Many of my former students have dreamed about speaking English like the Queen or like an American action movie star, but this can be very hard to do. Even advanced students with perfect grammar still don’t always have native sounding English accents. As Mark Twain wrote, “I have traveled more than any one else, and …
BODY LANGUAGE: the movements or positions of your body that show other people how you are feeling, without using words. – Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus Our body can communicate a lot of things even if you are not speaking. It gives away that you are nervous with shaking hands or a rigid posture. …
A new study released by Microsoft shows that humans now have attention spans shorter than a goldfish! This makes it even more important to capture your audience’s attention with the first words of your presentation. The old-fashioned “Good evening ladies and gentlemen” isn’t enough any more. You need and introduction that will surprise them, intrigue …
Every culture has their specificities and native English speakers are no exception. Here are some things to avoid when speaking to these audiences: 1. Being late In most anglophone cultures it is important to be on time or even early in some cases. Make sure when you give a presentation that you arrive in plenty …
VISUAL AID: something that you are shown, such as a picture, film, or map, in order to help you understand or remember information. – Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus The most important thing to remember about visual aids is that they are AIDS. What most people forget is that visual aids are there to …
Supporting material is anything you use in your presentation that supports your key message. This can range from statistics to diagrams to anecdotes to video clips. This post will look at verbal supporting material and how to use it. I will cover visual supporting material in my next post on visual aids. Here’s how I …
You’ve just finished writing the best presentation ever, but you don’t have any time left to practice it. Later, you are in the middle of delivering it, when you realise you are repeating yourself. Or worse you run overtime and don’t have time to finish your presentation, leaving out some key points. Sound familiar? By …
EYE CONTACT: the situation in which two people look at each other’s eyes at the same time. -Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary How would you feel if you were having a conversation with someone and they never looked at you directly? You might feel that they were nervous or that they weren’t really interested in talking …
One of the most difficult parts of a foreign language to truly master is pronunciation. This is no different in English. Having good pronunciation in a presentation is essential to communicate and connect with your audience. There are certain words or sounds that are generally difficult for English as a Second Language speakers, but there …
As discussed earlier, giving a presentation in your second language is a challenge. By following these three rules you can make it a great success. 1. Be Clear The first step in any presentation preparation is to develop your key message. You want this to be as clear and as simple as possible. Take time …