Presentation Tips for English Learners

Before I go into my topic of presentation tips for English learners, I want to tell you a story about the first time I made a speech.  I was in third grade.  I was also learning English.  It was in a school assembly of 2000 students from K-12 and college prep. That was not unusual to include students of such a wide age range in the same school in Hong Kong at that time. My teacher selected me to represent my grade level by reciting a story in English. 

I memorized the entire speech because I did not understand all the English in the story. Since this was my first time speaking in public to a large audience, I had not heard anything about how common it is to feel nervous. Nobody told me that many people feel great fear speaking in front of large groups.  So I entered the experience with no pre-conceived ideas.  I felt calm. I made eye contact with the audience, both those on the main floor as well as those in the balcony. 

Looking back, this was a valuable lesson.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but not expecting to feel a certain way frees us up.  We don’t have to respond the same way as others to public speaking, or anything else.  Having zero knowledge about making speeches was a blessing that day. 

Fast forward to today. I eventually heard that there’s a lot of fear around making speeches. I see this in both my American and ESL students. In this article, I would like to share a few presentation tips for English learners. I hope this will help you feel more ease and confidence the next time you are asked to speak in front of a group. (This article was originally published on March 15, 2019, and was updated on October 6, 2026.)

How to feel relaxed when you make a presentation

Is it a good idea to memorize your presentation?

Recently, I worked with a client who felt she did not do a good job with presentations at work. She wanted to improve her presentation skills. As we spoke, I learned that in her native language, she is a really good presenter. It’s just that when it comes to a foreign language, she worries that she would not get her ideas across. So she memorized her speech. As we chat more, she shared that memorizing the presentation has its disadvantage. If she forgets one point, she would feel nervous that it would mess up the rest of her speech.

We talked about her American co-workers. She said they are relatively informal. I suggested that if she sees presenting as just sharing an idea with co-workers instead of a PRESENTATION, it would be more relaxing for her.

How this client improved her presentation skills

She reported that in her following presentation, she built rapport with the audience by starting with a joke. To make her points, she told stories to help listeners remember key lessons. She only memorized the points she was going to make, not the whole speech. And she interacted with her teammates during her presentation. “I feel better about presenting this time. And I feel more confident. Several managers told me afterwards how much they enjoyed my presentation.”

Why is it important to feel relaxed about your presentation?

Who’d knew that feeling relaxed is one of the keys to making a good presentation? But it does make sense. Think of the times when you have to make important decisions. It’s much easier to think clearly when we feel relaxed. So when someone in the audience asks a question that catches you off guard, you can think on your feet better than if you were feeling tense. And if there is any last minute change in the meeting agenda (such as someone ran longer, and you have less time for your presentation,) you’d be better able to make adjustments without feeling as flustered.

To relax, you can try this technique. Breathe slowly. Breathe deeply, and let out your breath slowly. Repeat until you feel centered.

What is your attitude toward your presentation?

Next is attitude. Answer this question. Do you feel that making a presentation is a way for others to evaluate you? If so, modify your idea a little so you remove the element of being judged as a good or bad speaker. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you were to spend 30 to 60 minutes to listen to someone, you want useful information, right? Your main goal is get value out of that time, not to evaluate the presenter.

If you would approach your presentation with this in mind–that your listeners are there to get some helpful ideas for themselves–then you would have taken your thoughts off of yourself, and to the needs of the audience. This is a good thing. You would serve the audience better. You’ve switched your focus from feeling nervous about how you might be perceived to meeting the needs of those who came to listen to you. Which brings me to my next point.

Meeting your audience’s needs to present effectively

Another key to an effective presentation is knowing your audience. Let’s say you are an engineer. Is your audience technical? Or are they decision makers who know just enough technical language to do their job? If they have your technical background, you can speak as technically as you want. If they do not have your technical background, then think about why they need this information. And then deliver the information to them with examples that they can relate to.

For example, if you are in data analysis, and you are speaking to sales managers, make your points completely relevant to their work, so they can use the data to make good decisions. And use words that they understand if they are not as technical as you. The better you know who you audience is, the more relevant you can make your presentation to them. And THAT’s effectiveness. Your audience would be glad that they have spent that time listening to you. And they’ll look forward to your future presentations.

Think of yourself as a host during your presentation

It may help to think of yourself as a host during your presentation.  Let me explain.  If you invite guests to your home for a dinner party, you would be hospitable.  You would make sure your guests feel comfortable by paying attention to their needs.  If their glass is empty, you would fill it.  If they are vegetarian, you would make sure to have a few dishes with no meat.  

In the same way, if you know the needs of your audience ahead of time, you can tailor your presentation to meet their needs.

When you think of yourself as a host, it puts the focus on the audience, and not you.  That will help a great deal in removing the stress of being “on stage.” 

Other people’s experience with these tips

So, feel relaxed, focus on the needs of your audience instead of how nervous you feel, know your audience, and make your information relevant to the audience, and think of yourself as a host during the presentation. All these will contribute to your presentation being a success!

Over the years, I’ve helped many tweak their presentation to be more effective. When they come to the realization that the presentation is really not about them, but about the audience, all of them feel more relaxed almost immediately. And their interaction with the audience becomes more engaging. THIS is something an American audience appreciates.

I hope these presentation tips will help you as you prepare for your next speech. If you have questions that come up after reading this article, please email them to me at estrellachan@gmail.com. I will address your question by email or include the answer in another article.

If you find this article helpful, here is one on How to explain yourself clearly.

Estrella Chancoaches immigrants and international professionals in English fluency, interview skills, and public speaking.    To schedule a session with her, please email estrellachan@gmail.com