🎤 Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations B1 - Lesson 1: Preparing & Delivering a Short Prepared Talk
Welcome to a new series on public speaking! This is a great skill for your career and studies. We will start with the basics: how to prepare and deliver1 a simple, confident presentation on a topic you know well.
Example Talk: "My Favorite Place"
Listen to this short, one-minute presentation. Notice how the speaker, Lina, uses a clear and simple structure2. This makes her talk very easy for the audience3 to follow.
(Introduction)
"Hello everyone. Today, I'm going to talk about my favorite place in Cambodia, which is the riverside in Kampot."
(Body - Point 1)
"The first reason I love it is the atmosphere. It's very peaceful and calm, especially in the morning when the sun is rising. You can just sit and watch the quiet fishing boats on the water."
(Body - Point 2)
"Another reason is the stunning view. On one side you have the beautiful, green Bokor mountains, and on the other side, you have the wide, slow river. It's the perfect place for photos."
(Conclusion)
"So, if you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy nature, I highly recommend visiting the Kampot riverside. Thank you for listening."
How to Prepare Your Talk: A 3-Step Guide
Preparation is the key to confidence. Follow these simple steps.
- Step 1: Brainstorm Your Ideas
Choose a topic you are comfortable with (e.g., My Favorite Place, My Hobby, My Dream Job). Write down 3-4 reasons why you chose it.
- Step 2: Use the "Intro-Body-Conclusion" Structure
Organize your ideas into three parts:
- Introduction: Greet your audience and state your topic. ("Hello, today I will talk about...")
- Body: Choose your two best reasons. Introduce them with signal words. ("The first reason is...", "Another reason is...")
- Conclusion: Briefly summarize and thank the audience. ("So, that's why...", "Thank you for listening.")
- Step 3: Write Keyword Notes
Don't write the full sentences. Just write down keywords on a small card to help you remember. For the example above, your notes might look like this:
- Kampot Riverside
- Reason 1: Peaceful atmosphere, morning, boats
- Reason 2: View, mountains, river
- Conclusion: Recommend for relaxing
👍 Simple Delivery Tips
How you say it is as important as what you say. Focus on these three things.
1. Eye Contact: Don't look at the floor or at your notes the whole time. Try to look at different people in your audience for a few seconds each. This connects you with them.
2. Speak Clearly and Slowly: When we are nervous, we often speak too fast. Take a breath and speak at a steady, clear pace. It's better to be slow and understood than fast and confusing.
3. Positive Body Language: Stand up straight and try to smile before you begin and when you finish. Good posture and a simple smile make you appear much more confident.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Structure Check
These sentences are for a presentation about "My Favorite Hobby: Photography." Put them in the correct order from 1 to 4.
- So, I love photography because it's creative and helps me notice the world more. Thank you.
- Hello everyone. My presentation today is about my favorite hobby, which is photography.
- Secondly, it helps me pay more attention to the small, beautiful details in everyday life.
- The first reason I enjoy it is that it allows me to be creative and capture moments.
→ Correct Order:
1. B, 2. D, 3. C, 4. A
📝 Your Mission: Prepare and Present!
Your mission is to prepare and deliver your own 1-minute presentation on the topic: "My Favorite Place."
- Choose a place you know well: A cafe, a park, a province, or even your own home.
- Create keyword notes using the Introduction-Body-Conclusion structure. Plan two reasons why you like the place.
- Practice by yourself 2 or 3 times to check your timing and flow.
- Deliver your talk! Present it to a friend or family member, or record a video of yourself on your phone to watch back. The goal is to finish, not to be perfect!
Vocabulary Glossary
- Deliver: (Verb) - ថ្លែង (thlaeng) / ធ្វើបទបង្ហាញ (tvəə bat bɑnghaanh) - To give a speech, talk, or presentation to an audience. ↩
- Structure: (Noun) - រចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ (rɔɔcnii sɑmpan) - The way the different parts of something are connected or organized. ↩
- Audience: (Noun) - អ្នកស្តាប់ (neak sdap) / អ្នកទស្សនា (neak toussənaa) - The group of people who are watching and listening to a performance or presentation. ↩
- Eye Contact: (Noun Phrase) - ការសម្លឹងមើលភ្នែក (kaa sɑmləng məəl phnɛɛk) - The act of looking directly into another person's eyes. ↩
- Body Language: (Noun Phrase) - ភាសាកាយវិការ (phiəsaa kaayɔɔvikaa) - The movements or positions of your body that show other people how you are feeling. ↩