Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations B2 - Lesson 4: Designing & Referring to Visual Aids

Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations B2

Designing & Referring to Visual Aids

Listen to the examples in this lesson.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to design clear, simple slides and use B2-level phrases to refer to them fluently during a presentation.

The Golden Rule: Don't Read Your Slides

Your slides are for your audience, not for you. They are visual support, not a script. A B2-level speaker has a conversation with their audience, using slides to highlight key ideas, not to replace their speech.

BAD SLIDE ❌

Quarter 2 Sales Analysis

• Our sales in Quarter 2 were very good, we saw a lot of growth.
• The total revenue was $55,000, which is an increase of 25% from Quarter 1.
• The main reason for this was the success of our new marketing campaign in May.
• Also, our new product, the "Pro-Widget," was very popular.
• We need to discuss how to continue this momentum into Quarter 3.

(This is a "wall of text." The audience will read the slide instead of listening to you.)

GOOD SLIDE ✅

📈

Q2 Sales Result

+25%

Driven by new product & marketing.

(This slide supports the speaker, who will then explain the details verbally.)

Part 1: How to Talk About Your Visuals 🗣️

Use these phrases to guide your audience's attention smoothly. Notice they are simple and direct.

1. Directing Attention (Introducing a Slide)

• "As you can see here..."
• "If you look at this slide..."
• "This slide shows..."

2. Explaining a Chart or Key Point

• "The key takeaway here is..."
• "What's interesting is that..."
• "This chart highlights..."

3. Moving to the Next Slide

• "Moving on to the next point..."
• "This brings me to..."
• "Now, let's talk about..."

Scenario: Presenting the "Good Slide"

Imagine you are presenting the "Good Slide" from above. Here is how you might sound.

Presenter: "Alright, moving on to our Q2 sales results. As you can see from this slide, the news is excellent. We saw a 25% increase in revenue compared to Quarter 1.

The key takeaway here is that this growth was driven primarily by two factors: the new marketing campaign in May and the launch of our Pro-Widget. What's interesting is that... [continues with details]."

Tips for Better Slides

💡 Key Design Principles (The "KISS" Method)

Follow the "KISS" principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid!

• One Idea Per Slide: Don't put your whole speech on one slide. Use one slide for one main point.
• High Contrast: Use dark text on a light background (e.g., black on white) or light text on a dark background (e.g., white on dark blue). Avoid colors that are hard to read, like yellow on white.
• Legible Fonts: Use a simple, clean font (like Roboto, Arial, Helvetica). Make sure it's big enough for the person in the back of the room to read.
• Use Images, Not Clipart: Use high-quality, professional photos or simple icons. Avoid "cartoony" clipart.

Practice Your Phrasing 🎯

Practice Quiz: Choose the Best Phrase

Read the situation, then choose the best phrase. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. You just finished your introduction and are showing your first slide. How do you start?

• A) "I'd like to highlight..."
• B) "If you look at this first slide, you'll see..."
• C) "Have I missed anything?"

---

2. You are showing a bar chart with sales numbers. You want to point out the most important number.

• A) "The key takeaway here is the 40% jump in August."
• B) "Moving on to the next point..."
• C) "As far as I know, this is a chart."

---

3. You have finished explaining your sales data and want to talk about future plans on the *next* slide.

• A) "This chart highlights our sales."
• B) "In a nutshell, sales were good."
• C) "This brings me to my next point: our strategy for Q3."

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

• Visual Aid (Noun) | ជំនួយ οπτική
  An item (like a slide, chart, or photo) that helps you explain something to an audience.
• To Highlight (Verb) | បន្លិច / សង្កត់ធ្ងន់
  To attract attention to or emphasize something important.
• Key Takeaway (Noun) | ចំណុចសំខាន់
  The most important idea that you want your audience to remember.
• Legible / Readable (Adjective) | អាចអានបាន
  Clear enough to read.
• Cluttered (Adjective) | រញ៉េរញ៉ៃ
  Crowded and untidy; filled with too much information.
• To Recap / Summarize (Verb) | សង្ខេបឡើងវិញ
  To state the main points of something again.
• Concise (Adjective) | សង្ខេប
  Short and to the point; not using unnecessary words.

Your Mission: The 3-Slide Challenge ⭐

Your mission is to create a mini-presentation using good design and fluent language.

1. Choose a simple topic (e.g., "My Favorite Movie," "My Job," "A Place I Want to Visit").
2. Create 3 simple, "Good Slides" using the design principles (e.g., using Google Slides or PowerPoint).
3. Record a 60-second video or audio of you presenting those 3 slides.
4. You MUST use at least one phrase from each toolkit category (Directing Attention, Explaining, Moving On).

Example: "(Slide 1) As you can see, my topic is... (Slide 2) This chart highlights that... (Slide 3) This brings me to my final point..."