Master visual design principles and clear vocal delivery to create presentations that engage audiences and leave lasting impressions on decision-makers.
This is Lesson 13 of The English Farm's professional English presentation series. Learn how to create visually compelling and memorable presentations through our specialized professional English training. Master both slide design principles and clear vocal delivery that executives remember long after your presentation ends.
Look at the following slide and critique it with your teacher. What are the good and bad things about it?
Discuss the following with your teacher:
- What makes a presentation forgettable vs. unforgettable?
- Have you ever sat through a presentation and understood nothing? What was the problem?
Understanding what makes presentations memorable helps you learn professional English delivery skills that engage any executive audience.
1. Slide design principles are important to know. Here are a few things to remember when you are creating a slide deck.
These professional English techniques combine visual design with clear communication to maximize your presentation impact.
| Design Principle | What It Means | Student-Friendly Tip | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Idea per Slide | Focus on one concept at a time | Don’t overload your audience—less is more | “Digital expansion improves customer engagement” NOT “Digital expansion, risks, cost, benefits, timeline” (all on one slide) |
| Visual Support | Use images, icons, or charts instead of full sentences | Think of your slide as support, not your script | Replace text with a bar chart or one keyword + icon |
| Whitespace is Power | Empty space helps focus attention | Don’t try to fill every part of the slide | Use margins, space between bullet points, and large font |
| Readable Fonts | Keep font clean and large enough to read | No cursive or tiny text—think of the people in the back! | Sans serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri) at least 24 pt. |
Practice: Now look at the slide in the Introduction. How could you make the slide better?
2. Even if you have an accent, it's possible to speak clearly! Think of the following and practice with your teacher.
| Focus On... | Why It Matters | Practice Tip / Drill | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word Stress | Listeners expect certain syllables to be stressed for clarity | Mark stress and exaggerate in practice | e.g. "DIG-i-tal", "pre-SEN-ta-tion", "in-vest-MENT" |
| Thought Groups & Pausing | Breaking speech into chunks helps listeners understanding | Use short pauses between ideas | “This / is our main idea. / It will help / reduce costs.” |
| Final Consonant Sounds | Missing sounds can confuse meaning | Practice minimal pairs and exaggerate ending sounds | “cost” vs “cause”, “change” vs “chain”, “fast” vs “fat” |
| Intonation | Keeps speech interesting and emphasizes important points | Use rising tone for contrast/questions, falling tone for statements | “Should we start now?” (rising), “We saw a drop in costs…” (falling) |
Practice: Read each sentence four times, each time paying attention to one of the following.
1) Word stress
2) Thought groups & pausing
3) Final consonant sounds
4) Intonation
-
“Our digital expansion plan begins with two pilot regions.”
-
“If we move forward now, we’ll gain a three-month lead.”
-
“This change reduces average task time by 15 minutes.”
Look at the slide you've created below. Read the script in a way that catches people's attention.
First, operational efficiency.
We’ve identified three quick-win areas that reduce average task time by 30%—freeing up staff for higher-value work.
Second, a competitive edge.
While major players are already scaling their digital platforms, acting now secures you a six-month lead over regional competitors.
Third, a better customer experience.
The new platform will cut response times and raise satisfaction from today’s 68% to over 85%.
And finally, stronger decision-making.
You’ll have real-time data dashboards to guide both tactical and strategic choices.
So, in short—efficiency, growth, and a future-ready customer experience. That’s the value we’re unlocking with this expansion.
A great way to apply this learning immediately is to go over an old slide deck or previous presentation you and your team may have used. Try applying some of the design principles and redesigning the slides for maximum visual impact. Remember, less is more.
You can now create presentations that are both visually appealing and vocally engaging. These Professional English Courses skills will help your presentations stand out and be remembered by decision-makers long after you finish speaking.