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AI image: A man points at a screen in front of three colleagues in an office – giving presentations.
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Avalern · by SimmondsB25 min · English

Giving presentations in English: vocabulary, dialogue and useful phrases

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 4 Oct 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

Live rounds with a trainer and a small group. To warm up: Theo asks, you answer.

Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

AI conversation partner, synthetic voice · your voice is processed live by Google Gemini, we store no audio and no transcript · max. 5 minAbout the AIWith headphones you can interrupt Theo. Without them, the microphone only listens once Theo has finished.

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Question of the day

What do some experts suggest doing at the start of a presentation?

  1. Reading the agenda slowly
  2. Opening with a surprising fact
  3. Explaining all the background details
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: Opening with a surprising fact

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

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Transcript

Hi, I'm Theo, and this is a two-minute conversation starter. Today: giving presentations. We all have to do them, but speaking in front of an audience – Jump to the vocabulary entry for in front of an audience can feel overwhelming – Jump to the vocabulary entry for feel overwhelming. You spend hours preparing your slides – Jump to the vocabulary entry for preparing your slides, but when you stand up, you suddenly forget what to say. The hardest part is often the very beginning. You want to grab their attention – Jump to the vocabulary entry for grab their attention immediately, rather than just reading the agenda. Some experts suggest opening with a surprising fact or a short story. Others recommend asking a question to get the room thinking. Once you have their focus, it becomes much easier to deliver your main message – Jump to the vocabulary entry for deliver your main message with confidence – Jump to the vocabulary entry for with confidence. But what works best for you? Think about the last time you spoke to a group. How do you start a presentation so people actually listen?

Vocabulary

in front of an audience/ɪn ˌfrʌnt əv ən ˈɔː.di.əns/
Meaning: Speaking or performing while a group of people is watching and listening.
Example: It takes practice to feel comfortable in front of an audience.
feel overwhelming/fiːl ˌəʊ.vəˈwel.mɪŋ/
Meaning: To cause a strong emotional reaction because something seems too difficult to handle.
Example: Learning a new language can feel overwhelming at first.
preparing your slides/prɪˌpeə.rɪŋ jɔː ˈslaɪdz/
Meaning: Creating and organising the digital pages for a presentation.
Example: She spent all evening preparing her slides for the big pitch.
grab their attention/ɡræb ðeər əˈten.ʃən/
Meaning: To suddenly make people look at or listen to you.
Example: A good speaker knows how to grab their attention quickly.
deliver your main message/dɪˈlɪv.ə jɔː meɪn ˈmes.ɪdʒ/
Meaning: To communicate the most important idea to the listeners.
Example: Make sure you deliver your main message clearly before the time runs out.
with confidence/wɪð ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/
Meaning: In a certain and self-assured way.
Example: He answered all the difficult questions with confidence.

Dialogue

  1. MarkI'm really nervous about the product launch tomorrow. The size of the audience is a bit overwhelming.
  2. SarahYou have spent plenty of time preparing your slides.
  3. MarkThanks, but I'm worried they'll get bored during the introduction.
  4. SarahWhy don't you start with that funny story about the prototype? That will definitely grab their attention.
  5. MarkThat's a great idea. It might help me relax and speak with confidence.
  6. SarahExactly. Just take a deep breath and focus on how you deliver your main message.
  7. MarkRight, I'll practise the opening one more time.

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Do you feel nervous before speaking to a group? Why or why not?

How do you start a presentation so people actually listen?

More challenging: If you had to present a highly technical topic to a non-technical audience, how would you adapt your opening?

Partner B

Easier: Do you prefer to use a lot of pictures in your presentations? Why or why not?

What makes a slide deck helpful rather than distracting?

More challenging: To what extent do you agree that traditional slide presentations are becoming obsolete in modern business?

Partner A

Easier: Is it easy for you to speak without notes? Why or why not?

How do you recover if you make a mistake while presenting?

More challenging: How might a speaker effectively handle a hostile or disengaged audience during a high-stakes meeting?

Useful phrases

  • Let's move on to the next slide.
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt.
  • As you can see on this graph...
  • I'd like to conclude by summarising the main points.
  • Can everybody hear me clearly at the back?
  • That brings me to the end of my presentation.

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all conversations of our English conversation classes

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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