SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BASIC SKILLS FOR

PRESENTATIONS

CTU 2020
compiled & developed by

TRẦN MAI HIỂN, M.Ed

LÊ HỮU LÝ
 PRESENTATION SKILLS

UNIT 1. The Introduction

Starter

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the following questions.

1. Have you ever made a presentation in English?

2. If yes, who did you present to? Was it a successful presentation? Why (not)?
3. How do you feel about presenting in a foreign language?
4. Have you attended a successful (or terrible) presentation? What made it good (or
bad)?

A. OPENING A PRESENTATION

Attention curve

1. What is the relation between the attention of audience and the time during an
average presentation?
Look at the following graph. How would you draw a curve in this graph?

Audience attention

Time

2. At which points in a presentation can the audience most easily remember what the
presenter says?

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Essential Points

1. What types of information does audience want to know at the start of a

presentation?
2. Work with a partner. Write down some specific questions audience often have in
mind at the opening of a presentation.
a. _____________________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________________
c. _____________________________________________________
d. _____________________________________________________
e. _____________________________________________________
f. _____________________________________________________
g. _____________________________________________________

3. Match the questions (1-8) with the types of information (a-d).

Questions Information
1. What’s the reason he’s doing his a. Who is the presenter?
presentation today? b. Why are we all here?
2. What’s his job title? c. What is he going to talk about?
3. What direction is he going to take d. How is he going to organize the
with this presentation? presentation?
4. What’s he going to talk about
exactly?
5. Should I take notes?
6. What’s his experience in this
field?
7. I’m thirsty! When’s coffee?
8. How long will I be here?
9. Can I ask questions during the
presentation?
10. How is the topic related to me?

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4. Listen to three openings. Fill in the table.

Presentation 1 Presentation 2 Presentation 3

Who is the Charlotte Best/ Susan Webster/
presenter _______________(1) ________________(3) _______________(5)
/ Head of logistics
What is the New semi-automatic New concept for in-
topic shelving system ________________ company training
________________(4) and qualification
programs
Who is the People involved in
audience _______________(2) international project _______________(6)
management

5. Listen again. Complete the sentences.

Presentation 1

a. ______________________________ , let me thank you all for being here today.

b. Let me ________________ myself. My name is …
c. I’m here today to _________________ our new semi-automatic shelving system.
d. My talk is ________________ relevant to those of you who
______________________________ for the different parts we supply.

Presentation 2

e. I’m happy that so many of you could ______________________________ today

at such short ________________
f. As you can see on the ________________ , our ________________ today is
project documentation.
g. This is extremely ________________________________ for all of us who are
directly ________________ in international project management, right?

Presentation 3

h. I’m ________________ that you all have very tight ________________, so I

appreciate you taking the ________________ to come here today.
i. As you ________________ know, my name is … I’m the new
________________________________ manager here at Weston Ltd.
j. Today’s topic will be very important for you as
________________________________ , since ________________ your help to
evaluate and select candidates for training.

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6. Put the above sentences in the correct category (a-d). Then put a-d in the order
you would like to start a presentation.

Category Sentences
1. Saying what the topic is ________
2. Welcoming the audience ________
3. Saying who you are b, ______
4. Saying why the topic is relevant for ________
the audience

OPENING A PRESENTATION
The opening of a presentation usually follows this flowchart.

Welcome Introduce Say what Explain why audience

audience yourself the topic is will be interested

Some useful phrases and vocabulary (see Appendix 1)

7. Formal and informal language

The context of presentation decides whether your language is formal or informal.

Using appropriate language makes your presentation a success.

Now match these less formal phrases with the more formal phrases in the table.

1. What I want to do today is… 5. I know you are all very busy…
2. Ok, shall we get started? 6. As you know, I’m…
3. ’m going to talk about… 7. It’s good to see you all here.
4. Hi, everyone. 8. In my talk I’ll tell you about…

More formal Less formal

a.Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

b. Today I would like to …

c. Let me just start by introducing myself.

My name is …
d. It’s a pleasure to welcome you today.

e. In my presentation I would like to report

on …

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f. The topic of today’s presentation is …

g. I suggest that we begin now.

h. I’m aware that you all have very tight

schedules …

8. What is the topic you would like to present? Use the phrases and follow the WISE
flow chart above to open your presentation. Present it in front of the class.

B. STRUCTURING A PRESENTATION

1. The following sentences are the introduction part of a presentation made by a

project manager of a construction company to his colleagues. Put them in the right
order.

a. _______ This morning I’d like to update you on the current status of work at the
construction site. The information I give you today should help you with planning
your next steps.
b. _______ For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Gordon Selfridge. Let
me just write that down for you. OK. I’m the project manager in charge of the
Bak Tower building project in Dubai.
c. _______ I’ve divided my presentation into three parts.
d. _______ Hello, everyone.
e. _______ Then I’ll move on to the problems we’re facing with our local suppliers.
f. _______ First of all, let me thank you for coming here today. I’m aware that
you’re all busy preparing for the annual meeting this week, so I really appreciate
you taking the time to be here.
g. _______ I’ll start off by showing you some photos of the building site and
discussing the progress we’ve made since January.
h. _______ My talk should take about 30 minutes. Please feel free to interrupt me
at any time with questions.
i. _______ I’ll end with some ideas for reducing labor costs that we’ve been looking
into.
j. _______ Oh, and don’t worry about taking notes. I’ll be handing out copies of the
PowerPoint slides.

2. Listen to the introduction and check.

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3. Now put these points in the order in which Gordon mentions them.

a. Reducing labor cost d. Update on current g. Problems with local

status suppliers
b. Welcome and e. Handout after
introduction presentation h. Questions during
presentation OK
c. 30 minutes for f. Progress made since
presentation January i. Three main parts

____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____.

4. Which of the sentences in Exercise 1 is about the structure of the presentation?

Which is about the organization of the talk? Write “S” (structure) or “O”
(organization) next to each sentence.

STRUCTURING A PRESENTATION

A. Most formal – and many informal – presentations have three main parts and
follow this simple formula:
1. Tell the audience what you are going to say! = Introduction
2. Say it! = Main part
3. Tell them what you said! = Conclusion

There are several ways you can tell the audience what you are going to say.
Would like + V
Today I’d like to tell you about our new plans.
This morning I’d like to bring you up to date on our department.
Going to + V
I’m going to talk to you today about the new high quality program of our
School of Foreign Languages
This afternoon I’m going to be reporting on the new voluntary campaign.
Will + V
I’ll begin by explaining the procedure of advertising a product on TV.
I’ll start off by reviewing our progress.
After that, I’ll move on to my next point – the importance of reading
scientific books.
Will be + V-ing
I’ll be talking about our guidelines for Internet use.
During the next hour we’ll be looking at the advantages of this ventilation
system.

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B. The purpose of the introduction is not only to tell the audience who you are,
what the talk is about, why it is relevant to them, but the introduction also
tells (briefly) how the talk is structured and how it is organized.

Here are some useful phrases to talk about the structure.

I’ve divided my presentation into three (main) parts: x, y, and z.
In my presentation I’ll focus on three major issues.
First (of all), I’ll be looking at …, second …, and third …
I’ll begin/ start off by explaining …
Then/ Next/ After that, I’ll go on to …
Finally, I’ll offer some solutions.

Note: The most common way to structure a presentation is to have three main
parts, and then subdivide them into (three) smaller sections.

5. Work in pairs. Make a presentation structure on one of the following topics.

a. Interesting places for weekend

b. Factors for a good vacation
c. Great books/ movies for entertainment
d. Healthy habits
e. How to avoid nervousness
f. Elements of a good presentation
g. A favorite free time activity
h. Problems of using smart phones
i. Ways of studying English words
j. Effects of weather changes
k. Benefits of having a part time job
l. Disadvantages of Facebook
m. Advantages of the Internet
n. (A topic of your interest)

ORGANIZATION

The final part of the introduction deals with the organization of the talk: how
long it will last, whether there will be handouts, and how questions will be
handled.

Some phrases to talk about organization are as followed.

Timing
My presentation will take about 20 minutes. It should take about 30 minutes to
cover these issues.

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Handouts
Does everyone have a handout/ brochure/ report? Please take one, and pass
them on.
Don’t worry about taking notes. I’ve put all the important statistics on a
handout for you.
I’ll be handing out copies of the PowerPoint slides at the end of my talk.
I’ll email the PowerPoint presentation to you.
Questions
There will be time for questions after my presentation.
If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me at any time.
Feel free to ask questions at any time during my talk.

6. Now think about a topic for presentation. Write on the form below to prepare your
introduction. Practice saying it with a partner then in front of your class. Remember
to make effective openings by using the getting audience’s attention technique(s).

Your topic of presentation: ______________________________________

Introduction

Welcome audience.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Introduce yourself (name, position/function).

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

State your topic.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Say why your topic is important for the audience.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________

Describe the structure of your talk (the main points and when you will be dealing
with them).
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Say how long the talk will be.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Say when you will answer questions.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Say whether there are handouts.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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7. Listen to your peer’s introduction. Use the checklist to evaluate.

CHECKLIST FOR INTRODUCTION

_____ 1. Welcome the audience.

_____ 2. Introduce yourself (name, position/function).

_____ 3. State your topic.

_____ 4. Explain why your topic is important for the audience.

_____ 5. Outline the structure of your talk

_____ 6. What comes when? Say when you’ll be dealing with each point

_____ 7. Let the audience know how you’re organizing the presentation

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UNIT 2. Connecting with Audience

STARTER
Work with a partner. Ask and answer the following questions.

1. Have you attended a presentation that hooked audience right at the start?
2. What are some effective and creative ways to start a presentation?

A. GRABBING AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION

1. Listen to the beginnings of four

presentations. Which one starts
with

a. A rhetorical question? ____

b. An interesting fact? ____
c. An anecdote? ____
d. A problem to think about? ____

2. Listen again and complete the sentences.

a. _____________________, I was sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s the

other day when I _____________________ something very interesting in one of
the _____________________ that was lying there.
b. _____________________ you worked in a small to medium-sized company and
were _____________________ for making people in your company aware of
health and safety issues. How would you _____________________ ?
c. _____________________ that the number of possible ways of playing the first
four moves per side in a game of chess is …?
d. So, let me start by _____________________ . Why should we introduce a double
quality check here at Auto Spares & Parts…? Well, I’m here today to
_____________________ .

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GETTING THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION

Experts say that the first few minutes of a presentation are the most important. If you are
able to get the audience’s attention quickly, they will be interested in what you have to
say. Here are a few techniques you can use to start your talk.

Ask a rhetorical question

Is market research important for brand development?
Do we really need quality assurance?
Start with an interesting fact
According to an article I read recently, central banks are now buying euros instead of
dollars.
Did you know that fast food consumption has increased by 600% in Europe since 2002?
Tell them a story or anecdote
I remember when I attended a meeting in Paris, …
At a conference in Madrid, I was once asked the following question: …
Give them a problem to think about
Suppose you wanted to set up a new call centre. How would you go about it?
Imagine you had to reorganize the sales department. What would be your first step?

3. Work in groups of four. Use different attention-grabbing techniques to make

openings of the four topics.
a. Amazing animals
b. Tips for taking final exams
c. An ideal vacation
d. How to buy things online

4. Put the following notes in the correct order. Write them on the lines below. Then
prepare two openings of each presentation – a formal one and an informal one.

Topic 1
a. B. Miller, product manager, FIT
Healthcare 1. _____________________________
b. 20 minutes 2. _____________________________
c. Relevant for sales staff 3. _____________________________
d. Products 4. _____________________________
e. Questions at end 5. _____________________________
f. Promotional video 6. _____________________________
g. Three parts 7. _____________________________
h. New wellness products 8. _____________________________
i. Welcome, etc. 9. _____________________________

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Topic 2
a. Welcome, etc. 1. _____________________________
b. 15 minutes 2. _____________________________
c. Important for new students 3. _____________________________
d. Learning facilities 4. _____________________________
e. Learning Resources Center 5. _____________________________
f. Research labs 6. _____________________________
g. School farms 7. _____________________________
h. Questions any time 8. _____________________________
i. Campus tour after presentation 9. _____________________________
j. R. Gates, Office of International Students 10. ____________________________

5. Think about the topic you are going to present in Unit 1. Give introduction to your
class. Remember to make effective opening by using the getting audience’s
attention technique(s).

B. BODY LANGUAGE

1. Work in pair. Ask and answer the following questions.

a. Have you attended a presentation in which the presenter made very positive first
impression? How did he/she do that?
b. How important is body language during a presentation?
c. What factors involve in body language?

2. Work in group of four. Discuss some Dos and Don’ts of body language when giving
a presentation. Write your opinions on the lines.

DOS DON’TS

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

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3. Do this quiz about body language. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

YOU’RE GIVING A PRESENTATION

1. How should you stand?

a. Arms crossed on chest.
b. Straight but relaxed.
c. Knees unlocked.

2. What should you do with your hands?

a. Put hands on hips.
b. Put one hand in a pocket.
c. Keep hands by your side.

3. How can you emphasize something?

a. Point finger at the audience.
b. Move or lean forward to show that
something is important.
c. Use a pointer to draw attention to
important facts.

4. What should you do when you feel nervous?

a. Hold a pen or cards in your hands.
b. Walk back and forth.
c. Look at the flip chart or screen (not at the
audience)

5. How should you keep eye contact with the

audience?
a. Make eye contact with each individual often.
b. Choose some individuals and look at them as
often as possible.
c. Spread attention around the audience.

6. How fast should you speak?

a. About 20% more slowly than normal
b. Just as fast as in a normal conversation.
c. Faster than in a normal conversation.

7. How should you express enthusiasm?

a. By raising voice level
b. By waving arms
c. By making hand or arm gestures for
important points.

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4. Watch the video Presentation Behavior and check.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNUDef9im4)

5. Work in pair. Give introduction to a topic of your interest. Use the checklist below to
give your partner feedback on his/her body language.

CHECKLIST FOR USING GOOD BODY LANGUAGE

______ Posture: tall with shoulders back, straight but confident and
relaxed

______ Eye contact: solid with a "smiling" face, maintained throughout the
presentation

______ Gestures: purposeful and deliberate, wide and open (hands and
arms)

______ Movement: natural and facing the audience

______ Speech: slow and clear

______ Tone of voice: moderate to low

______ Face appear relaxed, not tight and tense

C. WATCHING FOR TIPS

1. Watch the video Powerful Presentation Skills: Body Language . This is a lecture that
gives you useful advice on Body language. Do you agree with the lecturer?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4O5szBzIA0

2. Watch the video What to do with your hands when you are presenting. Take
important notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooOQQOQdhH8

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UNIT. 3 The Main Part

STARTER

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the following

questions.

1. How does a presenter hold audience’s attention

throughout main part?
2. What should a presenter do to keep audience clearly
understand the structure of presentation and stay
focused?

A. GIVING PURPOSES

1. Listen to excerpts from four different presentations. Which presentations have the
purpose of
a. informing the audience about something? ____________
b. suggesting some solutions to a problem? ____________

2. Complete the table with the topic and the purpose of the presentations.

Topic Purpose
Presentation 1

Presentation 2
Insurance market
Presentation 3

Presentation 4

3. How do the presenters talk about the purpose of their talks? Listen again. Complete
the sentences.
a. What ________________________________ today is to make some suggestions on
how we can make our handbooks more user-friendly.
b. The ________________________________ of my talk is to provide you with
information on the ________________________________ in the insurance market
in the last few months.
c. What I ________________________________ this morning is to show you how we
could reorganize our working hours.

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d. The ________________________________ is to bring you up to date with the

largest changes which will be introduced on January 1.

4. Use the notes to state the purpose of a presentation. Write complete sentences on
the line.
a. Purpose of talk today/ update you/ new developments/ R&D

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
b. What I want to do/ present alternatives/ existing booking procedures

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
c. My aim/ show/ how cut costs/ IT support

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
d. Objective of presentation/ give overview/ British job market

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
e. Our goal/ determine/ sales targets/ next year

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
f. Here today/ report/ company’s investment plans

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

B. GIVING SIGNPOSTINGS

1. Watch the video Presentation Sign Posting. Tick the signposting language that the
speaker used to give good structure of her presentation.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bYTTg--uc)

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To start (with) … ______

To begin (with)… ______
First, … ______
First of all, let’s look at … ______

As you can see … ______

We have talked about as … ______
So we’ve looked at … ______
I’ve given you … ______

Now let’s discuss … ______

Let’s move on to … ______
Let’s turn to … ______
Let’s talk about … ______
And now I’d like to … ______

To sum up … ______
To conclude … ______
Finally … ______

2. An expert is talking about the Traffic Support Center (TSC) in her city. Listen to the talk
and put the points below in the order she mentions them.
a. _______ What the TSC does (main activities)
b. _______ how traffic data is collected
c. _______ why the TSC was started
d. _______ how motorists benefit from the system
e. _______ how traffic information is given to motorists

3. Now listen to the presentation again and complete the sentences. Write NO MORE
THAN FIVE WORDS on each blank.
OK, ________________________________ (a) the background and the reason we
developed the program. Any questions? OK. So, ________________________________
(b) to the next point and take a closer look at the Traffic Support Centre itself.
________________________________ (c), the TSC was set up in 2001 to help traffic
flow more smoothly, and basically to make the lives of motorists easier. In this part of
my presentation, _______________________________ (d) you about the centre’s
activities, how we work exactly and how motorists benefit from our services.
So, ________________________________ (e) a brief overview of the TSC’s activities.
Our main activities are to collect, analyse, and communicate traffic information. After
collecting traffic data from a number of different sources, we analyse them and then we

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inform the media, the police, or other authorities, and – last but not least – the
motorists (…)
This now leads us to ________________________________ (f). How does the TSC
collect data? Traffic-monitoring equipment has been installed across the main traffic
routes, which helps us gather real-time information on traffic speed and traffic flow.
Additionally, we use variable traffic sensors and cameras. We also work together with
other partners and authorities, for example the police, traffic officers, and the media.
Let me show you a few examples of how this works.
(…)________________________________ (g) collecting data.
________________________________ (h) to the next issue. How do we communicate
information to motorists? We do this in a number of ways: by using electronic road
signs, the Internet and radio, and state-of-the-art telephone technology. (…)
Let me now come back to ________________________________ (i). The TSC wants to
make the lives of motorists easier. So, in what ways does the motorist benefit? Well, …
first: through real-time information about the traffic situation. Second, through better
advice about alternative routes.Third, through safer roads and less driver stress.

4. ‘Signposting’ phrases are used to help

guide the audience through a
presentation.
Complete this box of useful phrases with
highlighted phrases from the presentation
in exercise 3.

SIGNPOSTING

Say what is coming

1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________

Moving on to the next point

This leads directly to the next part of my talk.
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________

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Indicating the end of a section

This brings me to the end of my second point.
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________

Referring back
As I mentioned before, …
8. ________________________________________________________________
Let’s go back to what we were discussing earlier.
9. ________________________________________________________________

Summarizing a point
I’d like to sum up the main points.
Let me briefly summarize what I’ve said so far.

5. Make ‘signpost’ sentences using elements from each column.

A B C
1. Before I move on to my next come back to next question.
point,
2. This brings the issue point, which is price.
3. This leads let me go this question later.
4. Let’s now turn to we were discussing our new sales strategies.
5. As I mentioned to the next a brief overview of our
activities.
6. I’d like to before, I’d like to give earlier.
you
7. Let’s go back to what us directly to my through the main issues
once more.
8. As I said earlier, I’ll be focusing on of customer service.

EXPRESSIONS WITH “AS”

As you all know, …

As I’ve already explained, …
As I mentioned before/ earlier, …
As I pointed out in the first section, …
As you can see, …

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TALKING ABOUT (DIFFICULT) ISSUES

I think we first need to identify the problem.

Of course we’ll have to clarify a few points before we start.
We will have to deal with the problem of increasing prices.
How shall we cope with unfair business practices?
The question is: why don’t we tackle the distribution problems?
If we don’t solve this problem now, we’ll get into serious trouble soon.
We will have to take care of this problem now.

6. Choose the correct verb to fit the sentence.

a. How are we going to solve / deal / tackle with delivery problem?
b. I don’t think we can cope / tackle / take care with fewer people.
c. We think it’s important to identify / deal / cope the problems now.
d. Who will take care / deal / tackle of our business clients?
e. We have been trying to cope / solve / take care the software problem.
f. Before we go on, let’s identify / clarify / solve this question.

REFERRING TO OTHER POINTS

I’d like to mention some critical points in connection with/ concerning payment.
There are a few problems regarding the quality.
With respect/ regard to prices, we need more details.
According to the survey, our customers are unhappy with this product.

ADDING IDEAS

In addition to this, I’d like to say that our IT business is going very well.
Moreover / Furthermore, there are other interesting facts we should take a look at.
As well as that, we can offer excellent conditions.
Apart from being too expensive, this model is also too big.
To increase sales we need a new strategy plus more people.

7. Work in group of three. Discuss the ideas for the topic: Three reasons why sign
postings are important. Practice giving the main part using signposting phrases.

8. Choose one topic from the topics in Unit 1. Prepare the main part of your
presentation. Use the form below.

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Your topic of presentation: ______________________________________

MAIN PART

Briefly state your topic and objective(s) again.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Introduce three (or two) main points and give details.

Main point 1:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Main point 2:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Main point 3:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Signal the end of the main part.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

9. Listen to your peer’s introduction. Use the checklist to evaluate.

CHECKLIST FOR THE MAIN PART OF A PRESENTATION

_____ 1. Briefly state your topic again.

_____ 2. Explain your objective(s).

_____ 3. Signal the beginning of each part.

_____ 4. Talk about your topic.

_____ 5. Signal the end of each part.

_____ 6. Highlight the main points.

_____ 7. Outline the main ideas in bullet-point form.

_____ 8. Tell listeners you’ve reached the end of the main part.

C. READING FOR TIPS

Infomedia, a US telecommunications company, expects all employees to give presentations in English.

Read this text from the newsletter of an Infomedia subsidiary in Asia and discuss the questions

1. Which of these tips do you find most useful?

2. Can you add any other tips?

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ALED’S PRESENTATION TIPS

As you all know, INFOMEDIA has been able to establish some

important new business contacts with partners in the US this
year. This also means that the need for English in meetings and
presentations has increased. That’s why we have asked our
American colleague Aled Hughes from our Miami office to share a
few tips with us.

Clear and simple structure Repeating new information

Remember that your audience will benefit Always repeat new details. This helps your
most from a very clear and logical structure. audience to remember them and ensures
Don’t overload the audience and try to use optimal flow of information.
simple language.

Your introduction
Some experts say this is the most important
part of your presentation. In the first few
minutes you can get your audience’s
attention, build rapport, and create a
positive impression.
Topic and objective
Clearly say what the topic and objective (or
purpose) of your talk is. Repeat the topic and
objective at some later time.
Signposting
Let the audience know at all times what you
want to do and how you want to do it. This
method is common in the American business
world – so use it!
Summarizing points
At the end of each section summarize the
main facts to make sure everybody is
following.
Interaction with the audience
American audiences expect direct
interaction. So treat them as individuals;
show them that you care about their
individual needs.
Presenter’s role
The presenter is often considered as
important as his or her topic, and the
presenter’s role is to make sure the
presentation – even one on a dry topic – is
interesting and entertaining. To achieve this
goal American presenters often use their
personalities more and tend to be more
enthusiastic than people from many other
parts of the world.

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UNIT 4. The Conclusion

STARTER

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the following questions.

Have you ever thought ‘What was the point?’ after
listening to a presentation?
1. Do you remember a conclusion you found particularly
effective? What did the presenter do?
2. What are some strategies you’ve ever used to conclude
your presentation(s)?

A. ENDING A PRESENTATION

1. Look at these final statements from different conclusions.

Which ones do you find most effective? Put a tick in front of them.
What do the presenters try to achieve with the different endings? Work with a partner
and explain your choice.

Statement Goal

_____ a. Thank you very much for your attention.

_____ b. In conclusion, I’d like to highlight our
company’s highly innovative products.
_____ c. So, to put it in the words of the famous H.
Gordon Selfridge, ‘The customer is always right.’
_____ d. Well, I don’t know whether this was
helpful but I’d like to leave it here.
_____ e. We have all the facts. Let’s get to work
now!
_____ f. The one last thing I’d like to say is: it’s
your choice.
_____ g. So, that’s all I have to say. I hope you
haven’t all fallen asleep!
_____ h. To conclude, I want to come back to that
story I told you at the start of my presentation and
say one word: apple pie!

2. These sentences are taken from the ending part of a presentation. Put them in the
correct order.
a. ______ I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.
b. ______ Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.
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c. ______ We’d suggest a limited contract to begin with. So, now it’s up to you to
decide where to go from here.
d. ______ Now I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
e. ______ You gave us the brief to find out … So, to sum up … first question …
f. ______ I’ll just run through the three different options we’ve investigated again.
Option 1 … option 2 …
g. ______ Before I stop, let me go through my main points again.
h. ______ We’d therefore recommend that we recruit a part-time employee who could
handle all our online bookings.
i. ______ So, what is the best solution for us? … option 1.

3. Listen to the presenter and check.

4. The phrases below are taken from the sentences in Exercise 2. Put them in the correct
category in the table.
a. I’ll just run through the three different options …
b. We’d suggest …
c. Now I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
d. We’d therefore recommend that we …
e. Before I stop, let me go through my main points again.
f. Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.

CONCLUSION OF A PRESENTATION

1. Signaling the end of the presentation

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Summarizing the main points
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Recommending or suggesting something
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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4. Inviting questions
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Closing remarks
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. Add these phrases to the table above.

a. Thank you for listening.

b. In my opinion, we should …
c. We just have time for a few questions.
d. Are there any questions?
e. I’d like to run through my main points again …
f. As a final point, I’d like to …
g. I’m now nearing the end of my talk …
h. What I’d like to suggest is …
i. Well, that covers everything I want to say.
j. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer.
k. Let me just go over the key points again. …

Essential Points

ENDING A PRESENTATION
The ending of a presentation usually follows this flowchart.

Signal Summarize Highlight Give Make Invite

the end the key one your your questions
of your points important conclusion final
talk point statement

Some useful phrases and vocabulary (see Appendix 2)

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B. STRATEGIES FOR A GOOD CONCLUSION

1. Listen to four conclusions. Match the presentation with the technique.

Presentation Technique

1 Call to action
2 Story
3 Question
4 Quotation

2. Which presentation are the sentences from? Write the number on the line. Then listen
again to complete the sentences.
_____ a. So, _____________________________ this opportunity to get ahead of our
competitors?
_____ b. I’d just like to _____________________________ former US president Bill
Clinton once said: ‘You can put wings on a pig, but you don’t make it an eagle’.
_____ c. _____________________________ . Set up an appointment with our project
manager and our SAP consultant and we can work out the Best Practice
solutions that suit your business.
_____ d. _____________________________ I told at the start of my talk.
____________ , the sales meetings in Vienna with the disappointed Japanese
businessmen? … _____________________________ that knowing your entire
product range is the key to success.

EFFECTIVE CONCLUSIONS

Using questions
After all, isn’t that why we are here?
Let me just finish with a question: If we don’t do it, won’t someone else?
Quoting a well-known person
As … once said, …
To quote a well-known (businessman/scientist/…), …
To put it in the words of …, …
Referring back to the beginning
Remember what I said at the beginning of my talk today? Well, …
Let me just go back to the story I told you earlier. Remember, …
Calling the audience to action
So that’s the plan. Now let’s go and put it into practice!
So now it’s your turn.
Now let’s make a real effort to achieve this goal!
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3. Use the phrases and follow the flow chart above to make the end of your presentation
in Unit 3. Remember to use effective conclusion techniques.

Your topic of presentation: ______________________________________

Conclusion

Signal the end of your talk.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Summarize the key points.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Highlight one important point.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Give your conclusion.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Make your final statement.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Invite questions.
_________________________________________________________________

Give closing remarks.

_________________________________________________________________

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4. Listen to your peer’s conclusion. Use the checklist to evaluate.

CHECKLIST FOR CONCLUSIONS

_____ 1. Signal the end of your talk.

_____ 2. Summarize the key points.

_____ 3. Highlight one important point.

_____ 4. Give your conclusion

_____ 5. Make your final statement.

C. DELIVERY: USING VOICE EFFECTIVELY

USING YOUR VOICE EFFECTIVELY

How you say something is often just as important as what you say. You can use
your voice and the way you stress words or make pauses in sentences to make
your presentation more interesting and easier for the audience to follow.

Stressing words
By emphasizing particular words or parts of words you create certain effects.
Notice how you can change the meaning of a sentence by putting the stress on a
different word.

We all know that this is an extremely difficult market. (It’s more than just
difficult)
We all know that this is an extremely difficult market. (you and I agree on this)
We all know that this is an extremely difficult market. (but they don’t)

Making pauses

You can use pauses to slow your pace down and make your sentences easier to
understand. Group words into phrases according to their meaning and make
pauses between the phrases.

In my opinion we should install this new system to our company.

In my opinion // we should install // this new system // to our company.

On the other hand, the figures prove that we are on the right track.
On the other hand, // the figures prove // that we are on the right track.

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Work in group of five. Choose one among the list of topics in Unit 1. Role play a
presentation using the structure below.

Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 Person 4 Person 5

Start Signpost Signpost Signpost Finish
Point 1 Point 2 Point 3
Signpost Signpost Signpost

D. READING FOR TIPS

On his website, the American presentation guru Charlie F. Elroy talks about his strategies
for good conclusions.
Read the text and discuss the following questions.

1. Which tips do you think are the most useful? Which are not useful at all? Why (not)?
2. Can you think of any other strategies for making good conclusions?
3. How might cultural differences between you and the audience affect the way you end a
presentation?

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UNIT 5. Visual Aids

Starter

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the following questions.

1. Why do we need visual aids in presentation?

2. Which type(s) of visual aids do you think is the most effective? Why?
3. Have you ever used any of the following presentation tools? Match the pictures
below with their correct name.

a. blackboard c. multimedia e. whiteboard g. overhead

b. handouts d. slides f. flipchart projector (OHP)

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A. PRESENTATION AIDS

Introducing Visuals

1. Listen to the three extracts from presentations and tick the aids they used.

Presentation 1 Presentation 2 Presentation 3

Flip chart
White board
PowerPoint slide

2. Listen again. Complete the sentences.

Presentation 1

a. Take a look at _____________________ .

b. They clearly _____________________ how a combination of two significant external
factors affected our business in the first _____________________ of the year.
c. I’ll just write some _____________________ on the _____________________ and
then we will go on to discuss the next point.

Presentation 2

d. OK. Let’s now _____________________ at our new magnetic ski rack Matterhorn
which was launched in August.
e. On the _____________________ you will see an _____________________ of the
Matterhorn X -15.

Presentation 3

f. These are the _____________________ for Europe for the _______________ three
quarters of this year.
g. As you _____________________ here, here, we’ve had a very successful year.
h. To highlight our success even further, let’s _____________________ to the 2003
figures on the previous _____________________.
i. Let me just _____________________ to it.

3. Match the two parts to make sentences used to refer to media.

1 On the next page
2 My next slide shows
3 As you can see
4 Let me just show you some
5 To illustrate this
6 Let’s now have a closer look
7 Here we can see how many
8 I have a slide
a. from this picture, the design is absolutely new.
b. customers have complained about the service.
c. how much the market has changed.
d. I’ll show you our latest poster.
e. at the figures on the next page.
f. which shows the market development in 2005.
g. interesting details.
h. you will see a photo of the new XTK model.

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Creating Effective Visuals

1. Look at this short excerpt from a presentation and the two examples of PowerPoint
slides. Which slide is more effective? Why?

Let’s look at the biggest car manufacturer in China,

SAIC. The next slide shows some figures for 2007.
SAIC manages a network of 55 subsidiaries and 63
joint ventures for cars and parts. The group
employs more than 60,000 people and produced
800,000 vehicles in 2007, generating sales of about
$12 billion.

THE RULE OF SIX

When presenting text on overheads or PowerPoint slides, it is good idea to use
the rule of six which means:
- a maximum of six lines per slide
- a maximum of six words per line
If you stick to this rule, you won’t risk overloading your bullet charts with too
much information.

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2. Work in pair. Select a new topic from the list of topics of Unit 1. Make PowerPoint slides
for the main part of a presentation. Remember to use the following checklist.

CHECKLIST FOR VISUALS

_____ 1. Prepare each visual carefully and separately.

_____ 2. Check whether the visual really shows what you are saying.

_____ 3. Make sure your audience can read the visual (font, size and colours).

_____ 4. Find effective headlines.

_____ 5. Keep design and content simple.

_____ 6. Use bullet charts for text.

_____ 7. Reduce text to a minimum.

_____ 8. Always prepare audience for visuals.

_____ 9. Present information clearly and logically.

_____ 10. Remember the rule of six.

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B. PRESENTING VISUALS

Saying Numbers and Using Approximate Numbers

SAYING NUMBERS

Numbers, especially long ones, are often difficult for the audience to
understand. Try to say numbers slowly and clearly, and point at them while
speaking.

2m two million 235 m2 two hundred and thirty-five square

metres
1.6bn one point six billion
98% ninety-eight per cent
𝟏 𝟑 one third, three quarters
,
𝟑 𝟒
€150,000 one hundred and fifty thousand
euro(s)

Remember that:

1. we use a comma in English to show thousands and a point to show the

decimal place.

2. we say ‘2 million’ or ’10 billion’ (not 2 millions/10 billions).

3. we say ‘2 million dollars’, ‘170 pounds’ (not 2 million dollar/170 pound).

1. How do you say these numbers in English? Write the number out in full on the line.

a. 251 _______________________ e. $19.62 _______________________

𝟐
_______________________ f. 𝟑
_______________________
2
b. 7,489 _______________________ g. 175 m _______________________
_______________________ h. 1,240,000 _______________________
c. 3.8 bn _______________________ _______________________
d. € 49 m _______________________ i. 7.2 _______________________

2. Read the sentences below. Which give approximate numbers?

a. Our agency has worked on 1,024 brands.
b. Our agency has worked on over/ more than 1,000 brands.
c. The number of brands is just over 1,000.
d. Our employees are approximately 3,000.
e. We have employed 2,798 people.
f. Our offices are located well over/ well above 20 countries.
g. We have affiliates in 28 countries.
h. Our factories have made nealy/ just under/ almost 2,000 products.
i. There are roughly 20 of this machine used in our system.

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3. It is often better to use approximate numbers in presentations as they are easier for the
audience to understand and remember.
Put the following words in the correct column.

a little less than about almost approximately

around just over just under neatly roughly
well over nearly well above more or less

- (less) +/- (about the same) + (more)

4. Present the sentences below, using approximate numbers.

a. We have 696 offices in 153 cities worldwide.
b. Our revenue was €333.33 billion last year.
c. There was a 5.67% increase in sales.
d. Ingredients: 82.7% water.
e. 78.99% started a strong preference for product Y.
f. Europe: last twelve months, category spending is $12.9 million, down 0.2%
g. Total forecast value: £2.697.
h. Australia: 193,399 professional engineers.
i. Fast process: 22 – 29 seconds.
j. We manufacture a total of 721 different products.

Talking about Visuals

1. Listen to excerpts from the presentation and say what visuals are used.
Presentation 1: ___________________
Presentation 2: ___________________
Presentation 3: ___________________
Now listen again and complete the sentences.

Presentation 1
a. The next ________________ shows the ________________ by age in our company.
b. You can see that the biggest ________________ (...) indicates the
________________ of employees in the age group 30 to 50.

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Presentation 2

c. Let’s now ________________ at the sales figures over the past five years.
d. The key in the bottom ________________ corner shows you which colour
________________ which area.
e. Ok, so I’d like to first ________________ your attention to the sales figures for
France – that’s the blue line here.
Presentation 3

f. Now I’d like you to ________________ at this next ________________ which shows
how the cost of living developed in Europe between 2003 and 2007.
g. If you look at the ________________ on the ________________ , you will see that
the highest increase was in 2005 with a rise of 2 ________________.

TALKING ABOUT VISUALS

The first rule of preparing effective visuals is that they should be clear and easy for
the audience to follow. However. Sometimes it is necessary to explain a more
complicated visual and it is always necessary to point out the most important
information.

Explaining a visual

Let’s now look at the next slide which shows ...

First, let me quickly explain the graph.
You can see that different colours have been used to indicate …
The key in the bottom left-hand shows you …
Highlighting information

I’d like to start by drawing your attention to ...

What I’d like to point out here is ...
I think you’ll be surprised to see ....
I’d like you to focus your attention on ...
Let’s look more closely at ...

C. READING FOR TIPS

Read the opinions below. Answer the questions.
1. What is important when presenting visuals?
2. Which opinion(s) do you agree with?

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UNIT 6. Creating Memorable Slide

Presentations
*Read the following extracts and say what you think of them.

Slides are not the star of the

show… ………. you are(1)

Just like a speech, you need to begin

your presentation with a great hook that
grabs, intrigues and engages the
audience(2)

The audience there to see you. The slides

are important – but only to make your
message even more memorable(3)

Slides should clarify, not confuse. They

should enhance, not detract(4)

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.

I do and I understand.
Confucius

(1)(2) (3) (4): Talk It Out, James, H. St. 2012

**Analyze the following PPT presentations.

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Summary: Better Slide Presentations

(Adapted from Talk It Out, James. 2012)

 Slide show software exists to support you. You are the star of the show,
not the slides.
 Don’t have a script that duplicates word for word what’s on the slides.
 Don’t turn your back to the audience and read to them from the screen.
 If you use graphics, include only essential information and give the
audience time to read them before you begin to speak.
 Focus on content. Start by thinking it out, talking it out and writing it out
before you create your slides.
 Keep texts on slides to a minimum.
 Give the audience time to read quotes.
 Kill the bullets.
 Be creative. Use videos or photographs – anything that will make your
message memorable.

An effective slide presentation:

- Good slide design
- Suitable colors (words, background)
- Size of words on slides
- Number of words
- Parallel structures
- Grammar & spelling
- Slide effects / Slide animations

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UNIT 7. More Presentation Tips

Read the following presentation tips. Do you agree with the ideas? Discuss with your partner.

The 5 Key Body Language Tips for Public Speaking

Consider that the most important visual you can show an audience is yourself. Add the fact that
your voice is produced physically. The result? The way you look and sound are hugely important
concerning whether you're successful as a speaker. And that includes your audience's physical
responses to you, which are largely subconscious.

At The Genard Method of performance-based public speaking training in Boston, body

language is a key element of all of our executive speech coaching and team presentation
training. Below are 5 key areas we include in our work with clients. You need to know them as
well if you want to practice powerful body language techniques for your own public speaking.

1. Movement and gestures

When it comes to using body language, you should be asking yourself: "How can I use
movement and gestures to be effective in my presentation?" Here's an easy formula to
remember, one that will help you avoid sleepy audience NODS: Neutral, Open,Defined,
and Strong. (And here's some essential information on how to use natural, strong gestures in
public speaking.)

You should begin in a neutral position with hands at your sides (it may feel awkward at first, but
it looks fine). That keeps you open to your audience, so that influence flows freely in both
directions. Gesture sparingly, using defined or "clean" hand movements; and make
them strong. Follow the NODS formula and your upper body movement will always support and
amplify what you say.

Your body language reveals important clues about you, your message, and your relationship
with your audience.

2. Using space

When you speak in public, a certain amount of space on the stage is yours by right. You should
claim it! Leaders know how to project power by the way they stand and move; and of course,
when you speak in public, you are a leader. Learn how to occupy space in a way that proclaims
you're comfortable in the spotlight. Nothing demonstrates confidence like a speaker who is at
ease in their own skin in front of an audience.

When you speak, the stage is your world. Show your listeners they can have confidence in what
you're telling them by commanding the space around you. Don't overdo it, but don't minimize
the area through which you move. Need a reminder of a speaker who knew how to move as a
leader?

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3. Dealing with Objects and technology

Stage actors know that good actors use props, and bad actors are used by their props. This isn't
just a witticism. Inexperienced performers are discombobulated by a property—a cigarette
holder, a wine glass, even a sword or a gun. Solid professionals, on the other hand, understand
that the prop exists to help them define their character for the audience. So they use it in a way
only that character would.

When you deal with objects in a presentation, from a remote clicker to a handout to the slide
screen itself, find a way to help that object further your message and its impact. The object is
there for a reason. How can it help you get your message across?

4. Facial expressiveness

We might call this the forgotten relative in the family. Yet the human face is vital to
communication, from recognizing another person to understanding the subtle clues that
underlie motive. Audience members depend upon your facial expressions to augment meaning.

If you don't have an expressive face, work with a mirror to create a link between what you're
trying to express verbally, and how your facial expressions make your meaning clear. As part of
your practice, give your entire talk without a sound coming out of your mouth even though you
form all the words, letting your face do all the communicating.

5. Voice

As I mention above, your voice is physical, so it's obviously a component of effective body
language. In fact, aside from your brain, your voice is the most flexible communication
instrument you own.

So you should learn how to use your voice to influence others. I don't mean only in terms of
voice and speech improvement. I'm also referring to the many ways vocal expressiveness helps
you indicate meaning and intention.

Listen to speakers good and bad, and listen some more. Take a voice and diction course. Or
work with a speech coach, preferably one who trained as an actor. A motto I've used for years
in my own public speaking training company is "Find Your True Voice." Literally and figuratively,
it can make a radical difference in whether your real message is heard.

Body Language and Power Poses

Finally, some exciting new research has emerged regarding using body language to strengthen
your power as a speaker. It has to do with social psychologist Amy Cuddy's research into
"power poses." Cuddy discussed her findings in her TED talk, "Your Body Language Shapes Who
You Are” (which happens to be the second most-viewed TED talk ever).

According to Cuddy's research, assuming a powerful pose before participating in a high-stress

situation demanding peak performance increases one's level of testosterone (the dominance
hormone), and decreases cortisol (a stress hormone). In other words, assume a power pose and
you’ll feel more able to control the situation and experience less stress. Find out more in my
blog on using power poses to achieve amazing presence.

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Add this approach to the five key body language techniques I discuss above, and you'll be well
armed in terms of powerful and productive body language. You'll literally stand out from the
crowd—in all the right ways.

(From:http://www.genardmethod.com/blog/bid/144247/the-5-key-body-language-techniques-of-public-speaking)

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