Spanish · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 11 of 12
Giving a presentation
Hacer una presentación
Give a presentation in Spanish: structure your talk, add emphasis with lo que queremos es… and fue entonces cuando…, and handle questions.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Structure a talk with en primer lugar, a continuación and por último
- Add emphasis with cleft sentences: lo que queremos es…, fue entonces cuando…
- Present figures and results
- Handle questions from the audience politely
Listen
At a business forum in Bilbao, Itziar Goikoetxea presents her app, which connects local farmers with restaurants. Amaia chairs the session, and Íñigo, a restaurant owner, asks a question. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Amaia
Buenas tardes a todos. Les presento a Itziar Goikoetxea, creadora de la aplicación Huerta Cerca. Itziar, cuando quiera.
Good afternoon, everyone. Let me introduce Itziar Goikoetxea, creator of the Huerta Cerca app. Itziar, whenever you're ready.
Itziar
Muchas gracias, Amaia, y gracias a todos por estar aquí. En primer lugar, les explicaré cómo nació la idea; a continuación, cómo funciona la aplicación; y por último, cuáles son nuestros planes.
Thank you very much, Amaia, and thank you all for being here. First, I'll explain how the idea came about; next, how the app works; and finally, what our plans are.
Itziar
Todo empezó en 2021. Mi tío tiene una huerta cerca de Bilbao, y un día me contó que vendía sus tomates a un intermediario por treinta céntimos el kilo. Fue entonces cuando me di cuenta de que algo no funcionaba. Lo que queremos es muy sencillo: que los agricultores vendan directamente a los restaurantes. Son ellos quienes deciden el precio.
It all started in 2021. My uncle has a market garden near Bilbao, and one day he told me he was selling his tomatoes to a middleman for thirty cents a kilo. That was when I realised that something wasn't working. What we want is very simple: for farmers to sell directly to restaurants. They're the ones who set the price.
Itziar
Como pueden ver en este gráfico, hemos pasado de cinco a ciento veinte agricultores. Y lo que me gustaría destacar es esto: de media, cada agricultor gana un cuarenta por ciento más. El año que viene queremos llegar a Cantabria y a Navarra. Muchas gracias por su atención.
As you can see in this chart, we've gone from five to a hundred and twenty farmers. And what I'd like to highlight is this: on average, each farmer earns forty per cent more. Next year we want to expand to Cantabria and Navarre. Thank you very much for your attention.
Amaia
Muchas gracias, Itziar. ¿Alguna pregunta? Sí, usted, por favor.
Thank you very much, Itziar. Any questions? Yes, you, please.
Íñigo
Gracias. Tengo un restaurante en el centro y el proyecto me parece muy interesante. Mi pregunta es: ¿qué pasa si un día el agricultor no puede entregar el pedido?
Thank you. I have a restaurant in the centre and I find the project very interesting. My question is: what happens if one day the farmer can't deliver the order?
Itziar
Es una buena pregunta. Si no le he entendido mal, lo que le preocupa es quedarse sin producto, ¿verdad?
That's a good question. If I've understood you correctly, what worries you is being left without produce, is that right?
Íñigo
Exacto. Un sábado, por ejemplo, sería un problema.
Exactly. On a Saturday, for example, it would be a problem.
Itziar
Pues para eso tenemos más de un agricultor en cada zona. Si uno no puede, es la aplicación la que busca a otro que tenga el mismo producto. No tengo el dato exacto ahora mismo, pero le puedo asegurar que pasa muy pocas veces.
Well, that's why we have more than one farmer in each area. If one can't, it's the app that finds another who has the same produce. I don't have the exact figure right now, but I can assure you it happens very rarely.
Íñigo
Perfecto. Pues entonces la voy a probar en mi restaurante.
Perfect. Then I'm going to try it in my restaurant.
Amaia
Muchas gracias a los dos. Hacemos ahora una pausa de diez minutos.
Thank you both very much. We'll now have a ten-minute break.
Understand
Structuring a talk
A good presentation tells the audience where it's going. Announce the parts at the start, mark each step, and signal the end. Speak to the audience with : … (As you can see…).
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| … | First of all… |
| … | Next… |
| … / … | Finally… / To finish… |
| … | As you can see in this chart… |
| … | As I was saying before… |
| … | What I'd like to highlight is… |
| Thank you very much for your attention. |
Emphasis: lo que queremos es…, fue entonces cuando…
To put one part of a sentence in the spotlight, Spanish splits it in two with , like English “It was then that…” or “What we want is…”. These are called “cleft sentences”.
The relative word depends on what you emphasise: for a thing, for a time, for a place, and or / for a person or thing. often matches the tense: …
| Neutral | With emphasis |
|---|---|
Handling questions
When you take questions, thank the person, check you've understood, and be honest if you don't know something. With the audience, use .
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| That's a good question. | |
| … | If I've understood you correctly… |
| ¿Se refiere a…? | Do you mean…? |
| I don't have the figure right now. | |
| I can send it to you later. | |
| Any more questions? |
More in the grammar: Spanish numbers: from 0 to a million · Relative pronouns: que, quien, lo que, donde · Discourse markers: sin embargo, por lo tanto, o sea
New words
- presentarto present; to introduce (a person) · …: Let me introduce…
- en primer lugarfirst, first of all
- a continuaciónnext, then
- por últimofinally, lastly
- la huertamarket garden, vegetable garden · feminine
- el intermediario / la intermediariamiddleman, intermediary
- darse cuenta deto realise · …: I realised that…
- sencillo / sencillasimple
- el agricultor / la agricultorafarmer
- destacarto highlight, to stress; to stand out
- de mediaon average
- ganarto earn; to win
- Es una buena pregunta.That's a good question.
- el datofigure, piece of information · masculine; : data
Practise
1.You want to emphasise when you realised something. Complete: “Fue entonces … me di cuenta.”
2.Emphasise what you want: “What we want is very simple.”
What we want is very simple.
3.Complete the signposting: “Next, I'll explain how the app works.”
Next, I'll explain how the app works.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.They're the ones who set the price.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Someone asks you for a figure you don't know. What's the best answer?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
En primer lugar, les explicaré cómo nació la idea.
First of all, I'll explain how the idea came about.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.