How to give a professional presentation in English

Every manager should be able to make a presentation in English today. However, the idea of ​​speaking a foreign language in front of important people often makes even very capable managers feel insecure and frustrated. They are mostly afraid that they have an unnatural, or even ridiculous, accent in English, they can't respond as spontaneously as in their native language, and so they look stupid. Of course, there is also the fear that the audience won't understand them. How can you overcome these fears and give a great presentation in a foreign language?

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The Harvard Business Review website published the following three recommendations on how to be more confident in your English presentation.

1. Spend more time preparing your speech than your slides

Most managers spend much more time polishing the visual part of their presentations in PowerPoint than practicing their speech. They often don't rehearse the presentation aloud at all, which is the fundamental problem. The more you practice your presentation, the better you can store it in your long-term memory. You will then feel less stressed and be able to speak more spontaneously.

2. Don't deal with your accent, just slow down

Remember that even native speakers of English have different accents. It's more important for your audience to understand you than the fact you have an accent. An unknown accent can be a problem for the listeners for the first two minutes, then they'll get used to it. However, you shouldn't speak too fast and your speech shouldn't be disturbed by any unnecessary sounds that could make you hard to understand. At the beginning of your presentation, choose simple words and try to have clean pronunciation.

3. Pause frequently

Pauses during the presentation will enable both you and the audience to have a short rest. When listening to a foreign language (or a native language with a strange accent) listeners need to engage their cognitive skills more not only to understand but also to remember what you are saying. Thus, not only you, but also they, rest during the break. During the pause, you can drink some water, take a look at your notes or at the audience. You can even talk to the audience briefly about whether they understand you.

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Article source Harvard Business Review - flagship magazine of Harvard Business School
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