BEGINNING OF YOUR SPEECH

BEGINNING OF A PRESENTATION

When opening a presentation, speakers typically follow a few standard steps: greeting the audience, introducing themselves and the topic, and outlining the structure of the talk.

1. Greeting and introducing yourself

• Good morning / afternoon, everyone.
• Thank you for coming / for being here today.
• Let me introduce myself. My name is…

2. Introducing the topic

• Today, I’m going to talk about…
• The subject of my presentation is…
• I’d like to talk to you today about…

3. Stating the purpose

• The purpose of this presentation is to…
• My aim today is to…

4. Outlining the structure
This is where sequencing words are especially useful, since they help the audience follow the plan of the talk.

• First, I will look at…
• Secondly, I’ll move on to…
• Then / After that, I will discuss…
• Finally, I will conclude with…

Example:
„Today, I’m going to talk about renewable energy sources. First, I will give a short overview of the current situation. Secondly, I’ll look at the main types of renewable energy. Then, I will discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, I will conclude with some recommendations for the future.“