How to introduce a guest speaker in English?
I am working as a TA for a class. And I need to introduce a respectable guest speaker in the next lecture. Can I say:

"Today, we are very honoured to have Mr. A as our guest speaker. He is.....[all kinds of titles]. Please welcome."

I feel that this is not enough emphasizing how I respect him...

Can I say:

"Today, we are very honoured to have the opportunity of inviting Mr. A as our guest speaker.."？

And, is "Please welcome" appropriate in this context?

Many thanks!

Question

How to introduce a guest speaker in English?
I am working as a TA for a class. And I need to introduce a respectable guest speaker in the next lecture. Can I say:

"Today, we are very honoured to have Mr. A as our guest speaker. He is.....[all kinds of titles]. Please welcome."

I feel that this is not enough emphasizing how I respect him...

Can I say:

"Today, we are very honoured to have the opportunity of inviting Mr. A as our guest speaker.."？

And, is "Please welcome" appropriate in this context?

Many thanks!

Answer

The second introduction is better. I would say, "Today, we are very honored for the opportunity of having Mr. A as our guest speaker. He is (list of titles). Please join me in welcoming Mr. A!"

"Please welcome Mr. A" is also acceptable, it doesn't sound as enthusiastic though.. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer

I agree that "please join me in welcoming..." is a better formula here. Also, maybe instead of a list of titles, it would be useful to look into some of his publications and notable talks. When someone introduces a speaker, I always think it's very well done when they point out some of the earlier work that other people may have overlooked or some combination of research interests that makes the speaker unique. It shows that you've taken time to look into their work, and makes them feel special.