Fava SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje.

Effective communication: the art of oral presentations
ESTRUCTURA DE CONTENIDOS
Pág.
Introducción...................................................................................................................... 3
Mapa de contenido............................................................................................................ 4
1. Let’s listen...................................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Getting started on oral presentations......................................................................... 5
2. Let’s talk........................................................................................................................ 7
2.1. Language for oral presentations: signposting............................................................. 7
2.1.1. Introductions............................................................................................................ 8
2.1.2. Making transitions.................................................................................................... 9
2.1.3. Referring to visual aids............................................................................................ 9
2.1.4. Concluding..............................................................................................................10
3. Let’s read and write.......................................................................................................11
3.1 Tips for successful oral presentation..........................................................................11
3.2 Outlining oral presentations........................................................................................12
4. Grammar points........................................................................................................... 14
4.1 Position of adverbs in sentences................................................................................15
5. Vocabulary builder........................................................................................................17
Glosario........................................................................................................................... 23
Bibliografía....................................................................................................................... 24
Control del documento.....................................................................................................25

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 2

INTRODUCTION
Giving an oral presentation in English as part of a language class or a business meeting

can be quite scary, but don’t worry, with the right planning and a good deal of practice, it
can be a piece of cake to you.
When thinking of giving presentations in your mother language or in English, it is always

advisable to work on effective preparation. This usually involves considering the following
aspects in advance:
• The main topic and the goal of your

presentation.
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• Who your audience is. Who are the people

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• The structure and organization of your

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talk. What you are going to say and how

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you are going to do it.

• What kind of language you need to use
to make yourself clear and communicate
your ideas effectively.
• How you will deal with questions from your
audience.
Whether the purpose of your presentation is

to give a simple talk or sell an idea or product
to a potential client, these are only a few aspects you need to think about if you want to
give a successful oral presentation. Let’s have a look at some useful language and tips to
give rocking oral presentations in English.

MAPA DE CONTENIDO

DESARROLLO DE CONTENIDOS
1. Let’s listen
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When working for a company, you will probably have to make oral presentations to introduce
your team, deliver a sales talk, explain some facts and figures or share information about
a new business idea or an innovative product your company might be working on. In any
case, your presentation must be awesome and persuasive enough so as to achieve the
goal or purpose you have previously set for it.
You are quite conscious of the fact that speaking in public has always made you nervous,
but speaking in public in English makes you twice as nervous. So, there is only one thing
left to say: giving the perfect oral presentation in English requires a lot of practice. Let’s
listen to the following presentation that takes place at a business meeting. Pay special
attention to the vocabulary used and to the way the presenter organizes and communicates
her ideas.
1.1. Getting started on oral presentations
A: Good morning, everyone! First of all, thanks for coming to this presentation. I’m very glad
to be here today talking about the solution that will change your company’s performance
for good. Shall we get started?
Ok! What I want to do this morning is to introduce to you the new information system we

recently devised to provide your company a portal for your clients to register their financial
information.
Now, I’d like to give you a brief outline of my presentation.
A: First, I will start by giving a brief description of the system. Then, I’ll move on to talk to
you about the system’s features and basic technical requirements for its operation. Right
after I introduce the basics of the system, I will mention some details about its creation
process, and I will finish by discussing pricing and system use terms and conditions.
B: How long this presentation will be?
A: This presentation will take about 20 minutes. And at the end of my talk, there will be a
chance to ask questions.
So let’s get started! As you can see here, the idea of creating the portal started right after
identifying the need of assorting the information of the company’s clients using a single
resource everyone could have access to everywhere at any time.
The portal is essentially a website we designed to allow users to connect with one another
and find content about your company that might be relevant with ease and simplicity. It
also allows users to register their financial information and get in contact with one another
to exchange financial services. Compared to our most relevant competitors, our portal is
very easy to use and provides more functions.
This leads me to my next point, which is...

2. Let’s talk
In order to make a good and effective oral presentation in English, you need to use some
specific words and phrases to guide your audience through the content of your talk. These
words are usually known as signposts and are quite handy when you have to introduce a
topic, move from one idea to another or present your conclusions.
Signposting during your presentation will help you to provide your audience a route so
that they can follow your talk without missing relevant information or getting confused. A
good presenter will usually use a lot of signpost language, so it is a good idea to learn a
few of the most common signpost words and phrases. Signpost language is usually fairly
informal, so it is relatively easy to understand.
2.1. Introductions
A good introduction is an essential part of any presentation. Normally, presenters use

introductions to achieve many different functions such as:
1. Greeting the audience

2. Stating the purpose of their talk
3. Providing an outline of their presentation
4. Giving the timing
5. Handling questions
In the next box, you can find several words and phrases you can use to achieve each of
the functions we just mentioned:
1. Greeting the audience

- Good morning / afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
- Good morning / afternoon, everyone.
- Hello, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming…

2. Expressing the purpose
- The subject/topic of my talk is...

- I’m going to talk about...
- My topic today is…
- My talk is concerned with...
- The topic of today’s meeting is…
- My purpose/objective/aim today is...
- What I want to do this morning/afternoon/today is...
- I’m here today to...
3. Providing an outline of their presentation
- I’d like to give you a brief outline of my presentation…

- Here is the agenda for the meeting…
- My presentation consists of the following parts…
Providing an - The presentation is divided into five main sections…
outline for the
presentation - To start with / Firstly, I’d like to look at...
- Then / Secondly, I’ll be talking about...
- Finally, I’ll be looking at...
4. Giving the timing
- My presentation / talk / will take/last about 30 minutes.
5. Handling questions
-- At the end of my talk, there will be a chance to ask questions.

-- I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have at the end of
my presentation.
-- There will be a Q&A session after the presentation.
-- Please feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions.
-- I will be happy to answer your questions at any time during
the presentation.

2.2. Making transitions
Another essential part of any presentation is ‘transitioning’ to a new section which means
moving from one part of your presentation to another one. Why is this so important?
Mainly because you need to give cues to signal the end of a section in order to help your
listeners understand the structure and follow the main points.
Let’s check some useful transition phrases shown in the following chart:
Making transitions
- I’d like to move on to another part of the presentation…

- Now I’d like to look at…
- Let’s now move on to / turn to...
Making - I now want to go on to...
transitions
- This leads / brings me to my next point, which is...
- So far we have looked at... Now I’d like to...
More useful phrases
To introduce an example:
- For example,...
- A good example of this is...
More useful - As an illustration,...
phrases - To give you an example,...
- To illustrate this point...
To restate or summarize:
- What I’m trying to say is...
- Let me just try and sum that up before we - move on to...
- So far, I’ve presented...
2.3. Referring to visual aids
Another important thing to consider when delivering an oral presentation is being able to
refer to the visual aids you are using appropriately. Usually, visual aids include pictures,
graphics, posters, handouts, Power Point presentations, among others. Let’s see some
useful language to refer to your visual aids during your presentation.

Referring to visual aids
- As you can see here...

- Here we can see...
- If we look at this slide...
Referring to - This slide shows...
visual aids - If you look at the screen, you’ll see...
- This table / diagram / chart / slide shows...
- I’d like you to look at this...
- Let me show you...
- Let’s (have a) look at...
2.4. Concluding
As we mentioned before when we talked about introductions, the conclusions section of

your presentation is expected to help you achieve different purposes. Mainly, in this part,
you need to sum up the most important points of your presentation, conclude, present a
closure and invite questions from your audience. Let’s check what words and phrases we
can use to conclude our presentation.
Summing up
- Let’s summarize briefly what we’ve looked at…

- I’d like to recap…
- I’d like to sum up the main points…
Summing up - Summing up...
- To summarize...
- So, to sum up...
- To recap...
- Let me now sum up.
Concluding
- In conclusion
- Let me end by saying...
- I’d like to finish by emphasising...
Concluding - In conclusion I’d like to say...
- Finally, may I say...
- In short ...
- So, to remind you of what I’ve covered in this talk, …

Closing
- Thank you for your attention / time.

- Thank you (for listening / very much).
Closing
Inviting questions
- I’m happy to answer any questions.

- Does anyone have any questions or comments?
- Please feel free to ask questions.
Inviting - Would you like to ask any questions?
questions
- Any questions?
3. Let’s read and write
Preparing for an oral presentation can be a challenging

task as you need to take into account a lot of different
factors that may affect the way in which you will deliver
your talk. Not only language and organization, but also
body language and self-confidence may be determining
factors to make your presentation accurate and effective.
3.1. Tips for successful oral presentations
Good presenters usually rely on certain tips to make the most out of their oral presentation
time. They frequently resort to advice on how to deal with their body posture and personal
attitude when giving oral presentations. Let’s have a look at some useful tips provided by
the British Council regarding this topic.

Dos and don’ts when preparing oral presentations
Do Don’t
Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. Write out t he w hole
If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form. presentation and l earn every
Use more formal language. word by heart.
Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly. Write out t he w hole
Pause f rom time to t ime and don’t speak t oo quickly. T his allows t he presentation and read it aloud.
listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea. Use very informal language.
Speak clearly and at the right volume. Only look at your note card. It’s
Have your notes ready in case you forget anything. important t o look u p at your
Practice your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your listeners when you a re
presentation. I f you can’t record yourself, ask a f riend t o listen to you. speaking.
Does your friend understand you?
Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion.
Look at the people who are listening to you.
Fuente: (LearnEnglishTeens, 2017)
Other important tips to keep in mind
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3.2. Outlining oral presentations
A good way to prepare your oral presentation is by writing an outline. Outlines are plans
for doing things and they normally include, in the form of a list, a series of characteristics
or steps to complete a task or a project.
When giving an oral presentation, it is always a good idea to have an outline since it can
help you:

• Stay focused
• Keep you on topic
• Remember all of your main points
Remember that every presentation should have an introduction, a body consisting of main
points and ideas, and a conclusion. This structure should be represented in your outline.
Let’s have a look at some useful instructions to complete an oral presentation outline
format. Keep in mind that an outline do not need to include all the information your will
present during your talk, instead it can have cue words that represent ideas. This way you
can easily check your paper and know where you are in your presentation.
Oral presentation outline
Introduction
Title of presentation:
Write here a title for your presentation. Keep in mind that the title you choose must be
related to the topic of your talk in a direct way or in a figurative sense. It should be short
but clear enough to make your audience identify what your presentation is going to be
about.
Presentation topic, purpose or objectives, and main idea:
Write here the topic of your presentation so you can relate it later to your audience and
state the purpose of your talk or the main goal you want to achieve by delivering this
presentation. Then, preview the main points your will elaborate on during your talk. This
will help you identify the key ideas you will communicate to your audience.

Body
Background information about topic or assignment:
The body of your presentation is the most important part of it since it includes the main
points and ideas you will introduce to your audience.
Use this section to make a brief introduction to the topic of your talk. Start by presenting
some background information related to the project you have been working on during
your studies for example. Remember that the purpose of introducing this background
information is to provide a context to your audience so they can better understand what
you are going to be talking about.

Specific details, explanations or descriptions of topic (there may be more than

three).
2. Explanation and detail #1:
Write here the main ideas you will be relating to during your presentation as well as the
details you will use to support those ideas. If you are going to talk about an information
system you have been working on, some main points about it could be:
• System description
• System design process
• System advantages and benefits for users
Closing

Closing statement or summary about your topic or assignment:
Question requests from audience:
Write here how you plan to conclude your presentation by briefly summarizing the main
points you talked about during your presentation. Include a closing statement and invite
your audience to ask questions.
4. Grammar points
You may not be a grammar geek, but you probably have heard
the word “adverb” before, haven’t you? Actually, many of us have
dealt with this term before in our language classes, but we possibly
don’t know the exact meaning of it. Well, let’s put it simply: adverbs
are words that modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and other
adverbs.
Most of the time we can recognize adverbs easily because many of

them are formed by adding –ly to an adjective, that is the case of
slowly, probably, likely or happily. The most common question
that adverbs answer is how. Adjectives are very useful when we need to describe actions
so it is important to know how they are formed and where they should go in a sentence.
Let’s have a look at some tips for adverb formation and adverb placement in sentences.
4.1. Positions of adverbs in sentences

Before moving to explaining where adverbs should be placed in sentences, it is important

to review some patterns used for adverb formation. Normally, adverbs are formed by
adding –ly to an adjective, but this is not always the case. Let’s have a look at the following
chart to check the most common rules when forming adverbs in English.
Now that we already reviewed how to form adverbs in English, it’s time to check how to
place adverbs in sentences. Adverbs generally modify adjectives, verbs and other adverbs
expressing manner, place, time or degree. Let’s see a few examples for each category:

Manner (how) Time (when/how often) Place (where) Degree

Well Frequently Here Extremely
Quickly Generally anywhere Quite
Softly Often backwards Just
Loudly Sometimes down Almost
Carefully Occasionally east Very
Generously Usually elsewhere Too
Patiently Yet far Enough
Hard Still here
Never inside
All day near
nearby
outside
over
there
up
Keep in mind that for each one of the categories we just mentioned there is a specific rule
to place the adverb within the sentence. Pay special attention to the pattern used to place
the adverb in each case.
Adverbs of manner
These adverbs go right behind the direct object (or behind the verb if there’s no direct
object).
Adverbs of place
Subject Verb(s) Direct object Adverb

He speaks Englishs lowly.
He speaks slowly.
These adverbs are also placed behind the direct object or the verb.
Adverbs of time
Subject Verb(s) Direct object Adverb

I can’t find my keys here.
She doesn’t want to stay there.

Adverbs of time are usually put at the end of the sentence.
Subject Verb(s) Direct object Time

I will go to the bank tomorrow.
She has English class today.
Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree normally come in mid position with the verb. They are placed after the
auxiliary verbs and before other verbs. However, they may be placed in a different position
depending on if they modify a verb, adjective or another adverb.
Enough is an exception to this rule. It is placed after the adjective or adverb it qualifies:

- This coffee is not hot enough.
- This is good enough to be true.
5. Vocabulary builder
One of the tasks or activities you will be expected to perform as an information systems
analyst and developer is taking part in the process of negotiating and commercializing
the IT solution you have devised to satisfy your clients’ needs and expectations. At this
point, you will be required to deal with contract making and marketing strategies planning,
so getting familiar with some marketing related vocabulary will be of great help when you
need to write the final agreement between your company and your clients.
Pay special attention to the context in which each word is used and work on expanding
your vocabulary by learning the synonyms and phrases that appear along with each term.






GLOSARIO
Advertising (noun): The promotion of goods or services for sale through impersonal
media, such as radio or television.
Body language (noun): Your body language is the way in which you show your feelings
or thoughts to other people by means of the position or movements of your body, rather
than with words.
Buyer (noun): A person who pays money for something.
Competitor (noun): Any person or entity which is a rival against another. In business,
a company in the same industry or a similar industry which offers a similar product or
service.
Contract (noun/verb): A legal document that states and explains a formal agreement
between two different people or groups.
Deliver (verb): If you deliver a lecture or speech, you give it in public.
Goods and services (noun): The most basic products of an economic system that consist
of tangible consumable items and tasks performed by individuals.
Pricing (noun): Method adopted by a company or business to set its selling price.
Promotional (adjective): Designed to advertise something in order to sell it.
Seller (noun): A person or business that gives something (a product) in exchange for
money.
Signposting (noun): Showing clear signal that something will happen.
Speech (noun): A speech is a formal talk which someone gives to an audience.
Supplier (noun): A person or business that supplies or provides goods and services.
Terms and conditions: General and special arrangements, provisions, requirements,

rules, specifications, and standards that form an integral part of an agreement or contract.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA
Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC Learning English | Talking business | Presentations:
Language expert. Recuperado de: https://goo.gl/3M2rMo
Businessdictionary.com. (2017). Online Business Dictionary - BusinessDictionary.

com. Recuperado de: http://www.businessdictionary.com
Cambridge Dictionary | Free English Dictionary, T. (2017). Cambridge Dictionary

| Free English Dictionary, Translations and Thesaurus. Dictionary.cambridge.
org. Recuperado de: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us
Collinsdictionary.com. (2017). Collins English Dictionary | Definitions,

Translations and Pronunciations. Recuperado de: https://www.collinsdictionary.
com/dictionary/english
Collocation examples, Usage and Definition | collocation dictionary. (2017).

Oxforddictionary.so8848.com. Recuperado de: https://goo.gl/8xJhoS
Eapfoundation.com. (2017). Language for presentations. Recuperado de:

https://goo.gl/N7O9X3
English dictionary with synonyms, examples and English translator. (2017).

Englishdictionary.education. Recuperado de: http://englishdictionary.education/
ILAC. (2017). 10 Tips for Giving a Great Presentation in English – ILAC.

Recuperado de: https://www.ilac.com/tips-for-giving-a-great-presentation-in-
english/
LearnEnglishTeens. (2017). Oral presentation. Recuperado de: https://goo.gl/

I50e31
Shrives, C. (2017). What Are Adverbs?. Recuperado de http: https://goo.gl/

mDQX7A
Thesaurus.com - The world’s favorite online thesaurus!. (2017). Thesaurus.

com. Recuperado de: http://www.thesaurus.com
ThoughtCo. (2017). Examples of Different Types of Outlines in Composition

and Speech. Recuperado de: https://www.thoughtco.com/outline-composition-
term-1691364

CONTROL DEL DOCUMENTO
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: THE ART OF ORAL

PRESENTATIONS
Centro de Gestión de Mercados, Logística y Tecnología de la Información.
Regional Distrito Capital.
Experto temático: Ingrid Carolina Flórez Urzola
Centro Industrial de Mantenimiento Integral - CIMI

Regional Santander
Líder línea de producción: Santiago Lozada Garcés
Rosa Elvia Quintero Guasca
Asesores pedagógicos:
Claudia Milena Hernández Naranjo
Diseño multimedia: Oscar Julian Marquez Sanabria
Programador: Francisco José Lizcano Reyes
Producción de audio: Martha Lucia Chaves Niño
Víctor Hugo Tabares Carreño
Este material puede ser distribuido, copiado y exhibido por terceros si se

muestra en los créditos. No se puede obtener ningún beneficio comercial
y las obras derivadas tienen que estar bajo los mismos términos de la
licencia que el trabajo original.

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2.1. Getting started on oral presentations......................................................................... 5

2.1. Language for oral presentations: signposting............................................................. 7

2.1.2. Making transitions.................................................................................................... 9

2.1.3. Referring to visual aids............................................................................................ 9

3. Let’s read and write.......................................................................................................11

3.1 Tips for successful oral presentation..........................................................................11

3.2 Outlining oral presentations........................................................................................12

4.1 Position of adverbs in sentences................................................................................15

Control del documento.....................................................................................................25

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 2

Giving an oral presentation in English as part of a language class or a business meeting

When thinking of giving presentations in your mother language or in English, it is always

• The main topic and the goal of your

80% 25% Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur

• Who your audience is. Who are the people

80 Lorem ipsum dolor

who will be listening to your presentation?

• The structure and organization of your

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

talk. What you are going to say and how

you are going to do it.

Whether the purpose of your presentation is

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 3

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 4

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1.1. Getting started on oral presentations

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Now, I’d like to give you a brief outline of my presentation.

B: How long this presentation will be?

This leads me to my next point, which is...

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 6

A good introduction is an essential part of any presentation. Normally, presenters use

1. Greeting the audience

1. Greeting the audience

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 7

2. Expressing the purpose

- The subject/topic of my talk is...

3. Providing an outline of their presentation

- I’d like to give you a brief outline of my presentation…

4. Giving the timing

- My presentation / talk / will take/last about 30 minutes.

-- At the end of my talk, there will be a chance to ask questions.

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SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 8

2.2. Making transitions

- I’d like to move on to another part of the presentation…

More useful phrases

2.3. Referring to visual aids

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