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

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

presentation in english tips

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

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

Table of contents

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

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

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

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

Let’s see how we can do that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What about my vocabulary? Should I use long words?

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

The truth is that simple is good .

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

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

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

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

Be aware of cultural differences when you present

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

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

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

presentation in english tips

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

What if my presentation is online?

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

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

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

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

Practise makes perfect

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ten tips for a great presentation

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

1 Speak slowly

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Use sentence stress to highlight important words

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

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

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

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

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

4 Start with a hook

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Find ways to make it interesting

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

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

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

6 Make it interactive

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

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

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

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

7 Use rhetorical questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

This means that rhetorical questions increase audience focus and interest.

8 Use signposting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 Predict what the audience will ask

Answering questions from the audience can also be scary!

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

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

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

“Feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions.”
“I'll try to answer all of your questions in a Q and A session after the presentation.”

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

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

10 Get inspired

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take any opportunity to present

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

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

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

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

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Impactfulenglish.com

52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , English Presentations , Vocabulary

English Presentations - Impactful English

Do you give English presentations at work, but feel that you could communicate your message in a more objective, fluid way?

Maybe you have an English presentation coming up and want to make sure that your speech is clear and structured so that your audience doesn’t lose concentration and stays with you all the way to the end.

A technique that can help you achieve objective, clear, and structured English presentations, is to use linking phrases that join the separate parts of your presentation together.

English presentations normally consist of an introduction, the main body, individual parts of the main body, and the ending or conclusion.

To help maintain your audience’s attention, you need to signal when you are going from one part to another.

In this article, I teach you 52 phrases that do exactly this – linking the different parts together, and therefore, making your presentation flow better. You’ll find that these phrases will act as ‘signposts’ for the audience when you finish one part and start another.

presentation in english tips

52 Phrases to Improve the Flow of Your English Presentations

The introduction.

All good presentations start with a strong introduction.

There are a number of different ways you can begin your English presentation. Here’s a simple, but effective introduction structure which works for most types of business presentations:

Introduce – Introduce yourself and greet your audience. Introduce the presentation topic – Explain the reasons for listening. Outline – Describe the main parts of the presentation. Question policy – Make it clear to your audience when they can ask questions: during or at the end?

Here are some phrases which you can use to structure the introduction in this way:

1. Good morning/afternoon (everyone) (ladies and gentlemen). 2. It’s a pleasure to welcome (the President) here. 3. I’m … (the Director of …)

Introduce the presentation topic

4. By the end of the talk/presentation/session, you’ll know how to… / …you will have learned about… / 5. I plan to say a few words about… 6. I’m going to talk about… 7. The subject of my talk is…

8. My talk will be in (three parts). 9. In the first part… 10. Then in the second part… 11. Finally, I’ll go on to talk about…

Question Policy

12. Please interrupt if you have any questions. 13. After my talk, there will be time for a discussion and any questions.

Mini-course: fluency and confidence

 Main Body

Now that you have finished the introduction, we now need to transition to the main body, and its individual parts in a smooth way.

There are three parts of the main body of a presentation where linking phrases can be used:

Beginning the Main Body Ending Parts within the Main Body Beginning a New Part

Here are some phrases which you can use for these parts:

Beginning the Main Body

14. Now let’s move to / turn to the first part of my talk which is about… 15. So, first… 16. To begin with…

Ending Parts within the Main Body

17. That completes/concludes… 18. That’s all (I want to say for now) on… 19. Ok, I’ve explained how…

Beginning a New Part

20. Let’s move to (the next part which is)… 21. So now we come to the next point, which is… 22. Now I want to describe… 23. Let’s turn to the next issue… 24. I’d now like to change direction and talk about…

Listing and Sequencing

If you need to talk about goals, challenges, and strategies in your English presentation, listing phrases can help link these together and improve the flow of your speech. If you have to explain processes, sequencing phrases are helpful:

25. There are three things to consider. First… Second… Third… 26. There are two kinds of… The first is… The second is… 27. We can see four advantages and two disadvantages. First, advantages… 28. One is… Another is… A third advantage is… Finally…

29. There are (four) different stages to the process. 30. First / then / next / after that / then (x) / after x there’s y. 31. There are two steps involved. The first step is… The second step is… 32. There are four stages to the project. 33. At the beginning, later, then, finally… 34. I’ll describe the development of the idea. First the background, then the present situation, and then the prospect for the future.

After you have presented the main body of your English presentation, you will want to end it smoothly.

Here are typical sections transitioning from the main body to the ending of the presentation, and then inviting the audience to ask questions:

Ending the Main Body Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion Concluding An Ending Phrase Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion Thanking the Audience

Ending the Main Body

35. Okay, that ends (the third part of) my talk. 36. That’s all I want to say for now on (the 2017 results).

Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion

37. To sum up… 38. Ok, in brief, there are several advantages and disadvantages. 39. To conclude… 40. I’d like to end by emphasizing the main points. 41. I’d like to end with a summary of the main points.

42. I think we have seen that we should… 43. In my opinion, we should… 44. I recommend/suggest that we… 45. There are three reasons why I recommend this. First, … / Second, … / Finally,…

An Ending Phrase

46. Well, I’ve covered the points that I needed to present today. 47. That sums up (my description of the new model). 48. That concludes my talk for today.

Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion

49. Now we have (half an hour) for questions and discussion. 50. So, now I’d be very interested to hear your comments.

Thanking the Audience

51. I’d like to thank you for listening to my presentation. 52. Thank you for listening / your attention. / Many thanks for coming.

Linking phrases are like the skeleton which holds your presentation together.

Not only do they improve the flow and help guide the audience, but by memorizing them they can also help you remember the general structure of your presentation, giving you increased confidence.

To help you memorize, I recommend saying the linking phrases on their own from the beginning to the end of your presentation while you practice.

I also suggest memorizing the introduction word for word. By doing this, you will get off to a great start, which will settle your nerves and transmit a positive first impression.

presentation in english tips

Author: Steven Hobson

Steven is a business English coach, a certified life coach, writer, and entrepreneur. He helps international professionals build confidence and improve fluency speaking English in a business environment.

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

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

How to Prepare a Presentation in English without Stress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 simple strategies to prepare a presentation in English.

Lesson by Annemarie

7 Strategies to Prepare a Presentation in English

Strategy 1: Plan, Plan, Plan

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

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

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

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

Strategy 2: Know Your Who and Your What

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

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

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

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

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

Strategy 3: Get Organized

Presentations in English generally have 3 parts:

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

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

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

Strategy 4: Show, Don’t Tell

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

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

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

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

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

Strategy 5: Talk, Don’t Read

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

For an audience, when someone reads a presentation it:

  • Shows you didn’t prepare well

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

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

Also, do not be afraid to go slow !

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

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

Strategy 6: Think Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strategy 7: Practice, Practice, Practice

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

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

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

Get the complete Presentations in English Series:

Part 1: How to Prepare for Your Presentation in English

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

Part 3:  How to Organize Your Presentation in English

Part 4:  How to End Your Presentation Powerfully

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

Have you had to prepare a presentation in English?

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

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

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

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guest

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

Annemarie

I’m so glad to know it was helpful!

Pratibha Yadav

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

Liliana Llanas

I love all your videos. Thanks for sharing!

Rizky Handy Wibowo

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

Jaywant Patil

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

Regards, Jaywant Patil 9819282438

Daria

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

Ludovic TCHIMOU

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

azhar uddin

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

Priyantha

Thank you very much ,this is very useful for me

Rani Pandit

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

Anne

I can relate to that.

Erin

Hi Annemarie,

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

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

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

adalet

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

I LIKE YOUR PRONOUNCIATON

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

Dzmitry

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

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

Leila

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

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

Best wishes with your presentation!

Usama Altaf

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

khaled abo el magd

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

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

Phyllis

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

Hello Phyllis,

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

Sümeyye

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

Dear Sümeyye,

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

Can you tell me, what is your native language?

Thanks again Sümeyye! ~ Annemarie

Andras Gelley

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

Hello András,

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

Best, Annemarie

Tatyana

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

Dear Tatyana,

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

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

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. ~ Annemarie

faiza

Thank you so much

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Starting a presentation in english: methods and examples.

  • By Jake Pool

presentation in english tips

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

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

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

Opening in a Presentation in English

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

Introduction Outline

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

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

1. Introduce Yourself & Welcome Everyone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. State the Purpose of Your Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. A Short Overview of the Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

For a Strong Presentation in English, Engage your Audience

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

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

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

Do or say something shocking.

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

Tell a story

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

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

Ask your audience to take part

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

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

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

The Takeaway

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

Jake Pool

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

English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

02.21.20   •  #powerpoint #presentation #english.

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

presentation in english tips

1. Structure

The general structure of a presentation is the following:

  • Introduction

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

2. Useful Phrases

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

presentation in english tips

Starting your Presentation

In your introduction, you should:

Welcome your audience

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

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

Introduce yourself

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

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

Icebreakers (for audience engagement)

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

Mention the presentation topic and the reason for giving the presentation

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

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

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

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

The purpose of this presentation is to ...

My goal today is to ...

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

Give a short overview of the content

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

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

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

presentation in english tips

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

Engage your audience

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

Please raise your hand if you ...

Have you ever thought about ... ?

I would like to do a poll about ...

Please ask any questions as soon as they arrive.

On one hand, … on the other hand…

Comparing … with …, we can see that…

Clearly, … makes more sense than …

Whereas Option A is …, Option B is …

Making new points

Firstly,… Secondly,…

What also has to be mentioned is…

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

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

Let's move on to the next topic.

On the next slide,…

The last thing I would like to mention is…

presentation in english tips

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

Talking about images or videos

In this image you can clearly see that ...

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

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

I've prepared a video about ...

Talking about statistics and charts

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

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

The average is at ...

This graph clearly shows that the majority ...

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

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

Emphasizing

I would like to emphasize the importance of ...

Moreover, it has to be said that ...

I want to stress the importance of ...

We always have to remember that ...

This is of high significance because ...

That part is especially important because ...

When something goes wrong

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

Could someone please help me with ...?

Is anybody here who knows how to ...?

Could someone give me a hand with ...

I would like to apologize for ...

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

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

End of Presentation

In the conclusion, you should...

Sum up the main points

In conclusion I can say that…

To sum up the main points,…

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

Make an appeal

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

Please take a moment to think about...

I would like to encourage you to...

Thank your audience and say goodbye

It was a pleasure being here today.

Thank you for listening and goodbye.

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

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

What is the structure of a presentation?

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

What is a good way to begin a presentation?

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

What are good phrases to use in English presentations?

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

Related articles

About the author.

presentation in english tips

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

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

presentation in english tips

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Essential Guide for Presenting in English

May 11, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Giving a presentation is always challenging. Having to stand up in front of your colleagues and share your knowledge in an  informative and persuasive  way isn’t easy. You may feel nervous and uncertain that you can perform to your best.

However, this is even more difficult if you are presenting in a foreign language. As a non-native English speaker, you may sometimes be expected to deliver a presentation in English. This can happen if you work for an international company, or travel a lot for business purposes.

You might feel worried about this – after all, ordering a coffee or having a casual conversation in English is a lot different than giving a fully-fledged presentation. It can be hard to know where to start.

Don’t worry! With these handy hints and tips, you will feel a lot more confident about giving that presentation in English, no matter what the topic.

Check understanding

The most important thing when giving a presentation in English – or any second language – is that you are using language that you understand. Not only that, but you will need to make sure that your language is comprehensible to others.

Therefore, you may not want to use language that is too complex, even if you are confident with it yourself.

Think about your audience

When you are preparing to give a presentation in English, it is important to consider  who your audience is . You may be giving a talk to native English speakers, to non-native speakers, or to a mix of both. You may be speaking in English to other speakers of your own native language.

When giving your talk, this is vital to take into account, because this will tell you how basic or complex your language use should be. Even if you are an experienced and confident English speaker, you must also consider those you are presenting to, and ensure that they will understand what is being said.

Prepare yourself

You usually prepare thoroughly for your presentations. You make sure that all of your  visual aids  are ready, and you practice in the mirror. However, when it comes to presenting in English, you will need to prepare even more than you usually do. Ensure that you have a clear understanding of the beginning, middle and end of your presentation, and know exactly what you are going to say.

Try and think about any questions that may come up, and how they may be phrased. This will help you to be able to respond more easily in English. And remember – the more you practice and the more presentations you give, the more confident you will feel!

Improve your presentation skills with virtual reality. Learn more in our  Business English course .

Practice with people

Though you may usually practice by yourself, try to practice your English presentations on other people. If you can do this with other second-language speakers, then you can gauge how clear and understandable your speech is to others.

If you can practice your talk on a cross-section of native and non-native English speakers, then this will give you a great idea of if you are on the right track.

Use body language – carefully!

Body language is a vital part of keeping your presentation lively and engaging. Smiling and gesturing can draw your audience in and keep them interested. But bear in mind that not all gestures mean the same things to  different cultures .

Depending on what part of the world you are presenting in, you may want to think about what kinds of body language are relatable to your audience. Some gestures are universal, but others are not! When in doubt, ask around, or do some research online.

Keep it simple

If you are not very confident in your English speaking ability, don’t opt for the most poetic language you can find. Keeping it simple can be very effective, especially when you are presenting business concepts. You don’t need to make your language use sound beautiful, it just needs to be understandable to those around you.

Similarly, make a list beforehand of the main points of your talk and don’t stray too far from them. This can help you to stay on target, and keep you feeling more positive about your word use. If you also make sure that the “story” of your presentation is simple, this can make for a much more clear and easy experience for both you and your audience.

Articulate carefully

Whoever you are presenting to, articulation matters. Even if you are using simple language and keeping your presentation “story” simple, ensure that you aren’t rushing over your words.

Practice will help you to speak more slowly and clearly, and to  employ pauses  to allow the audience to absorb what you have said. This is especially vital if you are speaking to non-native English users, who may need extra time to understand what you are relaying.

Not only that but pausing during your talk will allow you to think about what you want to say next with more clarity.

Presenting in English

Provide summaries

When giving a presentation in English, you will have a clear beginning, middle and end of your talk mapped out beforehand. An effective way to make sure that each part of your speech has been understood is to summarise during your talk. Give short summaries at the end of each section – this will also help you to have a defined endpoint before moving on to the next piece of information.

It is a great idea, where possible, to provide your audience with a summary before your talk, too. This way they will know what to expect and can prepare any questions in advance. It will help them to understand you, and give you an expectation of things they might ask, or want to know more about.

Use clear images

If  graphs and images  are an important part of your presentation, make sure to check and double-check that these are clear and easy to understand. These also need to be in English, and you must be able to relate them to your presentation easily.

Practice this, and use them as part of your talk and as part of your summaries as an anchor for your presentation. The language and figures used on them can also act as a prompt if you lose your place while presenting.

Stay front-facing

As important as body language is, you also need to keep your face in clear view. If you are speaking a second language, it is easier for you to be understood if the audience can see the shapes your mouth is making, and gauge your expression.

It also helps to keep you  feeling confident  and connected to your audience – and allows you to see how they are responding to you, and if they are understanding what is being said. It might be tempting to turn away if you feel nervous, but try to keep this to a minimum so everyone remains engaged.

Are you feeling ready to give a great presentation in English? Keep this essential advice in mind, and don’t be afraid to reach out to colleagues for a little extra help in getting ready! Most of all, go for it! You might be surprised at how confident you feel after delivering an excellent talk.

Presentations in English

Presentations English

"Well Done!!!! All the basics, in an easy to use, easy to follow format! Finally, my students have some high quality, free material to use!" John Herzig, Teacher, USA

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How to give a presentation in English

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Test your understanding of this English lesson

139 comments.

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

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

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

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

Dear Rebecca,

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

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

Thanks again for this wonderful lesson Rebecca.

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

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

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From now on I will improve my English presentations.

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

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thank you teacher

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Thank you Rebecca ;)

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great…100

I was waiting for this lesson, thank you

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

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This lesson helped me a lot

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thanks a lot

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Rebecca, thanks a lot for your useful advice!

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useful advice thanx

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

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Thank you Rebecca so much =)

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hi Rebecca. Thanks for this helpful lesson.

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thanx…

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

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very useful thank you teacher for this lesson regards

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Very interesting lesson Rebecca, thanks!

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Thanks, Rebecca! I got 9… Great lesson!

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

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

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thank you so much .

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

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

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Grateful, very, very important lesson

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

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Plz I can’t open the video

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

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Used a lot at college, thanks ma’am!

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Thank you waiting for more lessons

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

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

Thanks Rebecca for the lesson!

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I really enjoyed the lesson, thanks Rebecca

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

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thank Rebecca , it really help me so much !

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

Thanks Rebecca.

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Good lesson,thank you teacher Rebecca.

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thank you verry much.

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

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

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Great lesson. Thanks Rebecca

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Thanks a lot ~

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thank you so much.

Thank very much for your kind and very clear lessoin

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Great tips, thank you.

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Great lesson, thank you very much Mrs. Rebbeca

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

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

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Wonderful tips!

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Why I can’t watch any videos?

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

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very useful

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very helpful

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

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

Thank you so much for your help

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

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Thank you Rebecca, useful lesson!

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Such an effective and useful lesson.

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

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

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

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I got 100. yeah~ Thanks Rebecca :)

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

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

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Thanka Rebecca…

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thanks ,gud lesson

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Thanks Rebecca

50% before watching and 88% after

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Thank you very much! Excellent lesson.

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thank you rebecca you are the best ..

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

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

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

Thank you very much! I’m appreciated!

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

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

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Thanks Rebecca for your amazing class.

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thank you very much!

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Hello all of you.

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quite interesting.. Love these lessons

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Cheers mate!

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Ok, 75 %. Thanks.

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

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

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

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wow 100% ^_^

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Thanks a lot.

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

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wonderful teaching thank you so much :)

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can you please teach how to increase fluency…

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

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thanks it’s my first trial with engVid

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I got 9 out of 8 …..yippi

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

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I got 100 , it’s amazing , thanks Rebecca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Thanks Teacher

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thank you rebecca

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Thanks a lot, its very useful.

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

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

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think you so much..

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

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

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

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

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You got 6 correct out of 8.

thanks…

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Thanks Rebecca!

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

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

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Thanks one more Madam!

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

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Very useful lesson.

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icant find videos

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very good teacher, best regards.

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Very useful, thank you!

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

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all most there 7 out of 8

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Thank you teacher. The lesson was very helpful.

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Business English

  • How to answer the telephone in English
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Give a presentation in English: introduction

Tips and useful phrases.

Man giving a presentation

Giving a presentation: the most challenging language skill

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

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

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

Giving a presentation without advanced English

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

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

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

Part 1 - Pronunciation of technical vocabulary

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

  • Carmine Gallo

presentation in english tips

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.

presentation in english tips

  • 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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Home » English Learning » ELSA English Tips » How to deliver an expert presentation in English

How To Deliver An Expert Presentation In English

How to deliver an expert presentation in English

  • January 30, 2023
  • Dan Shepherd

Giving a presentation is scary. Even if you’ve done it many times and the audience is small, you probably feel your heart race as you stand in the front of the room. And having to give a presentation in English adds more anxiety.

75% of people have a fear of public speaking. Non-native English speakers also worry about forgetting vocabulary, mispronouncing words, and not understanding questions from the people watching. But, presenting in English can be an opportunity to show your proficiency. In fact, research states that presentations are a good way to expand your vocabulary . 

Whether it’s at a work meeting, speaking at a conference, or facilitating a discussion, being a non-native English speaker can be a strength. Here are a few simple, effective tips to deliver an expert presentation in English.

Overcoming nerves

It’s normal to feel nervous before a presentation, but it’s important not to let nerves negatively affect how you perform. Preparation is essential – ensure that you have enough time to create, rehearse, and edit your presentation.

When you present in another language, you need to be confident. Trust that you do speak English well. In the days before the presentation, watch English TV, listen to music in English, and speak to people in English. The more you make English a natural part of your day, the more relaxed you’ll feel about presenting in it.

Closer to the presentation time, remember to:

  • Concentrate on your breathing. Take slow, long inhales through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat as many times as you need until you feel your heart rate slow.
  • Bring a bottle with you. This way, you can drink and pace yourself when speaking.
  • Some research suggests that chewing gum can lower anxiety . If you do this, remember to take the gum out before getting started!

Writing an outline

An outline will help you structure your presentation and remember the main points. You can make a detailed outline or use basic notes. Both are fine, but don’t include so much information that you won’t remember it.

Think about what the purpose of your presentation is. Do you want to educate, entertain, inspire, or show your English skills? Next, think of the first thing you’re going to say –  perhaps a question, a statistic, or a statement. You might want to experiment with fun or new English words if you feel confident using them.

Then write your discussion points. There should be a minimum of three, and you need to know why you’re including each one and what you’re going to say about it. As you write, highlight the most relevant words in English and the ones that you sometimes forget.

Lastly, think about how to finish your presentation. Watch presentations and speeches from English speakers for inspiration. When you’re happy with your outline, read through it multiple times and check that it has a smooth flow.

Experts recommend rehearsing your presentation at least 10 times in full. Practice by yourself at first and use your outline. Pay attention to difficult parts and edit these points at the end. If there are words that are difficult to pronounce, replace them with easier ones – for example, use “star” instead of “asterisk”.

When you feel comfortable, rehearse without your outline and ask other people (preferably fluent English speakers) to watch you present. Ask for honest feedback and make changes based on their comments.

Use tools like ELSA Speech Analyzer to practice speaking . Upload a recording of your presentation and get a speaking score for your intonation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency. You also get detailed, personalized feedback. For example, the tool suggests synonyms for certain words, to help make you sound more expert in English.

Remember that practice isn’t about being perfect, it’s about knowing your content and communicating it clearly in your presentation.

Answering audience questions

People asking questions is a good sign! To make sure that you answer well, follow these steps.

  • Tell people at the beginning of your presentation that you’ll take questions at the end.
  • Anticipate what questions you might be asked. If you were in the audience, what would you want to know? 
  • Don’t be afraid to ask audience members to repeat or rephrase their question if you don’t understand it. “Would you mind saying it another way?” or “I didn’t catch that, please could you elaborate?” are good ways to ask.
  • Take a brief pause and breath before replying. 
  • Reference data or quotes from your presentation – this is a powerful way to show that you’re an expert.
  • When you finish answering, check with the person that your response was clear, or if you need to give more details. 
  • If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest and say. You could ask the questioner what they think or ask the question to the whole audience.

You’re more ready to deliver an expert presentation in English than you may think. With these tips to overcome nerves, write an outline, practice, and take questions, you’re set to impress audiences (and yourself).

Try Speech Analyzer for free to level up your English presentations.

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How to Ace Your Business Presentation in English

young woman giving a presentation to coworkers in 2021 08 27 11 10 39 utc

So, you need to make a business presentation in English.

First of all, congratulations! To be in your position, you must have invested a huge amount of time and effort in your English language skills. You should be proud.

That said, we totally understand that giving a presentation in a second language can be a challenge. You may be worried that your audience won’t understand your accent. Perhaps you are wondering whether you need to use specific vocabulary. Maybe you’re not sure how best to handle questions from your audience.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. In this post, we’re going to run through our top tips for acing your business presentation in English. Even if you’ve already made a few presentations in the language, we’re sure you’ll find these suggestions helpful.

So, read on to learn more. And before we start, let us wish you the very best of luck in delivering your next presentation.

Understand your audience

As with all forms of communication, it’s vital that you understand who your audience is. Even in the business world, you can find yourself speaking to very different groups of people.

For example, if you are giving a presentation to members of another company, you would certainly be more formal than when you give a presentation to members of your own team. In each case, you need to think about what your audience will expect from your presentation.

So, before you write a word, ask yourself these questions about your audience. Who are they? What interests them? What do they need to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation?

One useful tip for writing your presentation is to imagine your audience is a single person. It’s easier to write convincingly if you have a single person in mind. Try it!

Mind your language

Most audiences will expect you to give your presentation using formal Business English . Don’t make the mistake of confusing Business English with business jargon .

Successful Business English uses language that is simple, direct, professional and easy to understand. Business jargon on the other hand, relies on obscure phrases, clichés, and acronyms. In many cases, business jargon is complex, not very precise and a barrier to good communication .

We have some useful resources on Business English on this page . However, if in doubt, keep the language of your presentation as simple and clear as possible. It’s also a good idea to use sentences with the active, rather than the passive voice. This allows you to use fewer words, which makes your sentences shorter and more engaging.

To give an example, this is a sentence in the passive voice:

The interview was failed by over one third of applicants.

Now compare this sentence, which is in the active voice.

Over one-third of applicants failed the interview.

To learn more about the active and the passive voice, check out this explainer from the British Council.

Practise, practise, practise

If English isn’t your first language, it’s more important than ever to practise your presentation before delivering it. By practising, you’ll feel more comfortable using English in a business setting. You’ll be able to work on any words or phrases you find difficult to pronounce, or you can change them to words or phrases you are more comfortable with.

Ideally, you should practise giving your presentation in front of someone else. That way you can get useful feedback on what works well, and what doesn’t. If that’s not possible, make a video of yourself giving your presentation. When you see yourself on screen, it will give you helpful insights into ways you can improve your delivery.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself

It may sound obvious, but don’t forget to introduce yourself at the very beginning of your presentation. It not only breaks the ice , but it’s an opportunity to get the audience on your side. If you are presenting to native English speakers, you may wish to tell them that English is not your first language – but don’t apologise for it! If anything, your audience will be impressed that you can give a presentation in a second language.

Have a clear structure

When people learn to teach in the UK, they are often told to structure their lessons in this simple way:

  • Say what you’re going to say
  • Say what you’ve said

In other words, introduce the session by explaining what you intend to talk about. This sets the audience’s expectations – they know what’s going to happen.

You then use main part of the session to make your presentation. There are many effective ways of doing this, and we’ll cover some of these soon.

Finally, finish by summarising the most important points of your presentation. This helps your audience to remember them clearly.

One other tip, if you plan to let the audience ask questions, it’s a good idea to tell them you’d prefer to answer them at the end of the presentation. This will discourage them from interrupting your presentation at the wrong moment.

Use storytelling

People love stories. If you can capture your audience’s imagination with a story, you can make a very powerful impression.

For example, imagine you are giving a presentation about how to commission new advertisements for your company. You want to make the point that good copywriting as just as important as good visual design.

You can either make your point directly, like this:

“Successful adverts rely on good writing as well as good design. If you change the wording of an advert, it can often result in extra sales – or fewer. Therefore, the words we choose are as important as the images we use.”.

Or you could begin with a story, like this:

“I want you to imagine it’s the year 1907. A man called Louis Victor Eytinge is in prison, convicted of murder. He’s a drug addict, suffering from tuberculosis. He’s unlikely to live, never mind get out of jail. Yet, by 1923 he walked free into a well-paid advertising job and a career as a Hollywood screenwriter. How? He had written his way to freedom. I want to use his story to show you why, if we want successful adverts, we need to commission powerful writing as well as good design.”

Which version of the presentation would you rather listen to?!

Remember pace and pitch

One useful tip for acing your business presentations in English is to vary the pace and pitch of your delivery.

While you don’t want to speak too fast, it’s a good idea to use a different pace for different parts of your presentation. For example, when you want to communicate a key point, speaking more slowly will help people understand that you think it is important.

Equally, it’s a good idea to vary the pitch of your voice. Try and keep this as natural as possible, but experiment with using a higher pitch when asking questions and a lower pitch when beginning your sentences. One good way to learn how to vary your pitch is to listen to UK news broadcasts – news presenters are expert at varying the tone of their voice to keep listeners interested.

Add a call to action

Most business presentations are given for a specific purpose. You may want to convince another company to work with you. Or you may want to convince your own firm to invest in a new kind of product. You may simply be explaining to colleagues how a new training scheme will work.

Whatever the purpose of your presentation, always remember to tell your audience what you want them to do. This is a ‘call to action’. Do you want your audience to email you their ideas? Or send you a funding proposal? Or arrange a meeting?

No matter what you need your audience to do, don’t forget to tell them. And at the very end, be sure to thank them for their time!

More business presentation tips

There are many other tips we could share with you on how to ace a business presentation in English. For example, it’s never a good idea to read your presentation from a piece of paper – it’s not engaging and it means you can’t easily make eye contact. It’s also tempting to rely too heavily on visual aids like PowerPoint, but if you get it wrong your audience will read your slides instead of listening to you. On the other hand, it can really engage an audience if you ask them to work together in small groups to share ideas or solve problems.

However you choose to make your presentation, if you prepare well, speak clearly and work hard to connect with your audience, you are very likely to succeed. And if you’d like to improve your presentation skills even further, why not try live online classes with English Online ? They can help you succeed in any career where using English is essential.

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Woman next to a flip chart giving a presentation in English for 2 people

How to give a good presentation in English

by Lingoda Team

Published on August 12, 2020 / Updated on October 23, 2023

For many people, giving an oral presentation is extremely nerve-racking, but the task becomes even more daunting if you are doing the presentation in English, as a non-native speaker. After all, while you may be able to communicate in everyday situations, public speaking is a different prospect entirely. Nevertheless, learning to give excellent presentations in English can be extremely beneficial, especially when you consider that  English is the international language of business , and practice makes perfect. To make the task slightly easier, we have compiled some top tips for delivering excellent presentations in the  English language , so that you can impress your employers, deliver a great sales pitch to clients, present important findings to your team, or get that excellent grade for oral presentation at school or university.

Our top tips to give an excellent presentation in English

Top 5 presentation tips, useful vocabulary to use in presentations, learn languages at your pace, think about your delivery.

Although what you say is important, the secret to delivering a great speech lies in the way you say things. In particular, when delivering a presentation in English, you should focus on speaking clearly and at a steady pace, so that your audience can understand you easily.

During a presentation , your nerves may get the better of you, causing you to speed up. However, this can make your speech far less clear, so it is important to practice pacing. You should also feel free to take the occasional pause to catch your breath, gather your thoughts, or have a drink of water; especially before introducing a new idea.

Furthermore, you must avoid speaking in a monotone voice, which can make a presentation seem dull and boring, regardless of the content. When rehearsing your speech, focus on placing emphasis on keywords and changing tone depending on what you are saying. If in doubt, watch videos of great speeches and pay attention to  how  they speak.

  • Introduce yourself and establish the topic(s) you are going to discuss. Before you begin, people will want to know who you are and why they should listen to what you have to say, while pinpointing exactly what you are going to discuss can help to establish realistic expectations amongst the audience.
  • Provide an overview of the presentation.   During this phase, you might want to briefly explain the format of your presentation and some of the key points. You may even wish to state some of your conclusions, which you can then expand upon throughout the remainder of the speech.
  • Make sure you acknowledge when you are changing topics.   If you are giving a presentation that lasts more than a few minutes, it is inevitable that some people will tune out at certain parts, because people have short attention spans. Marking a shift in topics is a great way to ‘win back’ those who have tuned out.
  • Establish early that you will take questions at the end.   Giving a presentation is difficult enough, without constant interruptions. At the same time, people may have valid questions about your presentation and the facts contained within it. State early on that you will answer questions after you have finished.
  • Practice your presentation frequently.   Even native speakers will practice giving an important speech ahead of time. One tip is to give your speech in front of a mirror, so you can practice making gestures at the right time. Try to get through your entire speech without using too many filler words like ‘erm’ and ‘ahh’.

Introductory phrases:

The beginning of your presentation is one of the most important parts, because it sets the tone for what is to come. During your introduction, you will likely need to explain who you are, what your position is and what you are going to be discussing. The following may be helpful as introductory phrases:

“Hello everyone, my name is…” “Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is… and I am a…” “Welcome everybody. Today I am going to talk about…”

Changing focus:

During your presentation, there may be times where you need to shift the focus, in order to make all of the points you wish to make. Drawing attention to any changes of focus can serve to give your presentation a clearer structure and can also help to keep the attention of listeners. Some examples of phrases you might use include:

“I would like to shift focus now to…” “Next, we need to consider…” “This leads me to my next point…”

Drawing attention to the slides:

In many cases, your presentation will include visual aids, such as slides on a screen, or handouts. The inclusion of visuals can help to back up the points you are making, while also making the presentation more interesting or exciting. To introduce your slides or other visual aids, you may find the following phrases helpful:

“If I could draw your attention to…” “This chart/graph/table illustrates…” “If you look up at the screen…” “I would like to show you this…” “On your handout, you may see…”

Summarising a presentation:

At the end of a presentation, it is important to summarise the main points you have made, so that you can remind listeners of what has been said. This is a chance to point out which parts of the presentation you think are especially important, and ensure everybody leaves with the key pieces of information. Useful phrases include:

“To summarise…” “In conclusion…” “I would like to recap…” “To sum up what has been said…” “So, we have covered…”

presentation in english tips

Lingoda Team

This article was produced by one of the in-house Lingoda writers.

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presentation in english tips

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