Presentations
In this unit, students build confident professional / academic presentations with clear structure, effective signposting, and strong delivery. Students practice handling questions politely, accurately, and strategically (answering, clarifying, bridging, and admitting limits).
SWBAT (Objectives)
- Plan and deliver a structured 3–5 minute presentation (academic/professional).
- Use signposting language to guide the audience (overview, transitions, emphasis, conclusion).
- Control delivery: pace, clarity, stress/intonation, and confident body language.
- Handle questions by clarifying, answering concisely, and bridging back to the main point.
- Give and receive feedback using a clear rubric (content, organization, language, delivery).
Presentation Structure (Simple & Repeatable)
- Hook (fact/question/problem)
- Topic + purpose
- Roadmap (“Today I’ll cover…”)
- Point → example/data → why it matters
- Clear transitions between points
- One slide/visual idea per point
- Summary (1 sentence per point)
- Implication / recommendation
- Invite questions
Signposting Language (Guide Your Audience)
“Today I’ll focus on…”
“I’ll begin by…, then…, and finally…”
“Moving on to…” · “That brings us to…”
“So far, we’ve seen…” · “Now let’s turn to…”
“The key point is…” · “What matters here is…”
“In other words…” · “To put it simply…”
“To conclude…” · “Overall, the evidence suggests…”
“My recommendation is…” · “I’m happy to take questions.”
Delivery Skills (Sound Confident, Not Fast)
- Slow down on key points
- Pause after transitions
- Don’t fill silence with “um”
- Stress key words (not every word)
- Chunk long sentences into phrases
- Use intonation to show contrast
- Stable posture, relaxed shoulders
- Eye contact (scan the room)
- Purposeful gestures (not constant)
Handling Questions (Professional & Calm)
- Acknowledge: “That’s a great point / important question…”
- Clarify (if needed): “Do you mean…?”
- Answer (short + direct)
- Bridge: “This connects to my second point…”
“Let me clarify…” · “What we can say with confidence is…”
“The evidence suggests…” · “That depends on…”
“I don’t have the exact figure, but…” · “I can follow up on that.”
- Stay neutral (avoid defensiveness)
- Correct misunderstandings politely
- Admit limits confidently
- Offer next steps (“I’ll check and follow up.”)
Practice (Rehearse + Improve)
Choose a simple topic. Use: opening + 2 points + closing. Partner counts signposts.
Replace informal transitions (“and then…”) with academic/professional signposts.
Audience asks 3 questions: 1 easy, 1 unclear, 1 challenging. Presenter uses clarify + answer + bridge.
Final Task: 3–5 Minute Presentation + Q&A
- Academic: mini research talk (2 sources + conclusion)
- Professional: proposal / recommendation for a workplace issue
- Training: teach a skill or process to a new team member
- Clear roadmap + conclusion
- Use 8+ signposting phrases
- Use 2+ hedging phrases (“appears to”, “may”, “suggests”)
- Answer 3 questions using clarify + answer + bridge
- Time control: finish within 15 seconds of target
- Audience can follow the structure without effort
- Key points are emphasized (not rushed)
- Professional tone + clear explanations
- Q&A is calm, respectful, and concise
Materials & Downloads
- Unit 7 Slides — PPTX
- Structure Template — PDF · Outline Planner — PDF
- Signposting Phrase Bank — PDF
- Delivery Checklist — PDF · Rehearsal Plan — PDF
- Q&A Strategies — PDF · Question Bank — PDF
- Practice Worksheet — PDF · Peer Feedback Form — PDF
- Presentation Rubric — PDF · Speaker Notes Template — PDF
Swap placeholders with real file paths. Keep links consistent:
/levels/c1/assets/.