Business English Presentations- Roleplays & Phrases - ESL Lesson Plans - UsingEnglish.com (2024)

Presentations roleplays and useful phrases

Give a presentation on the topic that your teacher gives you, but in the way that is says on the card that you are given from below. You have to do the thing that is written on that card, and it is better if you can make it quite extreme, e.g. doing it many times.

When you have finished your presentation, your partner will try to guess exactly what your roleplay card says. Give them hints and/ or more examples of that thing until they guess correctly, then discuss how necessary or not such an action is.

After doing the stage above with several different roleplay cards, look at the whole list below and discuss how good or bad each of them is in presentations.

Rush through the presentation as quickly as possible

Keep pausing for thought

Stop very suddenly

Correct or contradict what you said before

Speak very passionately

Check what the questions mean before you answer them

Do a survey of the people who are listening

Use some words from your own language, explaining what they mean in English

Use some words from your own language, not explaining what they mean

Go back to a topic you had already finished speaking about, e.g. continue with bullet point one after finishing bullet point two

Go off topic and don’t return to the topics on your presentation topic sheet

Go off topic and then return to the topics on your presentation topic sheet

Point at things (on the topic sheet or in the room)

Start with a very long introduction before you get on to the topics on your presentation topic card

Repeat yourself

Stop during the presentation, e.g. when the person/ people listening seems not to understand or to have a question, and check if everything is okay

Start on the first point you’ve prepared to talk about, with no introduction at all

Start with a question

Stop to look at your notes

Try to get the people listening very interested in the topic before you really start talking about it

Very clearly mark when you are moving from one sub-topic to the next

Have a very long ending

Sound unsure.

Think a long time before you answer the questions

Brainstorm things you can do to achieve these things from the list above:

  • Having a long introduction
  • Getting people very interested in the topic before you really start talking about it
  • Having a long ending

Compare your ideas with the list on the next page.

Suggested stages

Having a long introduction

  • Greeting
  • Thanking/ Welcoming
  • Showing awareness of the audience/ Making a personal connection with the audience
  • Topic
  • Aim/ Thesis statement
  • Name and other relevant personal information
  • Referring to the structure/ content
  • Saying when to ask questions
  • Mentioning timing
  • Kicking off

Trying to get the people listening very interested in the topic before you really start talking about it

  • A quote
  • A proverb
  • A statistic
  • A recent news story
  • A story, e.g. a personal anecdote
  • Reasons why it’s an important or interesting topic
  • A joke
  • An image
  • A rhetorical question
  • A survey of the people attending

Having a long ending

  • Summary
  • Conclusion
  • Thanks
  • Invitation to ask questions
  • Where to get more details

Brainstorm phrases you can use for each of the sub-stages above.

Compare your ideas with those on the next two pages.

-------------------------

Suggested answers

Greeting

Hi/ Hello/ Good morning/ afternoon/ evening (everyone/ ladies and gentlemen/ guys)

Thanking/ Welcoming

(First of all), (I’d like to) thank you for coming.

Let me begin by welcoming you all to…

It’s a pleasure to welcome you to…

It’s good to see you (all) here.

Thank you for finding the time to come and join me for this presentation.

Showing awareness of the audience

I can see some familiar faces today.

You all seem quite tired from this morning, so I’ll try to keep it short.

It’s nice to see so many young people today.

Introducing yourself

I think most of you know me, but I’ll introduce myself anyway.

As most of you know, I’m… and…

First of all, I’d like to introduce myself/ let me introduce myself/ I should probably introduce myself.

I chose today’s topic because…

I…, which I why I chose the topic of…

Giving the topic

(In my presentation/ Today) I’d like to/ I’m going to talk to you about…

The topic/ subject of today’s presentation is…

Aim/ Thesis statement

I want to show you that…

I aim to prove to you that…

You might think that…, but

The aim of my presentation is to change your mind about…

Referring to structure/ content

I’ll start/ begin/ commence with/ by…

I’ve divided my presentation into… parts/ My presentation is divided into...

In my presentation, I’ll focus on three main…

First, we’ll look at... then we’ll move on to… and finally we’ll focus on…

Secondly/ In the second part of my presentation,…

(And) then/ After that/ The next stage will be to…

To finish up/ Finally/ I’ll end with/ The last stage will be to…

Saying when to ask questions

Please (feel free to) interrupt (me)/ ask questions at any time/ at any stage.

If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.

Mentioning timing

I’ll try to be finished by…

My presentation will last for approximately…

Kicking off

Right/ Okay/ Well/ So, let’s start by looking at…

A quote

… (famously) once said that…

As the famous quote goes,…

According to…

To quote…

A proverb

It is often said that…

There is an old Yiddish proverb which says…

A statistic

… That number represents…

Do you know how many/ much…? The surprising answer is…

A recent news story

You may have read/ heard this morning that…

I’m sure most of you have been following the events in…

A story, e.g. a personal anecdote

I have personal experience of this.

Reasons why it’s an important or interesting topic

You might think this doesn’t matter, but…

This will become important to all of us when…

A joke

There’s a joke connected to this topic, which is…

As the well-known joke goes,…

A survey of the people attending

Please raise your hand if…

How many people here…?

Summary

To summarise/ sum up,…

To recap,…

I have shown you that…

Conclusion

I think all this proves that…

What can we conclude from what I have presented? Well,…

It is quite difficult to draw conclusions, but…

Thanks

Thanks for listening

Thanks for your kind attention

Invitation to ask questions

If there’s anything you’d like to know more about, please feel free to ask questions now.

Where to get more details

You can read more about it via the links on this last slide.

Here is a list of possible further reading on the topic.

-------------------------

Brainstorm suitable language into these similar categories related to other roleplay cards from the first stage.

Correcting or contradicting what you said before

Explaining what words in your language mean in English

Going back to a topic you had already finished speaking about

Returning to the main topic

Pointing at things

Check if anyone has questions at that stage

Stopping to look at your notes

Pausing for thought without silence when answering questions

Other phrases for pausing for thought without silence

Clearly marking when you are moving from one sub-topic to the next

Compare your ideas with the answer key below.

------------------

Suggested answers

Correcting or contradicting what you said before

I meant to say…

I said…, but in fact/ actually…

Explaining what words in your language mean in English

The direct translation is…

The usual way of saying that in English is…

You can’t really translate this, but…

There’s a word in my language…, which is/ means…

Going back to a topic you had already finished speaking about

I forgot to mention earlier that…

Just one more thing about… before I go on.

Returning to the main topic

Anyway,…

Getting back to the main point,…

Where was I? Oh, yes…

As I was saying,…

Pointing at things

If you look at this,…

This is an example of…

I’m pointing at…

Check if anyone has questions at that stage

Are there any questions at this stage?

Would anyone like to ask anything before I move on?

Stopping to look at your notes

I have the information here somewhere.

Just a second while I look at my notes/ find the right page in my notes.

What was I going to say next? Oh yes,…

Pausing for thought without silence when answering questions

How can I best explain? I suppose…

That’s a difficult/ an interesting question.

Let me think.

Let me see.

Erm.

Well.

Other phrases for pausing for thought without silence

Where was I? Oh yes.

What is the next point? Oh, yes…

What’s the word?

Clearly marking when you are moving from one sub-topic to the next

Moving on to…

The next thing I want to speak about is,…

I think I’ve covered that point, so now I want to speak about…

Which stages and phrases do you think are most realistic for your presentations?

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Business English Presentations- Roleplays & Phrases - ESL Lesson Plans - UsingEnglish.com (1)

Business English Presentations- Roleplays & Phrases - ESL Lesson Plans - UsingEnglish.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a good ESL presentation? ›

20 Presentation Tips for Your ESL Students
  1. Allow plenty of time for preparation.
  2. Answer the all-important question-words: why? ...
  3. Structure your presentation into introduction, body, conclusion and questions.
  4. Write notes based on keywords.
  5. Rehearse your presentation several times and modify it as necessary.

What makes a good ESL lesson plan? ›

Having a clear objective is the most important element to consider when developing an ESL lesson plan. Having a clear objective is the first building block for the planning and development process. It's the thing (or things) that you want your students to learn and take-away from the lesson.

How do you structure ESL lessons? ›

Important Items to Include in Every English Lesson Plan
  1. Learning Objectives. Highlight the learning objectives in your lesson plan, but don't stress too much about this portion. ...
  2. Materials. ...
  3. Warmer. ...
  4. Presentation. ...
  5. Practice. ...
  6. Production. ...
  7. Review. ...
  8. Extra Activities.

What are some useful phrases for presentations in ESL? ›

Sequencing phrases
  • My first point concerns...
  • First of all, I'd like to give you an overview of....
  • Next, I'll focus on.....and then we'll consider....
  • Then I'll go on to highlight what I see as the main points of....
  • Finally, I'd like to address the problem of.....
  • Finally, I'd like to raise briefly the issue of....
Feb 13, 2020

What are the six 6 tips in creating effective presentation? ›

General Presentation
  • Plan carefully.
  • Do your research.
  • Know your audience.
  • Time your presentation.
  • Speak comfortably and clearly.
  • Check the spelling and grammar.
  • Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak from bullet points. ...
  • Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information.
Aug 8, 2017

What are the five 5 parts of an effective lesson plan? ›

A well-planned lesson includes the lesson topic, class objectives, procedure, time management, and student practice.

What are the four elements of ESL? ›

Teachers should set high standards for an ESL classroom. They should work to create the necessary condition for students to learn effectively and reach the desired outcome. For the teaching of English to be successful, the four skills, reading, listening, speaking and writing, should be integrated in an effective way.

What is the most effective ESL teaching methods? ›

The 10 best language teaching strategies explained!
  • Communicative language teaching (CLT) ...
  • Task-based language teaching (TBLT) ...
  • Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) ...
  • Cooperative Language Learning (CLL) ...
  • The Direct Method. ...
  • Grammar-Translation. ...
  • Audiolingualism. ...
  • Total Physical Response.
Oct 8, 2021

How can I make ESL lessons more fun? ›

Here's how to make learning English fun for your students:
  1. Get to know your student. Set a target or a goal. ...
  2. Make the lesson interactive by using props and telling stories.
  3. Be mindful of body language and play with the tone of your voice.
  4. Reward the student and play games.
  5. Don't take it so seriously. Have fun!
Jun 3, 2020

How do I make my ESL class more engaging? ›

Discover These 7 Ways to Make Your ESL Classes More Dynamic
  1. Use a Powerful Tool – Your Voice! ...
  2. Be Organized. ...
  3. Encourage Participation. ...
  4. Surprise Them! ...
  5. Move Around the Classroom. ...
  6. Try New Things. ...
  7. Give it a Structure.

What is the basic paragraph structure in ESL? ›

This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph: Beginning - Introduce your idea with a topic sentence. Middle - Explain your idea through supporting sentences. End - Make your point again with a concluding sentence, and, if necessary transition to the next paragraph.

What are the 5 C's lesson plan? ›

Five C's for teaching. Use connectedness, conversation, curiosity, consideration, and community and culture to create a successful learning environment.

What are the 4 types of sentences in English lesson plan? ›

Part I: Learning Activity
  • Declarative sentences tell something or make a statement. ...
  • Interrogative sentences ask a question. ...
  • Imperative sentences make a command or tell someone to do something. ...
  • Exclamatory sentences express a feeling and use an exclamation point at the end of a sentence.

What are the stages of ESL lesson planning? ›

For starters, every lesson, regardless of the topic, should be broken into three main stages. Referred to as the PPP methodology, you will follow this simple framework: presentation, production, and practice. These three stages will help students absorb content and the practice will help in effective learning.

What is the 5 5 5 rule for presentation? ›

Follow the 5/5/5 rule

To keep your audience from feeling overwhelmed, you should keep the text on each slide short and to the point. Some experts suggest using the 5/5/5 rule: no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide, or five text-heavy slides in a row.

What is 777 presentation rule? ›

Follow the Rule of 7 (or 777). It recommends a maximum of 7 lines of text on any slide, a maximum of 7 words on any one line, and a maximum of 7 slides in a 20-minute talk. Do not read your slides. Most participants read just as well.

What are the 5 P's of powerful presentation? ›

The 5Ps of presentation – planning, preparation, practice, performance, and passion – are a guide for a successful presentation.

What are the 3 C's in a lesson plan? ›

The framework involves three stages: Create, Reflect and Discover. First you provide time for your students to create something, then they reflect on it and finally they use their experiences and reflections to discover more about themselves.

What are the 5 E's in English lesson plan? ›

What are the 5Es? o The 5Es represent five stages of a sequence for teaching and learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend (or Elaborate), and Evaluate. personally involved in the lesson, while pre-assessing prior understanding.

What are the 5 A's in lesson planning? ›

What do you think the students meant when they said straight As? (Note to Teacher: Hopefully students will discuss that they meant excelling in the 5As—Academics, Activities, Arts, Athletics, and Attitude.)

What is the Four Corners ESL strategy? ›

The Four Corners teaching strategy is designed to get students moving while assessing or introducing a topic or content. This strategy is one that asks students to make a decision about a question, problem, or topic by physically moving to a predetermined part of the room based on their response or choice.

What are the 4 domains of Ell? ›

What Language Skills Do ELLs Need? The next group of strategies is organized by four language skills: speaking, listening, writing, and reading. These are called the four domains of language, and students must master all four domains to attain academic proficiency in a language.

What are the pillars of ESL writing? ›

There are three cornerstones of writing that any ESL writing instructor has to focus on: spelling, vocabulary and grammar. Keeping in mind these three pillars of writing can help you find a way to break through when students are having a hard time.

How much does an ESL teacher make? ›

As of May 28, 2023, the average hourly pay for an Esl Teacher in the United States is $26.35 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $41.83 and as low as $11.30, the majority of Esl Teacher wages currently range between $20.19 (25th percentile) to $29.57 (75th percentile) across the United States.

What should ESL teachers teach? ›

The main job of an ESL teacher is to help English language learners become proficient in English skills. These include reading comprehension, writing, listening and speaking skills. ESL instructors typically teach classrooms of students, but they may also work one-on-one.

Which program model is most effective for Ells? ›

Transitional Bilingualism/Dual Immersion

This design is the most inclusive ELL program design.

What is the most difficult task for any ESL teacher? ›

Time is the most important thing in learning the English language. It takes time for the teachers to observe their students and teach them at their level. The time of the class is very little for the teachers to teach the English language. This one of the most difficult tasks for the teachers to teach in less time.

What do most ESL students struggle with? ›

What challenges do English language learners face?
  • Their self-esteem may suffer. Being unable to communicate with their teachers and peers can cause the student to feel isolated or even make them a target for bullies. ...
  • They become demoralized and disengaged. ...
  • They're misplaced in an academic setting.

How do you deal with difficult students in ESL? ›

Helping Difficult Students: Attention Seekers

Don't feed into the cycle and don't wait for the student to misbehave. Instead, create early opportunities to give the student positive attention. In addition, temporarily give the student extra eye contact, smiles, and chances to participate in class.

How do you teach unmotivated ESL students? ›

Managing Unmotivated Learners
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  2. Help Them See Improvements. ...
  3. Encourage them to Answer. ...
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  6. Find Their Interests.
Jan 17, 2021

How do I promote myself as an ESL teacher? ›

A strong portfolio is the first step to teaching English online! After you have your target audience in mind, add photos of yourself in action! This could be photos of you teaching, working, or volunteering. Also, a classic professional headshot is a great way to give off the impression that you're ready to work.

How do you lead an ESL conversation class? ›

How to teach conversational English online
  1. Prepare lists of questions. ...
  2. Answer your own questions. ...
  3. Talk slowly, but don't treat them like they're a kid. ...
  4. Have topics that are common, but ask for the student's opinion. ...
  5. Let silence hang, but know when to prompt. ...
  6. Use the chat box or a white board to spell things out. ...
  7. Take notes.
Feb 2, 2021

What are the 5 paragraph structures? ›

An outline is often used to demonstrate the content of most five-paragraph essays:
  • Introduction.
  • Body. First Point. Second Point. Third Point.
  • Conclusion.

What are the 4 paragraph structures? ›

The four different types of paragraphs are descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive. These four types allow you to write about absolutely anything that you want!

What are the four rules for paragraph structure? ›

There are four essential elements that an effective paragraph should consistently contain: unity, coherence, a topic sentence, and sufficient development. In order for a paragraph to maintain a sense of unity, the paragraph must focus solely on a single idea, point, or argument that is being discussed.

What are the 4 keys that make for a good presentation? ›

There are four keys that will help your audience follow along and remember your presentation: content, audience, structure, and consistency.

What are the 4 basic steps of making an effective presentation? ›

4 Steps to an Effective Presentation
  1. Be an expert. ...
  2. Understand your audience. ...
  3. Practice your presentation. ...
  4. Become comfortable with your props.

What are the 7 steps to make an effective presentation? ›

Seven stages in planning a presentation
  1. Preparation. Many factors affect the design of your presentation. ...
  2. Choosing your main points. ...
  3. Choosing your supporting information. ...
  4. Establishing linking statements. ...
  5. Developing an opening. ...
  6. Developing a conclusion. ...
  7. Reviewing your presentation.

What are the 5 ways on how to create an effective presentation? ›

  1. How can you make a good presentation even more effective?
  2. Focus on your Audience's Needs.
  3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message.
  4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience.
  5. Start Strongly.
  6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows.
  7. Tell Stories.
  8. Use your Voice Effectively.

What are the 5 C's of presentation? ›

Here, we share the 5C's for content presentation: Clarity, Consistency, Content Accessibility, and Community.

What is the 10 20 30 rule? ›

To save the venture capital community from death-by-PowerPoint, he evangelized the 10/20/30 rule for presentations which states that “a presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.”

What are 10 qualities of a good presentation? ›

10 tips for becoming a great presenter
  • Know your topic well. ...
  • Outline your presentation. ...
  • Practice your presentation. ...
  • Keep slides and visual aids simple. ...
  • Keep an engaging pace and tone. ...
  • Take a voice lesson. ...
  • Eliminate filler words. ...
  • Use nonverbal cues.
Dec 13, 2022

What are the three keys to a good presentation? ›

If your audience enjoys and remembers your presentation, it is because you presented it in a dynamic or compelling manner.
  • Talk to your audience, not at them.
  • Project enthusiasm for the topic without preaching. ...
  • Present your material in a well-organized manner. ...
  • Speak to the knowledge level of your audience.

What are the 3 most important stages in your presentation? ›

All types of presentations consist of three basic parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

How can I make my presentation interesting? ›

How to make a presentation interactive
  1. Use an icebreaker.
  2. Keep it simple.
  3. Ask the audience.
  4. Try out a quiz.
  5. Use humor.
  6. Make eye contact.
  7. Don't forget body language.
  8. Make use of effective language.
Mar 14, 2023

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