In-Depth Tips from Dr English

A good way to make your presentations effective, interesting and easy to follow is to use signposting language. 'Signposting language' is the words and phrases that people use to tell the listener what has just happened, and what is going to happen next.

In other words, signposting language guides the listener through the presentation. A good presenter will usually use a lot of signposting language, so it is a good idea to learn a few of the common phrases, even if you spend more time listening to presentations than giving them! Signposting language is usually fairly informal, so it is quite easy to understand.

Here are some common phrases:

Introducing the Subject

Starting Another Subject

Analysing a Point and Giving Recommendations

Giving an Example

Dealing with Questions

Summarising and Concluding