Lesson 5 of 6

Giving Presentations

Structure and deliver a clear presentation using signposting language.

15 minLevel B2

A good English presentation isn't about fancy vocabulary. It's about clear structure. Native presenters use signposting phrases to guide listeners: "First, I'll...", "Moving on to...", "To sum up...". These phrases also give you a script to lean on when you're nervous.

LearnThe key ideas

Signposting phrases

Stage	Phrases
Opening	Thanks for being here. Today I'm going to talk about...
Outline	I'll cover three things: first..., then..., and finally...
Moving on	Moving on to... / That brings me to... / Next, let's look at...
Showing data	As you can see here... / This chart shows...
Emphasizing	The key point is... / What's really important here is...
Concluding	To sum up... / The main takeaway is...
Questions	I'm happy to take any questions. / That's a great question.

Delivery tips

Slow down. Nervous speakers go too fast, and pauses make you sound confident. Stress the key words. Look at people, not your slides.

If you don't know an answer: "That's a great question. I don't have the exact figure right now, but I'll follow up after the meeting."

ListenListen and repeat

Today I'm going to walk you through our results.Clear opening.
That brings me to my second point.Smooth transition.
As you can see, sales went up by 30 percent.Pointing at data.
The main takeaway is simple: focus on customers.Strong conclusion.

AvoidCommon mistakes

Reading the slides word for word✓ Speak to the audienceSlides support you. They don't replace you.

Speaking too fast✓ Pause after key pointsPauses show confidence.

Ending with "That's all."✓ To sum up... Thank you. Any questions?End with a clear takeaway.

SpeakShadowing practice

Press Listen, then repeat straight away, copying the speed, rhythm and tone. Say each sentence three times, then record yourself.

Thanks for being here. Today I'm going to talk about our new strategy.
That brings me to the most important part.
To sum up, small daily changes lead to big results.

Record the sentences above and compare with the audio.

CheckQuick quiz

1. Good transition phrase:

2. Best way to end a presentation:

3. Nervous speakers usually need to:

PracticeToday's speaking task

Prepare a 2-minute talk on your job or a hobby using at least five signposting phrases. Record it and listen for speed and pauses.

← Phone and Video Calls