Giving a presentation is scary. Even if you’ve done it many times and the audience is small, you probably feel your heart race as you stand in the front of the room. And having to give a presentation in English adds more anxiety.

75% of people have a fear of public speaking. Non-native English speakers also worry about forgetting vocabulary, mispronouncing words, and not understanding questions from the people watching. But, presenting in English can be an opportunity to show your proficiency. In fact, research states that presentations are a good way to expand your vocabulary. 

Whether it’s at a work meeting, speaking at a conference, or facilitating a discussion, being a non-native English speaker can be a strength. Here are a few simple, effective tips to deliver an expert presentation in English.

Overcoming nerves

It’s normal to feel nervous before a presentation, but it’s important not to let nerves negatively affect how you perform. Preparation is essential – ensure that you have enough time to create, rehearse, and edit your presentation.

When you present in another language, you need to be confident. Trust that you do speak English well. In the days before the presentation, watch English TV, listen to music in English, and speak to people in English. The more you make English a natural part of your day, the more relaxed you’ll feel about presenting in it.

Closer to the presentation time, remember to:

• Concentrate on your breathing. Take slow, long inhales through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat as many times as you need until you feel your heart rate slow.
• Bring a bottle with you. This way, you can drink and pace yourself when speaking.
• Some research suggests that chewing gum can lower anxiety. If you do this, remember to take the gum out before getting started!

Writing an outline

An outline will help you structure your presentation and remember the main points. You can make a detailed outline or use basic notes. Both are fine, but don’t include so much information that you won’t remember it.

Think about what the purpose of your presentation is. Do you want to educate, entertain, inspire, or show your English skills? Next, think of the first thing you’re going to say –  perhaps a question, a statistic, or a statement. You might want to experiment with fun or new English words if you feel confident using them.

Then write your discussion points. There should be a minimum of three, and you need to know why you’re including each one and what you’re going to say about it. As you write, highlight the most relevant words in English and the ones that you sometimes forget.

Lastly, think about how to finish your presentation. Watch presentations and speeches from English speakers for inspiration. When you’re happy with your outline, read through it multiple times and check that it has a smooth flow.

Practicing

Experts recommend rehearsing your presentation at least 10 times in full. Practice by yourself at first and use your outline. Pay attention to difficult parts and edit these points at the end. If there are words that are difficult to pronounce, replace them with easier ones – for example, use “star” instead of “asterisk”.

When you feel comfortable, rehearse without your outline and ask other people (preferably fluent English speakers) to watch you present. Ask for honest feedback and make changes based on their comments.

Use tools like ELSA Speech Analyzer to practice speaking. Upload a recording of your presentation and get a speaking score for your intonation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency. You also get detailed, personalized feedback. For example, the tool suggests synonyms for certain words, to help make you sound more expert in English.

Remember that practice isn’t about being perfect, it’s about knowing your content and communicating it clearly in your presentation.

Answering audience questions

People asking questions is a good sign! To make sure that you answer well, follow these steps.

• Tell people at the beginning of your presentation that you’ll take questions at the end.
• Anticipate what questions you might be asked. If you were in the audience, what would you want to know? 
• Don’t be afraid to ask audience members to repeat or rephrase their question if you don’t understand it. “Would you mind saying it another way?” or “I didn’t catch that, please could you elaborate?” are good ways to ask.
• Take a brief pause and breath before replying. 
• Reference data or quotes from your presentation – this is a powerful way to show that you’re an expert.
• When you finish answering, check with the person that your response was clear, or if you need to give more details. 
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest and say. You could ask the questioner what they think or ask the question to the whole audience.

You’re more ready to deliver an expert presentation in English than you may think. With these tips to overcome nerves, write an outline, practice, and take questions, you’re set to impress audiences (and yourself).

Try Speech Analyzer for free to level up your English presentations.