ESL CONNECT

Making Presentations

A B1 ESL CONNECT lesson on making presentations, helping learners structure a talk, introduce points and handle basic audience questions.

Section 1
Stage 1 — Warm-up
Presenting in English
5 minutes · Discussion & context setting
B1 lesson · presentations
Speak clearly, guide your audience, and present with confidence
This lesson helps learners structure a short business presentation in English, use signposting naturally, and handle audience questions in a professional way.
40 minfull interactive lesson
5 partsclear presentation structure
Q&Abuilt into the final task

Discuss with your partner:

1. Have you ever given a presentation in English? How did it go?

2. What makes a presentation good? What makes it boring or confusing?

3. Which part of a presentation do you find most difficult — the opening, the middle, or the questions at the end?

Teacher note: Introduce the idea of "signposting" — telling the audience where you are in a presentation. Write the 5 parts on the board: Welcome → Overview → Main content → Conclusion → Questions. Explain that clear signposting helps the audience follow you even when the language is not perfect.
Lesson focus
Opening wellStart clearly, introduce the topic, and set expectations.
Using signpostsGuide the audience through each part of the talk.
Handling questionsAnswer naturally and stay professional under pressure.

Today's scenario — Student A gives a short presentation at a team meeting:

1
Welcome & intro
2
Overview
3
Main points
4
Conclusion
5
Q & A

Topic: "Should our company allow employees to work from home permanently?" — a 4-minute presentation to the management team, followed by questions.

Business English Presenter + audience Q&A included
5 min
Stage 2 — Vocabulary
Key presentation vocabulary
10 minutes · Gap-fill exercise
Click a word from the box, then click a blank to fill it. Hover over a word to see its definition.
signpost
outline
highlight
elaborate
summarise
slide
findings
conclude

Complete the sentences with the correct word from the box.

Good morning everyone. I'd like to start by giving you a brief of what I'll be covering today.

I'd like to one key finding — productivity actually increased by 18% when staff worked from home.

Could you on that point a little? I'd like to understand the data better.

To the main points: remote working improves wellbeing, reduces commuting costs, and maintains productivity.

As you can see on this , the survey results show that 72% of employees prefer hybrid working.

I'd like to use a here — let's now move on to the second point.

The of the six-month trial were very positive across all three departments.

To , I'd like to recommend that we introduce a permanent hybrid working policy.

10 min
Stage 3 — Functional language
Signposting phrases for presentations
8 minutes · Study & practise

Opening the presentation

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here.
The topic of my presentation today is...
I'll begin by..., then move on to..., and finally...
Please feel free to ask questions at the end.

Signposting — moving between sections

So, let's move on to my second point.
Turning now to the question of...
As you can see from this slide...
This brings me to my next point.

Highlighting key points

I'd like to highlight the most important finding.
The key point here is...
What's particularly significant is...
I want to draw your attention to...

Concluding

To summarise the main points...
In conclusion, I'd like to recommend...
So, to bring this together...
Thank you for listening. I'd now be happy to take any questions.

Handling questions (Q&A)

That's a great question. What I'd say is...
I'm glad you raised that point.
I don't have that data to hand, but I'll find out and come back to you.
Could you clarify what you mean by...?
Signposting is the most important skill for B1 presentations. Even simple language becomes clear when you tell your audience what's coming next, where you are now, and what you have just said.
8 min
Stage 4 — Question forms
Presentation question forms drill
10 minutes · Multiple choice quiz
10 min
Stage 5 — Role play
The remote working presentation
12 minutes · Pair work
How to use: Student A is the presenter. Student B is an audience member who will ask questions. Student A should use the slide outline and signposting phrases. After the Q&A, swap roles with a new topic.
Student A — Presenter

You are presenting the remote working trial results. Use the slide outline below and the signposting phrases from Stage 3. Speak naturally — you don't need to read word for word.

Student B — Audience member

Listen carefully. Ask the questions shown in the script. Also try to add 1–2 questions of your own. Be interested and professional — not challenging.

Presentation outline — use these slides as your guide

Slide 1 — Title
Should we allow permanent remote working?
Presenter: [Your name] | Department: Operations | Date: today
Slide 2 — Overview
1. Background: the 6-month trial
2. Key data and findings
3. Benefits and challenges
4. Recommendation
Slide 3 — The trial
• 45 employees worked from home full-time (Oct–Mar)
• Productivity measured weekly using KPI tracking
• Employee satisfaction surveys completed monthly
Slide 4 — Key findings
• Productivity: +18% on average
• Employee wellbeing scores: improved in 78% of cases
• Commuting costs saved: average £320/month per person
Slide 5 — Challenges
• Team communication: some difficulties reported
• New starters: harder to onboard remotely
• Not all roles suitable for full remote work
Slide 6 — Recommendation
Introduce a permanent hybrid policy:
• 3 days home / 2 days office
• Mandatory in-office days for new starters (first 3 months)
• Regular team check-ins (weekly, in person)
Presenter — Student A
[Welcome the audience. Give your name and the topic. Tell them the structure of your presentation — 4 sections plus Q&A. Use: 'I'll begin by..., then move on to..., and finally...']
Audience — Student B
Thank you. Before you start — could you tell us roughly how long the presentation will be?
Presenter — Student A
[Answer the question — approximately 4 minutes plus questions. Then begin Section 1: the background. Explain the 6-month trial using the Slide 3 data. Use: 'As you can see from this slide...']
Audience — Student B
Interesting. I wasn't aware the trial included so many departments. Can you tell us more about how productivity was measured?
Presenter — Student A
[Respond to the question. Say it was tracked using weekly KPIs. Then signpost to your next section. Use: 'This brings me to my next point...' Present the key findings from Slide 4.]
Audience — Student B
Those productivity figures are impressive. But how do we know remote working caused the increase, rather than other factors?
Presenter — Student A
[Acknowledge this is a valid point. Say the data was controlled for seasonal variation. Then move to Slide 5 — the challenges. Use: 'I'd like to highlight that the results weren't all positive...']
Audience — Student B
What specifically were the communication difficulties? Can you elaborate on that?
Presenter — Student A
[Elaborate briefly — delayed responses, fewer informal conversations. Then transition to your recommendation. Use: 'Turning now to the recommendation...' Present the hybrid policy from Slide 6.]
Audience — Student B
The hybrid model sounds reasonable. But won't the two mandatory office days be expensive for employees who have moved far from the office?
Presenter — Student A
[Acknowledge the concern — it's fair. Say the company would provide a travel allowance. Then conclude. Use: 'To summarise the main points...' and 'In conclusion, I'd like to recommend...']
Audience — Student B
Thank you — that was very clear. I have one final question: when would this policy start, if approved?
Presenter — Student A
[Answer: ideally next quarter, pending board approval. Thank the audience. Invite any final questions. Use: 'Thank you for listening. I'd now be happy to take any questions.']

Swap roles — new topic!

Student B now presents on this topic: "Should our company reduce its office space and move to a fully hot-desking model?" Use the same 5-part structure. Student A asks at least 3 questions during the Q&A.

12 min
Stage 6 — Summary
Lesson complete!
5 minutes · Review & feedback

Today's lesson

Making Presentations

B1 level · ~40 minutes

What you practised today:

8 key vocabulary words for presentations
Signposting phrases for 5 stages: opening, transitions, highlighting, concluding, and Q&A
6 question form exercises (presentation structure language, indirect Q&A responses, signposting, concluding)
A full guided presentation with slide outline, interactive Q&A, and a second topic extension

Homework ideas:

1. Prepare and record a 2-minute presentation on a topic you know well. Use at least 4 signposting phrases.
2. Write an introduction for a presentation on: 'The benefits of learning a second language'. Include the structure, topic, and an engaging opening line.
3. Watch a short TED Talk in English (5–7 minutes). Write down every signposting phrase the speaker uses.
Great work today! Remember: a confident presentation is not about perfect grammar — it's about clear structure, good signposting, and engaging your audience. You have the tools — now practise!