english language presentation skills for non native speakers

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3 Tips for Presenting in English When You’re Not a Native Speaker

• Deborah Grayson Riegel

Spend most of your time practicing, not perfecting your slides.

Many leaders quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of them — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their native language — the stakes and the stress can feel even higher. Meanwhile, the need for leaders to be able to present in English is required for global collaboration. There are several strategies nonnative English speakers can employ to help them feel more confident before, during, and after a presentation. Rehearsal and repetition are crucial steps. The goal here is “overlearning” your presentation. This will help your presentation to become embedded in your long-term memory and therefore less susceptible to the effects of stress. It will also help you speak spontaneously, if you can trust that your core content is safely stored (and able to be retrieved) from your long-term memory. Don’t agonize about your accent, but do slow your speaking speed. And pause early and often, which serves two benefits – first, to help your audience comprehend your message, and second, to give you a break.

As a coach and international business school instructor, I have worked with hundreds of current and future leaders who are accomplished, bright, and capable — and who quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of these leaders — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their native language — the stakes and the stress can feel even higher. Meanwhile, the need for leaders to be able to present in English is growing at a rapid pace. According to Harvard Business School Associate Professor Tsedal Neely , author of The Language of Global Success , “English is required for global collaboration and global work.”

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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Three Simple Ways Non-Native English Speakers Can Improve Their Presentation Skills

Public speaking is a necessary but often dreaded part of almost everyone’s job. If you’re a technical professional whose first language is not English, you may find the prospect of speaking before an English-speaking audience particularly nerve-wracking. 

According to Deborah Grayson Riegel, co-author of the book Tips of the Tongue: The Nonnative English Speaker’s Guide to Mastering Public Speaking , writing in Harvard Business Review, it’s normal for these professionals to be great at their jobs but lose confidence when they have to talk in front of an audience. If you’re experiencing this problem, Grayson Riegel recommends these tips for sharpening your presentation skills:

Over-learn your presentation: Many non-native English speakers report spending much more time preparing their PowerPoint slides than they do practicing what they will say, according to Grayson Riegel. Instead of spending endless hours on your slide deck, make time to rehearse your presentation and do so repeatedly. This will go much further in helping you prepare for the moment you are up before a live audience. 

“The goal here is ‘overlearning’ your presentation — pushing on with practice even when it seems like you’ve done enough,” writes Grayson Riegel. “This will help your presentation to become embedded in your long-term memory and therefore less susceptible to the effects of stress. It will also help you speak spontaneously, if you can trust that your core content is safely stored (and able to be retrieved) from your long-term memory.”

Speak slowly: As a non-native speaker of English, you may be self-conscious about your accent. You’re not alone. Even native speakers can have heavy regional dialects that make them self-conscious during presentations. However, it’s important to keep in mind that pronounced accents and dialects can impede an audience’s ability to understand you. But don’t worry— you can help solve this problem simply by slowing down. 

“By slowing down your speaking pace, you help your audience to better manage the barriers to really hearing and understanding you,” states Grayson Riegel. The key is to make sure you take your time pronouncing your words to improve clarity. As the crowd becomes accustomed to your accent, they will be able to more easily understand you.

Take frequent pauses: When standing before an audience, it’s normal to get nervous. As such, you may feel a need to speed through your presentation. However, doing this will further impede your audience’s ability to understand you. In addition to talking slowly, be sure to take frequent pauses. Not only will this give your audience more time to process what you are saying, it will also give you a mental break to gather your thoughts, look at notes, and observe your audience’s faces. “You can also use a pause to build rapport with your audience by checking with them about your pace and pronunciation by saying something like, “Let me pause for a  moment here. I know that I am making complete sense to myself in [Spanish/French/Japanese/Hindi/your native language]. How am I doing in English?” Grayson Riegel writes. Not only does this help you through audience feedback, but it also gives you the chance to take a break. 

While you can certainly improve your presentation skills with these tips, taking courses specifically designed to improve technical English for non-native speakers can help you improve even more.

Improve Your Technical English

Available on IEEE Xplore and the IEEE Learning Network, IEEE English for Technical Professionals is an online learning program that uses real-life interactive scenarios to provide non-native speakers with a working knowledge of English techniques and vocabulary that are essential for today’s technical workplace. Designed to help learners master essential English skills, this mobile-friendly program is ideal for both working professionals, as well as students who are preparing to enter the field.

Enable technical professionals whose first language is not English to improve their language skills in a way that fits the needs and priorities of working adults in technical fields. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn more about this program and how to get access to it for your organization.

Interested in the program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.

Riegel, Deborah Grayson. (6 April 2018). 3 Tips for Presenting in English When You’re Not a Native Speaker . Harvard Business Review.

communication , communication skills , engineering professional , english , english for technical professionals

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Beyond Language Barriers: A Non-Native English Speaker's Guide to Powerful Presentations

I'm delighted to have guest contributor, Aaron Yamamoto, provide his perspective on how non-native English speakers can successfully prepare for and deliver a great presentation. Aaron's bio and contact info can be found at the end of the post.

What Makes a Successful Presentation?

The best way to share your information with your audience depends entirely on the situation. While TED-talk style interactive presentations might sound cool, they are a poor format when you need to bring across very detailed information or share the latest financial figures or research results.

Conversely, when your aim is to move your audience to action and inspire them, overloading them with data-heavy consulting-style documents will also be off-putting. The truth of the matter is most everyday business presentations will land somewhere in between - combining the right level of content with some visuals that make the content more engaging is key.

Check out a few of the presentation design ideas here for inspiration on what a great balance can look like. By following this balanced approach, you will be able to create a successful presentation document in 90% of situations.

As a non-native speaker, having a few more words on the page will help you for the actual presentation, as you will have pointers on what to say. Keep that in mind as we dive into how to create a great document and present it in a way to grab the audience's attention.

Top 5 Skills Successful Non-Native Presenters Have

If you are a non-native speaker like me, you might feel you are at an immediate disadvantage when having to share documents and data in a foreign language, in this case, English. It is important to remember that the fact you are attempting to deliver a presentation in a language other than your mother tongue is an amazing feat and achievement on its own, and it is important to feel this confidence as you get into the preparation and delivery of your document.

Successful non-native presenters have some winning skills in common, and by honing these for yourself, you can ensure your document and presentation will be very well received.

1. Diligent preparation

Non-native speakers know they cannot make a presentation up, and their chance to "talk their way out of a difficult situation" is harder than if they had to do it in their native language. That is why you will not find them doing a quick last-minute rush of putting together a few thoughtless words like a few native-speaker presenters do. Instead, non-native speakers take the time necessary to plan and prepare their documents properly, reviewing them multiple times until they have them just right. Furthermore, they will do the homework, comb through all relevant data, and double-check that all facts, data, and figures are accurate.

2. Clear structure

Non-native speakers know that it is vitally important for the audience to be able to follow them - even if their sentences might be a bit different or their accents sometimes harder to understand. The key to that is the structure: by making the document and presentation very clearly structured, it becomes easier for the audience to follow. A few ways to organize and structure information include:

• Timeline structuring: tell the story based on the actual timeline when it happened. This is great for presentations on the history of a company or a deal
• Problem-Solution structuring: here, the starting problem or question is explained, and then how it can be/was resolved. This is great when explaining how to address a challenge, like low revenue in the business report, or a failed experiment during scientific research
• Numbered structuring: similar to this chapter, it helps the audience to be prepared if you tell them how many points you will have. At the beginning of this segment, I told you we would be looking into the 5 top skills successful non-native presenters have. We are now at number 2 out of the 5, and I am sure it will be much easier for you to remember the points I am sharing here, as it will be anchored in your head around the number 5. You might not remember all of them in the end, but chances are high you will remember many, making this a successful way of sharing information.

You can learn more about structuring in this post about How To Structure Anything

3. Professional language

Non-native speakers know that sounding professional and confident in both their written communication and oral presentations can give them an edge at work. Therefore, non-native speakers take great caution in choosing the right words since they may not be familiar with more casual expressions. This helps avoid fluffy language and buzzwords, which are hallmarks of overconfident presenters with little content depth.

4. Combining words with powerful images

Non-native speakers know they need the words on the document to help guide them during the presentation - but also that images can carry a lot of the meaning and aid the audience in understanding, even if their sentences are not perfect. This is why they carefully choose visual elements that go along well with the words in their presentation. Don't forget: not just a light background or dark background, text boxes, and visual elements such as pictures and graphics can be visually appealing. Especially the white space, "the nothing" in between words and pictures can help in structuring and conveying the meaning and ideas.

5. Humility and resourcefulness

Last but not least is a trait or mindset that many successful non-native speakers have in common: humility and resourcefulness. They know they are not perfect, and they may stumble over words, but they are also not too proud to leverage help where possible. This is why they often use tools that can support them, such as spelling and grammar checks through Grammarly and even more advanced tools like JasperAi. More about great tools that can help non-native speakers can be found in this guide on the best AI tools and further down in this blog post.

Step-By-Step Guide for Making and Delivering a Successful Presentation

The ideation: how to create a good outline from a blank presentation, 1. brainstorm your ideas.

At the beginning of a presentation, it can be difficult to start with an empty slide – that's why successful presenters always brainstorm their ideas before starting with the actual outline.

To help you get started, go through open-ended questions like: What is the goal of this presentation? Who is my audience? What information do I need to include?

2. Create a basic structure

Once you have all the necessary information, create a skeleton outline of the presentation. This helps identify topics and order so that the flow of the presentation is logical and easy for the audience. Refer to different structuring techniques. A simple "Introduction - Main part for today - Outlook" is a decent structure to start with.

My personal recommendation is to do this in a simple table with 2 columns, with column 1 labeled "main point" and column 2 labeled "content." Each row represents one major point to bring across, for example, row one could have under "main point": Sales forecast 2025.

3. Build on the structure

Once you have the basic outline, you can start to fill in the gaps with more detailed content. What is the main content that needs to be described in order to support the key content outlined for every point? This is where additional research and reading come in handy – to make sure that all points are supported by evidence or examples and that the presentation has enough depth for a better understanding of the topic.

The writing: how to write good content like a native speaker

Unless you have been in an English-speaking environment for a long time, chances are writing a perfect native-English-sounding text is a challenge for you. It certainly is for me. This is where having the small but incredible book The Elements Of Style by Strunk and White next to your laptop will come in incredibly helpful. It will ensure your grammar is top-notch. You can further boost the grammar through digital tools - my favorite (and free) choice is Grammarly . You can also consider using a professional writing and copyediting tool such as JasperAi , which cannot only complete sentences for you, but also can suggest an outline for you, write lists, and more. I have been using both tools to write this blog post. It is still all my thoughts and ideas, but perhaps a bit more fluently expressed.

Outside of the incorrect spelling and grammar, it is key to remember less is more - don't overload your document with unnecessary sentences and words. The shorter you keep your messages, the more natural and effortless they will sound.

The design: how to make a great PowerPoint presentation

Coming back to the point mentioned before, it is important to keep your presentations simple and try to focus on one key topic per page. Have a short and clear title, so your audience knows what your page is about. Explain the content in as few words as possible, and avoid fluff and filler words. Bullet points (also called bullet lists) work very well. Avoid serif fonts (the ones with the extra lines in the letters), and stick to simple fonts like Arial and mind your font size. The content on your PowerPoint slide should not be below a font size of 12 in Arial. Compliment your text with a few well-fitting visuals, don't add random pictures of sunsets when your text is on the latest business performance.

The practice: how to prepare for the big day

You will only be able to deliver a great presentation if you have prepared well before the big day. Read through your text multiple times and make sure you are familiar with all of its contents. If needed, write out notes for each slide so that you don't forget about vital points during the presentation. It is also important to practice a few times in front of a mirror or, even better yet, in front of family and friends. This way, you can gain an understanding of the time it takes to read through the content and make sure you are able to memorize your key points and phrases. I also like to record myself on my phone and watch the recording. It is super embarrassing at first but makes me realize quickly what to tweak.

The delivery: how to present confidently

Finally, don't forget that confidence is key: if you look confident and speak with clarity, most people won't mind that you stumble over a word here and there. To this point, I recommend you to watch this TED talk on power posing - " Fake It Till You Make It ". Spend a moment before your presentation in such a powerful pose. If you cannot do it in public, why not head for the bathroom where nobody will look at you. It might sound a bit wacky, but bringing your body into a confident position will do wonders for your self-confidence

Getting Started: a Few Resources To Help You

Writing tools.

Grammarly is a free spell-checker that you can install on your desktop and use as a browser plugin. No matter what and where you write text, it will automatically (in the background) check your sentences and highlights any words and phrases that need to be improved. There is a premium version that helps you even more with the tone and such, but I personally am fine with the free version.

ChatGPT4 , the latest release from the renowned AI tool , has added some incredible features to its repertoire. It can now create text in any language and style – a powerful asset for brainstorming projects! Though this automated writing assistance is invaluable, you'll want to ensure that it's used as a supplemental aid since ChaptGPT (and most AI tools) output is easily identified with an AI detector. Additionally, be sure to fact-check your generated content; though useful for jumpstarting ideas creation processes, sometimes wild facts are concocted by these machines!

Jasper is a unique AI tool that can help you brainstorm ideas for your PowerPoint presentation. It works by analyzing the inputs to discover patterns or relationships between factors, which you can then utilize in crafting your presentations. Additionally, JasperAI provides a library of ready-made templates that you can modify to fit your needs. These features make it a great choice for brainstorming creative and effective presentations.

How-to-guides and blog posts

• How to Create a Persuasive Presentation with ChatGPT
• How to Prompt ChatGPT while using PowerPoint
• The art of the headline: How to make your PowerPoint slides stand out
• MBA Business Presentation Design for New Grads and Non-Business Majors
• Mastering Audience Engagement: The Ultimate Guide to Captivating Presentations
• Fake It Till You Make It
• A word game to communicate in any language
• Presenting in English When English Isn't Your Native Language
• How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking

About the Author

Aaron Yamamoto

Aaron is the founder of jiishinya. where he helps people independent of their gender, background, or education, achieve success financially and privately. Despite learning English much later in his life (his native language is Japanese), he has been able to successfully navigate the professional business world in English.

how to give the perfect presentation

Presentation language for non-native speakers, useful expressions for non-native speakers giving presentations.

Presenting well is a challenge for everyone. As a non-native English speaker, you may find it particularly frightening to do presentations in English. The table below will help you learn the English phrases and expressions you need to deliver more effective presentations. You don’t need to learn all of them; read them aloud and mark just the one or two expressions, in each category, that you feel most comfortable with. Then, use them as you rehearse for your upcoming presentations.

Introduction

About presentation prep.

Being able to speak in public can change your life! Presentation Prep is your complete, free guide to delivering speeches, lectures, and presentations more successfully and confidently. Whether you're a native English-speaker who suffers from public speaking anxiety, or a non-native speaker who needs guidelines for presenting to international audiences, this site will give you everything you need. Presentation Prep is written by Rebecca Ezekiel, an experienced corporate trainer who specializes in the areas of communications, presentations, and cross-cultural skills. Her online English language training videos are watched by millions of students worldwide.

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Presentation skills for non-native english speakers, date: , location: .

Do you lack confidence when presenting in English rather than in your native language? This workshop will offer you a supportive environment to learn some basic principles of public speaking. These tools will help you build your confidence when presenting in English, and help you overcome your fears, doubts, and negative self-talk. This program will foster tapping into your authentic self while allowing you to connect with your communication partner—even if your primary languages are not the same.

This session will be offered online using Zoom, which can be accessed on your computer or phone. Instructions will be provided with your confirmation.

About the Presenter: Jill Slye Jill Slye teaches multiple courses and professional development programs on Public Speaking, Professional Presenting, and Leadership Communication at Harvard University Extension School. She recently accepted a position teaching at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, offering the MMSc students a year long course on Leadership Communication. Her courses attract diverse people from around the globe.

Additionally, she owns her own coaching company and her clients consist of employees and executives from marketing firms, hospitals, technology companies, and non-profit organizations. Her programs focus on techniques to improve public speaking and effective communication skills. Jill’s thirty years of business experience in sales, management, and marketing provide the basis for her understanding of her audience and enhance her ability to relate to her clients and students.

In 2020 Jill was honored with the Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Extension School and she released her first book, "Reinvesting in Your Rhetoric."

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4 Public Speaking Skills for Non-native Speakers of English

Angela Elbanna, M.S.Ed.

Learning Objectives

• Understand that prior knowledge is an asset.
• Recognize the value of group work.
• Differentiate between accent reduction and clarity.
• Recognize and be able to describe the benefits of outlining.
• Create and use mind maps.

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” – Chinese proverb

Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

A non-native speaker of English brings an abundance of culture, knowledge, and diversity to the classroom. By engaging and promoting cross-cultural knowledge, we can enhance our classrooms for all students. According to the Education Technology leader Cengage, “Non-native speakers of English enrich the traditional public speaking class by challenging other students and instructors to think about public speaking within the broader context of the many diverse voices that are increasingly a part of the American “chorus.” The EAL  population is steadily increasing; as a result speech instructors need to be prepared to meet the needs of this diverse, growing population. Viewing this growth as an opportunity to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity would serve and enhance the education of all students. This chapter provides information and suggestions on how to actively engage EAL students in a public speaking classroom while meeting learning outcomes.

Culture Shock and Anxiety

Ask any student if they are excited about taking a Speech course, and the answer will probably be “No!” We know that public speaking can be a source of great anxiety to many people, even people who are native speakers of English. Non-native speakers of English may be doubly worried about public speaking. Not only are they dealing with all of the anxiety and stress that goes along with public speaking, but in addition they may also feel anxiety about their level of fluency in English and their accent. It is important to note that having an accent does not make you a ‘bad’ speaker. On the contrary, having an accent signifies that you have something that most Americans don’t…a second language! That is something to be proud of. So don’t strive to hide your accent, but embrace it! This may seem easier said than done, and we will go into further detail on accents later in this chapter. In the meantime, the following techniques can help you overcome communication anxiety and make the speech process easier:

• Accept that being nervous isn’t a bad thing
• Know your topic well
• Do some breathing exercises (
• Engage in relaxation activities/yoga
• Visualize your success
• Organize your material
• Practice! Practice often, and out loud.
• Reach out for support

Benefits of Group Work

As a student, you may often groan when your professor announces group work. The idea of working with others may seem inefficient or more time-consuming than working alone, and students who have had bad group-work experiences in the past may be hesitant to embrace the idea of working with classmates. However, there are countless studies that  provide strong scientific support for the benefits of group work. Studies also show the benefits of group work in lessening communication anxiety. Working with peers can help students relax and give them the opportunity to freely express their feelings without the pressure of the entire class and the instructor observing them. Within small groups (approximately 2-6) students can give feedback and encourage each other. While it may be tempting to form small groups based on cultural background, this may actually hinder language progression because students may be tempted to speak in their native language. Create groups with a variety of cultural backgrounds as well as levels of fluency so that the maximum benefits can be attainted. It is also helpful to assign a group leader, someone whose language skills are strong enough to guide the group through the task.

Accents and Pronunciation

BMCC Student describing her experience learning English:

I started studying English when I was 7. It’s mandatory in Sweden that children learn it, and most people study it in school for 10-11 years. I decided to study an extra year, the highest level available before university, so I ended up taking English for a total of 12 years in school. When I graduated “high school”, my skills in English were good, I had excellent grades and I considered myself very proficient when it came to reading and listening comprehension, oral presentation, and writing. About one year after graduation, I had gone through the process of becoming an au pair, and I arrived on American soil for the first time in August 2018. I had never spoken English daily before and was nervous about messing it up and not making myself understood, despite knowing that my English was still excellent. I practiced every day and became more comfortable talking, and my vocabulary and pronunciation became better. Still, after maybe a month or so, my jaw started to ache a lot. I couldn’t figure out what was going on and why I had to try and relax my jaw once it began to ache. The more I thought about it, I realized the pain or discomfort usually came at the end of the day when I had done a lot of talking. The thought hit me that maybe it was hurting because I was speaking another language, with another rhythm, and in order to sound native, I was moving my jaw more than when speaking Swedish. Swedish is a language when we use our lips, tongue, and sometimes our throat to form sounds. I found that I had to move my jaw more when trying to sound like a native English speaker than I had ever done speaking Swedish back at home. After some time, my jaw stopped aching, even after long days of speaking, but I found it fascinating that languages require different movements and techniques.

Pronunciation refers to the ability to use the correct stress, rhythm, and intonation of a word in a spoken language. Basically it is how we make the sounds of words. In order to speak, we expel the air from our lungs and through our throats; this air then passes across our vocal chords, over the tongue, and and through the teeth and lips. The muscles in our mouths, tongue, and lips control the way we shape the flow of air. If the shape of the mouth controls airflow correctly, the words will be pronounced correctly.

Speakers whose native language is not English use different muscles of the mouth for pronunciation. According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, an accent is “a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.” Your accent is the unique way the muscles of your mouth shape the language you speak based on your first language. Basically your accent is how you sound when you speak.   I mentioned that everyone has an accent, but how is this possible? There are two types of accents: foreign and the way a group of people speak their native language. Foregin accents are a result of someone speaking one language while using the rules and sounds of another language. For example, in Spanish there is no distinction between long and short vowels. Spanish speakers tend to stretch out vowel sounds and confuse pairs of short and long English vowels. Words like “ship” and “sheep” may be pronounced the same by a Spanish speaker because they are stretching out the vowels equally in both words. Spanish speakers also tend to add an ‘e’ sound to the beginning of words that start with a consonant. For example, instead of saying ‘school’ a Spanish speaker commonly says ‘eschool’ because they are following the rules of the Spanish language and applying it to English. By applying rules from their native language to English, ESL students may sound “foreign” to native English speakers. This is called a foreign accent.

It makes sense for foreigners to have an accent because they have a language other than English as their primary language. But how do Americans have accents? If they all speak English as their main language, how is it possible to have an accent? This is possible because people have accents based on where they were raised, where they live, and the social groups that they belong to; these are called regional dialects. Researchers identify at least five distinctive American accents with as many as twenty four dialects! It is clear that someone who is from Texas speaks very differently from someone from Boston. They are both speaking in English, yet a clear, distinctive accent is evident. Besides there being a difference in accent, which as we said is how someone pronounces a word, there are numerous dialects of English. According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, a dialect is a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group. Basically, a dialect includes vocabulary and grammar along with pronunciation.

The bottom line is that English Language Learners face a lot of confusing factors beyond the basics of learning the English language. As you have learned, even native born American speakers of English have accents. Josh Katz, the author of “Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide” says:

No matter how much media we consume, we inevitably acquire the speech patterns of the people we surround ourselves with. Our parents, our siblings, and our childhood friends have an impact that far outweighs any homogenizing effects of television, film, or the internet. The words we use will continue to reveal the contours of our cultural geography, as each ensuing generation redefines what it means to speak American (Katz 197).

Indeed language is not static, it is constantly changing. Even native speakers of English have accents. There is no such a thing as a simple American accent. English Language Learners should not be intimidated or made to feel that they are “wrong” because they have an accent.

Accent Modification

“Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.”― Amy Chu

In recent years there has been growing controversy over the rise in accent reduction or accent modification services offered to ESL students. According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), accent modification is a service that individuals seek to decrease or modify their accent. It involves pronunciation training that modifies speech patterns. The service is controversial because many non-native English speakers try to reduce their foreign accent to sound more “American,” which can be seen as devaluing their own language and culture. The term “accent reduction” implies that there is something wrong with a foreign accent. Opponents of accent reduction training argue that rather than reducing or eliminating an accent, English Language Learners should aim for clarity in their pronunciation. As long as the speaker is clear and understandable, accent reduction training is unnecessary. Most English Language Learners have the goal of reducing their accent in order to be understood easily. Rather than feel that their accent is “wrong”, EAL students should aim for clarity in their speech.

Communicating with Clarity

• Know what it is you are trying to say before you say it. In other words, think before you speak. Consider what your topic is and ask yourself what is the information that you are actually trying to convey to your audience. Once you know what it is that you would like to get across, then you can choose appropriate vocabulary to help you communicate your message.
• Use simple language. Don’t use large, unfamiliar words when simple words will do. While you may be trying to impress your audience with your large vocabulary, pronouncing unfamiliar words incorrectly may hurt your credibility as well as distract your audience.
• Speak slowly. Often speakers speak at a very fast rate because they are nervous and just want to get the experience over with; the result is an unintelligible speech. By slowing your rate of speaking, you give yourself time to pronounce sounds accurately and you also give your audience a chance to comprehend and reflect on what you’ve said.
• Global connections. Reach out to your audience by sharing a personal story or anecdote. Not only do studies show that audiences relate better to presenters who share stories or personal information, but they help connect us. Take advantage of the fact that you are in a diverse environment and use the opportunity to expand your audience’s horizons. In turn, you will learn a lot from diverse speakers as well.
• Practice, Practice, and then Practice again! There is nothing worse for an audience member than listening to a speech when it is the first time the speaker has delivered it! Practice ahead of time, identify the words that you have difficulty pronouncing and listen to the dictionary pronunciation of them. This is a time when having a group for support is beneficial because group members can listen to you practicing and help you correct unclear pronunciation. It may also be helpful to record yourself practicing and watch the recording.
• Use Presentation Aids. Good presentation aids can help you get your message across and visually engage your audience. Studies show people remember more when presented information both visually and verbally. Presentation aids are particularly helpful to EAL students because they can help them remember key vocabulary words.

Imagine that you wanted to build a house. You have a beautiful piece of land and decide that you are knowledgeable enough to build your dream home yourself. Do you go to the hardware store, buy some wood and nails and start building? Or do you first plan how the house will look? How many rooms will it have? How large will it be? Based on these answers you probably would draw or design a layout of the house; this is called a blueprint. Just as no builder ever starts buying materials and throwing them together without a blueprint, writers should also have a layout or a plan for what should be included in their speech. We call this an outline.

Outlining is an important tool for both writers and public speakers. Outlining allows you to visually look at your information and decide what to put in, what to keep out, allows you to see if you are being repetitive, or if you are missing an important point.  It may seem like an unnecessary step when you want to just start typing away, but in reality, taking the time to outline will save you a lot of time overall. Just as a builder organizes their materials and sees if things fit well together, an outline helps writers and speakers organize their thoughts and visually see them on paper without the hassle of having to write out complete sentences or paragraphs. Outlines are great because short phrases are sufficient for seeing if ideas actually connect and if the overall information included relates back to your topic or thesis.

English Language Learners may have a difficult time with the idea of outlining because in many cultures, discourse patterns are not linear, which means that structuring may be difficult for EAL students that come from these cultures. As educator Tan Huynh states, “Many of my Asian students come from schools who practice a traditional approach to learning English that focuses on learning grammar rules.  They were not asked to create language – just to memorize it.” This approach, while successful in teaching grammar rules, does not help students with creating oral communication.  Outlining helps students produce language because they are free from the pressures of having to organize their thoughts while worrying about the mechanics of language.

Mind Mapping

One way to make the outlining process easier for non-native speakers of English is through the use of mind maps. Mind maps are a tool that can be used to brainstorm ideas and start building an outline. Mind mapping is a visual exercise that allows you to graphically organize your ideas. The basic idea behind a mind map is that there is a central, main idea. From that central idea, you start “branching” out and jotting down whatever ideas you think connect to this central idea. Think of mind mapping as visual note-taking, all mind maps have a natural hierarchical structure that radiates from the center and uses lines, symbols, words, phrases, and color to actually “map out” what ideas and thoughts you may have. When you are finished, you will have a colorful and probably messy diagram that you can examine and use to determine which parts of your map actually do relate to your central topic, what are the most important points to include and what order will you include them in? Mind mapping is a creative way to generate key points and can lead to a free flow of ideas. Because it is unstructured, it can be a very valuable tool for non-native speakers of English.

There are many online programs that students can now use to create mind maps digitally. View the sample mind map below:

• Choose a general topic.
• Place that main topic in the center and draw lines or “branches” from the central topic. Draw as many branches as needed and jot down whatever words or phrases come to mind. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar! The point is to brainstorm and get down whatever thoughts come to mind.
• Then create sub-branches that extend from the main branches to further develop your ideas.
• Feel free to even draw pictures and use colors to help you organize your ideas.
• Your finished map can then be used to see if your ideas actually relate back to the main topic and can help you decide which subpoints you would like to include in your speech.

Outlining may seem like a tedious, unnecessary task for many students. For non-native speakers of English, it may actually be difficult for language structuring reasons. Mind mapping is a useful tool that allows students to creatively brainstorm their topics and make connections without being hindered with grammar and other language mechanics at the start of the process. Mind mapping offers an excellent starting point for reviewing and regrouping key ideas.

Taking a public speaking class is a daunting experience for any student. Most people simply do not like the idea of giving speeches in front of an audience. If you are a native speaker of English listening to a non-native speaker of English give a speech, place yourself in their shoes. Imagine how difficult it must be for your classmate to not only face the challenge of public speaking but to do so in a new, unfamiliar language. Be patient as you listen and if you don’t understand something that is said, politely ask for clarification. Look at the situation as an opportunity to learn from your classmate as you are exposed to diverse speakers.

If you are a non-native speaker of English then take comfort in the fact that even native speakers get nervous about public speaking. Having communication anxiety is something that many people experience regardless of language proficiency. Use the Public Speaking classroom as an opportunity to expand your English language skills. You can benefit greatly from watching your classmates present, researching and outlining your own material, practicing speaking and listening skills with group members, and exposing yourself to diverse viewpoints in a multicultural classroom.

The goals of public speaking classrooms are to help all students enhance and improve their communication skills. By empowering our voices we can transform and deliver high impact presentations that will allow our messages to be heard beyond the classroom.

Student Voices

Tanzil Fatima, a community and human health and biology major and an international student from Pakistan, studied at UWC Pearson College in Canada. It wasn’t until she arrived at OU that she said she started feeling conscious of her accent:

“The first two weeks were a roller coaster,” Fatima said. “Every time it would be a lot of different things about me — my skin color or the country that I come from, my accent or just a variety of different things. People were like, ‘Oh, where are you from? You have a unique accent,’ (and) I’m like, ‘Okay, I don’t know what that means.’” Patterns emerged in people’s comments regarding Fatima’s accent, including phrases like “you speak English very well.” She said she became aware of the different connotations it had — from someone being genuinely interested in her to simply being microaggressive. “For some people, (it) is just a compliment, for (others, it is) like, ‘Oh you speak English well for the race you come from, or for the country you come from, or you speak well compared to other people who look like you’,” Fatima said. “So, it depends if it’s a microaggression or not, and I feel like this is one of the biggest indicators of discrimination in language.”

(https://www.oudaily.com/news/the-accent-tells-where-im-from-the-accent-tells-my-story-ou-international-students-discuss/article_42358248-d8f7-11eb-b7a5-c3bb129bb178.html)

I came to the United States in the Summer of 2006. I was only 6 years old at the time. All I remember was saying  goodbye to my family members in Mexico, I was crying in confusion. When I arrived here in the United States, I was really confused, it was like I was on a totally different planet. I went from having a wide-open space to being in an apartment. And I couldn’t understand anything except my mother, who spoke Spanish. When September came, my mom had already registered to the elementary school P.S 169. I was so nervous because I didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak their language. My first day of first grade was frightening. I was nervous but I didn’t cry the first day. I went to school for about a week. That first week was a nightmare, I had no idea what was happening. I couldn’t keep up with my work. I had no friends and would be made fun of. I would cry every day, begging my mom to take me home.One of my ESL teachers, who took me out for small group work, saw the amount of stress everything was causing me. My ESL teacher with other school administrators suggested that my mother, putting me back in kindergarten. They told her that it would be the best choice for me since it was still the beginning of the school year, and it would have helped me pick up the language easily and faster. Now I realized it was the best decision, but back then I hated it, I would cry every day because I was sent back to kindergarten, I was the tallest girl there, the kids made fun of me. And I felt like everyone thought I was dumb. The teacher was really nice and made sure I was ok. That helped me so much. I started learning new songs, phonics and learned to read, and slowly started to learn and understand. And I had ESL up until the 3rd grade. My English is not perfect, but I can’t thank my mother enough for how grateful I am to be here. And see the number of opportunities I have speaking, writing, and understanding two languages. This is also a reason I want to be a Bilingual Childhood Education Teacher, to help those kids who are learning English as  their second language and be able to teach in my primary language.

Key Takeaways

• Prior knowledge is an asset and helps create a multicultural learning environment.
• Group work is beneficial to EAL students by boosting confidence and  helping students practice language skills.
• Communicating with clarity should be a goal for all public speakers.
• Outlining offers students many benefits in speech preparation. Mind maps are a great way to start an outline.

Class Activities

• Choose a topic and create a mind map.
• Write an outline for your topic.
• Work with a small group and discuss how you may have been misunderstood due to your accent. Or have you ever misunderstood someone else’s accent?

Works Cited

Chua, Amy. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother , p.30, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.

Huynh, Tan. Empowering ELLs , 2016, https://www.empoweringells.com/a-10-teaching-ells-to-outline/. Accessed 24 June 2021.

Katz, Josh. Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide . Mariner Books, 2020. p. 197.

National Center for Education Statistics , May 2021, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgf. Accessed 15 June 2021.

Public Speaking Skills for Non-native Speakers of English Copyright © by Angela Elbanna, M.S.Ed. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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As well as including everything from our Complete Skills workshop, we will provide insight into the subtleties of the English language , and the impact applying the wrong synonym can have on your message. We’ll discuss the cultural differences that affect your sentence structure . Where required, we’ll also work with you on your pronunciation and intonation to ensure that your communication is as clear as possible.

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To help improve delegates develop their presentation skills, strengthen their Key Messages, and deliver these in a more effective and influential way to an English speaking audience. Working step by step through a presentation (please see ‘Pre-course Preparation’, below) delegates will deliver their enhanced presentation on Day 2. Delegates will be provided with tips, techniques, individual coaching and constructive feedback throughout.

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For practice purposes, you will be expected to bring along: i)  a 5 minute introductory presentation ii) a 10 minute, work-related presentation or a subject that you have to/will have to speak on, which you have designed. You will work on this presentation during the course. (As this is a learning environment, we would ask that presentations are not longer than 10 minutes.)

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• 7 Tips for Improving English Speaking Skills for Non-Native Speakers of English

How to Improve English Speaking Skills to Speak Clearly and Be Understood

Non-native speakers of English can experience difficulties in delivering their message when speaking to a group of people on stage, in a board room or during one-on-one conversations.

Non-native speakers might hear things like “I don’t understand what you are saying” or “You have a heavy accent”. If you are a non-native speaker of English struggling with your accent, here are 7 tips you can use to improve your English speaking skills and change the way you communicate:

1. Record yourself

Record what you are saying during your next presentation and listen to it. . When you record yourself, you will pick up on things that you might not have noticed before. Ask a native speaker of English to listen to it. Identify the words that are hard to hear or understand. Practice pronouncing these words and using them in a sentence. This will help you improve your presentation skills .

2. Take Accent Reduction and Pronunciation Course for Non-native Speakers of English

Take accent reduction classes to improve your pronunciation so others can understand what you are saying. When you sound clear and articulate, others will listen. An Accent Reduction Course will help you reduce your accent, build confidence and get your point across clearly.

Improve English pronunciation to make sure you speak clearly, and people understand what you are saying. The more you speak like a native speaker, the easier it is for the locals to understand you.

3. Get a partner

Get a speaking partner who can help you improve English communication skills by helping you see and hear the things you are not picking up on. Someone who can call you out when you say a word wrong, aren’t pronouncing things correctly or using the wrong grammar.  Ask for feedback anytime you are speaking to get better at communicating.

4. Speak slower

If you speak too fast it slurs your words together and on top of your accent it can be hard to digest what you are saying. Remember slow down, pause, and enunciate your words.

5. Practice one sound at a time

Find the sound that is the hardest for you to say (V, R, W, Th or P). Practice just saying those sounds over and over again. Pick words that have those sounds in them and get your mouth comfortable with finding out how to properly say them without being distracting.

6. Find synonyms for words you can’t pronounce

There are words in English that are difficult to pronounce. Try to avoid them. Find words that are similar to them and use those instead.

7. Practice speaking English everyday

Practice Makes Perfect. Be confident and speak as often as possible to as many people as you possibly can! The more you practice the better and more confident you will become in your pronunciation and vocabulary . Remember, speaking is a skill like learning a musical instrument or new sport – the only way you can get good is to actually do it!

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Giving presentations can be challenging and uncomfortable—even more so when they are not in your native language. In this course, Liesje Sandler, an English coach at Speexx, teaches how to give a successful presentation that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Learn how to prepare a good presentation, master transitions during the presentation, and deal with questions. Plus, get tips and the necessary wording to ensure that the presentation runs smoothly from start to finish.

This course is part of a Business English for Non-Native Speakers series aimed at anyone with a basic knowledge of English who wants to improve their business English skills.