This article describes how the author has successfully combined polling with more traditional instructional strategies to enhance student presentation skills in an advanced course teaching technical German. By helping students select and prepare topics, anticipate questions and engage the audience, instructors can eliminate some of the root causes of poor L2 speaker performance in oral presentations and bring about meaningful presenter-audience interaction. Students learn how they can successfully present their interests in their discipline to an audience that may not share their same level of interest or background.