The pen is mightier than the sword!

Hello dear, and how is your year going so far? I hope it’s off to a great start. Mine is going really well – I’m thoroughly enjoying getting back in the saddle again and reconnecting with my students and clients after spending a couple of weeks only connecting with my family and friends. I so deeply love what I do and am reminded of that every day. However, when I hear the news, there are moments when I really wonder where the goodness lies in some people. Recent global events have had an impact on me, and I find sometimes it’s a struggle to celebrate the joy of life every single day when you hear such terrible stories of violence and pain. (I just realized this has nothing to do with teaching you English – bear with me, I’m almost done!) If anything it is a reminder to come together even closer than before – to shout even louder, to write and communicate even more, and to let your voice be heard. Don’t ever let anyone stop you from sharing your story. Ever. The pen is mightier than the sword indeed!

And speaking of sharing your voice, let’s talk for a moment about…..rocking an English presentation! What’s the biggest mistake people make when they give a presentation in English? Guess what – it’s not looking down at your notes (more on that in a second) or having a crappy Power Point…it’s forgetting to thank the audience! It’s really important to thank the audience twice, actually. (Maybe now you’re thinking “OMG I have been doing it wrong my whole life!”) You need to thank the audience for coming at the beginning of your presentation – a phrase like “Thank you all for joining me today. Now I’d like to talk about ….” can work really well, or “It’s great to see everyone here today – thank you all for coming! I’d like to start off with…” is another option. You should thank the audience once again at the end of your presentation – something like “Thank you again for your time today – I’ve really enjoyed talking to you.” This also tells the audience that you’re done – many people just end with the last sentence of their information and then say “Ok, that’s all.” I think you can do better! People are very busy and feel appreciated when they are thanked. And who doesn’t like a pat on the back every now and then?

Oh, just a brief word about using your notes. Nipples. Yes, I said nipples. (It’s a brief word.) Please don’t raise your notes higher than your nipples. It’s important to keep your face completely clear when giving a presentation. Take your notes up to you, don’t bend over your notes. If you watch newsreaders, they also have the same technique. Just pretend you are on TV and you’ll be fine!

Wishing you sweetie, a wonderful week. May you find goodness everywhere and may you let your voice ring out loud and clear! Thank you so much for reading! (See what I did there?)

Wit lof from buffi x