yourself to smile. That'll make everyone smile; and maybe those smiles will make you actually smile.

• Think about your intention before you talk to your audience. Do you want to educate, enlighten, or entertain this audience? What is the effect that you want to have on the listener?
• Visualize success before, during, and after your presentation. Be humble about what you do — no need for cockiness — but imagine a successful presentation at all times. Don't let the thought of failure creep into your mind.
• In many ways, your confidence is just as important as the information you're delivering. You don't want to spread misinformation, or skimp on doing your research, but a lot of what you'll be graded on — and what the other students come away with — is going to be your level of confidence. Also if you are confident, you will have a better time exchanging ideas with the class.
• If you need a confidence boost, think big picture. After 10 or 15 minutes, your presentation will be over. What will your presentation matter in the long run? Probably not very much. Try to do the best you can, but if you're getting nervous, remind yourself that there are much more important moments in your life to come.

• Have the goal of looking at every person in the classroom at least once. That way, everyone will feel like you've engaged with them. Plus, you'll look like you know what you're talking about.

• Inflection is the kind of movement that radio DJs put into their voice; it's the ramped-up pitch in your voice when it gets excited. You don't want to sound like you've just seen a lion, but you also don't want to sound like you've just seen a squirrel, either. Vary it up to make the presentation more interesting.

• Tell a story, maybe one with a personal note. Stories are great for history or English presentations. Maybe you can tie your presentation into a little anecdote about a famous historical person?
• Ask a provocative question. Ending with a question is a good way of getting your audience to think about your presentation in an interesting way. Is there a certain conclusion you want them to come to?

What Is The Best Way To Start a Presentation?

Community Q&A

• Have good posture. Don't cross or fold your arms, keep them open. Don't slouch and keep your back straight. [8] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't forget to look at everyone, not just the floor. Don't stare at anyone in particular but 'skim' the class. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Try not to argue with your audience. This detracts from your presentation. Just tell them they have an interesting point and that you'll check and get back to them. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

• Some people may be so tied up before a presentation that they feel faint and may pass out during their speech. If this describes you, make sure you prepare especially hard and keep your blood sugar up before you present. Thanks Helpful 14 Not Helpful 1
• Don't keep your mobile phone in your pocket or it will interfere with the microphone (if any). Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/oral-presentation-tips-30.htm
• ↑ https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/study-support/study-skills/presenting-and-working-with-others
• ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zcfv4wx/articles/zdn3d6f
• ↑ https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~mernst/advice/giving-talk.html

About This Article

The best way to prepare for your class presentation is to practice in front of a friend or family member. When it’s time to present, make eye contact with your audience and use hand motions to illustrate your points. Don’t forget to smile! Finish strong with a final statistic or provocative question. If you’re still nervous, read on for more advice! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Starting a presentation in english: methods and examples.

• By Jake Pool

If you’re going to make it in the professional world, most likely you’ll have to give a presentation in English at some point. No reason to get nervous!

Most of the work involved lies in the introduction. You may or may not need an English presentation PPT file, your topic, audience, or time limit may vary, but a strong opening is a must no matter what! Everything that follows can build from the opening outline you present to your audience.

Let’s look at some guidelines for starting a presentation in English. If you can master this part, you’ll never have to worry about the rest!

Opening in a Presentation in English

While it’s important to have your entire presentation organized and outlined, planning and organization are especially important in the introduction. This is what will guide you through a clear and concise beginning. Let’s look at how to start a presentation with well-organized thoughts .

Introduction Outline

• Introduce yourself and welcome everyone.
• State the purpose of your presentation
• Give a short overview of the presentation

As we say, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. (No need for a more detailed English presentation script!) Let’s examine the first step.

1. Introduce Yourself & Welcome Everyone

The self-introduction is your opportunity to make a good first impression. Be sure to open with a warm welcome and use language that is familiar and natural. Based on your audience, there are a few different expressions you can use to start your presentation.

If you’re presenting to coworkers who may already know you:

• Hello, [name] here. I would like to thank you all for your time. As you may know, I [describe what you do/your job title] I look forward to discussing [topic] today.
• Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Thank you for being here. For those who don’t know me, my name is [name], and for those who know me, hello again.

If you’re presenting to people you’ve never met:

• Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title].
• Hello. Welcome to [event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title]. I’m glad you’re all here.

There are certainly more ways to make an introduction. However, it’s generally best to follow this format:

• Start with a polite welcome and state your name.
• Follow with your job title and/or the reason you’re qualified to speak on the topic being discussed.

2. State the Purpose of Your Presentation

Now that your audience knows who you are and your qualifications, you can state the purpose of your presentation. This is where you clarify to your audience what you’ll be talking about.

So, ask yourself, “ What do I want my audience to get from this presentation? ”

• Do you want your audience to be informed?
• Do you need something from your audience?
• Do you want them to purchase a product?
• Do you want them to do something for the community or your company?

With your goal in mind, you can create the next couple of lines of your presentation. Below are some examples of how to start.

• Let me share with you…
• I’d like to introduce you to [product or service]
• Today I want to discuss…
• I want to breakdown for you [topic]
• Let’s discuss…
• Today I will present the results of my research on [topic]
• By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand [topic]
• My goal is to explain…
• As you know, we’ll be talking about…

When talking about the purpose of your presentation, stick to your goals. You purpose statement should be only one to three sentences. That way, you can give your audience a clear sense of purpose that sets them up for the rest of the presentation.

3. A Short Overview of the Presentation

The final step in starting your presentation is to give a short outline of what you’ll be presenting. People like a map of what to expect from a presentation.

It helps them organize their thoughts and gives a sense of order. Also, it lets the audience know why they’re listening to you. This is what you’ll use to grab their attention, and help them stay focused throughout the presentation.

Here are some examples of how you can outline your presentation:

• Today, I’m going to cover… Then we’ll talk about… Lastly, I’ll close on…
• We’re going to be covering some key information you need to know, including…
• My aim with this presentation is to get you to… To do that we’ll be talking about…
• I’ve divided my presentation into [number] sections… [List the sections]
• Over the next [length of your presentation] I’m going to discuss…

That’s it! It’s as simple as 1-2-3. If you have a fear of public speaking or are not confident about presenting to a group of people, follow these three steps. It’s a simple structure that can get you off to a good start. With that in mind, there are other ways to bring your introduction to the next level too! Read on for bonus tips on how to really engage your audience, beyond the basics.

For a Strong Presentation in English, Engage your Audience

Presentations aren’t everyone’s strongest ability, and that’s OK. If you’re newer to presenting in English, the steps above are the basics to getting started. Once you’re more comfortable with presenting, though, you can go a step further with some extra tricks that can really wow your audience.

Mastering the skill of engaging an audience will take experience. Fortunately, there are many famous speakers out there you can model for capturing attention. Also, there are some common techniques that English-speakers use to gain an audience’s attention.

*How and when you use these techniques in your introduction is at your discretion, as long as you cover the 3 steps of the introduction outline that we discussed earlier.*

Do or say something shocking.

The purpose of shocking your audience is to immediately engage them. You can make a loud noise and somehow relate the noise to your presentation. Or, you can say, “ Did you know that… ” and follow with a shocking story or statistic. Either way, the objective is to create surprise to draw their attention.

Tell a story

Telling a story related to your presentation is a great way to get the audience listening to you.

You can start by saying, “ On my way to [location] the other day… ” or “ On my way here, I was reminded of… ” and then follow with a story. A good story can make your presentation memorable.

Ask your audience to take part

Sometimes a good introduction that captures attention will involve asking for help from the audience. You can ask the audience to play a quick game or solve a puzzle that’s related to your presentation. Also, you could engage the audience with a group exercise. This is a great way to get people involved in your presentation.

There are many more ways to engage the audience, so get creative and see what you can think up! Here are some resources that will help you get started.

Also, if you want to get better at public speaking (and help your English speaking too!), a great organization to know about is the Toastmasters . The organization is dedicated to helping you be a better speaker, and there are many local groups in America. They offer free lessons and events to help you master your English speaking, and also offer additional help to paying members.

The Takeaway

A presentation in English? No problem, as long as your introduction sets you up for success . Admittedly, this can be easier said than done. Native speakers and non-native speakers alike sometimes struggle with getting a good start on their English presentation. But the advice above can help you get the confidence you need to lay a good foundation for your next speech !

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Blog > English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

02.21.20   •  #powerpoint #presentation #english.

When giving a presentation in english, there are certain guidelines you should follow. Maybe you haven't got a lot of experience presenting - or you would simply like to refresh your already existing knowledge - we're here to teach you the basics about presenting and provide you with a free list of useful phrases and the basic structure you can in your presentation!

1. Structure

The general structure of a presentation is the following:

• Introduction

It is up to you to design these three parts. Using videos or everyday-examples can be a great way to introduce the audience to the topic. The important thing is that you capture the audience's attention from the beginning by making an interesting introduction. The main part is where you present your topic, ideally divided into sections. You can be creative with it - incorporate images, videos, stories or interactive polls . We generally recommend using different kinds of elements, as that makes the presentation more lively. Make sure your main part is well structured, so your audience can follow. In the conclusion, you should give a short summary of the points you made without adding any new information. You can also make an appeal to your audience in the end.

2. Useful Phrases

Here you'll find several phrases that you'll need in every presentation. Of course, you should adapt them and use them in a context that is suitable for your setting. The phrases are divided into subcategories so you can find what you're looking for more easily.

Starting your Presentation

In your introduction, you should:

Welcome your audience

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my presentation about...

Introduce yourself

I am ... (from company ...) and today I would like to introduce you to the topic of ...

My name is ... and I am going to talk about ... today.

Icebreakers (for audience engagement)

Icebreaker polls are an amazing way to engage your audience instantly. They function as a fun and playful element at the beginning, giving you the perfect start you need to give a successful presentation. Click here to read our detailed post about icebreaker polls!

Mention the presentation topic and the reason for giving the presentation

I am grateful to be here today and tell you you about...

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about ...

I am here today to talk to you about ...

The reason why I am here today to talk about ... is ...

The purpose of this presentation is to ...

My goal today is to ...

Hopefully, by the end of the presentation, you will all know more about ...

Give a short overview of the content

To make it as understandable as possible, I divided my presentation into ... parts. In the first part, I will concentrate on ..., the second part will be about ..., ...

First of all, I will give you a short introduction, then we will move on to ...

... and finally, I will give you some insights to ...

Here are a few phrases that you could use during the whole presentation, but especially in the main part.

Engage your audience

In order to raise the audience's attention and improve their engagement, it is extremely important to make contact with them. A great way to do so is by adding interactive elements such as polls. If you would like to know more about this topic, read our article on How To Boost Audience Engagement . You can also use a software like SlideLizard , which allows you to conduct live polls, do Q&A sessions with your audience, share your resources and many more benefits that take your presentation to the next level.

Please raise your hand if you ...

Have you ever thought about ... ?

I would like to do a poll about ...

Please ask any questions as soon as they arrive.

On one hand, … on the other hand…

Comparing … with …, we can see that…

Clearly, … makes more sense than …

Whereas Option A is …, Option B is …

Making new points

Firstly,… Secondly,…

What also has to be mentioned is…

Next, I would like to bring up the topic of…

That being said, now we are going to take a look at…

Let's move on to the next topic.

On the next slide,…

The last thing I would like to mention is…

We made a whole blog post about how to pose questions in your presentation: The Right Way to do a Question Slide .

Talking about images or videos

In this image you can clearly see that ...

We are now going to take a look at a picture/video of ...

I'm going to show you a video by ... about ... now.

I've prepared a video about ...

Talking about statistics and charts

I am now addressing this graph that refers to the results of study XY.

In the graph on this slide, you can see that ...

The average is at ...

This graph clearly shows that the majority ...

According to this graph, the focus should be on ...

What that study tells us for practice is that we should ...

Emphasizing

I would like to emphasize the importance of ...

Moreover, it has to be said that ...

I want to stress the importance of ...

We always have to remember that ...

This is of high significance because ...

That part is especially important because ...

When something goes wrong

I am sorry, but it seems like the projector isn't working.

Could someone please help me with ...?

Is anybody here who knows how to ...?

Could someone give me a hand with ...

I would like to apologize for ...

I apologize for the technical problems, we are going to continue in a minute.

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

End of Presentation

In the conclusion, you should...

Sum up the main points

In conclusion I can say that…

To sum up the main points,…

With all mentioned aspects taken into consideration, I can say that…

Make an appeal

So please, in the future, try to be conscious about...

Please take a moment to think about...

I would like to encourage you to...

Thank your audience and say goodbye

It was a pleasure being here today.

Thank you for listening and goodbye.

Thank you for being such a great, engaged audience. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening, see you next time.

What is the structure of a presentation?

Your presentations should always have an Introduction, a Main part and a Conclusion.

What is a good way to begin a presentation?

You can start by introducing yourself, giving an overview of your topic, telling a little story or showing the audience an introductory video or image.

What are good phrases to use in English presentations?

There are many phrases that will make your presentation a lot more professional. Our blog post gives you a detailed overview.

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About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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How to Present a Presentation in Class? An Ultimate Guide

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Ever faced the dreaded presentation day in college? Panic not! Mastering the art of presenting is like adding extra cheese to your academic pizza. In this guide, we'll sprinkle some wisdom on how to give a presentation in class without turning into a nervous noodle. Let's make your classmates go, "Wow!"

How to Give a Presentation in College

Ready to conquer the stage without tripping over your own words? Nail that presentation in college with a sprinkle of wit and a dash of confidence. Mastering how to give a presentation in college is about as tricky as herding caffeinated cats. But we have got you fully covered! Say goodbye to sweaty palms and hello to applause. 

1. Pre-Presentation

Pre-presentation journey is like setting sail before the main event - it's where we plot our course, dodge the iceberg of nerves, and make sure our ship of wisdom is ready to set sail. Here are a few steps to understand the things required for how to present a presentation in class.

1. Prepare Well

Presenting in college isn't just about sharing information; it's an opportunity to connect with classmates. Successful presentations hinge on understanding your audience, aligning content with their interests, and setting clear goals. Thorough preparation and rehearsal boost confidence, making the experience enjoyable and potentially earning better grades. Remember, mastering how to do a presentation in class starts with solid preparation and good research.

A quick search on Google might help you find the answers to most of the questions that cross your mind, but what about the ones that haven’t been answered yet? Research helps with just that! Want to know how to do that correctly and fast? Here is a step-by-step guide for you to conduct research easily .

2. Visualize Yourself Giving the Speech

Imagine that you are confidently standing before your college peers, delivering a presentation that captivates and inspires. Visualizing yourself giving the speech is crucial when mastering how to present in class. It transforms nerves into charisma, answering your doubts on how to present a presentation in class.

3. Dress Properly

Presenting in college? Dressing appropriately is key!​ It's not just about looking good but about exuding confidence and professionalism. This is necessary for understanding how to present a presentation in class.

4. Arrive Early and Be Prepared

Want to know how to present a presentation in class? Arriving early sets and being prepared. It offers a chance to familiarize yourself with the environment and organize thoughts and materials confidently.

5. Rehearse Thoroughly

To ace your performance, meticulous rehearsal is a non-negotiable step. Unveiling the secrets of how to do a presentation in class involves more than just talking— it's about confidence, clarity, and captivating your audience.

Speaking in front of a crowd can be done in various situations or events and they all have one thing in common, a game of nerves and remembering what to say. While many can pull off public speaking, it is not easy for even more. But, worry not. Here are the best public speaking tips for you to ace that big game!

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2. During Presentation

Now that you have a fair understanding of a good presentation, we’ll give you some tips on how to give a presentation in class that will help you make an impact and earn you the highest grade. Here are some tips on how to give a presentation in college which you can use before the big day. 

1. Correct Posture

Maintaining the right posture while delivering a presentation is crucial for effective communication. So, when pondering how to give a good presentation in college, remember to stand tall, speak confidently, and let your posture amplify your words.

2. Manage Your Anxiety

Facing a class presentation can be nerve-wracking, but managing anxiety is key. Breathe deeply, focus on your message, and visualize success. Confidence transforms how you present in college. 

Public speaking is one of the most common fears out there, right up there with clowns and spiders. But fear not, my friends - here are some of the top tips on how to calm down before a presentation .

3. Open Strong

How to start a presentation in university? Start strong! Capturing your audience's attention from the start is crucial when presenting in class or college. An open strong sets the tone, sparking curiosity and ensuring an engaging journey throughout your presentation.

4. Start With a Mind Map

If you are looking for how to give a presentation in class, begin with a mind map. It's your GPS, plotting the route through your ideas, ensuring a smooth and confident presentation journey.

5. Tell a Story

Sharing a compelling story in class presentations captivates your audience, making your content memorable. It humanizes information and enhances your ability to engage effectively.

6. Speak Slow and Clear

If you want to know how to do a presentation in class, speaking slowly and clearly is vital. It enhances understanding, captivates your audience, and boosts confidence. 

7. Don't Read From the Slides

Engaging your audience is crucial when presenting in class or college. Speak naturally, connect with your audience, and make your presentation memorable.

8. Connect with Your Audience

Want to know how to do a presentation in class? Capturing your audience's attention is vital when presenting in class or college. Engage them by connecting on a personal level, making your content relatable and memorable.

9. Be Interactive

In class, mastering how to give a presentation is crucial. Be interactive! Engage your audience by asking questions, sharing anecdotes, and using visuals. It transforms a lecture into a conversation, making your college presentations memorable and impactful.

10. Look at the Audience While Talking

How to give a presentation in college? Maintaining eye contact with your audience is crucial when presenting in class or college. It builds a connection, shows confidence, and keeps them engaged. 

11. Manage Your Time

Nobody likes long presentations. Manage your time wisely when giving a presentation in class or college. Keep it concise, engaging, and to the point for maximum impact.

12. Include Group Activities

Want to learn how to present a presentation in class? Boost your presentation prowess by incorporating group activities. Engage your audience with interactive elements. This will keep them entertained and enjoy your presentation more!

13. Address Key Points

Effectively addressing key points is crucial in presentations. It ensures clarity, engages your audience, and enhances understanding.

14. Conclude With a Strong Ending

Want to know how to do a presentation in class? Conclude with a strong ending to leave a lasting impression. Summarize key points, or say a strong quote! 

Creative Presentation Ideas

Are you tired of the same old PowerPoint routine? Want to know how to give a PPT presentation in college? Here are some of the tips to innovate styles that breathe life into your class presentations. 

1. Incorporate Universal Design Principles

Using large fonts and providing various formats ensure accessibility, while sign language interpreters and a barrier-free environment cater to diverse needs. Maintain clear communication through audible voices, well-lit rooms, and diverse multimedia. This inclusive approach transforms how presentations are given in college, making them accessible to all.

2. Limit Number of Slides and Texts

Crafting a captivating presentation for class involves a delicate balance. Limiting slides and text sparks creativity, ensuring ideas flow seamlessly. Keep it concise, let visuals speak, and ace your college presentations effortlessly!

3. Plan your Slide Layout

Crafting an effective presentation begins with thoughtful slide layout planning. Organized visuals enhance understanding, captivate attention, and make your ideas shine during class presentations.

4. Make your Presentation Interactive

Instead of lengthy lectures, facilitate discussions on real-life situations attendees have encountered. Encourage interactions among them, fostering a dynamic learning environment. Allocate ample time for questions, either addressing them within the presentation or guiding participants to relevant resources. Your presentation should be a collaborative journey, ensuring active participation and a lasting impact on how to give a presentation in college.

Presenting a PowerPoint presentation is as important as making it. It is an ally that lets you get your aims and ideas across to the audience. To help you out with a good PPT presentation, here are the best PowerPoint presentation tips for you.

That was our detailed guide on how to present a presentation in class. We know we’ve packed in a lot of information, but if you break everything down step by step, it's all incredibly simple. If you follow all our tips on how to do a presentation as a student, we can ensure that you’ll give a killer presentation! 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to present a presentation in class, how to start a presentation in class, how do you end a presentation, what is the 10 second rule in presentation, how to do a presentation in class, what is the 666 rule in presentation, which text is best in presentation.

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How to Prepare a Presentation in English Successfully [+ FREE Presentation Checklist]

May 1, 2018 | Business Professional English , Free Resource , Public Speaking & Presentations

This lesson on how to prepare a presentation in English has been updated since its original posting in 2016 and a video has been added.

Giving a presentation is already difficult to do, even in your native language. But to give a presentation in English? Well, it can feel impossible, maybe even terrifying.

If you’re nervous, you might be worried about:

• What if your audience doesn’t understand?
• What if you use the wrong word or – worse – forget your words?
• What if someone asks a question and you don’t understand?

These are all common questions about giving a presentation in English.  And the good news is: it is possible to give a presentation in English with confidence.

Whether you are presenting information about your company or presenting a proposal to a new client, presenting a new idea to your boss and colleagues or presenting to an audience at a conference, these are the strategies you need to best prepare for your next presentation in English.

These are exactly the same strategies native English speakers use to prepare for their presentations, too!

7 simple strategies to prepare a presentation in English.

Lesson by Annemarie

7 Strategies to Prepare a Presentation in English

Strategy 1: Plan, Plan, Plan

I know this sounds simple but this is maybe the most important step! That’s why I said it three times.

Before you do or write anything, spend some time thinking about what you want to say for this opportunity to present. You can use these two questions to help you:

• Where is your audience now (before your presentation)? In other words: what do they currently know or not know? Is there something they are missing? Imagine your presentation is a map and Question 1 is your Point A.
• Where do you want your audience to be after your presentation? What do you want your audience to know or do or think or believe after your presentation? On your presentation map, this is your Point B.

And now think of the steps you need to help your audience go from Point A to Point B.

Strategy 2: Know Your Who and Your What

Who is your audience?  You want to know the kind of people you will be speaking to so you can offer the right information, use the right language and think about the best visual aids.

For example: Imagine you design applications for smart phones. You’ve designed a great new application for children and you want to market/sell this application. As the designer you understand all the technical words and information about the application. And now you have the opportunity to present to a group of moms at a local school. It would be AMAZING if every mom in the audience bought your application.

How should you present to them? Do you want to use a lot of technical words? Will they understand them? Or should you use more common, everyday language that is clear and simple for everyone?

What is your purpose?  Generally, presentations are used to teach, to inform, to motivate. to persuade or to encourage action. When you understand the purpose of your presentation,  it will be easier for you to use the correct language and the correct style. It will also help you organize your presentation well.

“These are the seven strategies you need to prepare for a successful presentation in English, for any situation!”

Strategy 3: Get Organized

Presentations in English generally have 3 parts:

• Opening (Introduction)
• Body (Main Points and Details)
• Closing (Summary)

In the next several weeks, you will learn exactly what you need for each section of your presentation. For now, it is important to think how you can organize your information into these 3 parts.

Important advice : Limit the number of main points in your presentation from 3 to 5 (no more than 5!). You want your audience to be well-informed but not overwhelmed.

Strategy 4: Show, Don’t Tell

In English, we love stories and pictures to help us remember information.

What about you? Have you ever listened to a presentation that has a LOT of numbers and statistics and data and dates? Do you remember any of that information now? Most people say no to that question.

In English, the expression “show, don’t tell” means  help your audience understand your main points through stories, visual aids and/or strong action words .

People remember stories, not numbers. When you can, use a story or a great visual aid to help your audience remember your key points.

For example: If you are presenting scientific information and you want to use a number to talk about how many cells are in the human body. According to an article by Smithsonian, there are 37.2 trillion cells in the human body!!! How many is that? I have no idea! Instead you could use a picture to help you. Imagine the largest sports stadium and every seat is filled. Show this picture and now tell people how many full stadiums you need for 37.2 trillion. With a picture, your audience can visualize this big number. And it will be easier to remember.

Strategy 5: Talk, Don’t Read

This one is so important. Please, please, please do not read your presentation.

For an audience, when someone reads a presentation it:

• Shows you didn’t prepare well

Of course, you can use note cards to help you remember and to stay focused. But talk to your audience. Look at your audience. Move around. Be comfortable and natural.

The more you prepare, the more you practice, the easier this will be! And your audience will enjoy your presentation so much more!

Also, do not be afraid to go slow !

A good presentation does not mean speaking fast. Remember: this is the first time your audience is hearing this information. They need time to hear and to think about what you are saying. You will help them (and you!) if you speak slowly.

By speaking slowly, you will also have more time to think about what you want to say in your presentation, remember the key points and make fewer mistakes!

Strategy 6: Think Ahead

One of the scariest parts of a presentation in the Q&A ( = question and answer) part of the presentation. Most people fear they will not:

• Understand the words of the question
• Understand the accent of the person speaking
• Know what to say
• Remember the words they need

A Q&A session doesn’t always happen but if you have to do this, here is how you can calm your fears:

Review your presentation. Think about your audience (remember the  Who Are They  question!). Can you identify any likely questions?

Give your presentation to your peers, colleagues, friends, and family. Ask them what questions they have. It is possible they will have some of the same questions as your audience.

Now make a list of possible questions and prepare your answers ahead of time. Practice giving these answers when you practice your presentation.

The more prepared you are, the easier a Q&A session will be.

Strategy 7: Practice, Practice, Practice

I cannot say this enough. You must practice. Say your presentation out loud many times. Practice your presentation in front of your work colleagues, your friends, your family.

The more you practice, the more prepared and confident you will be.

And you can kiss some of those fears and nervous feelings goodbye !!* *[Idiom]  kiss something goodbye : to end or lose something. So, you can end your fears and end your nervous feelings!

Get the complete Presentations in English Series:

Part 1: How to Prepare for Your Presentation in English

Part 2: How to Start with a Great Introduction in Your Presentation

Part 3:  How to Organize Your Presentation in English

Part 4:  How to End Your Presentation Powerfully

Now that you’ve had time to review the lesson, I’d love to hear about your experience.

Have you had to prepare a presentation in English?

Please take a moment to share your advice on how to best prepare. What has helped you the most? You might have the perfect strategy for someone else in our Confident English Community.

You can share your advice and ideas in the comments section below. That is the best place to get feedback from me and learn from others.

Have a great week and thank you for joining me! ~ Annemarie

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Thanks you for sharing your strategies to elaborate a presentation. I think this is very comprehensive and useful because it shows all the important steps to create a presentation. Very interesting.

I’m so glad to know it was helpful!

I am going to present my ppt for the college assignment and these are very wise advice which I’m sure they make my presentation more prepared.Tysm

I love all your videos. Thanks for sharing!

thank you for sharing about this. this is very helpful.

Thank you so much for your great presentation tips which we will implement in our areas. I used to so much mistakes that I realized after watching your video… Thanks once again for your valuable guidance..

Regards, Jaywant Patil 9819282438

so far, I haven’t had any experience in creating a presentation. but I am sure that everything is ahead

Hi, Very interesting your advices, sorry rigth now I haven’t give the presentation in english but I’m working to be confortable when I have to speak in english. You prononciation is very helpfull because I’m crying to repeat your video to improve my one. Very good video and so thank you

I appreciate u for the seven strategies of presentation may his soul peace and rest

Thank you very much ,this is very useful for me

Hello Annemarie! You are doing a great job these seven strategies are very useful for us in a presentation I am one of the students who always nervous on the stage so I like the point of doing “practise and practise” is great of becoming a good presenter. Thank you so much.By sharing one thing that my pronouncing and my grammar is very bad so I also have to do so many practices to become a good in English. I am not from a good background my family is very poor so I am doing my best for my family.

I can relate to that.

Hi Annemarie,

Thank you so much for sharing your strategies. All the seven strategies look very important and helpful. I particularly strongly agree with the 7th one. Without practicing in advance, it seems for me to easily lose confidence while making a presentation. I might need to be more diligent to prepare all the things in advance.

Thanks again for your very useful lecture! Hope you have a great weekend.

You’re very welcome, Erin. I’m happy to know it was helpful to you! Best of luck as you continue to prepare for things in advance. 🙂

Thank you indeed.I am a syh person and I get excited easily.I should practise and record myself.

I LIKE YOUR PRONOUNCIATON

Thank you for your comment. I’m glad my lessons are useful to you. And I definitely recommend recording yourself. It’s a great way to make progress and overcomes fear.

It’s very useful and done with the help of a clear and simple language, as usual. I’m agree with Tatyana, it’s real and nice presentation about “how to be ready to the presentation”. 🙂 I have a big expirience in the presentations but all of them were in my native language or with the help of an interpreter. To my mind this strategies are common for all the languages and the most important thing not to neglect them and not to be lazy to do all the steps you’ve spoken about. So I think in a few weeks I’m going …  Read more »

Great advice, Dzmitry! Thank you for sharing. And you’re right, these strategies are true no matter what language you’re presenting in and it’s essential not to neglect a single step. I love your advice on including a little joke to relieve the stress. 🙂

Dear Annemarie Actually I am university’s professor and I always use English texts for my teaching materials. Unfortunately I have no experience on giving presentation in English. I have been invited as an expert to give a talk in an academic conference in English and I don’t know can I do it perfectly or not? would you please give me some hints in this context. Ta

What an honor to be invited to speak as an expert! That’s great. Click here to find all my lessons on Giving Presentations in English . If you’re looking for more personalized assistance or one-on-one help, I provide that to students who purchase classes from me or join one of my courses .

Best wishes with your presentation!

Dear Annemarie I did a presentation in English in front of my class and my topic was “how to get confidence to speak in front of class?” I did gramatical mistakes but my respectful teacher helped me a lot. I m bery impress from you. You r doing very well.

Dear Annemarie ..I did a presentation in English at course it talked about how to be happy .. I practiced my talking a lot but when I started I forgot a lot f notes cuz this is my first presentation and I wanted to make a creative end I chose to make audience dance about ‘macrena dance’ In the final of the presentation, I received positive feedback from audience and I felling I proud of my self

Wonderful, Khaled. And congratulations. Presentations are challenging but it sounds like you were well prepared. You deserve to feel proud of yourself.

Thank you so much Anne, iam grateful to this information. it is timely, I needed it. I give organization Presentations, but I must admit that iam still nervous.(stage freak) thank you I look forward to more guidance and skills stay blessed Phyllis

Hello Phyllis,

You’re very welcome. I’m happy to know this lesson was timely and useful for you. The key to overcoming stage fright and nerves is practice. 🙂

Hi These are very usefull informations Annemarie thank you.In fact I have never give a presentation in English. It is so easy to understand your text and fortunately you use simple words for us.Buy the way i can apply your advices in my language too.I love your lessons and try to read all of them if i have time. See you😄👍

Dear Sümeyye,

Thank you so much for you kind comment! I’m thrilled to know these lessons are useful to you! And, if you do give a presentation in English in the future, don’t forget to use these lessons to help you prepare!

Can you tell me, what is your native language?

Thanks again Sümeyye! ~ Annemarie

Dear Annemarie, you shared the highlights of a good presentation, and it will be excellent to bear the ability to present it as a freely talk, without reading, or thinking about the next sentense, the next part of the topic or stucking in the next werb what doestn’t want arise in my mind . I would like to see the audience enjoing my talk because it is running fluently. I started to go on that way with your encourage. Thank you

Hello András,

Thank you so much for this comment. I’m thrilled to know this was useful to you. And yes, your improvements in English are growing every day!

Best, Annemarie

It’s very useful lesson for me! I don’t have a big experience in presentations, it’s quite scary for me especially the presentations in English! And it was very informative to read about main strategies which could help to prepare for presentations! It’s so clear and intresting, I have even a feeling of trying to do that, to practice a liitle)))) And thank you for new vocabulary, I love ” a killer presentation” and the idiom ” to kiss something goodbye”!) And in my opinion, your online lesson is also like a little presentation! I like how you focused on the …  Read more »

Dear Tatyana,

Thank you so much for your comment! And I am so glad it was useful even if you don’t have to give too many presentations. I think some of the guidance for a good presentation can also be useful for many other speaking situations in our daily life.

And I’m happy you liked the vocabulary expressions! They are great expressions to know!! 🙂

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. ~ Annemarie

Thank you so much

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How to give a presentation in English

Test your understanding of this English lesson

139 comments.

Thank you so much…… I have just started learning from http://www.PresentationPrep.com . too…. Thanks…. Thanks a lot…

Hella Rebecca.. I’m watching your vedio’s last 2-3 weeks and i’m improving a lot… I have one doubt please help me out… Where we you I’d???? I know it means “i had” or “i would” but i don’t know how to use it.. I always heard these abbreviation in songs & movies…. please help me please reply me:(

You use I would when you want to do something that you like, you say “I would like to…” or in other kind of expressions like “I would like to eat a…”

Yeah, it is an excellent website to prepare professional presentations.

Dear Rebecca,

Thanks for these useful tips for giving a presentation, they have helped me a lot recently.

As I see it, crutch words or fillers are always necessary when giving a presentation. I have noticed that I use them a lot; I prefer them to remind silent.

Thanks again for this wonderful lesson Rebecca.

I agree with your comment Regino! By the way i would like to say that you are a excellent viewer-teacher i’ve learned a lot every time that i see a comment from you… you have a great writing skill that one day i will appreciate to have.

Good lesson! Thank you very much. I got 8.

From now on I will improve my English presentations.

Thank you so much Teacher, I realy understand and like your lessons.

thank you teacher

Thank you Rebecca ;)

great…100

I was waiting for this lesson, thank you

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This lesson helped me a lot

thanks a lot

Rebecca, thanks a lot for your useful advice!

useful advice thanx

Thank you so much Rebecca! Your lessons are very helpful.

Thank you Rebecca so much =)

hi Rebecca. Thanks for this helpful lesson.

thanx…

If invite me someone to give my opinion about something (i think wine) and i’m obliged to do a speach, really i’ll use your advices. I’ll never use the jargon language about the wine in my speach because noone will be understand what i want to say. Your advices are correct and useful. Thank you teacher. Greetings from Greece.

very useful thank you teacher for this lesson regards

Very interesting lesson Rebecca, thanks!

Thanks, Rebecca! I got 9… Great lesson!

Hi Rebecca This is a very grateful thing having a teacher like you. Thank you so much for all your videos explanations that are so useful for us all.

Hi Rebecca, Thanks for this interesting video. Definitely I learned new tips. Hope to see you again with new lessons.

thank you so much .

it is so helpul.you make me know how to organise the presentation.it is useful even though i present a speech in my native language.

I got 75. It’s very interesting lesson:)

Grateful, very, very important lesson

hi Rebecca. Thanks for this helpful lesson,it is very important for me

Plz I can’t open the video

i am really appreciating you and i am very happy and learning very quickly……. thank you very much…

Used a lot at college, thanks ma’am!

Thank you waiting for more lessons

Hello, Rebecca. Could you please fix the “Resources”? I can’t download neither of them. Please, check them out.

8. What is jargon? – a very, very fat man

Thanks Rebecca for the lesson!

I really enjoyed the lesson, thanks Rebecca

Oh my God! That is so useful. And I’ve understood all!!! Thank you so much!

thank Rebecca , it really help me so much !

What I did when I have to presenting in English is watching TED.com (or similar presentation videos) and read SlideShare to get idea about my presentation materials.

Thanks Rebecca.

Good lesson,thank you teacher Rebecca.

thank you verry much.

Thank you Rebecca for this lesson ,its useful to improve our language and our live also

Hi! I have a problem that I cannot understand what is writing style is and how to use. Can English Video( Engvid) make a clip about writing style or Ms. Rebecca explain for me? Thanks so much.

Great lesson. Thanks Rebecca

Thanks a lot ~

thank you so much.

Thank very much for your kind and very clear lessoin

Great tips, thank you.

Great lesson, thank you very much Mrs. Rebbeca

avoid slang, jargon, crutch words, abbrevations, complecated sentence. write down number, use trasation words. use verbs. Very thanks, Mrs. Rebbeca. That’s grate lesson.

Thanks a lot Rebeca It was very useful. I got 100

Wonderful tips!

Why I can’t watch any videos?

jargon is – a very, very fat man LOL :))))

very useful

very helpful

hey ms.rebecca <3' i have a presention in the next week.. thank you very much :)

Rebeca, You know you are A M A Z I N G !!!

Thank you so much for your help

Hi Rebecca!!! Excelent class!!! Tks for you help us! haha…

Thank you Rebecca, useful lesson!

Such an effective and useful lesson.

Great.Don’t you think Rebecca that it would have been more useful if examples were given on each and every advice.

thank you so much. I got 8 of 8:)

It was cool lesson!It Helped me so much thanks Rebecca!

I got 100. yeah~ Thanks Rebecca :)

thanks a lot Rebecca, I´m improving my English every day with your help, It was a useful lesson. Greetings, take care you.

Hi Rebecca, score 100%!!!! That’s ok. Thanks for all.

Thanka Rebecca…

thanks ,gud lesson

Thanks Rebecca

50% before watching and 88% after

Thank you very much! Excellent lesson.

thank you rebecca you are the best ..

now i’ve got to know how to make a point, and speak like a professional. many thanks

Hi Rebecca and ciao everyone! This makes me speak like professor, a lot of claps and cheer I get from classmate, thank you!

Hi there!!! Glad to see you around here again Fellis.

Thank you very much! I’m appreciated!

Thanks for the awesome tips Rebecca. I need ur help on something. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the other person’s accent, how to handle that situation. Do I need to do some course to improve or learn accent? Also, it is not possible to learn all the dictionary. We try to speak simple english that everyone can understand, however, we can’t really advice this to others at work, same with rate of speech. How to handle that situation? Please help.

thanks my lecturer you are feeding my mind day to day ,slowly i hope I will be strong

Thanks Rebecca for your amazing class.

thank you very much!

Hello all of you.

quite interesting.. Love these lessons

Cheers mate!

Ok, 75 %. Thanks.

Just joined this website today, and I am excited see the variety of tools and resources to enhance English. In this materialistic world, nothing is free and your effort in making us to understand English in various situations are excellent.

I listened many of your videos and all of them are excellent tools for boosting up my English.

Accept my heartfelt thanks to you and other teachers who spent time to present all the videos here.

wow 100% ^_^

Thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot! Who can help me write the example about use active ?I can t listen it clearly because my poor listening English!Thanks in advance.

wonderful teaching thank you so much :)

can you please teach how to increase fluency…

Thank you Rebecca. Another useful tips I can use for my future presentations. Keep it up.

thanks it’s my first trial with engVid

I got 9 out of 8 …..yippi

very useful lesson. especially for the business English. thanks Rebecca!

I got 100 , it’s amazing , thanks Rebecca

thanks a lot but how can we communicate you or can i get a chatting to practice English

Dear Rebecca, Thank you for your advice, clear, simple, and accurate. Best regards.

i got 7 out of 8, but i learned. Better luck next time.This is it!

a useful lesion,hopefully to learn more form Engvid.com, thanks

Thank you very much this lesson. It is very usefull to me.

This lesson teach me a lot of tips for a presentation. I haven’t done a presentaion well until now. But I can have a courage to make a presentaion well because of you. Thank you!

Thank you so much Rebecca! I liked all the tips about how to improve a presentation in English or any other language. it costs me to give a presentation in my native language, T_T. See you then.

Thanks Teacher

thank you rebecca

Thanks a lot, its very useful.

I’ve learned a lot lately in my English skills with your help,i pray to God bless to you and all teacher from EngVid. Definitely these tips to improve our presentations are amazing,i consider that i am good speaking in public no matter if it’s in another language as English, of course all your tips are amazing as i said before but if we could combine them with a great attitude will help us even more! We always must do our best.

different points that would help us in different situations. thank you very much.

think you so much..

thank you very much for this topic rebecca!! i liked, it was interesting too!!

thank you teacher rebacca. i like the lession your teacher.

I liked it very much, it is very interesting, besides that it gave me a new perspective on how to make presentations from now on thank you very much. :) :)

Thank you so much.I would try to avoid jargon after this lession.

You got 6 correct out of 8.

thanks…

Thanks Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca, thank you very much for this free training. I am really grateful to you.

Thank you dear Rebecca for this useful, interesting and practical lesson

Thanks one more Madam!

VERY USEFUL TIPS, IT IS IMPORTANT AVOID TO USE JARGON AND KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Very useful lesson.

icant find videos

very good teacher, best regards.

Very useful, thank you!

Hi Rebecca thanks of your useful titles as teaching items for eager learners of English, I have never been in academic college of English lesson courses, but I am sure that there is not such an English education you have in your teaching,I wish you safety &pleasure not to tired of teaching your grateful learners!

all most there 7 out of 8

Thank you teacher. The lesson was very helpful.

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10 Ways To Give A More Effective Presentation in English - A Guide for Non-native Speakers

Published on, november 15, 2022, this article may contain affiliate links.

Does the idea of giving a presentation in English make you nervous? It doesn’t need to be this way. Here’s our guide for non-native speakers to deliver a powerful presentation, with 10 tips you can use today.

Table of contents

As an English teacher, my students often ask me, “ Is my English good enough to give a presentation? ”

This question makes me laugh. Why? Because I even get my beginners’ class to give presentations! Some of them give fantastic presentations on topics like ‘My House’ or ‘My Family’.

So, yes, your English is definitely good enough to give a presentation. 

In fact, instead of worrying about your English, you should be looking at ways to make your presentations more interesting and more powerful.

Let’s see how we can do that.

Does presenting make you nervous? Maybe that’s a good thing!

Nearly everyone gets nervous when they have to give a presentation. It’s normal!

Mark Twain even famously said (about speaking in public):

“There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars”

But non-native speakers have extra things to worry about: What if I make an English mistake? What if people don’t understand me?

Let’s cut out all this worrying. If you make a mistake when you speak, that’s fine. Everyone makes mistakes, including native speakers.

You should, on the other hand, try to minimise the mistakes in your PowerPoint slides. After all, people will be staring at each one for a few minutes. I recommend asking a friend to help you proofread them.

But let’s focus on your vocal skills. After all, it’s your spoken words that people will remember more than your slides.

Although I said you shouldn’t worry about giving a presentation, it’s impossible not to be a little bit nervous. And that’s a good thing!

Wait… it’s good to be nervous? Yes, you read that correctly. When you’re nervous, you have more energy and your mind is more focused .

Convert that nervous energy to ‘positive’ energy, become excited about your topic and move around. Use gestures .

Think about a boring teacher you had at school. Wouldn’t they have been more interesting if they had some nervous energy?

What about my vocabulary? Should I use long words?

Many non-native speakers worry that their vocabulary is too simple.

The truth is that simple is good .

I prefer to listen to a presentation with simple vocabulary rather than the long-winded jargon used by professors and politicians.

Remember, we want to use precise words, not long words.

As an example, a word like ‘empathy’ is good. It’s precise and it’s easier than saying ‘understanding others’ feelings’.

But a phrase like ‘conceptualisation of developmental strategies’ is jargon and it will just annoy the audience.

Be aware of cultural differences when you present

Are there cultural differences when presenting? Yes, there are some that you should be aware of when presenting to an international audience.

1 Eye contact is good. Some cultures avoid eye contact, but eye contact with the audience is very important for an effective presentation.

2 Don’t point at people . In some cultures, it is okay to point your finger at people, but in other cultures, this is very rude! Point with the flat part of your hand instead.

3 Avoid offensive jokes . A joke that is accepted in your culture might not be accepted in others. Humour is great, but avoid topics like religion and politics, and certainly don’t make jokes that might be considered offensive to certain groups.

What if my presentation is online?

All of the tips we are going to cover are great for both online and offline presentations.

And when presenting online, remember that body language still matters . The purpose of using gestures is to show your excitement and energy about the topic.

Even if the audience can’t see you (for example, when you are presenting a slide), you should still use positive body language to show you are passionate about your topic.

In fact, these tips will work well even in situations that are not technically presentations; they are tips that will serve you well whenever you need to speak in English.

Practise makes perfect

The most effective way to practise is not ‘in the mirror’ as many might tell you, but in front of a video camera.

Record yourself . Play it back and see where you can improve. It’s also a good way to spot and get rid of distracting gestures, such as scratching your nose!

You could write out a script to help you. But you should consider this very carefully.

A script might help you to practise, but you should not use a script when you deliver your actual presentation. People don’t want to see you read from a script - they want to feel like you are speaking directly to them.

And don’t try to memorise a script either. Instead, speak from simple notes.

Remember that if you are using PowerPoint, the slides are your notes . Write them in point form, so that you don’t end up just reading from the slides.

Ten tips for a great presentation

Here are ten simple tips that you can use immediately to improve any presentation, online or in person.

1 Speak slowly

As I mentioned, when you are nervous, you have more energy. This can cause you to speak faster than normal.

Instead, use that extra energy to project your voice and use more gestures.

If you find yourself speaking too quickly, simply stop and take a breath between points. Take a sip of water if you have it.

You are familiar with punctuation in writing, but what about ‘spoken punctuation’?

Where you might write a comma, insert a short pause. Where you might write a full stop, insert a longer pause. Where you begin a new topic, insert an even longer break.

A good public speaker feels confident pausing for a long time, but it does take some practice.

3 Use sentence stress to highlight important words

You should also use something called sentence stress . Don’t worry! It’s simpler than it sounds.

It just means that you need to stress – make louder and longer – some words in a sentence. Which words? The important ones!

This is an excerpt from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Try saying it slowly and stressing the words in bold:

Friends , Romans , countrymen , lend me your ears ; I come to bury Caesar , not to praise him.

Try saying it a few times until you feel confident. Why not compare it to a professional ?

4 Start with a hook

You want to start with a powerful opening. One way to do this is to use a ‘hook’.

What’s a hook? It is simply a statement – or picture, or video – that gets the audience to sit up and pay attention.

I like to use WHAT-IF statements to do this. A WHAT-IF statement challenges the audience to think about a certain scenario.

“What if I told you that you could retire before age 40?” “What if you found out that you were adopted?” “What if you had one insurance plan that could meet all of your needs?”

Another great lead in is “think of a time”.

Think of a time when you experienced terrible customer service. How did you feel? Think of a time when you were overwhelmed by work. How did it affect your productivity?

5 Find ways to make it interesting

A hook makes the introduction interesting, but the rest of the presentation should be interesting too.

You can do this by sharing personal stories, telling jokes, highlighting interesting facts and quotes, showing images or videos or bringing something to show the audience. Perhaps you've learned something interesting in the latest episode of English Learning for Curious Minds .

Check out how this fireman gives a talk in his firefighting outfit .

6 Make it interactive

Getting the audience to interact guarantees that your presentation will be fun.

The most common way to get audience interaction is to ask them questions.

But this isn’t the only way. You could give them puzzles or even ask them to discuss things in groups.

For online presentations, you can set up interactive quizzes using Kahoot! , Quizizz or Mentimeter . Mentimeter also offers interactive surveys.

7 Use rhetorical questions

I mentioned that questions are a great way to make a presentation more interactive.

Let’s look at a certain kind of question: rhetorical questions.

A rhetorical question is simply a question that you ask without expecting an answer. Here’s an example.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the 800 kilograms of garbage that the average American produces per year?

When we ask a question like this, we don’t stop and wait for the audience members to answer. We simply ask it for rhetorical effect .

However, even though we don’t wait for the audience to give answers, each person will think about the answer in their own mind .

This means that rhetorical questions increase audience focus and interest.

8 Use signposting

Have you ever considered that a presentation is like an essay? There’s an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

When someone reads an essay, they know exactly where they are on the page. In fact, people also like to know “where they are” in a presentation.

To do this, we use a simple but effective technique called signposting. This just means signalling the structure of the presentation to the audience .

For a longer presentation, people like to have a preview of what’s to come. Note the language in bold, which you can use in your own presentations:

First , I’ll be discussing cryptocurrency basics. Then , I’ll move on to how blockchain works. Finally , I’ll cover the pros and cons of the most common cryptocurrencies.

It’s very important to show people when you are moving on to a new point and you can make this clear with signposting:

Okay, so we have learned cryptocurrency basics. The next important topic that I want to cover is blockchain…

9 Predict what the audience will ask

Answering questions from the audience can also be scary!

To prepare for this, write down a list of questions that you expect the audience might ask and prepare answers.

Some people like to answer questions anytime during the presentation (it’s more interactive). Others like to have a Q & A session at the end (it’s easier to manage your time).

You can make your preference clear to the audience at the beginning of your talk:

“Feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions.”

“I'll try to answer all of your questions in a Q and A session after the presentation.”

Occasionally, someone might ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to. This happens to all presenters, so don’t worry.

Simply ask the person for their email address or give them yours. You can find the answer later, after the presentation, and continue the discussion via email or chat group.

10 Get inspired

A great way to prepare for an upcoming presentation is to watch other people present.

TED.com can help you do this; it’s a website that offers thousands of short presentation videos that you can watch for free.

If you have, say, a big presentation to give on Monday, why not spend an hour or two on Sunday night watching TED talks to put you in the zone .

You can learn interesting techniques from Ted speakers and look for examples of the tips in this article.

I recommend this Ted Talk by Matt Cutts . How about a good example of an online presentation? Try this talk by Ashley Whillans .

Each Ted Talk comes with a transcript, so you can explore the language the speaker uses.

Take any opportunity to present

The tips here can help you to give a powerful presentation.

But you won’t become a good presenter just by reading about it. You have to do it!

Take every opportunity that you can to practise presenting. Volunteer when you get the chance, or join Toastmasters .

Only by stepping up to the challenge can you really improve.

You might also like

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20 Presentation Tips for Your ESL Students

Helping learners to give presentations is an excellent way to encourage fluency. For some of your students, the ability to give a good presentation in English may be mandatory for their jobs. Here are twenty tips to help ensure a successful presentation, from beginning to end. Who knows? You may find them useful too.

• Allow plenty of time for preparation.
• Answer the all-important question-words: why? who? where? when? how? and what?.
• Structure your presentation into introduction, body, conclusion and questions.
• Write notes based on keywords.
• Rehearse your presentation several times and modify it as necessary.
• Select the right equipment for the job.
• Use your equipment effectively.
• Make use of clear, powerful visual aids that do not overload your audience.
• Use clear, simple language, avoiding jargon.
• Use active verbs and concrete facts.
• Explain the structure of your presentation at the beginning so that your listeners know what to expect.
• Link each section of your presentation.
• Signpost your presentation from beginning to end so that your listeners know where they are.
• Overcome your nerves.
• Establish audience rapport.
• Be aware of your body language.
• Understand cultural differences.
• Maintain interest by varying the speed, volume and pitch of your voice.
• Deal with listeners’ questions politely.
• Respond to your audience positively.

These tips are condensed from  Presentations in English .

You may also like:

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• Listen&Learn: The Lord of the Rings
• 5 Ideas for Teaching English One-on-One

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Free English Lessons

Presentations in english – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn how to make presentations in English.

Do you have to make presentations in english in your job imagine you have to give an important presentation in english tomorrow. how would you feel about it, this business english lesson will help you learn useful phrases and techniques to introduce yourself and your topic, keep your ideas organised, deal with problems, and respond to questions from audience members., quiz: presentations in english.

Now, test your knowledge of what you learned in the lesson by trying this quiz.

There are 20 questions, following the same order as the lesson.

You will get your score at the end, when you can click on ‘View Questions’ to see all the correct answers.

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A perfect score! Congratulations!

1 . Question

For those who don’t ________ me, my name’s Elaine, and I work in the HR department.

Choose the missing word.

2 . Question

Write the words in the correct gaps. There is one word you don’t need to use.

Before we , let me myself : I’m Jenny and I’m the head of purchasing.

3 . Question

Put the words in order to create something you might say at the start of a presentation.

View Answers:

4 . Question

Put these sentences in order to create the introduction to a presentation.

• Finally, I’ll suggest some solutions for how we might tackle them in the coming year.
• Then I’ll explain what we believe are our greatest challenges.
• I’ll begin by highlighting some of the issues that have faced the retail sector during the pandemic.

5 . Question

I’ll begin by lining out the policies, and then I’ll go on to highlight what they mean for you and your working habits.

The highlighted words are not used correctly; there should be one word (an -ing verb) instead. Write the correct word below.

6 . Question

Write the missing word to complete a common phrase used to introduce an interesting fact.

Did you that the average office worker in London spends more than two hours commuting to and from work?

7 . Question

Complete the gaps in Dale Carnegie’s famous quote about making presentations, using the verbs ‘say’ and ‘tell’ in the correct form.

“ the audience what you’re going to ; it, and then them what you’ve .”

8 . Question

Next, I’d like to talk about the new marketing drive to attract teens.

The highlighted words are an example of what?

• signposting language
• getting the audience’s attention
• inviting questions
• introducing yourself

9 . Question

Let’s move ________ and discuss the latest customer feedback report.

Choose the correct word.

10 . Question

At this , I’d to to the company’s performance on punctuality.

11 . Question

Put the words in order to create an example of signposting language.

12 . Question

Let’s examine this in more ________.

Choose the two words that are possible.

13 . Question

14 . question.

Write a two-word phrasal verb that’s used as signposting language at the end of a presentation. (You use the same phrasal verb to mean put paper around an item before giving it as a present).

To , let’s remind ourselves of why this should matter to everyone here.

15 . Question

So, you’ve heard what I have to say. What conclusions can you take ________ from this?

16 . Question

Which question is not an example of a filler phrase, which you might say if you need some thinking time?

• Where was I?
• So, what was I saying?
• What’s the word in English again?
• What’s your take on this?

The odd one out – in other words, the answer you’re looking for – is a question that asks for someone’s opinion.

17 . Question

Complete this signposting language with a seven-letter word that means ‘make something clear’. You might say this if you realise you need to explain something in a different way.

To , I wanted to say that …

18 . Question

Write the words in the correct gaps to create a sentence you might say to delay answering a question. There is one word you don’t need to use.

I’ve time for questions at the end of this session, so we’ll your idea later.

19 . Question

• You’ve raised an important point there. What does everyone else think about this?

What technique is this an example of?

• delaying the answer to a question
• deflecting the answer to a question
• dismissing a question

20 . Question

Thanks for your putting in , but I don’t see how that’s connected to what I’m saying.

The highlighted words are not used correctly; there should be a one-word noun instead. Write the correct word below.

1. How to Introduce Yourself and Your Topic

If some people in the audience don’t know who you are, you should introduce yourself and your position.

In a more formal setting, you could say something like this:

• Good morning everyone. For those who don’t know me, my name’s Simon, and I work in the marketing department.
• Hello everybody. Before we begin, let me introduce myself briefly: I’m Reese and I’m the head of HR.

If you work in a more informal company, you could say:

• Hi guys; if you don’t know me, I’m Sylvia and I work in digital marketing.
• Hello! I see some new faces, so I’ll introduce myself first: I’m Julia and I’m one of our customer service team.

Next, you need to introduce your topic.

If your presentation topic is simpler, you could just say one sentence, like this:

• Today, I’m going to be talking about our new HR policies and how they affect you.
• I’d like to talk to you today about quality control and why we’re all responsible for quality control, whichever department you work in.

If your topic is more complex, you might add more detail to break your idea into stages. For example:

• Today, I’m going to be talking about our new HR policies and how they affect you. I’ll begin by outlining the policies, and then I’ll go on to highlight what they mean for you and your working habits. Finally, I’ll briefly discuss why we feel these new policies are necessary and beneficial for us all.

Here’s another example:

• I’d like to talk to you today about quality control and why we’re all responsible for quality control, whichever department you work in. First of all, I’ll explain why ‘quality control’ has a broader meaning than you might expect. I’ll continue by giving examples of real quality control, and why this matters for all of us. To finish, I’ll be asking you to think of ways you can incorporate quality control into your working habits.

Here, you saw two examples. You can use these as templates to begin your presentation:

• I’ll begin by… and then I’ll… Finally, I’ll…
• First of all, I’ll… I’ll continue by… To finish, I’ll…

Okay, now you can practice! We’d like you to do two things.

First, practice introducing yourself informally, and explaining your topic in a simple way, with one sentence.

Then, practice introducing yourself formally, and explaining your topic in a more detailed way.

Pause the video and practice speaking. All the language you need is in this section.

Learn more about this topic with another free English video lesson from Oxford Online English: Greetings and Introductions .

Ready? Let’s move on!

2. How to Make a Strong Start

I’m sure that in your life, you’ve heard good speakers and bad speakers.

Good speakers grab your attention and don’t let go. You want to hear what they have to say. You feel interested and energised by listening to them.

Bad speakers are the opposite. Even if you try to make yourself listen, you find that your attention drifts away. Your eyelids feel heavy, and you have to struggle to stay awake.

So, here’s a question: what’s the difference between good speakers and bad speakers? And, how can you make sure you speak effectively when you make your presentation in English?

Here’s one way to think about it: bad speakers don’t think they have to earn your attention. Good speakers understand that no one has to listen to them, so they work hard to make you want to pay attention.

What does this mean for you, and your presentation?

Getting people’s attention starts from the beginning. You need to make it clear what people should expect from your presentation, and why they should care about what you have to say.

Sounds like a nice idea, but how do you do this?

Here are three techniques you can use.

One: establish a problem which many people in your audience have. Then, establish that you have a solution to their problem.

For example:

• Have you ever felt unfairly treated at work, or felt that the work you do isn’t appreciated? We’ve been working to design new HR policies that will make sure all staff get fair recognition for their contribution to the company.

In this way, you take a boring-sounding topic like HR policies, and you make it more relevant to your audience. How? By connecting it with their experiences and feelings.

The second technique? Mention an interesting fact, or a surprising statistic to get people’s attention.

• Did you know that the average office worker spends eight hours a day at work, but only does four hours of productive, useful work? I’m here to tell you about ‘quality control’, and how you can use this idea to make better use of your time.

Finally, you can engage people by telling a short story and connecting it to your topic. Stories are powerful, and they can add an emotional dimension to your topic if you do it well. For example:

• I once met a young salesman—I won’t mention his name. He spent several weeks building a relationship with a potential client. He worked overtime, and he was working so hard that he was under severe stress, which started to affect his personal life. In the end, he didn’t close the deal—the clients signed with another firm. Today, I’m going to talk about confidence as a sales tool, and how you can avoid the traps that this young man fell into.

Use one of these three techniques in your introduction to connect with your audience and show them why they should be interested in what you have to say.

Here’s a question for you: which technique would you prefer to use, and why?

Okay, now you’ve introduced your topic and you have everyone’s attention. What next?

3. Using Signposting Language

There’s a famous quote about making presentations:

• “Tell the audience what you’re going to say; say it, and then tell them what you’ve said.”

Have you heard this before? Do you know who said it?

This comes from Dale Carnegie , a very successful American salesman and writer. He lived a long time ago, but his advice is still relevant today.

So, here’s a question: what does the quote mean?

It means that your presentation shouldn’t just give information. You also need to show people how your information is organized.

To do this, you need signposting language.

Let me give you an example to explain.

Imagine you go to a website. The website is full of really useful, interesting information. But, the information is all on one page. There’s no organization, and you have to scroll up and down, up and down this huge page, trying to find what you need. Would you stay on that website?

Probably not. You’ll find a website which makes it easier for you to find the information you need.

What’s the point here?

The point is that having interesting or relevant information is not enough. How you structure and organize your information is equally important.

If you don’t structure your presentation clearly, people won’t pay attention, just like you won’t stay on a website if you can’t find the information you want.

So, how can you do this?

You use signposting language. This means using words and phrases to show the audience where your points begin and end, to show what’s coming next, and to remind them about things you talked about before.

• Okay, that covers the new policies. Next, I’d like to move on and discuss what these policies mean for you.
• Now that you’ve heard a bit about what not to do, let’s focus on positive advice to help you be more effective salespeople and close more of your leads.

When you say something like this, you aren’t giving people information about the topic of your presentation. Instead, you’re showing people where you are, and where you’re going next.

It’s a kind of signpost. You don’t need signposts to travel from one place to another, but they can make it easier.

What else can you use signposting language for?

You can use signposting language to move from one point to the next. For example:

• Next, I’d like to talk about…
• Let’s move on and discuss…
• At this point, I’d like to turn to…

You can use signposting language to add detail to an idea:

• Let me go into some more detail about…
• Let’s examine … in more depth.
• I’d like to elaborate on…

You can use signposting language to show that you’ve finished your main points, and you’ve reached your conclusion:

• To wrap up, let’s remind ourselves of why this should matter to everyone here.
• Let’s review the key points from this session.
• So, you’ve heard what I have to say. What conclusions can you take away from this?

If you have an important presentation in English, practice using signposting language.

Use signposting language to move between points, to show when you’re giving a summary or going into more detail, and to signal that you’ve reached your conclusion.

Okay, but things don’t always go so smoothly in real life. We know that! Let’s look at some advice and language for dealing with problems during your presentation.

4. Dealing With Problems

Imagine you’re making your presentation in English. What could go wrong? What problems could you have?

There are many common problems:

You might forget where you were, or forget an important word. You might realise that you said something wrong, or you didn’t explain something clearly. You might forget to mention something important. Or, someone might ask you an awkward question, which you have no idea how to answer.

Of course, there are other possibilities!

Let’s think about these problems. What can you do, and more importantly, what can you say in these situations?

First of all, it’s a good idea to make a cue card with key points, as well as any important vocabulary you need. If you lose your place, or you forget a word, it could help.

However, you can’t prepare for everything. So, it’s useful to learn some phrases to deal with problems smoothly.

If you lose your place, and can’t remember what to say next, you can use a filler phrase like:

If you still can’t remember, look at your cue card with your main points.

Of course, forgetting something isn’t ideal. But, if you do, it’s better to keep talking, rather than just standing there in silence.

What if you make a mistake, or you realise that you didn’t explain something well?

You could say:

• Let me rephrase that.
• Actually, what I meant to say is…
• To clarify, I wanted to say that…

In this way, you can correct yourself without admitting that you made a mistake!

What if you realise that you forgot to mention something important?

Use a phrase like this:

• Let me just add one more thing:…
• I’d like to add something to a point we discussed earlier.
• Let me return to an earlier point briefly.

Again, this allows you to correct your mistake in a confident way, so you look like you’re in control.

Finally, what do you do if someone asks you a difficult question, which you can’t answer?

You have a few options. First, you can delay giving an answer. For example:

• I’ve allocated time for questions at the end of this session, so we’ll address your idea later.
• I’m not in a position to answer that right now, but I’ll get back to you later this week.

This gives you time to think of an answer and do some research if you have to!

Next, you can deflect the question, by asking a question back, or maybe by asking other audience members what they think. For example:

• That’s an interesting question. Before I answer, I’d like to know: what’s your take on this?

Finally, if the question is irrelevant, you can dismiss the question and move on. For example:

• Thanks for your input, but I don’t see how that’s connected to what I’m saying.
• I don’t mean to be blunt, but I don’t think that’s relevant to today’s discussion.

Notice how you can use phrases like thanks for your input, but… or I don’t mean to be blunt, but… to make your language more indirect and polite.

So, for dealing with difficult questions, just remember the three d’s: delay, deflect, dismiss!

Thanks for watching!

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BibGuru Blog

Be more productive in school

• Citation Styles

How to do a class presentation (11 steps)

The best class presentations combine strong content and visuals with an engaging presentation style. This post offers 11 steps for creating memorable and high-performing class presentations.

1. Review assignment guidelines

Before you can strategize about how to start a class presentation, you need to be certain that you understand the assignment details. Consult materials that your instructor provided, like rubrics, to determine what your presentation needs to cover and what form it should take.

For instance, are you presenting individually or as part of a group? How long should the presentation be? Are you required to have visuals? Knowing these details will help you to plan a successful class presentation.

2. Make a presentation plan

Once you've reviewed the specific assignment details, it's time to make a presentation plan. You can start by making an outline of your talking points. Outlines for class presentations will look similar to those for papers, with sections and subsections that work through your main ideas. You'll want to be precise about what points are essential to communicate to your audience. Also, take some time to decide on a completion timeline to ensure that you're ready on presentation day. Remember to build in time for practice!

3. Choose your visuals

At this point, you'll also want to determine what kind of visual aid(s) you want to use: a handout or a digital presentation, or both? Keep in mind the assignment requirements, but also the audience and the presentation format. For example, are you presenting to a large audience? If so, a handout might not be efficient. Are you presenting in-person or online? If you're preparing an online presentation, a PowerPoint or Google slides presentation will help your audience follow along.

4. Fill out your outline and keep it simple

Now that you've developed a plan for completing your class presentation, you can begin to build out the actual content. If you've created a basic outline, fill it in with some substance. Remember to keep it simple. At around 10-15 minutes, the average in-class presentation can only effectively communicate around three main points. Avoid long quotes or monologues. Your audience may find it difficult to follow longer textual components.

5. Design your visuals with minimal text

Along similar lines, don't simply plop your outline or textual notes into your visuals. Visual aids should be just that: aids that allow your audience to better visualize the main points of your presentation. Large blocks of text on a PowerPoint can be hard to see, so work on creating a digital aid that is mostly comprised on images. When text is appropriate, use bullet points and active words that your audience can remember.

6. Allow time for revisions

Once you've compiled your notes and created your visuals, take some time away from the project. You'll return to your work with fresh eyes. Then, allow time for revision: be sure to proofread your notes, slides, and/or handouts and make sure your visuals are clear. Check to see if any images that you're using appear pixelated on a larger screen and make sure your text is readable from a distance.

7. Check your citations

Many in class presentations will require citations, especially if they are accompanying a paper or another class research project. You can use BibGuru's citation generator to create your citations and copy them to your slides or handout. Consult your assignment guidelines, or ask your instructor, to find out what citation style is required.

8. Practice...and practice again

Give yourself time to practice your presentation in front of an audience before the big day. Familiarize them with the assignment guidelines, as needed, and ask them to time you. You'll need to know if your presentation meets the time requirements. After the first run though, consider these questions:

• Is your presentation too long or too short?
• Are you hitting the main points in a logical sequence that your audience can follow?
• Are your visuals clear?
• Is your delivery fluid or are you pausing too often to look at your notes?
• Are you making eye contact with your audience?

Use your answers to these questions to determine what, if at all, you need to change and then schedule another practice. You should practice your presentation as many times as you need to in order to achieve a fluid delivery.

9. Prepare for technical difficulties

Since most class presentations will include a digital element, be prepared to troubleshoot if there are technical difficulties on presentation day. Always have a back-up plan and be sure to save your visuals in multiple places. Keep a copy of your notes and slides in your email, on a thumb drive, and/or on the cloud. Practice enough so that, in the event that you can't get your visual aid to work, you can still deliver your presentation.

10. Take the stage with confidence

If you've followed your plan, practiced thoroughly, and prepared for possible technical difficulties, you should be ready to take the stage with confidence. Nervousness is absolutely natural, but try your best to relax and breathe. A few shoulder rolls and deep breaths right before the presentation can go a long way to making you feel more focused and centered.

11. Connect with your audience

From the first moment of your presentation, you'll want to establish a strong connection with your audience. Smile, make eye contact, and modulate your voice appropriately. Remember, people exhibit all kinds of facial expressions when they are listening or concentrating, so try not to pay too much attention to individual faces.

Also, although your instructor will be the one grading you, don't simply present to them. Include the entire class in your gaze. Finally, be careful about pace. If you have a tendency to speed up your speech when you're nervous, make a conscious effort to slow down.

The bottom line

Following the tips above will enable you to confidently deliver a class presentation to your instructor and classmates, or to any audience. With solid preparation and ample practice, your next class presentation will be a memorable success.

Frequently Asked Questions about class presentations

The most successful presentations begin with a hook. This could be a short, yet compelling story, an eye-catching visual with brief analysis, or an inspiring quote or statistic. No matter how you begin, ensure that you can fluidly transition to the main substance of your presentation in a way that your audience can easily follow.

Regardless of the subject of your presentation, you can make it interesting for your audience by engaging them through consistent eye contact, a relaxed and confident delivery style, and interactivity. For instance, to keep your audience engaged, you might try including questions or brief activities in your presentation.

Wrap up your presentation by summarizing your key points. You can also end with a provocative question or thought. You should also thank your audience for listening.

Good presentations are well-organized, time-sensitive, clear, and delivered with confidence.

The most common presentation mistakes include: not engaging your audience, using visuals that are overloaded with text, and not practicing enough.

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For students and teachers.

• Professional development
• Planning lessons and courses

Student presentations

In this article I would like to give you a few tips and some advice on what I've learned from helping students prepare and deliver presentations.

• Why I get students to do presentations
• Syllabus fit
• Planning a presentation lesson
• Classroom Management

Why I get students to do presentations Presentations are a great way to have students practise all language systems areas (vocabulary, grammar, discourse and phonology) and skills (speaking, reading, writing and listening). They also build confidence, and presenting is a skill that most people will need in the world of work. I find that students who are good presenters are better communicators all round, since they are able to structure and express their ideas clearly.

• Presentation skills are extremely useful both in and outside the classroom. After completing a project, a presentation is a channel for students to share with others what they have learned. It is also a chance to challenge and expand on their understanding of the topic by having others ask questions. And in the world of work, a confident presenter is able to inform and persuade colleagues effectively.
• Presentations can also form a natural part of task based learning. By focussing on a particular language point or skill, the presentation is a very practical way to revise and extend book, pair and group work. The audience can also be set a task, for example, a set of questions to answer on the presentation, which is a way of getting students to listen to each other.

Syllabus fit Normally the presentation will come towards the end of a lesson or series of lessons that focus on a particular language or skill area. It is a type of freer practice. This is because the students need to feel relatively confident about what they are doing before they stand up and do it in front of other people. If I have been teaching the past simple plus time phrases to tell a story, for example, I give my students plenty of controlled and semi controlled practice activities, such as gapfills, drills and information swaps before I ask them to present on, say, an important event in their country's history, which involves much freer use of the target grammar point.

Planning a presentation lesson Normally a presentation lesson will have an outline like this:

• Revision of key language areas
• Example presentation, which could be from a textbook or given by the teacher
• Students are given a transcript or outline of the presentation
• Students identify key stages of the example presentation – greeting, introduction, main points in order of importance, conclusion
• Focus on linking and signalling words ('Next…', 'Now I'd like you to look at…', etc.). Students underline these in the transcript/place them in the correct order
• Students are put into small groups and write down aims
• Students then write down key points which they order, as in the example
• Students decide who is going to say what and how
• Students prepare visuals (keep the time for this limited as too many visuals become distracting)
• Students practise at their tables
• Students deliver the presentations in front of the class, with the audience having an observation task to complete (see 'Assessment' below)
• The teacher takes notes for feedback later

It is important that the students plan and deliver the presentations in groups at first, unless they are extremely confident and/or fluent. This is because:

• Shy students cannot present alone
• Students can support each other before, during and after the presentation
• Getting ready for the presentation is a practice task in itself
• When you have a large class, it takes a very long time for everyone to present individually!

I find it's a good idea to spend time training students in setting clear aims. It is also important that as teachers we think clearly about why we are asking students to present.

Aims Presentations normally have one or more of the following aims:

• To inform/ raise awareness of an important issue
• To persuade people to do something
• Form part of an exam, demonstrating public speaking/presentation skills in a first or second language

I set students a task where they answer these questions:

• Why are you making the presentation?
• What do you want people to learn?
• How are you going to make it interesting?

Let's say I want to tell people about volcanoes. I want people to know about why volcanoes form and why they erupt. This would be an informative/awareness-raising presentation. So by the end, everyone should know something new about volcanoes, and they should be able to tell others about them. My plan might look like this:

• Introduction - what is a volcano? (2 minutes)
• Types of volcano (5 minutes)
• Volcanoes around the world (2 minutes)
• My favourite volcano (2 minutes)
• Conclusion (2-3 minutes)
• Questions (2 minutes)

Classroom Management I find that presentation lessons pass very quickly, due the large amount of preparation involved. With a class of 20 students, it will probably take at least 3 hours. With feedback and follow-up tasks, it can last even longer. I try to put students into groups of 3 or 4 with classes of up to 20 students, and larger groups of 5 or 6 with classes up to 40. If you have a class larger than 40, it would be a good idea to do the presentation in a hall or even outside.

Classroom management can become difficult during a presentations lesson, especially during the final presenting stage, as the presenters are partly responsible for managing the class! There are a few points I find effective here:

• Training students to stand near people who are chatting and talk 'through' the chatter, by demonstration
• Training students to stop talking if chatter continues, again by demonstration
• Asking for the audience's attention ('Can I have your attention please?')
• Setting the audience an observation task, which is also assessed by the teacher
• Limiting the amount of time spent preparing visuals
• Arranging furniture so everyone is facing the front

Most of these points are self-explanatory, but I will cover the observation task in more detail in the next section, which deals with assessment. 

Assessment The teacher needs to carefully consider the assessment criteria, so that s/he can give meaningful feedback. I usually run through a checklist that covers:

• Level - I can't expect Elementary students to use a wide range of tenses or vocabulary, for example, but I'd expect Advanced students to have clear pronunciation and to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammar
• Age - Younger learners do not (normally) have the maturity or general knowledge of adults, and the teacher's expectations need to reflect this
• Needs - What kind of students are they? Business English students need to have much more sophisticated communication skills than others. Students who are preparing for an exam need to practise the skills that will be assessed in the exam.

I write a list of language related points I'm looking for. This covers:

• Range / accuracy of vocabulary
• Range / accuracy of grammar
• Presentation / discourse management- is it well structured? What linking words are used and how?
• Use of visuals- Do they help or hinder the presentation?
• Paralinguistic features

'Paralinguistics' refers to non-verbal communication. This is important in a presentation because eye contact, directing your voice to all parts of the room, using pitch and tone to keep attention and so on are all part of engaging an audience.

I find it's a good idea to let students in on the assessment process by setting them a peer observation task. The simplest way to do this is to write a checklist that relates to the aims of the lesson. A task for presentations on major historical events might have a checklist like this:

• Does the presenter greet the audience? YES/NO
• Does the presenter use the past tense? YES/NO

And so on. This normally helps me to keep all members of the audience awake. To be really sure, though, I include a question that involves personal response to the presentation such as 'What did you like about this presentation and why?'. If working with young learners, it's a good idea to tell them you will look at their answers to the observation task. Otherwise they might simply tick random answers!

Conclusion Presentations are a great way to practise a wide range of skills and to build the general confidence of your students. Due to problems with timing, I would recommend one lesson per term, building confidence bit by bit throughout the year. In a school curriculum this leaves time to get through the core syllabus and prepare for exams.

Presentations - Adult students

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Give a presentation in English: introduction

Tips and useful phrases.

Giving a presentation: the most challenging language skill

In this introduction into how to give a presentation in English I'll ask how a student of English can speak and be convincing in front of an audience. Or when speaking in a teleconference with English as the common language. When considering the English language skills required in the workplace today, the ability to give a presentation or handle yourself in English in teleconferences among your colleagues and foreign counterparts is probably one of the most important. Furthermore, this skill is also the most challenging for the non-native speaker. Giving a formal presentation means you must stand up in front of an audience, try to sell your ideas, be convincing, diplomatic, concise, knowledgeable, and all this in a foreign language!

The presentation should be given by the person who knows the subject

Despite the challenges involved, more and more of my business English students are now called upon by their companies to give a presentation in English although their language level may be below an intermediate level. Presentations should be given by specialists in their particular field of work and not by those employees who simply have the best level of English.

Giving a presentation without advanced English

This means that a company with international connections may have to choose someone to talk about his or her area of work even though their English language level is not proficient. However, it is possible to give presentations without having advanced English if you plan correctly, take time to practise pronunciation and key English phrases and rehearse your talk beforehand. One thing to remember is that there is an advantage to this situation. You can plan what you say before you speak - something we cannot do when in a conversation, for example. This means that like an actor in a film taking on a role of a foreign character, you can learn what you want to say before you speak and, if we are careful not to ask the audience not to interrupt, we can give a passable or even an excellent presentation. Furthermore, the intensive language learning that will take place while you are studying the expressions you will need for your presentation will provide you with a boost to your language skills s you learn how to talk about yourself as a professional, your company and its products and services.

I believe the development of presentation skills in English may be the initial step to take linguistically. Once we are able to express ourselves proficiently in this medium, we will then find we are better qualified to take part in more demanding language tasks such as the teleconference, where interaction and listening skills are also required. The following pages offer you, the business English student and company professional, advice and practical help to best prepare your presentation in English.

Good luck and most of all enjoy giving your presentations in English!

Part 1 - Pronunciation of technical vocabulary

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We Help ESL Presenters Give Confident Presentations in English

I received a comment from a website visitor last week thanking me for the blog and asking if I would cover tips for ESL presenters (English as a Second Language). I was actually shocked to realize that in the last four years, we haven’t written anything about this topic. We actually have a step-by-step way to help ESL presenters deliver confident presentations in English. English as a Second Language presentation challenges are very common in today’s business world. In fact, I’m often hired to conduct public speaking classes in Europe and South America, because many business people in countries outside of the US realize that the better that a person can deliver English business presentations, the more doors of opportunity can be opened.

Way back in 2005, we started offering our Fearless Presentations ® classes in Paris. Our native French-speaking instructor showed up to teach the class, and he was shocked when the entire class wanted him to deliver the class in English. One of the class members said, “If we wanted to be better at giving presentations in French, we could go to dozens of places within a few kilometers of this office. We came to you because you work for an American company.” We were pleasantly surprised and realized that there was a real market for helping non-native English speakers become better presenters.

In 2006, one of our big clients, CapitalOne started hiring us to come into their office and deliver the Fearless Presentations ® class as an accent reduction class. Although the class was never designed for this purpose, we got phenomenal results.

So if you are not a native English speaker, and you are required to deliver presentations in English, there is help available. Below are a few tips that can really help.

A Few Simple Things that ESL Presenters Can Do to Deliver Better Presentations in English

If you are a regular follower of our blog and podcasts, you may recognize a few of these tips. However, there are a few minor tweaks that can make all the difference if you are an ESL presenter. In fact, the first four tips will be identical for native English speakers. The remaining tips will help ESL presenters reduce nervousness and deliver better, more professional presentations.

Start with a Clear Title with a Result (Benefit) to the Audience.

Before you even begin designing a presentation, first ask the question, “Why?” Why are you presenting on this topic? What is it that the audience wants or needs to know about what you are presenting? Why should your audience listen to you? When you have clear and easy to understand answers to these questions, you are ready to begin by writing your title. Your title should be a summary of the answers to these questions.

This step is critical for the ESL student or ESL presenter. Most of the time, we start with a vague or general topic. When we do, it is very difficult to make your presentation interesting for your audience. As a result, the delivery will be more difficult. There is also a more practical reason as well. If you have a general or unspecific topic and English is not your first language, when you stand up to present, not only do you have to add that specificity on the fly, but you also have to mentally translate your words at the same time. This adds a lot of complexity.

For example, a student in class started by coming up with the title, Improving the Life Span of Cedar . While that tile is a good start, it doesn’t really answer a lot of the questions I just mentioned. Why do we (the audience) care? Why should they listen to the speech? After we talked about it, the presenter changed the topic to, Simple Things that You Can Do to Make Your Cedar Roof Last Up to 40 Years .

Everything starts with the topic. With a really specific topic that the audience can read and think, “Yeah, I want to hear this,” you will start on the right foot. The presenter can now just read the topic word-for-word and immediately capture the attention of the audience. With the first topic, the presenter would need to read the topic and then spend a minute or two explaining to the audience what the presentation was actually about. (That is much tougher.)

Having a specific, audience focused topic is like putting a specific address into your smartphone map. You will get a very specific, turn-by-turn, efficient set of directions. A more general topic is like using an old-time road map. You might still get to the address, but it will take longer and will be much more difficult.

Identify Three to Five Main Key Points to Cover in Your Presentation. Make Sure the Key Points are Complete Sentences and Complete Statements.

Now that you have a good topic, it should be much easier to narrow down your key points to three, four, or five main ideas. The easiest way to do this is to just ask yourself, “What are the most important things that the audience will want to know about this topic?” Using the same example, if I’m trying to determine the most important ways to improve the life of cedar, there are quite a few things that I could cover. However, with the title about how to make the cedar roof last 40 years, I’d determine what is the number one, most important thing that the roofer or owner could do to make the roof last 40 years. Then, what is the second most important thing. Then the third.

Once you have a good outline of your key points, go back and make complete sentences — complete statements out of them . Since English is not your first language, just like with the title, these complete statements will keep you from having to mentally translate your thoughts into English. The complete statements will already be on your visual aid. It will also make it easier for your audience to understand the concepts that you are trying to get across to them.

Add a Story, Example, or Anecdote for Each Key Point.

One of the things that you will find is that when a non-native English speaker gets nervous, he/she will often resort to what is comfortable. Since English is not comfortable, they will slip back into the cadence or structure of their native language. This will cause their accent to be way more pronounced. One of the biggest complaints that audiences tell us about listening to presentations by ESL students is that they had a tough time understanding the accent of the speaker. The good news is that when you reduce the nervousness, the accent is significantly reduced as well. So, as I mentioned earlier, CapitalOne was the first company to higher our instructors for accent reduction classes. It wasn’t until years afterward when a couple of our instructors who were speech therapists came on board that I understood why the class worked so well for this. Our focus was to reduce public speaking fear. When the class members got less nervous, they also became more understandable.

The absolute best way to reduce public speaking fear is to insert personal stories into your presentation. If you give examples from your own personal experience, all you have to do is play the video in your head of what happened, and then tell the audience what you are seeing. It is easy. And your nervousness will drop significantly. When this happens, your accent will reduce as well. You will also begin to build better rapport with your audience. I’d encourage you to insert at least one example, story, or anecdote as support for each of your key points. It will do wonders for the ESL student.

Add at Least One Additional Piece of Evidence to Reinforce Each Key Point.

Now that you have a good skeleton of a presentation, let’s put a little more meat on the bones. Go back to each main point and identify at least one additional piece of evidence that will help you better explain the concept or prove the point. The analogy that I like to use here is to pretend that you are an attorney, and you are trying to prove your bullet point to the jury. What evidence will help you do this?

A Few Additional Forms of Evidence

• Analogy – make a fun or interesting comparison.
• Quote — a good quote from another expert can add credibility.
• Visual Aid — a prop, sample, poster, photo, chart, handout, or board can add clarity to your ideas.
• Audience Participation — Ask an open ended question to your audience.
• Facts/Statistics — Data works well, but I’d suggest that you relate the data in the form of a story. (Tell your audience where you go the data.)

You don’t really need to over do it on evidence. My strategy is to give evidence related to each of my key points until I’m sure the audience is in agreement. Then I move onto the next point. So, if I just tell a good story, and I look around the audience and I see lots of heads nodding, I’ll move onto the next point. If I tell my story, and I see some confusion on the faces on my audience members, I’ll add an additional piece of evidence. The key is to over-prepare.

Look Up any Vocabulary that You May be Having Trouble With.

If English is your first language, then at this point, you can stop. You have a well designed presentation. If you are an ESL presenter, though, a good next step is to look up any vocabulary that you are having trouble with. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be perfect — just understood.

One of the things that ESL presenter will have the most trouble with is idioms. Idioms are phrases that are created through usage that don’t necessarily translate very well. The translations aren’t literal. They are more figurative. A phrase like “It’s raining cats and dogs” don’t have a literal meaning. But figuratively, it means that it is raining really hard.

One of my first instructors grew up in Ottawa, and he learned English as a teenager by watching television. I sent him an email one day relaying some bad news. He replied back with the phrase, “That’s the way the cookie grumbles.” I laughed when I read it. The actual idiom is “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” I replied back saying, “Why would a cookie grumble?” He responded with, “Why would cats and dogs fall from the sky?” I had to thing of a clever way to respond. Since he was French, I replied back with, “Touché.”

Regardless, spend a little time on vocabulary. You will feel more comfortable when you present.

Use Clear, Simple Language. Avoid Jargon.

This goes for everyone, but even more so if English is your Second Language. Use clear, simple language when you present. Avoid jargon. My first presentation coach told me to design my presentations as if I were delivering it to a fourth grade class. Many presenter feel like if they use simple language they will be talking down to their audience. The opposite is true. If you use what I call “Harvard Words” you will sound arrogant and pretentious. If English is not your first language, you will also sound confusing. Just keep it simple. The goal is for your audience to understand you, not for you to sound like a professor.

A new employee for a government office was approached by one her coworkers who was making a post office run and offered to pick up donuts for the office on the way back. She was looking over his list which included CCRs, GOF’s and POFs. He explained that they stood for Chocolate Covered Raised, Glazed Old-fashioned, and Plain Old-Fashioned. She laughed and said, “You know you work in a government office when event the donuts have acronyms.”

Make you language plain and simple.

Practice Two to Three Times with a Native English Speaker as Your Partner.

If English is your first language, and you design your presentation well, just practice once or twice. You will be great. The more that you practice, the less spontaneity you will have. However, if English is not your first language, you’ll likely want to practice a couple more times. I’m not suggesting that you over-practice. Just make sure that you have a good flow, and that the words come freely when you present.

It is also a good idea to ask a friend or colleague who is fluent in English to be your listener. If, as you present, you are getting good visual feedback (nods of agreement, etc.), you are presenting well.

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9 tips on how to give a presentation in English

Have you ever given a presentation? How many people did you talk to? How did it go?

Anyway, we hope you enjoy watching this short video on 9 tips on how to give a great presentation in English, and we’re sure you’ll find it all really useful.

Watch the video as many times as you like. Then, see if you can complete the sentences below with the correct words. Good luck! [answers below]

  1 The first thing you need to do is decide how to open your presentation and _______ the audience’s attention.

2 in order to do this, you could start with a joke, a quote, a surprising statistic or a _______., 3 when preparing your presentation, try to limit it to just 3 key _______., 4 this is a great number as it’s an easy amount of information for the _______ to process., 5 to help your audience understand your message, use _______., 6 for example, you could find an illustration for each of your 3 _______., 7 mmm… absolutely. try to come across as really positive. you can do this through your body _______…, 8 …by standing up straight, smiling and making good eye _______., read & watch.

Now, watch the video and read the script at the same time. This is great for developing your listening skills.

  Video script

Hi, I’m Rachel – a teacher at Learn Hot English.

And I’m Nate – another teacher at Learn Hot English.

In this video, we’re going to give you 9 quick tips on how to give a great presentation in English.

1 The start!

The first thing you need to do is decide how to open your presentation and grab the audience’s attention. In order to do this, you could start with a joke, a quote, a surprising statistic or a story.

2 Three messages!

When preparing your presentation, try to limit it to just 3 key messages. This is a great number as it’s an easy amount of information for the audience to process.

To help your audience understand your message, use images. For example, you could find an illustration for each of your 3 points.

4 Be positive!

Mmm… absolutely. Try to come across as really positive. You can do this through your body language: by standing up straight, smiling and making good eye contact.

5 Share stories!

To make your presentation interesting and really bring it to life, share some personal anecdotes. This is a great way of bonding with the audience. For example, you could use your experiences to illustrate a point.

To keep your presentation interesting, engage with the audience every 10 minutes or so. This will ensure that it isn’t just you talking all the time. In order to do this, you could ask for a show of hands, play a video or get the audience on their feet for a little activity.

7 Cue cards!

To help you keep to schedule, use cue cards with key words on them. However, avoid looking down at your notes too much – it’s important to maintain eye contact with the audience at all times.

8 Speak clearly!

To make sure everyone can hear and understand you properly, speak slowly, clearly and confidently. Above all, don’t mumble.

9 The ending!

And finally, the ending, which is just as important as the start. One great thing is to link the ending to the beginning. So, you could refer back to something you said at the start of the presentation . Or you could create a memorable ending with a story, a quote or a call to action, such as asking the audience to follow a link for a free report.

Good luck with your presentations! Bye!

grab; 2. story; 3. messages; 4. audience; 5. images; 6. points; 7. language; 8. contact

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