Business English Lesson: Presentations

This lesson introduces students to the parts of a presentation (introduction, body, conclusion), tips for effective presentations, and peer evaluations of class presentations.

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 14.1. Warm-up Questions 

1. Are you a good public speaker? Why or why not?

2. What can you do to relax while giving a presentation or speech?

3. In your country, what is considered polite behavior while listening to a presentation or speech?

4. Make a list of what you think constitutes a good business presentation.

a. Maintain eye contact.

b. _____________________________________________________________________________

c. _____________________________________________________________________________

d. _____________________________________________________________________________

e. _____________________________________________________________________________

f. _____________________________________________________________________________

14.2a. Parts of a Presentation 

There are 3 main parts of a presentation: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

The Introduction: You should introduce yourself and your topic. You also want to grab the audience’s attention by asking a question, telling a story, or giving an interesting fact about your topic. You should also outline what you will talk about.

The Body: The body should support your introduction by giving facts, opinions, or reasons to support your topic. In this section, you discuss your main points in more detail.

The Conclusion: The conclusions should restate your main points without the examples. This is a brief summary of what you want the audience to remember. You can finish with a personal thought, recommendation, or a question.

14.2b. Read through the following phrases and decide if they belong in the introduction, body, or conclusion. Write ‘I’, ‘B’, or ‘C’. 

1. Good morning everyone. __________

2. To sum up. ________________

3. I would like to thank you for coming here today. ____________

4. My next point deals with… ___________

5. Moving on to… _____________

6. To conclude… _____________

7. First, I will talk about… __________

8. Does anyone have any questions? _____________

9. Let’s begin with… ____________

10. Last but not least… ___________

11. Thank you for listening. ________

12. Let’s move on to my next point. __________

13. Today I will be discussing… __________

14. I’d like to expand on this by saying… _________

15. Let me go back to an earlier point. __________

In the body, there are 3 main ways of talking about your points: introduce a new point, expand on a point, and go back to a point. Read the following phrases and decide if the speaker wants to introduce, expand, or go back.

1. I want to expand on this point. ________________________

2. Let me go back to an earlier point. _______________________

3. Let’s move on to… ________________________________

4. I would like to return to… _________________________________

5. Let me tell you more about that. __________________________

6. Let’s proceed to… ___________________________________

7. I’ll change direction by saying… _____________________________

8. Next, I’d like to point out… _________________________________

9. In addition to this point… __________________________________

10. Let’s continue by considering… ______________________________

14.3a. Activity

As a class make a list of possible topics for presentations. Then, choose a topic to present to the class. As a class, create the guidelines for the presentations.

1. Time limit? __________________________________________________________________

2. PowerPoint? ________________________________________________

3. Visual Aides? ________________________________________________________________

4. Handouts? ________________________________________

5. Memorized or with note cards? ___________________________________

Tips for Effective Presentations

1. Allow plenty of time for preparation.

2. Structure your presentation into Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

3. Make notes based on key words.

4. Rehearse your presentation several times.

5. Make clear visual aids that do not overload your audience.

6. Use clear language and use active verbs.

7. Explain the structure of your presentation in the introduction.

8. Signpost your presentation so the audience knows where you are. (first, next, finally)

9. Relax, and communicate with your audience.

10. Be aware of your body language.

11. Maintain interest by varying the speed, pitch, and tone of your voice.

12. Answer questions politely.

14.3b. Alternate Activity 

For each presentation, have the students fill out peer evaluations (on the following page). This is a good way to get feedback from classmates and will help the students realize their strengths and weaknesses. The evaluations may remain anonymous if the students prefer.

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Peer Evaluation Form

Presenter _____________________________

Topic ___________________________________

Rate the presenter on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicates a need for improvement and 5 indicates a job well done.

1. The presenter spoke clearly. ___________________

2. The presenter spoke at an appropriate volume. ___________________

3. The presenter spoke at a good pace, not too fast or slow. ________________

4. The presenter appeared to be relaxed. ________________

5. The presenter interacted with the audience. ________________

6. The presenter had appropriate body language. _______________

7. The presenter maintained eye contact with the audience. _____________

8. The topic was interesting. _______________

9. The presentation had clear organization. _______________

10. The presentation was prepared well. _______________

11. The details were relevant to the topic. _______________

12. The presentation was easy to follow. ________________

13. The language was clear and concise. ________________

14. The presentation had few grammar mistakes. _____________

15. The presenter answered questions politely. _______________

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