Hello! Great to have you here as always. In this newsletter:
🚀Joining a conversation in English
🚀 One small change to make a BIG difference in your English vocabulary
🚀 Group coaching opportunities for Meaningful Meetings and Powerful Presentations
It's one of the hardest things to do in another language.
You've been there.
At a conference or regional meeting. On a call with headquarters. Hosting a group of funders. 🌎
Everyone is chatting and laughing in English.
But you feel lost. Or nervous. Or both!
Many NGO & International Cooperation professionals tell me they lose their confidence when speaking English in a group setting. Maybe one-on-one is fine, but in a crowd, they stay silent.
Did you see my recent LinkedIn Post about this? I share my own experience feeling lost in a group conversation in my second language (Spanish).
And, as always, I share some helpful strategies for handling this situation. 💪
Here are the basic strategies:
1️⃣ Put yourself in these English situations.
Go to the conference happy hour. Join the call early. Volunteer to welcome the visitors.
Recently, a client told me her strategy: she suggested a call instead of just sending an email when someone inquired about her program. She knows the meeting will be in English, and so she will get another opportunity to practice and grow. 🪴
2️⃣ Notice your discomfort.
It's okay to feel uncomfortable. When you feel it, use an affirmation to tell yourself you will be okay. Something like:
🌟I've got this.
🌟I'm doing my best.
🌟People can understand me.
3️⃣ Focus on what you CAN understand.
You may not understand all of the details, but you can catch the main ideas. Don't give up or tune out.
Make a note (physical or mental) of any new words or phrases you want to look up later.
4️⃣Find a way to join in.
Ask a simple who / what / where / when / why question.
Add a simple comment:
☑️That's so interesting / amazing / terrible.
☑️You must be so excited / proud / ready for a vacation.
You CAN speak up in a group setting. And the more you do it, the better you will feel.
SMALL CHANGE ➡️➡️➡️VOCABULARY GAINS
I've just started Year 2 of living in Bogota, Colombia. So I finally made the switch - I changed my phone settings to Spanish! 📱
I've always heard that this is great for your language growth (and I've even suggested it to others), but I hesitated to do it myself.
Wow! 🤩After just a few days, I'm seeing amazing vocabulary growth.
Deslizar = swipe
Deshacer = undo
Configuración = settings
But it's not just new words for me, it's the reinforcement of many words that I already know but don't always use. 💪
Give it a try!
On an iPhone, go to your settings >> general >> language >> preferred language (configuración >> general >> idioma y región >> idioma preferido)
On an Android, go to settings >> system >> languages and input >> languages (configuración >> sistema >> idiomas y entradas >> idiomas)
Thinking about the Confident Communicators Courses? 🚀
It's a great way to practice speaking English in a group.
📅JUNE/JULY COURSE: Communication Skills for Meaningful Meetings
In four weeks, you will practice all of the following skills, including role-play conversations based on your work context.
Week 1:
Introducing yourself, your organization, and your program
Informal conversations with colleagues and stakeholders
Week 2:
Mastering technical vocabulary: how to remember and use it correctly
Getting up to speed with phrasal verbs for meetings
Week 3:
Asking and answering effective questions
Strategies for feeling confident and expressive in meetings
Week 4:
Difficult conversations at work: disagreeing and defending your opinion
Putting it all together from start to finish
For a $197 USD investment, you get:
- 1-hour group Zoom for four weeks (day/time decided by the group members)
- Dynamic interaction with role plays, conversations, and time for Q&A
- Weekly speaking assignments with personalized feedback
- Supplemental videos and resources for independent practice on grammar and pronunciation
- Video recordings of all meetings, with written and audio feedback
- 30-minute bonus one-on-one with me for completing your weekly speaking assignments
- Groups with 2-4 members: all NGO/International Cooperation professionals (B1 Level or higher)
📅JULY/AUGUST COURSE: Communication Skills for Powerful Presentations
In four weeks, you will practice all of the following skills AND prepare a 5-10 minute presentation on a work-related topic of your choice.
Week 1:
Organizing an effective presentation for your context and audience
Creating slides that communicate clearly
Week 2:
Connecting your ideas with powerful transition phrases
Talking about numbers and money
Week 3:
Dealing with nerves and body language
Delivering your message confidently
Week 4:
Presenting to the group
Handling audience questions
To register or ask any questions, send me an email: amytate@actnowenglish.com
It’s time to commit to your professional English communication growth and success!
All the best,
Amy
