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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

  • Carmine Gallo

english communication & presentation skills

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

english communication & presentation skills

  • Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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How to Develop Amazing Business English Communication Skills

You might have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t talk effectively with your team and your supervisors, no one will ever know that.

Fortunately, it’s easier to develop your business English communication skills than you might think.

In this post, I’ll explain six simple methods for steadily improving your business English communication skills, so that you can prepare for any situation you find yourself in.

6 Ways to Build Your Business English Communication Skills

1. learn sentences, not just words, 2. don’t just answer questions—ask questions, 3. plan your communication ahead of time, when possible, 4. make time for grammar reviews, 5. expand your vocabulary with business news media, 6. target multiple communication skills at the same time, apps for improving your business english communication skills, business english pod.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

In many cases, simply learning a word isn’t enough. The question is: how do you use it? Instead of just memorizing important words and their definitions, I suggest that you memorize one or two sentences containing the word.

Let’s take the word clarify , for example. This word is commonly used in business English to mean “make something clearer or more understandable.”

Instead of just memorizing the word, memorize some sentences that use it:

  • We need to clarify a few details.
  • Maybe you could clarify what you mean by that.
  • Thanks for clarifying that.

Now you can easily use these sentences at meetings or conference calls to seek a better understanding of what someone has said. When you’re comfortable using these fixed sentence structures, you’re ready to take the next step of adapting them to different situations:

  • We need to clarify what she said in the last meeting.
  • Maybe you could clarify how you plan to market this product.
  • Thank you for clarifying your point.

When you’re confident in changing these sentences to suit different situations, then you’re ready to start constructing your own sentences.

As a business English learner, you’re probably more used to answering questions than asking them. You’re often most focused on what to say and how to say something, and that’s okay.

But asking questions is a necessary part of doing business as well. You often need to seek the opinions and ideas of others to get your job done. Did you know that asking questions is a great way to sharpen your listening skills and learn new business language as well?

I’m sure you’ve heard many kinds of questions from people around you at work. Some common ones include:

  • What do you think of this idea?
  • How do you propose we handle this?
  • Are there other options we can consider?

For a start, you could memorize questions like these, then ask them at the right time. But don’t just ask; be sure to also pay close attention to the answers you receive. While taking note of the content of the answers (which could help you do your job), also listen for new and unfamiliar language that might be useful to you.

Before you embark on any kind of business communication, whether it’s to make a conference call or write an email to a customer, always take the time to think about what and how to convey your message.

Think about the grammar you’ll use. Think about the words and phrases that’ll make your message clearer. In other words, plan your message.

For instance, before attending a meeting, look through the agenda to see what topics will be discussed. Make notes about what you plan to say including the grammar and any words or phrases that’ll be useful. Use these to practice making meaningful sentences.

This type of preparation doesn’t just ensure that you’ll sound more competent and professional in your business communications; it also serves as extra grammar and speaking practice that’ll get you fluent faster.

While you’re focused on learning all the aspects of business English, you shouldn’t forget to work on your grammar. Using correct grammar will ensure you send clear and meaningful messages that won’t cause confusion and misunderstandings in your business communication.

Below are a few sites I think you’ll find useful for learning grammar online. Consider setting aside a specific amount of time every day, maybe while you’re getting ready for work or during lunch, to review these grammar resources.

  • GrammarBook.com : GrammarBook.com offers free online English usage rules that you can use in conjunction with “The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation,” an excellent workbook and guide to American English grammar, punctuation and usage that’s sold on this site. You can sign up to receive their free newsletter and access their online quizzes.
  • Daily Grammar :  Daily Grammar features fun ways to learn and practice your English grammar skills with daily blog posts, quizzes, e-books and workbooks that let you learn at your own pace.
  • Grammar Girl :  Grammar Girl is another fun site with many great tips to help you understand the sometimes confusing areas of English grammar and improve more quickly. You can sign up for the newsletter to receive these tips in your email.

Use these helpful resources to practice forming meaningful and grammatically correct sentences.

One of the most effective ways to increase your vocabulary is through business news media. By reading and listening to business news , you’ll learn new words, expressions and even idioms that are relevant to the professional world.

The more you read business news, the more comfortable you’ll become with terminology related to finance, regulations and other issues that may be pertinent to your work. You’ll find many useful business news resources online such as  Reuters Business News , The Harvard Business Review  and NBC Business News .

A subscription to The New York Times will give you access to fresh, relevant news stories every day in their Business Day section. As this is a major news source that covers business not just in the U.S. but internationally, it’s a great way to ensure that you’re up-to-date on the latest subjects in the business world.

Most professions also have newspapers or magazines that are specific to their industry. For example, if you work in the insurance field, you might read Insurance Business Magazine . Ask your colleagues what industry-specific news outlets they read so you can start reading them, too.

As you’re reading, be sure to jot down new vocabulary and terminology commonly used in your field of business.

Many business English learners tend to focus most of their efforts on speaking skills, because speaking is so important for communicating in meetings, negotiations, job interviews, etc. However, the other communication skills—reading, listening and writing—are just as important.

Of course, you know the importance of writing in business . I’m sure you spend a good part of your work day replying to emails, writing reports and preparing other documents. One of the best ways to develop writing skills—other than constant practice—is to read actively. When you encounter useful business phrases in your reading, make sure to note them down so you can use them in your own writing.

Get your hands on any kind of business English material (books, magazines, websites, etc.) that you can and make it a habit to read as often as you can. If you need to, read and re-read the text over again until you get the idea.

Listening is important too. Listening may be challenging in the beginning because you don’t control the speed of the words, and there are many different accents and speaking styles to become familiar with. But with practice, practice, practice, you’ll find yourself understanding more and discovering how to improve your own speech and pronunciation.

Remember not to limit yourself to developing just one or two skill areas at a time. The quickest way to improve is by targeting multiple communication skills at the same time.

Business English Pod

Have you heard of Business English Pod? If you’ve been using their website , you can now integrate your learning into your phone. They have more than 200 business English lessons covering everything from vocabulary to grammar to practical skills for your business and technical needs.

You should definitely tune in to their business English news content to experience and learn language for real-life situations. If you’re on a tight work schedule, you may even download the listening files to take your learning offline at your own pace.

FluentU’s English program provides engaging, real-world dialogues for a wide range of professions . It’s the most straightforward, effective way to practice the communication skills that are most relevant to your job.

So there you have it: two great apps and the top six ways to start sharpening your business English communication skills today.

Remember, practice makes all the difference. Now you’re all set to climb that corporate ladder. Good luck!

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English & Enterprise: Presentation Skills

Michelle Obama speaking to American athletes.

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast , Jack and Rich continue with a mini-series of podcasts called English & Enterprise . The topic in this episode is presentation skills and the language focus is on phrases we use to structure presentations. Your task is to talk about a presentation that you have given at school, work or university. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess, too. Enjoy!

Welcome - English & Enterprise  - Presentation Skills 

Jack : Hello my name’s Jack

Rich : and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack : Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Rich : We recommend that you listen to this podcast on the Premier Skills English website because that is where we have the transcript, language examples, activities, quizzes and a discussion page to help you understand everything we talk about.

Jack : However, if you’re listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you can leave answers to our questions in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you. 

Rich : In this week’s podcast, we’re continuing with our mini-series of podcasts that focus on enterprise skills. These are skills that will help you with your English at work or in the workplace.

Jack : In our last podcast, we spoke about the language you need when trying to solve a problem - problem-solving skills.  We looked at phrases we might use to suggest and discuss solutions to problems such as ‘We’d be better off trying something totally different’, ‘Our best bet would be to try this’ and ‘I’m not sure that would be a smart move’. 

Rich : We also looked at lots of phrases with the word ‘chance’ that focused on the likelihood or possibility of something happening. These were phrases such as ‘It’s a million to one chance’, ‘You don’t stand a chance’ and ‘the chances of that happening are somewhere between slim and none’.

Jack : If you want to go back and do this lesson you can find it on the Premier Skills English website by clicking skills > listen >podcasts. If you are on Spotify or Apple Podcasts you’ll find it in the playlist, it’s called ‘English & Enterprise: Problem Solving’.

Rich : In this podcast, we are going to focus on presentation skills. In the workplace or at work, we often have to give presentations to our boss, our work colleagues or external customers.

Jack : We will focus on some of the words and phrases you need to give a successful presentation and we will give you our top presentation tips.

Rich : Later in the podcast, we will have a roleplay for you that continues from the previous roleplays in our English and Enterprise podcasts.

Jack : If you remember, we have a new idea for a football product - hair moulds in the shape of footballers.

Rich : It was our idea but the boss’ daughter has stolen it and taken the credit for it.

Jack : In this week’s roleplay, we will present the product to the boss who will realise that it was our idea, not his daughter’s.

Rich : After the roleplay, we will have a task for you to do, which is when we ask you to use your English. This week we’re going to ask you to tell us about a presentation at work, school or university that you have given in English.

Jack : And, don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have another football phrase for you to guess.

Football Phrase 1 

Jack : But, before we look at all that, let’s look at last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week we’ll give you one more chance to guess and give you the correct answer at the end of the show when we give you a new football phrase.

Rich : The phrase was _______. This phrase is used when a referee or more recently VAR decides that a goal should not be given because of a foul or offside.

Jack :  Well done if you got the right answer last week. A special well done to Lakerwang from China,  Liubomyr from Ukraine, Coreuser from Saudi Arabia, Elghoul from Algeria, and Idzingirai from Zimbabwe. All of you got the right answer and wrote the correct answer on the Premier Skills English website

Rich : We’ll tell you the answer to this football phrase and we’ll have a new one at the end of the show. Introduction to Roleplay

Rich : You are now going to listen to a roleplay. 

Jack : In the last podcast, you heard that the boss’s daughter had stolen the idea for a new product from two employees of a tech company (me and Rich).

Rich : If you remember, this fantastic new product are hair moulds in the shape of famous footballers that fans can wear in their hair. The boss thinks it’s going to be a big hit.

Jack : In this roleplay, we are going to give a presentation about the product and after the roleplay, we will look at some of the important language to use when giving presentations.

Rich : While you listen, try to answer these two questions: question one: What happens to Maria? And question two: Why does Jack think the product will be successful? 

Boss : A big welcome to everyone who has come today. We are very happy to see so many familiar faces in the audience. After the presentation of our exciting new football product, I will hope to have conversations with all potential partners and customers. I’m sure you will all be very interested. 

Boss : I’d like to welcome to the stage the brains behind the product my daughter Maria and two of our employees Jack and Rich.

Jack : Hello everybody. We’re very happy that you could join us here today. The main focus of this presentation is to give you more details about our product. Maria - Maybe you could give a brief overview of the product and its USP?

Maria : No, I can’t.

Jack : Maybe Maria hasn’t got her notes with her.

Jack : Not to worry everyone, I’d like to hand over to Rich, who has been working on the development of the product and will be happy to give you an overview.

Rich : Thank you, Jack, and everybody here today. First of all, I’m going to tell you a little bit about the product. Secondly,  I will hand over to Jack who is going to tell you why this product will be a success and finally we will hand back over to Maria who will present a cost-benefit analysis.

Jack : Psst. I think Maria’s gone.

Rich : Sorry, and last of all we will take a look at the kinds of profits you could be making.

Jack : We have both been hard at work crunching the numbers to show you how profitable this product will be. Rich - over to you.

Rich : As you’re aware, the football tech industry is booming. The sector was worth 45 billion dollars last year alone. And based on our findings we believe our new product can add a further 10% to the sector in the coming year. Our product is Premier League hair moulds. Let me elaborate further. This product would allow anybody with hair - our data shows this is 98% of the global population - to have the shape of their favourite footballer cut into their hair. Production costs would be minimal so, to put it simply, if we got major football leagues involved, profits could be astronomical.  Let me hand back to my colleague, Jack, who will expand on this a little.

Jack : Thanks, Rich. Let’s move on to why the hair mould idea will be a success. The reasons are threefold. Firstly, affordability. As Rich said earlier, hair moulds are cheap to make. Production costs are low which also means a low final sale price. Everybody will be able to buy one. Secondly, simplicity, hair moulds are easy to make and easy to use. And, thirdly, popularity, football is a world game - anything and everything connected to football sells.

Rich : Thanks for that, Jack. Before we sum up, we’d like to talk numbers. As you can see in the chart, the profit on a small number of units is quite small, however, if you look at the numbers we hope to sell, as illustrated in this second chart, you can see the kind of figures we are aiming for. The handout on your desk gives a further breakdown of all the costs.

Jack : So, in conclusion, we believe that this product could be the next global craze and will be very profitable for all involved. Thank you all for your attention and we’re now very happy to take any questions you may have.

Roleplay Questions 

Jack : Before we take a look at the language we used in the roleplay, let’s give you the answers to those questions we asked.

Rich : The first question was: What happens to Maria? Well, she disappeared! She refused to speak because she didn’t know what to say. Remember, she had stolen the product idea from us so didn’t have any of the information. 

Jack : That’s right. And the second question was: Why do I think the product will be successful?

Rich : He gave three reasons: affordability, simplicity and popularity. 

Jack : Now, let’s look at some of the language we used in the roleplay. Language Focus

Jack : In the roleplay, you heard me and Rich give a presentation. We are now going to look at some language that will help you give better presentations. When we’ve done that we’ll give you our top tips for giving presentations.

Rich : Let’s start with introducing a presentation. You might want to start by saying something like ‘hello everybody’ or ‘thanks for coming today’ but then you need to state the purpose of your presentation.

Jack : In the roleplay, Rich said ‘The main focus of this presentation is to give you more details about our product.’

Rich : The useful bit of language here is ‘the main focus of this presentation is ...’ You could use some other phrases to introduce the purpose of your presentation.

Jack : These include simple phrases such as ‘Today, I’m going to talk about ...’ or ‘This afternoon, I’d like to talk about …’ or more complex phrases such as ‘Let me start this presentation by …’ or ‘As you may be aware …’.

Rich : We used this last phrase in the roleplay. I said ‘As you’re aware, the football tech industry is booming’. This phrase is used to introduce a topic that your audience already knows about.

Jack : It’s important to give a presentation order and structure. At the beginning of a presentation, you should tell your audience what you are going to speak about and when.

Rich : In the roleplay, I used the phrases ‘first of all’, ‘secondly’ and ‘finally’ to tell my audience what I was going to speak about and when.

Jack : I did something similar when I gave three reasons why the product would be a success. I used the words ‘firstly’, ‘secondly and ‘thirdly’.

Rich : There are also some phrases you can use at the end of your presentation or when you are saying what you re going to speak about at the end. As I mentioned ‘finally’ is a useful word here but we can also say things like ‘in conclusion ...’, ‘last of all …’ and ‘summing up ...’ or ‘to sum up ...’.

Jack : At the very end of a presentation it can be useful to thank the audience for listening and answer questions. In the roleplay, I said ‘Thank you all for your attention and we’re now very happy to take any questions you may have’. 

Rich : So those are probably the most useful phrases for giving your presentation a basic structure but there are lots of other phrases we use in presentations.

Jack : In the roleplay, you heard ‘let’s move on to …’ which is a common phrase to change the topic in a presentation, you heard ‘our data shows’ and ‘based on our findings’ which are phrases that are used to make reference to other information.

Rich : You also heard ‘let me elaborate further’ and ‘let me expand on this a little’ which are phrases used to give more details about something. The phrases ‘as you can see in this chart’ and ‘as illustrated in this chart’ and ‘in the handout you will see a breakdown of all the costs’ are all used to explain visual information.

Jack : We will look at these phrases in a little bit more detail on the Premier Skills English website. There will be more explanations and activities for you to do on the website page for this podcast.

Rich : It’s totally free to use and you will find this lesson on the homepage or under skills > listen > podcasts.

Presentation Tips

Jack : Many of you may have to give a presentation at work, school or university so we thought we would share with you five of our top tips for giving presentations in English.

Rich : We hope you find them useful.

Jack : Tip Number one.

Rich : Plan your presentation and use notes.

Jack : Prepare what you are going to say by making some notes. This doesn’t mean writing down everything you are going to say. Maybe have a few keywords on five or six small pieces of card to help you remember what to say.

Rich : Tip number two.

Jack : Don’t hold a piece of paper.

Rich : Write your notes on card. If you use paper and you’re nervous, your hand and paper will shake and everyone will see.

Jack : Tip number three.

Rich : Don’t read your visuals. 

Jack : If you use a powerpoint presentation or something similar, don’t read exactly what is written on it. Give your audience a minute to read it and then make the points you want to make.

Rich : Tip number four.

Jack : Practise your presentation.

Rich : This might seem obvious but practise as much as possible. Practise with friends and get them to ask questions. This will give you confidence when you do it for real.

Rich : Tip number five.

Jack : Smile and make eye contact.

Rich : Look at your audience when you are speaking to them. Remember they are listening to you and they are interested in what you have to say!

Jack : This week’s task is to tell us about a presentation that you have given in English or your own language. 

Rich : We want you to answer these questions.

Jack : Question one: Where was your presentation?

Rich : Question two: Who did you give your presentation to? How many people were there?

Jack : Question three: What was the topic of your presentation?

Rich : Question four: How did you feel about giving the presentation? Did other people find it useful?

Jack : Question five: Have you given presentations in English and your own language? What are the main differences?

Rich : Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page on the Premier Skills English website or in the review section on Apple Podcasts.

This week’s football phrase:

Jack : The final section this week is our football phrase. 

Rich : The football phrase this week is * ***-***** ****. In a football context, the phrase means that there are only two teams that can win a competition. The Premier League is * ***-***** **** between Manchester City and Liverpool. The phrase was originally used in a sport that involves animals.

Jack : If you can guess the animal, you should be able to get the phrase. Let’s see who can get it right! If you know the answer, write it in the comments section at the bottom of the page. We will announce your name in next week’s podcast if you get it right.

Rich : We also need to give you the answer to the football phrase we set at the beginning of the show. The answer as you may already know was a disallowed goal.

Jack : Right, that’s all we have time for this week. Bye for now and enjoy your football!

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words  in bold ?

I’d like to welcome to the stage the brains behind the product , my daughter Maria and two of our employees  - Jack and Rich. Maybe you could give a brief overview of the product and its USP ? I’d like to hand over to Rich, who has been working on the development of the product. We have both been hard at work crunching the numbers to show you how profitable this product will be. The football tech industry is booming .

There were a few more tricky words and phrases in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words. This can really help your understanding.

Giving Presentations

In the roleplay, you heard Jack and Rich giving a presentation. We often have to give presentations at work, school or university. 

The structure of a presentation is very important. If a presentation has a good structure, you will know what you have to say and when and your audience will be able to understand your presentation much more easily. Here are some phrases we used in the podcast that you can help structure your presentations. Do you know the phrases  in bold ?

Introducing your presentation

The main focus of this presentation is to give you more details about our product. Today, I’m going to talk about ... This afternoon, I’d like to talk about … Let me start this presentation by  explaining/saying/offering ... As you’re aware , the football tech industry is booming.

The first three of the phrases above are quite simple and can be used to introduce the topic of your presentation in a direct way. The other two phrases are used less directly. ' Let me start this presentation by ...' is usually followed by the gerund form (-ing) and is often used when the speaker wants to talk about the purpose of a presentation.  The phrase ' as you are aware, ... ' is used to introduce a topic that your audience already knows about.

Signposting your presentation

At the beginning of your presentation and during the presentation it's a good idea to signpost your presentation; say what you are going to talk about and when. There are some specific words and phrases we use to do this. We used some of these in the podcast. Do you understand the words and phrases in bold ? 

First of all , I’m going to tell you a little bit about the product. Secondly ,  I will hand over to Jack who is going to tell you why this product will be a success. Finally, we will hand back over to Maria who will present a cost-benefit analysis. Sorry, and last of all we will take a look at the kinds of profits you could be making.

All of the words and phrases in bold help the speaker give their presentation and help the audience follow the presentation. You can also use ' firstly ', ' secondly ', and ' thirdly ' but beyond the third point we usually use phrases such as ' the next point ' or ' following this '.

Finishing your presentation

When we finish a presentation, we often give a conclusion, which involves giving our opinion or recommendation, or we give a summary which involves repeating the main points you have spoken about. In reality, there is not usually much difference between a conclusion or a summary. Have a look at the phrases below. Do you know the words in bold ?

So, in conclusion , we believe that this product could be the next global craze and will be very profitable for all involved.  Last of all , I would like to ... So, to sum up my main points, I ... Summing up the main ideas from the meeting, I'd like to repeat ...

Try the activity below, you need to read the dialogues and write the correct words in the gaps. All of the words were used in this podcast.

You may have to explain lots of data in a presentation and use visuals to help you.

Changing the topic

When we introduce a presentation we probably mention three or four topics or points that we will mention in our presentation. We need to make it clear when we are changing the topic or moving on to a new point. In the roleplay, Rich said:

 Let’s move on to why the hair mould idea will be a success.

Here are some other phrases you can use when moving from one point to another:

I’d now like to move on to the next part … This leads me to my next point, which is … Turning our attention now to … Let’s now turn to …

Giving more information

Before we move onto a new point we might want to give some extra information about something. In the roleplay, we used these phrases:

Our product is Premier League hair moulds. Let me elaborate further . This product would Let me hand back to my colleague, Jack, who will expand on this a little.

Here are some simple phrases you can use when moving from one point to another:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

Referring to data

When giving a presentation, we often need to talk about data or statistics that we have collected or that is from other sources. In the podcast, we used some phrases to do this:

Based on our findings, we believe our new product can add a further 10% to the sector in the coming year. This product would allow anybody with hair - our data shows this is 98% of the global population.

Here are some other phrases you can use when referring to other sources:

According to (some recent statistics/various studies/our sources), … Our data indicates …

You may have to give presentations to colleagues in the workplace.

Referring to visual information

When we give presentations, we often use powerpoints, handouts or other visual elements to improve our presentations and make them simpler to understand. We used some specific phrases when referring to these images. Do you know the words  in bold ?

As you can see in the chart , the profit on a small number of units is quite small. If you look at the numbers we hope to sell, as illustrated in this second chart , you can see the kind of figures we are aiming for.  The handout on your desk gives a further breakdown of all the costs.

Here are some further phrases that we can use when presenting visual information:

I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you… I think the graph perfectly shows how/that… If you look at this graph/image/table, you can see that…

Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words. This can really help your understanding.

Giving presentations becomes easier if you practise!

Please login to take this quiz.

Footballers often have to give speeches when they win awards.

Presentations

This week’s task is to tell us about a presentation that you have given at work, school or university. 

These questions will help you with your answer:

  • Where was your presentation?
  • Who did you give your presentation to? How many people were there?
  • What was the topic of your presentation?
  • How did you feel about giving the presentation? Did other people find it useful?
  • Have you given presentations in English and your own language? What are the main differences?

Write your answers in the comments section below and don't forget to  make a guess at our football phrase.

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hsn's picture

Task 1-At work and it was one of city of my country. 2-Businesswomen/men. About five hundred. 3-About financial facilities are provided by my company to the SMEs. 4-I was a little bit nervous but afterwards I got calm. They thanked me after presantation. 5-Only in my own language.I’ve no English presantation experience. Phrases • The smart move would be staying at home and keep off from crowded areas in the pandemic days. • Every leader /governor/manager have to know right time to leave desk. This means handover authority to the next person. • As you’re aware glass bottles should hand back to the store to get deposit. • Talkative people should first of all say what she/he will last of all say in order to save time.--:) • I've been crunching and elaborating numbers as well as analysing cost-benefit state to see how could I change my old car-:) • A brief overview of issues in the agenda before starting meeting is more beneficial. Notes • When I meet a family company's members as a financier I always try to find out the brain behind this organization.

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mobeckham's picture

This week's football phrase is ( a two-horse race )

One of the most memorable presentations I have ever had was when I started working at a new big school and it was a must for every teacher to have a presentation about themselves with some points as family , background , experience and teaching motivations. I felt a bit nervous in the beginning because I am not used to giving a speech in front of that massive number as the audience were all my colleagues and managers so it was about 70 persons at the school theatre I spent the earlier 3 days practicing and I wrote some main points to talk about. I made a powerpoint with headlines and photos to make it simpler and more interesting The exciting point here that it was by English and it was recoreded by a friend of mine. When I saw it later , I think actually I did a fantastic job , speaking like a CEO of a big company , just joking , I mean it was very good regarding confidence and fluency and it lasted for about 10 minutes

Johan®7's picture

One of my best presentation was at high school. I was racing against three students to became the new high school's leader as we were coursing the last year. I gave my presentation to all the students, so there were almost 700 students. The main topic was explain the students why I should became their leader by showing them a plan on which I was offering them different alternatives to enjoy our pass through the school. I offered them the chance to create and build a bigger library for investigation, buying more books of their interest, I offered them the chance to be included in different sport's team after class with an affordability cost, I was going to create a musical group by making auditions for all whose played instruments so they could have the chance to perform their talents at especial days that I chosed to release concerts. Last of all, I promised them, they could have six parties along the year; which it was the boom. I felt so nervous as I started talking to them by the microphone since it sounded rare the eco, and I subconciously thought they were not hearing me clear, but it was in the first joke I made when I felt relax and I could perform my plan as I expexted to. Of course, yes, absolutely, they found it useful since I won the race thanks to my presentation. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity of giving a real presentation in English, just once, in an English class when my teacher asked me to explain two verbs in front of my classmates but it is not compared because I just had three people staring at me. I hope that day comes soon .

Khaldoun83's picture

- An iteresting lesson.

2- In 2016 I deliverd a presentation, and it was in the university it considered the second in my educationel career, my audience was that big there were about 5o persons including the jury, the topic was the impact of climate change on food safety, it was very important issue to discuss especialy in continet rely on foreign AIDS, the most import in the presentation is I used English language for the first time during disscussing an issue.

3- Football phrase: A two horse race.

Wasn't it a horsal-race between....?

elghoul's picture

My presentation was given when I was chief accounter in a bank.

The meeting focused on the differents ways of establishing the foreign money balance.

More than twelve people attended the event as I welcomed them and explained my aims through the day.

I speaked in French our working langage although we used often some popular idioms. The data show and the slides were very helpful.

First of all I detailed the purpose of this new method to evaluate financial assets. Secondly we began in detailing what would the effect on the taxing result. In conclusion every one gives his opinion on the delays of this operation.

football phrase, a two-horse race.

Thenext75's picture

I am used to give a presentation at work twice at year and my next one will be next month. I'm going to give that to an auditor who is coming from another plant of the company I'm working for, and usually there are more than 30 people. The topics of the presentation are for the most, related to the way I used to do my activities everyday and involving subjects like safety, quality, people development, cost deployment and environment. The first few time I gave my presentation I was very nervous because I wasn't used to do that but now I'm feel safer. Sincerely I don't know if my presentation may help someone else in their work but I hope so. Unfortunatly and how you can well see my english is very bad and therefore I'm forced to speak in Italian. Anyway thanks also to you I'm learning English and I'm aware I'm making progress even if they are slow. Sorry but this week football phrase is quite difficult for me

Liubomyr's picture

I think that the phrase is '* ***-***** ****'.

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10 Presentation Skills That Every Great Presenter Must Have

english communication & presentation skills

It’s no secret that effective presentations can help you get ahead in business. After all, what better way to show off your knowledge and expertise than by delivering a well-crafted presentation? The right presentation skills give you the ability to share your ideas with an audience convincingly and engagingly.

Unfortunately, not everyone is born a natural presenter. If you’re not used to standing up in front of an audience, the prospect of doing so can be daunting. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to improve your presentation skills.

In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to do just that, allowing you to deliver an effective presentation.

Let’s get right into it.

What are Presentation Skills

What are Presentation Skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities you need to deliver a clear and effective presentation. After all, a good presenter is someone who can communicate their ideas in a way that engages and motivates their audience.

There are many different aspects to presentation skills, from knowing how to structure your talk to using visuals effectively, to dealing with nerves.

Developing strong presentation skills will help you to communicate your ideas more effectively and make a positive impression on your audience.

Presentation skills are important because they can help you to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. A good presentation can make a big impact on your audience and can help to persuade them of your point of view.

Presentation skills are also important in other areas of life, such as job interviews, sales pitches, and networking events. Being able to present your ideas clearly and concisely can give you a big advantage over others who are not as confident in their presentation skills.

Why Is it Important To Recognize Presentation Skills & Their Benefits?

One of the most important reasons to recognize presentation skills is because they are a valuable skill for any profession. Good presentation skills can help you in your career by making it easier to sell your ideas, get promoted, and be successful in business.

In addition, good presentation skills can also help you in your personal life by making it easier to give speeches, make presentations, and teach classes.

In addition, recognizing presentation skills can also help you improve your presentations. If you are not aware of the importance of presentation skills, you may not be using them to their full potential.

By taking the time to learn about presentation skills and how to use them effectively, you can make your presentations more effective and persuasive.

Here’s a list of benefits that come with good presentation skills:

  • Increased confidence
  • The ability to think on your feet
  • Improved public speaking skills
  • Enhanced written communication skills
  • The ability to lead and motivate others
  • Enhanced problem-solving abilities
  • Improved negotiation skills
  • Stronger time management skills
  • Greater creativity
  • The opportunity to make a positive impact on others

10 Examples of Presentation Skills

10 Examples of Presentation Skills

Let’s now explore some practical examples of presentation skills that will help you ace your next big presentation.

A Clear And Confident Voice

One of the most important aspects of a great presentation is having a clear and confident voice. If you’re mumbling or speaking too quietly, your audience is going to have a hard time understanding you.

On the other hand, if you’re shouting or speaking too fast, they’re going to get overwhelmed and tune out. So, it’s important to find that happy medium where your voice is audible and easy to understand.

The Ability To Engage With Your Audience

Another key presentation skill is the ability to engage with your audience. This means making eye contact, using gestures, and speaking in a way that is relatable and easy to understand.

If you’re just standing there reading off a slide, chances are your audience is going to get bored pretty quickly. But if you can find ways to keep them engaged, they’ll be more likely to listen to what you have to say.

Good Eye Contact

One of the best ways to engage with your audience is through eye contact. When you make eye contact with someone, it shows that you’re interested in what they have to say and that you’re engaged in the conversation. It also helps to build trust and rapport.

So, if you can find ways to make eye contact with your audience members, it will go a long way in keeping them engaged.

Natural Gestures

Another great way to engage with your audience is through natural gestures. Using your hands and arms to gesture can help emphasize points and keep your audience engaged. Just be sure not to go overboard – too much gesturing can be distracting.

Positive Body Language

Your body language is also important when it comes to presentations. If you’re slouching or looking down at your feet, it’s going to show that you’re not confident in what you’re saying.

On the other hand, if you’re standing up straight and making strong eye contact, it’s going to give off a positive impression. So, be aware of your body language and try to project confidence through it.

The Use Of Visual Aids

Visual aids can be a great way to engage your audience and make your points more clear. Using slides, charts, and graphs can help illustrate your ideas and make them easier to understand. Similar to using gestures, just be sure not to overdo it – too many visuals can be overwhelming and confusing.

The Ability To Handle Questions

At some point during your presentation, you’re likely going to get questions from your audience; how you handle those questions can make or break your presentation. If you’re able to answer them confidently and without getting flustered, it’ll show that you know your stuff.

But if you start to get tongue-tied or defensive, it’s going to reflect poorly on you. So, be prepared for questions and try to stay calm when answering them.

An Organized Structure

Another important presentation skill is having a well-organized structure. This means having an introduction, main body, and conclusion to your presentation.

It also means using transitions between sections to help your audience follow along. If your presentation is all over the place, it’s going to be hard for your audience to stay engaged and they’ll quickly tune out.

The Use Of Storytelling

Storytelling is a great way to engage your audience and make your points more memorable. And while it might not seem like a traditional presentation skill, it can be extremely effective. So, if you can find ways to weave stories into your presentation, it’ll go a long way in captivating your audience.

Last but not least, confidence is one of the most important presentation skills you can have. If you’re not confident in what you’re saying, it’s going to show – and your audience is going to pick up on it.

So, even if you’re not feeling 100% sure of yourself, try to project confidence. It’ll make a big difference in how your audience perceives you and your message.

How To Identify & Master Presentation Skills

How To Identify & Master Presentation Skills

The good news is that presentation skills are not rocket science. Anyone can develop and master them with the right guidance.

Here’s a 5-step process to help you identify and master presentation skills.

Determine The Purpose Of Your Presentation

Are you trying to inform, persuade, or entertain your audience? Knowing the purpose of your presentation will help you focus on the right content and delivery.

Know Your Audience

Who will be watching or listening to your presentation? What are their needs, wants, and concerns? The better you understand your audience, the more effectively you can address their needs.

Structure Your Content

Organize your thoughts into an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your presentation. The body should contain the meat of your argument, and the conclusion should drive home your main points.

Choose Your Delivery Method

Will you be using slides, props, or other visual aids? Will you be speaking extemporaneously or reading from a script? Choose a delivery method that best suits your content and audience.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The only way to become a master presenter is to practice, practice, practice! Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. Then keep practicing until it becomes second nature.

Also, consider that the right strengths test can help you understand your presentation skills better – both the strong ones and the ones to get better at. To this extent, the High5test.com strengths test is a great resource.

How To Improve Presentation Skills in The Workplace

The workplace is one of the most important places to hone your presentation skills. After all, in the business world, first impressions are key, and being able to deliver a polished and professional presentation can make all the difference in whether or not you’re successful.

Here are a few tips to help you improve your presentation skills in the workplace:

Preparation Is Key

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating. When you’re preparing for a presentation, take the time to do your research and gather all of the necessary information. This will help ensure that your presentation is well-organized and flows smoothly.

Be Aware Of Your Body Language

Your body language speaks volumes, so it’s important to be aware of what you’re communicating with your nonverbal cues. Make sure you’re standing up straight, making eye contact, and using gestures appropriately. These small tweaks can make a big difference in how your audience perceives you.

One of the best ways to improve your presentation skills is simply to practice as much as you can. The more you present, the more comfortable you’ll become and the better you’ll be at thinking on your feet and handling questions from the audience.

Seek Feedback

After each presentation, take some time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. If possible, seek feedback from your colleagues or boss. This will help you learn from your mistakes and continue to improve.

By following these tips, you can start to improve your presentation skills and make a positive impression in the workplace.

How To Highlight Presentation Skills In Resume & Job Interview

Another important skill that is often overlooked is the ability to highlight presentation skills in both a resume and a job interview. This can be the difference between getting the job and not.

When you are applying for a job, your resume is often the first thing that potential employers will look at. It is important to make sure that your resume includes any relevant presentation skills that you may have.

You can do this by including any experience you have in public speaking, leading presentations, or teaching courses. If you do not have any experience in these areas, consider listing any other relevant skills that could transfer over into presenting, such as customer service or sales experience.

In addition to your resume, it is also important to be able to highlight your presentation skills during a job interview. This is often done through behavioral interviewing, where you will be asked to describe specific examples of times when you have presented in the past. It is important to be prepared for this type of question and to have a few examples ready to go.

When you are highlighting your presentation skills, it is important to focus on any successes that you have had. This could be anything from getting positive feedback from an audience to successfully teaching a new course.

No matter what the specific example is, it is important to focus on how you were able to positively impact the situation. This will show potential employers that you can effectively present information and that you are someone they would want on their team.

Bonus Tip: How to Improve Presentation Skills in School As a Student

School students often have to present in front of their classmates and teachers. This can be a daunting experience, especially if you don’t feel confident in your abilities. However, there are some things you can do to improve your presentation skills while you’re still in school.

Join A Club Or Organization That Requires Presentations

This will force you to get up in front of people regularly and hone your skills. If no club or organization at your school requires presentations, start one!

Give speeches in front of the mirror.

Practicing in front of a mirror can help you identify any nervous habits you have (like fidgeting or pacing) and correct them before you have to give a real speech.

Use Note Cards Instead Of A Script

Reading from a script can make you sound robotic and unauthentic. Note cards will help you stay on track without sounding like you’re reciting memorized lines.

Record Yourself Giving A Presentation

Then, watch the recording back to see how you can improve. This exercise can be painful, but it’s one of the best ways to identify your weaknesses and work on them.

Find A Mentor

Ask a teacher or another adult you trust to give you feedback on your presentations. They can offer helpful tips and criticism that will help you improve.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a great presenter in no time!

Presentation Skills FAQs

What are the 7 presentation skills.

The 7 presentation skills are:

  • Eye contact

What are the 4 types of presentation skills?

The 4 types of presentation skills are:

  • Verbal communication
  • Visual aids
  • Non-verbal communication
  • Listening skills

What is the rule of presentation?

The rule of presentation is to always keep the audience in mind. This means knowing who your audience is, what they want to hear, and how to best deliver your message so that they will listen and be able to understand it.

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Lindsay Ann Learning English Teacher Blog

Teaching Effective Presentation Skills in English Language Arts Classrooms

presentation-skills

March 27, 2023 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   Leave a Comment

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Presentation skills are a worry for most people . And, let’s face it… public speaking is a part of life (even if it’s just life in middle school or high school). 

In fact, according to a Gallup poll, 40% of Americans indicated public speaking as their biggest fear . Snakes came in first place at 51%. 

english communication & presentation skills

Now, I speak in front of a classroom full of teenagers five days a week, and my audience is arguably one of the toughest audiences out there.

While I wouldn’t want to be trapped in a room full of snakes (pythons in particular), I don’t mind the thought of presenting or delivering information in front of others. 

But based on how often I’ve seen students get up in front of the class in order to present a project, idea, or understanding, only to turn red, mumble through their slide decks, or freeze altogether, I’m betting many of my students would consider their chances with boa constrictors as a presentation looms.

Public speaking and presenting can be tough for anyone .

There are some days when I don’t even I don’t want to have to do it, but regardless of how we feel about it, it’s an integral part of postsecondary life and it’s important for our students to be able to do well and feel confident when speaking in small or large groups, whether they are participating in a discussion or sharing their ideas more formally.

public-speaking-skills

Today we’re going to explore presentation skills , why they’re important , classroom activities that can make everyone feel less miserable, and how to support students who are struggling to overcome their public speaking anxiety. Let’s jump in! 

What are Presentation Skills?

english communication & presentation skills

First things first, let’s define what I mean by presentation skills.

To define it simply, presentation skills are the ability to effectively communicate a message to an audience. Speaking can be done in a variety of ways, such as through oral presentations, multimedia presentations (which are very popular with students, but more on that later!), and even written reports.

Presentation skills are not just defined by the clarity of the message, but also by the delivery .

Body language, vocal inflection and tone, audience engagement, and creativity are also important nonverbal characteristics and presentation skills. 

tips-for-public-speaking

Why are Presentation Skills Important?

In today’s world, communication skills are more valuable than ever. No matter your students’ path in life, they will need to be able to effectively communicate with others.

public-speaking-skills

I don’t know about you, but when I think of presentation skills, I think about boardroom presentations and closing big deals. Ya know the kind with big posters of arrows going up? 

This vision may be a by-product of my age and TV shows in the 80s and 90s, but our world is more connected than ever before, and we’re communicating more than ever in ways that weren’t even possible for my beloved 80s and 90s TV characters. 

Our students may never grow up to present in a boardroom, but they’ll likely need to communicate with their own child’s teacher, present at a city council meeting, share their findings with members of their HOA, or even go live on Instagram. We need to make sure our students are prepared for this reality. 

presentation-skills

What are Some Examples of Presentation Skills?

Before I share some ideas on how to help your students improve their presentation skills, I want to take a moment to look at what good presentation skills look like. 

Here are some examples:

  • Clear and concise messaging: A good presenter can take complex ideas and explain them in easy to understand, plain language.
  • Engaging visuals: Strategic use of visuals is important when public speaking. A good presenter will keep their presentation clean and free from clutter (sorry to Mrs. Smith who had to endure my 7th grade PowerPoint presentations that used all of the transitions…I didn’t know what I was doing).
  • Confident body language: Confident body language, including making eye contact, standing up straight, and using gestures to emphasize important points are tell tale signs of a good presenter.
  • Effective use of tone and pace: Knowing how to vary one’s tone and pace when presenting is an essential presentation skill. A good presenter knows when to speed up to build excitement and how to use tone and pacing to emphasize important points.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

Now that we’ve looked at some examples of good presentation skills, let’s explore some tips and tricks to help your students improve their own presentation skills.

  • Practice, practice, practice: The more your students practice presenting, the more comfortable and confident they will become. Build in public speaking to your lessons as often as possible. Even if it’s not a full-length presentation, students can practice this presentation skills by engaging in think, pair, shares , chalk talks, gallery walks, etc.
  • Focus on the audience: Remind your students that their presentation is not about them, it’s about the audience. Encourage them to think about what the audience wants to hear and tailor their message accordingly. Passion projects and other activities that allow students choice and authentic engagement can help them focus on the audience rather than the task at hand.
  • Use storytelling: People love stories, so storytelling is an essential presentation skill. Encourage your students to use storytelling in their presentations, and demonstrate this skill for them by infusing your own lessons with stories. This can be as simple as starting with a personal anecdote or using case studies to illustrate their points. Ted Talks make great mentor texts to show students how professional presenters use storytelling to connect to their audience.
  • Manage anxiety: It’s natural to feel anxious when presenting, but there are things your students can do to manage their anxiety . Encourage them to take deep breaths, practice relaxation techniques, and visualize themselves giving a successful presentation. As students have more experience (and more success!) with public speaking and presenting, their anxiety will decrease. Focus on helping students practice coping skills and manage their anxiety while providing multiple (and fun) opportunities for them to work through their jitters.
  • Use visuals: Multimedia presentations are a favorite for our Digital Natives. Students love to create and embed memes and gifs, videos, songs, and things you and I probably don’t even know exist into their presentations. Creating these things feels natural for most of our students, and visual aids are an important presentation skill, so encourage them to use their existing skills and get creative!
  • Get feedback: Feedback is essential to improving presentation skills. Encourage your students to ask for feedback from their peers or even record themselves and watch it back to see where they can improve. As students are practicing their public speaking skills, have them use Flip to record themselves. Students can post their Flip on the classroom grid (that you have total control over) to provide feedback and encouraging words to their classmates. 

how-to-improve-communication-skills

Public Speaking Exercises and Games

Okay, so we’re all in agreement that public speaking is tough but necessary and that presentation skills are important. So…how do we make it more fun and less…like a room full of snakes?

There are some really fun (like, legit fun, I know this because high schoolers told me they’re fun and after all, they’re the kings and queens of cool) exercises and games to help practice public speaking skills and shake off the jitters. 

Here are some to try:

  • Impromptu speeches: Have your students pick a random topic and give a two-minute impromptu speech on it. This will help them practice thinking on their feet and organizing their thoughts quickly.
  • Campfire story: You start a story. Something like, “Two friends are hiking in the woods when they lose track of the trail…” and each student takes turns adding to it. The last student must provide a satisfying ending to the story. To lessen student anxiety, this works in pairs and groups of three, too!
  • Photo story: Show students a photo online (the New York Times Learning Network has a great section for this type of exercise) without any context. Students will share what they think the backstory is, who the people are, their dreams, their motivations, conflicts, and anything else that’ll tell a compelling story about them.
  •   What grinds my gears: Have students take the spotlight to share about their biggest pet peeves. What really grinds their gears?
  • Gush about a basic object: On the opposite end of the spectrum from sharing about what annoys them, have students pick a basic, everyday object they’re indifferent about. Something like a blender, pencil, a chair in the classroom. The challenge is they have to develop a speech to deliver in which they absolutely gush about that object. What makes it so great? This particular exercise really challenges students to use body language and voice to accomplish the task.
  • Minute to Win It: Want to create a little friendly competition in your public speaking practice? Minute to Win It improv debates will up the ante for your students. The gist is this: Students are given one minute to plead their case in front of the class on a topic given to them only when the timer starts. The audience votes for the best case, so their arguments better be good .
  • Commercial: Students can make a commercial for an object of their choosing. This allows them to be serious or playful, to bring in props and other visual aids, and to practice with body language and vocal inflection. This exercise works well for groups, which can really help ease student anxiety when speaking in front of the class.
  • Balderdash: Students write made up words on slips of paper. Place the slips with the made up words in a bin for students to blindly grab from. Taking turns pulling a slip from the bin, students must on the fly create a definition for that word and share it with the class. 

presentation-skills

Wrapping Up

I hope you’ve been inspired to bring some fun ways to practice important presentation and public speaking skills into your curriculum. The speaking and listening standards in the ELA curriculum present a unique challenge for us to prepare students for life after high school while still honoring that public speaking is difficult (and downright terrifying for some). We know our students can do difficult things, and we can help them do so with confidence! 

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About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 18 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Presentation Skills in Communication

Presentation Skills in Communication

In today’s fast-paced world, Presentation Skills in Communication are more crucial than ever. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the art of presenting, offering valuable insights and practical advice to enhance your skills. From mastering body language to crafting compelling content, we cover it all with real-world Communication Examples . Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just starting out, these tips and strategies will elevate your presentation capabilities, making every word count in your journey towards effective communication.

What are Presentation Skills in Communication?

Presentation Skills in Communication refer to the ability to convey information to an audience effectively and engagingly. These skills encompass a range of competencies including clear articulation, confident body language, engaging storytelling, and the use of visual aids. Effective presentation skills are crucial for successfully transmitting ideas and persuading or informing others, making them a valuable asset in various settings from business meetings to educational lectures.

what are presentation skills in communication

What is the Best Example of Presentation Skills in Communication?

A prime example of Presentation Skills in Communication can be seen in a TED Talk format. TED speakers typically exhibit exceptional presentation skills by delivering complex ideas in an accessible, engaging, and concise manner. They utilize storytelling, clear visuals, and strong personal presence to connect with their audience, making their presentations memorable and impactful. This format illustrates how effective communication can transform a simple speech into an influential and inspiring message.

what is the best example of presentation skills in communications

30 Presentation Skills in Communication

In the realm of Presentation Skills in Communication , a diverse set of abilities come into play. This guide highlights 30 essential skills, each accompanied by a unique and practical example. From storytelling to effective use of technology, these skills are designed to enhance your presentations, making them more engaging and impactful. Whether you’re addressing a boardroom or a classroom, mastering these skills will elevate your communication effectiveness.

presentation skills in communicationss

  • Clear Articulation : Speaking clearly ensures your message is understood. Example : “Today, I’ll explain our strategy, focusing on clear, actionable steps.”
  • Confident Body Language : Non-verbal cues like posture communicate confidence. Example : Standing tall, “Our team’s results speak to our hard work and dedication.”
  • Engaging Storytelling : Stories make your presentation memorable. Example : “Let me share a story that illustrates our project’s potential impact.”
  • Effective Use of Visuals : Visual aids can clarify complex information. Example : Presenting a graph, “As shown here, our growth has been consistent.”
  • Appropriate Humor : Light humor can make your presentation more relatable. Example : “Unlike my attempt at baking, this strategy is proven to succeed!”
  • Audience Interaction : Engaging the audience keeps them interested. Example : “I’d like to ask, what are your thoughts on this approach?”
  • Use of Analogies : Analogies help explain complex concepts. Example : “Think of our marketing strategy like gardening – it requires nurturing.”
  • Persuasive Language : Persuasive words can influence and motivate. Example : “I strongly believe this plan will lead us to success.”
  • Clear Structure : A well-structured talk is easier to follow. Example : “First, I’ll outline the problem, then present our solution.”
  • Vocal Variety : Changing tone keeps the audience engaged. Example : Shifting tone, “Now, let’s delve into the most exciting part!”
  • Emotional Appeal : Connecting emotionally can be powerful. Example : “Imagine how this success could change our everyday lives.”
  • Relevant Examples : Using relevant cases makes your point clearer. Example : “For instance, similar tactics doubled our competitor’s growth.”
  • Concise Language : Being concise makes your message more impactful. Example : “In essence, our goal is to innovate swiftly and smartly.”
  • Eye Contact : Eye contact creates a personal connection. Example : Looking around, “I see we all share a vision for success.”
  • Interactive Technology : Technology like polls can increase engagement. Example : “Let’s take a quick poll to see your opinions.”
  • Pausing for Effect : Strategic pauses can emphasize important points. Example : Pausing, “And here’s the key takeaway…”
  • Factual Data : Including data validates your arguments. Example : “Data shows a 30% improvement in efficiency.”
  • Question Handling : Skillfully addressing questions shows expertise. Example : “That’s a great question. Let me clarify that point.”
  • Time Management : Keeping within time limits shows respect. Example : “I’ll cover this in the next five minutes.”
  • Tailoring Content : Customize your talk for the audience. Example : “For our sales team here, this means direct benefits.”
  • Feedback Incorporation : Utilize feedback for continuous improvement. Example : “Based on your feedback, I’ve adjusted our strategy.”
  • Respectful Language : Being respectful fosters a positive environment. Example : “I value everyone’s contributions to this discussion.”
  • Empathy in Delivery : Showing understanding builds rapport. Example : “I understand this change may be challenging.”
  • Inspirational Messaging : Inspiring your audience can be motivating. Example : “Together, we can achieve these ambitious goals.”
  • Cultural Sensitivity : Being culturally aware avoids misunderstandings. Example : “I’ve tailored this presentation to respect all viewpoints.”
  • Active Listening : Demonstrating active listening encourages dialogue. Example : Nodding, “I hear your concerns and will address them.”
  • Use of Metaphors : Metaphors can make concepts more relatable. Example : “Navigating this market is like sailing in uncharted waters.”
  • Demonstrating Enthusiasm : Enthusiasm about your topic is infectious. Example : Energetically, “I’m excited about the possibilities here!”
  • Handling Nervousness : Managing nerves keeps you focused. Example : Taking a breath, “Let’s dive into the exciting part!”
  • Closing with a Call to Action : Ending with a call to action is impactful. Example : “Let’s take these ideas and turn them into action!”

What Are Effective Presentation Skills in Communication

In the realm of Communication Skills , effective presentation skills stand out as key components for successful interactions. Whether it’s a formal business meeting or an informal group discussion, these skills are crucial for conveying your message clearly and convincingly.

  • Clarity of Speech : Articulating your words clearly makes your message more understandable.
  • Confident Body Language : Using positive body language enhances your message’s impact.
  • Audience Engagement : Actively involving your audience keeps them interested and responsive.
  • Use of Visual Aids : Incorporating visual elements can help clarify and emphasize points.
  • Storytelling Ability : Telling relevant stories can make your presentation more engaging and memorable.
  • Appropriate Tone : Modulating your voice tone to suit the content and audience is key.
  • Effective Time Management : Sticking to allotted time shows respect for your audience’s schedule.
  • Feedback Reception : Being open to feedback allows for continual improvement of your presentation skills.
  • Adaptability : Adjusting your presentation style according to audience reactions is essential.
  • Consistent Practice : Regular practice refines and enhances your Presentation Skills in Communication .

Importance of Presentation Skills in Communication

Understanding the Importance of Presentation Skills in Communication is vital for anyone looking to influence, educate, or inform an audience. These skills are not just about speaking well but about effectively transmitting your message to your audience.

  • Enhances Persuasiveness : Strong presentation skills can make your arguments more convincing.
  • Boosts Professional Image : Effective presentations enhance your professional credibility.
  • Facilitates Clear Communication : Good presentation skills ensure your message is understood clearly.
  • Improves Audience Engagement : Engaging presentations hold the audience’s attention better.
  • Aids in Career Advancement : Effective presentation skills are often linked to career success.
  • Increases Confidence : Mastering presentation skills can significantly boost your self-confidence.
  • Supports Leadership Roles : Leaders benefit greatly from effective presentation abilities.
  • Enhances Educational Experiences : Teachers with good presentation skills can impart knowledge more effectively.
  • Facilitates Better Decision Making : Clear presentations help audiences make informed decisions.
  • Improves Networking Opportunities : Effective presenters are often seen as valuable networkers.

Techniques for Presentation Skills in Communication

To excel in Presentation Skills in Communication , it’s important to understand and apply various techniques. These methods range from how you prepare your content to the way you deliver it.

  • Developing a Strong Opening : Start with a statement or question that grabs attention.
  • Using the Rule of Three : Structure your presentation in three main points for clarity.
  • Incorporating Storytelling : Use stories to make your presentation more relatable.
  • Utilizing Pauses : Use pauses for emphasis and to give the audience time to digest information.
  • Employing Visuals Effectively : Choose visuals that complement and clarify your verbal message.
  • Practicing Vocal Variety : Vary your pitch, pace, and tone to maintain interest.
  • Engaging the Audience : Ask questions or involve the audience in activities.
  • Handling Questions Skillfully : Prepare for and welcome audience questions.
  • Closing with Impact : End with a summary or call to action that leaves a lasting impression.
  • Continual Learning and Adaptation : Stay updated with new presentation techniques and trends.

Role of Presentation Skills in Communication

The Role of Presentation Skills in Communication is multifaceted, impacting various aspects of personal and professional life. These skills are not just about speaking; they’re about effectively connecting with your audience.

  • Facilitating Information Transfer : Effective presentation skills help in transferring information clearly.
  • Building Rapport with Audience : Good presentation skills help in establishing a connection with the audience.
  • Influencing Decision Making : A well-presented argument can influence the audience’s decisions.
  • Enhancing Professional Relationships : Effective presentations can strengthen professional connections and partnerships.
  • Supporting Educational Goals : In education, clear presentations aid in better learning.
  • Boosting Sales and Marketing Efforts : In sales, persuasive presentations can lead to better results.
  • Aiding in Conflict Resolution : Clear, empathetic presentations can help in resolving misunderstandings.
  • Encouraging Team Collaboration : Presentations can foster teamwork and collaboration.
  • Facilitating Change Management : Effective presentations are key in communicating changes in organizations.
  • Promoting Personal Branding : Strong presentation skills can enhance your personal brand.

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills in Communication

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills in Communication is a question many professionals seek to answer. Improvement requires both understanding the fundamentals and practicing regularly.

  • Seek Constructive Feedback : Regularly ask for feedback and take it constructively.
  • Practice Regularly : Frequent practice helps to refine and improve your presentation skills.
  • Attend Workshops and Seminars : Learning from experts can provide new insights and techniques.
  • Watch and Analyze Effective Presenters : Study how skilled presenters engage their audience.
  • Work on Non-Verbal Communication : Improve your body language, eye contact, and gestures.
  • Focus on Audience Needs : Tailor your presentation to meet the specific needs of your audience.
  • Enhance Storytelling Skills : Learn how to use stories to make your presentations more engaging.
  • Improve Visual Design Skills : Develop skills in creating effective and appealing visual aids.
  • Learn to Manage Anxiety : Find techniques to manage nervousness and present confidently.
  • Stay Updated with Latest Trends : Keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies in presenting.

Tips for Presentation Skills in Communication

Mastering Presentation Skills in Communication is an ongoing journey. Here are some practical tips to help you enhance your presentation abilities, making your communication more effective and impactful.

  • Start and End Strong : Your opening and closing should be memorable and impactful.
  • Know Your Audience : Tailor your content and style to suit your audience’s preferences.
  • Simplify Complex Ideas : Break down complex concepts into simple, understandable elements.
  • Use Visual Aids Wisely : Ensure your visual aids support and do not distract from your message.
  • Rehearse Thoroughly : Practice your presentation multiple times before the actual event.
  • Be Prepared for Technical Issues : Have a backup plan in case of technical difficulties.
  • Use Humor Appropriately : Humor can be effective if used appropriately and sparingly.
  • Engage Through Questions : Involve your audience by asking and answering questions.
  • Be Authentic : Authenticity helps in building trust with your audience.
  • Focus on Continuous Improvement : Always look for ways to improve your presentation skills.

Mastering Presentation Skills in Communication is essential for effective and impactful communication. This guide has provided insights, techniques, and tips to enhance these skills. Whether it’s for professional growth or personal development, improving presentation skills can significantly influence your ability to communicate and connect with audiences. Embrace these practices for a more confident and persuasive communication style.

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Strengthening English language undergraduates’ presentation skills: A blackboard-mediated intervention program

Sami algouzi.

1 Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of English, College of Languages and Translation, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia

Ali Abbas Falah Alzubi

2 Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English, College of Languages and Translation, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia

3 Associate Professor, English Department, College of Languages and Translation, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia

Associated Data

The dataset of the paper has been deposited, here is the link 10.6084/m9.figshare.23821977 .

Studies and reports indicate that some graduates struggle to find jobs, in part because they lack the key presentation skills and competencies the labor market needs. Thus, this research investigated the effectiveness of a Blackboard-mediated intervention program in strengthening English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ presentation skills. The research followed a quasi-experimental (time series) design, delivering workshops on presentation skills and collecting data from the students (N = 30) using a set of instruments: a pre-and post-assessment checklist and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the students’ presentation skills improved significantly post intervention. Also, the participants reported positive attitudes concerning the intervention. Drawing on these findings, recommendations and suggestions are presented.

Introduction

Presentation skills refer to the communicative abilities a person must possess to deliver engaging, informative, educational, enlightening, and attractive content, such as enthusiasm, a focus on the audience, keeping things simple, and excellent body language. Tursunoy describes oral presentations as a significant component of the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom today in various parts of the world [ 1 ]. As Evans and Morrison point out, presentations are now frequently used as assessment tools or as class exercises in all academic fields, especially in English as a second language (ESL) and EFL settings [ 2 ]. Moreover, Yang notes that the EFL context has emerged as essential for fostering oral competence in environments that are less favorable in terms of oral socialization [ 3 ].

In studies of communication, presentation skills have attracted the attention of researchers. For example, Kim [ 4 ] and Evans [ 5 ] argue that presentation skills are considered successful communicative goals. Presentation skills are widely required in today’s professional world and are essential for graduates, who need to acquire these skills to present on diverse occasions and at various events. Graduates understand the importance of presentation skills such as those highlighted by Dung, who states that the presenter needs a professional appearance, proper pronunciation, and fluency to engage the audience, and they also understand that practice can boost the oral and communicative aspects of the presentation [ 6 ]. However, they find acquiring and using these skills challenging for various reasons. In this regard, drawing on the views of learners, Osterman suggests that the development of oral skills should begin with practicing communication [ 7 ].

In this research, we argue that presentation skills are a necessary consideration with reference to the Saudi Vision 2030 and labor market needs, and competence in oral presentation should be a subject of prominence. Competence in oral presentation comprises the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to speak in public, where the goals may include informing or persuading the audience, or self-expression [ 8 ]. Oral presentation skills are considered key for employability [ 9 ], and communication, especially in the oral mode, has been identified as one of the essential skills for the 21st century. Presentation skills bring students benefits, such as lifelong learning skills. Moreover, the learning experience can help them develop appropriate skills if they are trained professionally. Presentation skills give learners an effective means of bridging the gap between language study and language use. Making presentations requires students to use all four skills in a natural, integrative way [ 10 ]. These days, university students and graduates are typically required to have the ability to make presentations in English to a public audience [ 11 ]. Oral presentation is not only part of 21st-century skills but is also required when students enter the workplace [ 12 ]. Therefore, higher education courses commonly integrate oral presentations as part of the course activities and/or learning objectives [ 13 ].

Presentation-related studies have been widely researched. Previous research has focused on the impact of oral presentation on language proficiency, speaking ability, oral communication abilities, self-confidence, attitudes, challenges, and factors of influence in learning presentation skills [ 8 , 14 – 18 ]. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research thus far has been conducted on the use of online instructional interventions to train students in how to present themselves in English. This study, undertaken at Najran University, addressed many aspects of oral presentations, such as organization, content, language, style, and delivery, as well as students’ lack of enthusiasm.

It was expected that this study would lead to a significant improvement in undergraduates’ presentation abilities, which are vital in today’s professional world and to meet labor market expectations. The rising need for graduates with effective presentation skills requires more effective, innovative, and result-oriented instruction. Better teaching and learning methodologies are needed to enhance students’ presentation skills and teachers must pay special attention to this aspect of learning. The intervention in this study highlighted crucial areas in presentation abilities that many researchers may not have consider. Therefore, this study aimed to promote undergraduates’ presentation skills, consistent with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and labor market needs, via a Blackboard-mediated intervention program. The findings provide crucial suggestions about making presentations and advance proposals concerning the essential elements for an effective presentation.

Theoretical framework

Bandura’s social cognitive theory contends that human actions are influenced by personal, behavioral, and environmental factors [ 19 ]. According to this theory, seeing others in social interactions, one’s experiences, and outside media influences might contribute to an individual’s knowledge acquisition and behavior [ 20 ], as people acquire behaviors and cognitive techniques through watching how others behave [ 21 ]. When individuals observe activity being modelled and the consequences of that conduct, they remember the sequence of events and use this knowledge to influence future behavior [ 22 ]. In this process, the environment, behavior, and cognition all play important roles in shaping growth in reciprocal triadic interactions [ 19 , 20 ].

Thus, the foundation of social cognitive theory is a process of information acquisition or learning directly related to model observation. According to Zhou and Brown [ 20 ], three factors contribute to model observation: model characteristics, such as high status, competence, and power; observer attributes, such as talent and courage, confidence, self-esteem, and independence; and model action consequences, such as self-efficacy and self-regulation. Effective modeling provides broad norms and techniques for coping with various circumstances. This can be provided through interpersonal imitation or media sources [ 19 ].

Review of the literature

The available literature suggests an increasing focus among researchers on the importance of presentation skills and studying the challenges learners face in presenting. Some of the main challenges learners face in making presentations are background knowledge, anxiety, motivation, language, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation [ 23 – 29 ]. This is perhaps not surprising as many studies have found that presenting is a multi-layered and challenging task. Morreale points out that presenting requires considerable preparation, for example organizing content, incorporating relevant information and ideas, and selecting the appropriate attire [ 30 ]. It is necessary for students to combat these challenges since mastering slide shows, demonstrations, lectures, or speeches can assist presenters communicate with audiences by utilizing words and images [ 31 ].

Examining the presentations of a group of TESOL graduates, Zareva showed that the students acted in a variety of identity roles: guiding the audience through the information, recounting their research and decision-making processes, drawing attention to how the information was organized, and clarifying the purpose of their presentation and the structure of their argument [ 32 ]. Finding that students had difficulties providing presentation content for audiences, Melvina and Dona Alicia argued that teachers should spend more time introducing them to the broad skills they need when giving presentations [ 33 ].

Numerous factors influence presentation skills, including the ability to speak in English, which is something students are often afraid of doing [ 34 ]. Rumiyati and Seftika observe that speaking in front of a crowd is one of the most difficult tasks for EFL students [ 35 ]. Tsang identified a significant correlation between students’ perceived competence regarding the delivery of oral presentations and their level of anxiety concerning public speaking [ 36 ]. Similarly, Waluyo and Rofiah found that students’ performance in presentations is predicted by situational and potential confidence and communication confidence [ 16 ].

Background knowledge, psychology, language and style, preparation, and the instructor are some of the key factors that influence learners’ delivery of presentations [ 37 – 41 ]. Indriani found that qualities such as eye contact, body posture, and voice were further characteristics that aided pre-service teachers’ English-speaking abilities [ 42 ]. Among these, Worawong et al. identified hand gestures were the strategy most used by students in their oral presentations [ 43 ]. Okada et al. [ 44 ] and Yano [ 45 ] showed that self-monitoring, peer evaluation, and model observation have positive effects on improving learners’ oral presentation skills.

Technology can significantly enhance the general standard of one’s presentation in various ways. However, students’ readiness to embrace such technology and focus during presentations is critical. As a basis, Donohoe observed that presenters commonly utilize PowerPoint in the modern era to transmit information or media via slides as the medium offers adaptable presentation styles [ 46 ]. However, it is important to note that the development of information technologies has paved the way for new means of making presentations. Many technologies are available, such as Prezi, Keynote, and PowerPoint, as well as a range of venues, such as blogs, Facebook, and YouTube [ 47 – 49 ]. Thus, students should be encouraged to deliver their presentations by exploring different technologies, which can lead to better oral communication skills compared to traditional presentation tools [ 50 ].

Alshobramy found that applying social learning theory increased the speaking ability of secondary school EFL students naturally by providing innovative and adaptable learning experiences [ 51 ]. Fauzi showed that a multimedia-based presentation approach assisted students in developing their speaking and presentation skills, as well as their confidence [ 52 ]. Mahdi also reported that multimedia devices had a positive impact on the development of presentation and speaking skills among students [ 8 ]. Salem reported that TED lectures enhanced business students’ oral presentation abilities and vocabulary uptake/retention levels [ 53 ]. Also, the students were more enthusiastic, motivated, and eager to produce outstanding presentations as they grew more self-assured and relaxed. Sirisrimangkorn revealed that project-based learning using presentations had significant effects on students’ speaking skills [ 54 ]. Burhanuddin claimed that the individual presentation method was effective in enhancing students’ confidence and providing them with the experience of speaking in front of a crowd [ 14 ]. The results also indicated that the task gave them more awareness and self-evaluation on how to perform good public speaking. Hida examined the effectiveness of collaborative learning in co-constructing knowledge and skills in giving oral presentations in English classrooms in Japan and found that the learners primarily acquired five benefits: noticing the gap, knowledge co-construction, overcoming weakness, behavior modeling, and psychological improvement [ 55 ]. Pham et al. conducted a study aiming at measuring English-majored students’ views of their speaking skills, especially presentation skills. The results showed that most students were not confident about their presentation skills because of fears of making mistakes in vocabulary usage and grammar, lack of fluency, and so on [ 17 ].

There are very few studies on employing ICT-mediated programs to improve the presentation skills of EFL learners. However, some studies have suggested that learners experience difficulties in terms of anxiety, learning issues, and media access and use. For example, Solmaz employed Pecha Kucha to develop EFL learners’ speaking and oral presentation skills. Thematic analysis not only highlighted the advantages of the program, such as developing speaking and presentation skills, enhancing self-confidence, and improving time management, but also drawbacks, such as increased anxiety, a steep learning curve, and format constraints [ 56 ]. Among other studies examining the integration of technology in oral presentations [ 57 – 60 ], some found that this can pose difficulties in terms of the students’ language competence. Some students believed that the time given to them was insufficient, while others considered that their poor speaking abilities were to blame for their difficulties in presenting. Students also experienced fear of speaking since they understood that virtual audiences would view recordings of their oral presentations later.

To summarize, previous studies, both with and without the integration of technology, have investigated presentations with a focus on numerous different aspects. A review of the literature suggests that existing research on strengthening EFL learners’ presentation skills is very fragmented, lacks theoretical grounding and has received little empirical attention with particular reference to implementing an intervention. This research was premised on the belief that implementing an intervention program could enhance EFL learners’ presentation skills, making them better qualified for the labor market. The study investigated how a multilayered intervention program delivered through a series of workshops on Blackboard might help EFL students become successful presenters.

The study entailed designing and implementing a Blackboard-mediated interventional program aimed at improving undergraduates’ presentation skills in terms of organization, content, communication, delivery, and enthusiasm. The study utilized Blackboard as a platform to present the intervention as many presentations, and indeed job interviews, take place online, particularly since COVID-19. Other reasons for choosing Blackboard as a platform concerned convenience for the students in terms of time, place, effort, reference, and cost. The study sought to address the following research questions:

  • What impact does a Blackboard-mediated intervention program have on EFL undergraduates’ presentation skills?
  • What are the participants’ views of the experience of the Blackboard-mediated intervention program and its effect on their presentation skills?

Methodology

Research design and context.

The research adopted a quasi-experimental design to achieve the study objectives. This study aimed to investigate how effectively a Blackboard-mediated intervention program would be in strengthening EFL students’ presentation skills. An assessment checklist and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data from undergraduates at the College of Languages and Translation at Najran University in the Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia in the second semester of the academic year 2023.

Population and sample

The study population comprised undergraduates majoring in the English language and translation programs at Najran University in 2023. The study sample was based on purposive sampling and students’ voluntary participation. Those students who agreed to participate in the study completed two copies of the written informed consent form; they kept one copy and returned the other to the researchers. The Ethical Approval Committee at the Deanship of Scientific Research, Najran University granted approval to conduct the study [009773-021280-DS]. It should be noted that the researchers had no access to personal information that could identify individual participants at any time during or after data collection.

The study sample comprised two groups, 30 students in total, recruited to the study in the second semester of 2023. All the participants were Saudi, aged 22–23 years, and enrolled in the 9th and 10th levels of two courses: Contrastive Linguistics and Drama. They had been exposed to English language instruction for 11 years at school and university and all spoke Arabic as their mother tongue. They were studying EFL in a formal context and their English level should be considered upper-intermediate. Thus, they should have been able to initiate presentations, raise inquiries, and express their opinions about what they were studying in relation to the instructional material.

Study instruments

The study applied two instruments for data collection: a pre-and post-assessment checklist and semi-structured interview. The researchers designed the assessment checklist with reference to presentation assessment rubrics available online, such as one developed by Owen Williamson at the University of Texas ( https://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl1311/Presrubric.doc ) and another developed by the Justice Institute of British Columbia ( https://www.jibc.ca/sites/default/files/library/files/Group_Presentation_Marking_Rubric.doc ). The assessment checklist included presentation skills (25 items) distributed across five main domains: organization, content, communication, delivery, and enthusiasm. Each dimension contained five items.

Organization included aspects such as defining the background and importance of the topic, stating objectives that can identify relevant questions, presenting information in a logical sequence, summarizing the major points of the presentation, and providing attendees with a “take-home” message. Content included gaining the attention of the audience, defining technical terms, including relevant material, preparedness of the content, and presenting an obvious conclusion. Communication included good language skills and pronunciation, demonstrating good grammar and choice of words, using rhythm, intonation, accent, and tone variation, effective pace of delivery, being fluent and articulate, and using no fillers (umm, like), or long pauses. Delivery included items about maintaining good eye contact with the audience, using gestures in addition to a clear and audible voice, using well-prepared informative handouts, notes, and visual aids, presenting within the assigned time limits, and answering questions professionally. Finally, enthusiasm contained items about demonstrating strong enthusiasm throughout the presentation, increasing audience understanding and knowledge of the topic, convincing the audience to recognize the validity and importance of the subject drawing on evidence, being relaxed and confident with no/minimal hesitation throughout the talk, and being in professional attire.

Before the treatment program, the participants were asked to present topics related to two subjects they were studying (Contrastive Linguistics and Drama), and their performance was assessed using the checklist. Then, they were trained in presentation skills by one of the teachers with experience in this area. After that, they were again asked to present the topics related to their subjects and assessed using the same checklist.

Semi-structured interviews were employed in which the participants were asked about their experience of learning presentation skills, their attitudes, and suggestions for further improvements. The participants were interviewed immediately after the post-assessment by another teacher who had not conducted the intervention. The interviews were estimated to last 8–10 minutes. They were conducted in an office in the Department of English and audio-recorded. The semi-structured interview questions were as follows:

  • How would describe your experience of the presentation skills workshops?
  • What new presentation skills did you learn in the workshops?
  • How did you feel after taking the presentation skills workshops?
  • What things did you like/ dislike about the presentation skills workshops?
  • Do you have any suggestions for making the presentation skills workshops more fruitful? Please elaborate.

Validity and reliability

A jury of five experts checked both instruments, the assessment checklist and the interview questions, to establish content validity. The experts were specialized in English language teaching and technology-based learning and teaching and had more than 10 years of experience in teaching and assessment. The experts had the study tools and objectives to verify that the tools could produce valid data to answer the research questions. They also checked the applicability of the items in the Saudi context. Finally, they suggested working on language issues.

To establish the internal consistency of the assessment checklist, the researchers applied Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) to check the relationship between items and the checklist as a whole. The checklist was applied to assess the performance of a sample of 20 students who did not participate in the study. Table 1 shows the results of the correlation.

** Significant at p = 0.01

* Significant at p = 0.05.

As shown in Table 1 , the values of the Pearson correlation coefficients for the relation between each item and the whole scale ranged between 0.505 and 0.769 and were all significant at p = 0.01 or p = 0.05, demonstrating the validity of the checklist.

To verify the reliability of the assessment checklist, two assessors evaluated the performance of the exploratory sample (N = 20). The two assessors were faculty members in the Department of English, specializing in English language teaching and assessment. They had been teaching English for more than 15 years. The authors oriented them on the study topic, objectives, and evaluation checklist (dimensions and items). Any points they did not understand were clarified. The assessors were instructed to use a separate checklist for each student and to conduct the evaluation while the student was presenting. The reliability of the assessment checklist was calculated based on the level of agreement between the assessors (inter-rater reliability): Level of agreement/(no. of agreements + no. of disagreements) [ 13 ]. Table 2 presents the results.

Table 2 shows that the assessment checklist was reliable (87.6%). The reliability coefficient values of domains ranged between 86% and 90%.

Instructional intervention

The study drew on social cognitive theory as a theoretical foundation to create and implement a Blackboard-mediated intervention aimed at improving undergraduates’ oral presentation skills. A variety of factors influenced the selection of this theoretical framework. First and foremost, the researchers aimed to draw as much as possible from the existing literature on the procedures used in the current study to improve EFL students’ oral presentation skills. This research is aligned with Solmaz [ 56 ] in considering “the long-term character of the development process of oral presentation skills, described as central professional skills” (p.16). Moreover, the purpose of the study corresponds to Bandura’s view that social cognitive theory is particularly well adapted to explaining the evolution of complex behavior, such as oral presentation skills [ 19 ]. Based on this theory, the researchers considered three main factors that contribute to changing behavior—personal, behavioral, and environmental—in that people learn new knowledge by watching others and use it in the future to change their behaviors. In addition, the study utilized previous research, such as the work of Zareva [ 32 ], who referred to the roles TESOL graduates played when examining presentations, such as guiding the audience through the information, recounting their research and decision-making processes, drawing attention to how the information was organized, and clarifying the purpose of their presentation and the structure of their argument.

The study provided a training program on presentation skills through workshops in which the participants watched how others presented, learned from the process, and applied it in the future to change their behavior. Interventions in the educational sphere provide students with the required or desired assistance they need in the form of capabilities, competencies, skills, etc., which could not be obtained or developed during an educational program and the lack of which may adversely impact graduates’ future or career opportunities. De Grez observed that “to design an instructional intervention, we have to be clear about its objectives. We have to determine the outcomes of the intervention focusing on the acquisition and development of oral presentation skills” [ 61 , p.57]. This study aimed to design and carry out a Blackboard-mediated intervention program, conducting workshops to strengthen EFL undergraduates’ presentation skills in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and labor market needs.

The program focused on enhancing the 30 participants’ knowledge of how to make their presentations effective and improving their performance. The content was divided into five workshops, which introduced the principles of presentation to EFL students and trained them how to present themselves well. The participants were told that presentations are synonymous with demonstrations, lectures, or speeches. They were also made aware that presentations are tailored to persuade, inspire, motivate, or present a new idea/concept to people termed “the audience” who are at the core of any presentation. After the orientation session on the concept, the researchers introduced themselves and the study.

The participants delivered a presentation before the intervention. Both the participants and the researchers were able to identify weaknesses in the organization, content, language, style, and delivery, as well as a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the presenters. Following the initial presentation, the participants were asked to participate in the Blackboard-mediated workshops. Each session lasted one hour, with the last 10 minutes devoted to questions and answers. The researchers also wanted the participants to learn through observation, so they shared relevant videos about the five specific areas crucial in presentations with a focus on the “do’s and don’ts.”

The research procedure consisted of three phases. In the first phase, the participants were required to give presentations and their performance was evaluated using the assessment checklist elaborated by the researchers. This identified issues with organization, content, language, communication style, delivery, and enthusiasm. The second phase comprised the series of five workshops, conducted on Blackboard by an experienced trainer, to instruct the students in how to present effectively and professionally.

The first workshop concerned the organization of presentations, highlighting the need for a clear beginning, middle, and end. The trainer pointed out that the presenter needs to organize ideas logically throughout the presentation and follow the order in a very organized fashion, striving for clear transitions between individual points, slides, and topics. Moreover, the presentation needs to be structured based on the audience and purpose. In addition, the trainer highlighted other key points, such as defining the background and importance of the topic, stating objectives that can identify relevant questions, presenting information in a logical sequence, summarizing the main points of the presentation, and providing attendees with a “take-home” message. The trainer shared videos ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bwDr7WVBwo ) on presentation organization. After watching the video clips, the participants were invited to have a discussion, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The second workshop concerned the substance of presentations in terms of the content. The trainer emphasized the need for unique and important ideas and information. The presenter must use reputable and pertinent sources and cite those sources when necessary. Information must be concise and pertinent to the audience. Again, the trainer addressed several crucial aspects related to content, including gaining the attention of the audience, defining technical terms, incorporating relevant material, preparing the content well, and presenting an obvious conclusion. The trainer shared videos related to content ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl_FJAOcFgQ ) and instructed the participants to pay close attention to considerations of significance and originality.

The third workshop sought to underscore that word choice can make aspects of the presentation clear and memorable if selected well. The trainer highlighted that language, style, and communication are significantly impacted by word choice. The session addressed denotative and connotative concepts, referring to presenting the message clearly, expressing ideas effectively, and choosing respectful and unbiased language. The trainer highlighted several key points, such as the language of presentations typically being somewhat less formal than academic writing, the need to present the main points one by one and pause at the end of each main point to give the audience time to absorb the information and take notes and using phrases to indicate moving on to a new point. In addition, one should consider several aspects under the theme of language, style, and communication, for example, using good language skills and pronunciation, demonstrating good grammar and choice of words, using rhythm, intonation, accent, tone variation, and an effective pace of delivery, being fluent and articulate, and using no fillers (umm, like), or long pauses, etc. The trainer then shared clips on communication, style, and language ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewVCnfMGnFY ), demonstrating that word choice and language use are crucial for communication.

The fourth workshop concerned delivery and addressed a range of factors, from body language and word choice to vocal variety. The trainer highlighted that a good presenter has a passion for the subject and can convey—and perhaps elicit—that emotion in the audience. The workshop stressed the need to make a connection with the audience through eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and/or vocal tone, as well as to avoid fillers (e.g., umm) and hesitations. These all contribute to communicating the presenter’s professionalism and confidence, inviting audience engagement. In addition, the session covered providing well-prepared, informative handouts, notes, and visual aids, presenting within the assigned time limits, and answering questions professionally. The trainer then shared videos on delivery ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5c1susCPAE&t=8s ).

The last workshop concerned the need for the presenter to show enthusiasm and covered aspects such as using a wide range of gestures (especially when presenting to a large audience on stage), making eye contact with attendees, and speaking with a smile and energy. Thus, the session emphasized the role of body language and facial expressions, as well as highlighting that the presenter’s clothing should not draw attention. Linking back to previous sessions, the workshop noted the relevance of enthusiasm in conveying knowledge of the topic and convincing the audience of the validity and importance of the subject by being relaxed and confident. Again, the trainer shared videos on this aspect of presenting ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5naThX63pF0 ).

In the third phase, students were required to give a presentation and their performance was again assessed using the same checklist as previously. After the presentation, a researcher interviewed the students, asking questions related to their experience of engaging in the presentation skills workshops, their attitudes and feelings about the intervention, and their suggestions for improvement.

Data analysis

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 25 was used to analyze the data collected from the pre-and post-assessment checklist. To establish the effectiveness of the training program in enhancing the participants’ presentation skills, the study employed paired sample t-tests. The researchers conducted content analysis of the qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews, based on repeated occurrences and grouped under main themes.

The effect of the training program on students’ presentation skills

Table 3 presents the results of the impact of the intervention program on students’ presentation skills, drawing on the pre- and post-assessment for the individual domains and whole scale.

Table 3 shows significant differences at the level of 0.05 before and after the training program in favor of the post-performance (t(29) = 19.863, p > .05). This result indicates that the training program was highly effective in improving the students’ presentation skills.

Students’ reflections on the presentation skills program

Several key themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews with the students concerning their experience of the presentation skills workshops. For most of the interviewees, it was their first time presenting. They reported that the training program was a helpful, interesting, and exciting experience, and they benefited a great deal from it. It helped rid them of anxiety and fear, and they started to feel more confident. In addition, they learned that they should be well-prepared and not appear confused. Furthermore, the training program assisted them in improving their presentation skills in terms of facing the audience and delivering the topic as required. The students also reported that they benefited from the feedback from peers. The following are some of the interviewees’ responses to the first question in the interview concerning their experience of the presentation skills workshops:

  • S1. “It is very interesting and helpful. It is the first time I’ve done a presentation.”
  • S20. “It was a very good experience.”
  • S12. “A wonderful experience that developed my speaking skills and improved my way of meeting the audience and conveying the idea to them in the required form.”
  • S13. “A beautiful experience to enhance self-confidence and break the barrier of public fear.”
  • S10. “I learned not to get confused during the presentation and come prepared.”

Presentation skills learned

The interviewees’ responses concerning the presentation skills they acquired through the workshops revealed that they learned to speak in front of the public with confidence, to interact with the listeners and ask questions, to raise their voices to attract attention, to pay attention to their body language and tone of voice, to talk without reference to the book, and to give and take examples from other students. Also, they learned how to explain and present without becoming stressed, to present without inappropriate interruption, and to be fluent and accurate. They broke the barrier of fear and stress and improved their self-confidence. The following are some excerpts from the interviewees’ answers:

  • S3. “Speaking skills, looking around the listeners, asking questions for them to interact with, and raising the voice to attract attention.”
  • S11. “The eye contact and the hand signals, and the importance of preparing for the presentation.”
  • S13. “Fluency and accuracy in speaking and interacting with the public.”
  • S16. “Facing the audience, increasing self-confidence, and exploring skills about communicating information in its simplest form.”
  • S19. “Speaking skills without confusion, the skill of explaining and communicating information.”

Feelings about the experience of engaging in the workshops

The students also described their feelings after taking the presentation skills workshops. They were excited and felt positive about the experience. They were very happy to be trained in presentation skills and to achieve something significant. They broke the barrier and the tension and were proud of what they had achieved. They gained a high level of confidence and morale. These aspects are evidenced in the following excerpts:

  • S2. “Awesome and broke the stress barrier.”
  • S3. “I feel a sense of accomplishment after I took this step for the first time. Great feeling and development of diction skills and help later.”
  • S6. “Nice and I felt the sense of teaching.”
  • S7. “It’s a nice feeling and I see myself developing in speaking.”
  • S13. “Feeling excited and happy to gain the skill of recitation.”
  • S18. “I feel that I have gained a high level of confidence and morale.”

Likes and dislikes

Students reflected on the things they liked or disliked about the presentation skills workshops. They liked the interaction with their peers, strengthening and refining their speaking skills, the seriousness of the sessions, meeting with others, skills development, reviewing errors, the organization of the workshop, enthusiasm, fun, facing the public, and peer support. They also liked the idea of using technology, such as laptops and data presentations. On the negative side, two students were rather tense and confused, which they reported led to some errors during their presentations. The following excerpts provide evidential support for the emergent themes:

  • S3. “The things that I liked is that strengthening and refining diction skills. The things I didn’t like were the tension just before the presentation.”
  • S7. “Everything I liked and most specially, it increased my self-confidence by speaking.”
  • S11. “The things I like is the experience and some confidence make me would like to do it again and thing I do not like is during the presentation I got confused and I said something wrong.”
  • S18. “I liked during my presentation the interaction of my student friends.”
  • S19. “I liked that it was enthusiastic and fun, and the interaction between classmates.”

Suggestions for improving the presentation skills workshops

The students were asked for suggestions to make the presentation skills workshops more fruitful. They recommended repeating the workshops because of the benefits they provided. Also, some students suggested including presentations as part of their assessment in various subjects. These points are illustrated in the following excerpts:

  • S5. “More of these shows to develop students’ skills.”
  • S12. “More of these workshops because it is of great benefit to the student.”
  • S15. “We hope that the distinguished doctors include this participation in all subjects and integrate it into monthly grades.”
  • S17. “I hope this beautiful event continues.”
  • S19. “I suggest that this offer be weekly in order to benefit more.”

This research investigated the impact of a training program mediated by the Blackboard platform on improving EFL students’ presentation skills. Based on the results, the students who engaged in the intervention attained significant improvements in their scores for their presentation skills post-treatment compared to pre-treatment in all five domains: organization, content, communication, delivery, and enthusiasm. This indicates the effectiveness of the intervention.

Several factors may have contributed to this result, such as the integration of the Blackboard platform, enhanced motivation, reduced anxiety, stress, and tension, and the students’ recognition of the need to improve their speaking and presentation skills. The integration of Blackboard contributed to the effectiveness of the program as it is user-friendly, free, and accessible to users, regardless of place and time. Moreover, the training sessions were recorded and the students could refer to them at any time. In addition, the students were motivated to participate and engage due to their need to improve their presentation skills, as evidenced in the interviews. The analysis of the interviewees’ responses revealed that they found the intervention program a very good means of refining their presentation skills. They enjoyed the experience and reported it assisted them in facing their fear of speaking in front of the public and improving their body language, speaking skills, and self-confidence. In addition, they learned to interact with the audience and attract attention.

The results of this research are consistent with previous studies. Similar to this intervention, research has found that presentation qualities like eye contact, body posture, and voice aid English-speaking abilities [ 42 ], and project-based learning using presentation can significantly affect students’ speaking skills [ 55 ], with students’ oral presentation skills improving significantly after instruction due to enhanced confidence and the experience of speaking in front of a crowd [ 14 ]. As in this study, previous research has reported participants favoring a multimedia design [ 15 ], which improves students’ confidence [ 52 ], and also collaborative learning, as it enables the co-construction of knowledge and skills [ 56 ]. Such courses can enhance students’ oral presentation abilities and vocabulary uptake/retention levels [ 54 ], as well as making them more enthusiastic, motivated, and eager to produce outstanding presentations as they grow more self-assured and relaxed. In addition, these results are consistent with Brooks [ 61 ], who showed that oral presentation allows learners to use their second language to communicate with others naturally. De Grez [ 62 ] also suggested that students are highly motivated to learn how to present. In terms of the use of technology, this study employed Blackboard to facilitate deliver of the intervention program, which may have helped improve students’ performance [ 15 ]. This result accords with previous studies that used technology to improve students’ speaking and presentation skills, employing a multimedia approach [ 51 – 57 ].

The results of this study also support the claim of social cognitive theory that learners require exposure and practice to enhance their acquisition of skills that will help them in their future careers. In this research, the participants observed how others (trainer and peers) behaved, stored this knowledge, and used it to change their behavior when presenting post-intervention. Thus, learners can refine their behavior based on observation and experience. The training program allowed the participants room for exposure and practice in presenting themselves properly. They learned how to organize their presentations, engage the audience, and deliver content effectively, as well as to present with enthusiasm.

According to Bandura [ 63 ], “man’s capacity to learn by observation enables him to acquire large, integrated units of behavior by example without having to build up the pattern gradually by tedious trial and error” (p. 2). Alshobramy argues that the application of social learning theory can naturally increase speaking ability by providing innovative and adaptable learning experiences [ 52 ]. Hence, consistent with theory, this study supports the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the labor market needs of skilled graduates in enabling them to design and deliver effective presentations.

This research focused on enhancing undergraduates’ (life-long) presentation skills through a Blackboard-mediated intervention program. In contrast to prior research that employed ICT-mediated programs to develop presentation skills and found EFL learners experienced difficulties in terms of anxiety, learning issues, language competence, and media access [ 55 , 57 – 60 ], the results of this study showed that the learners’ levels of fear, learning problems, and access issues decreased during the intervention. Also, the program proved highly effective in improving the EFL participants’ presentation skills, and their attitudes and feedback were positive. Therefore, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by presenting evidence of the value of utilizing technology, specifically Blackboard, in a planned program to improve students’ presentation skills, which are in great demand in the labor market.

Students who master English will have an added advantage if they possess presentation skills and their job opportunities will be greater. Accordingly, this study argues the need to include presentation skills as part of students’ course assessment. In addition, technology can play a role in enhancing students’ presentation skills; they can utilize technology to record themselves and to review their mistakes, and thus improve their performance.

This research has certain limitations, most notably the participants’ gender; all the participants were male due to the gender-based segregation in Saudi higher education. Moreover, the relatively small number of participants means the findings are not generalizable. In this regard, similar studies could be undertaken in different contexts employing the same interventional program and tools—or similar—and enable the comparison of results. In Saudi Arabia, given the effectiveness of the intervention in this study, it is recommended that stakeholders conduct more workshops on presentation skills, as they support the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and address the needs of the labor market. Further research and pedagogical practice could consider a range of methods, such as peer and self-assessment, to measure students’ acquisition of presentation skills. Finally, more research is needed to focus on comparing students’ competence and performance in presentation skills.

Funding Statement

Yes, this work was financed by the Deputy for Research and Innovation- Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through a grant (NU/IFC/02/002). The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or the preparation of the manuscript.

Data Availability

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