TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I’m Sarah and it is great to have you hear. If this is your first time, watching one of our weekly communication tutorials, I want to welcome you! And if you are a regular here, it’s always good to have you in our community.
To introduce myself, I’m a speech pathologist and opera singer who is passionate about expressing and communicating to help others feel more joy in their loves. I head up a team of amazing speech pathologists in Melbourne, Australia and we work with you to increase your communication comfort so that you can be the best version of yourself, without apology!
Today we are talking about expressing ourselves in English.
Now, if English is your second language you will find this tutorial really helpful. And if english is your first language, don’t run away. I am sure you will also pick up some ideas to use emotional words to talk about how you feel more effectively.
When we speak our first language, there’ll be certain words that really move us emotionally. Our fellow native speakers will generally feel the same impact. But when you switch to your second language it’s normal to feel unsure or even worried about the vocabulary you are using.
Before you dive right in, make sure you have a look at the tutorial that goes with this transcript
How to Express Yourself in English
Lots of clients I work with tell me:
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I just can’t get my words out as well in English.
I feel like I am not as powerful when I speak.
I argue so well in Spanish/ French/ Russian… but when it comes to English I feel worried I will not be understood. I feel small.
I wish I could just speak in public comfortably and express myself because I am really well qualified but I can’t seem to show it in my speaking.
I just want to be more confident and sound interesting.
It’s ok to feel uncertain about the nuance and impact of the vocabulary when you are speaking. But it is not ok to stay uncomfortable about how to express yourself. If you really want to build your English speaking comfort we’ve got to find better ways to express your emotions.
There’s lots going on for you when you speak English as a second language. So how can you develop your vocabulary to express things even better?
To build your vocabulary, you have to be really intentional. We know this from research.
In this tutorial we will do the following together:
1. Develop a strategy to build your vocabulary around emotions so that you can feel more freedom and flexibility when speaking
2. I will also show you how to use the Emotional Vocabulary Builder Resource to develop your ability to express your feelings and grow your English vocabulary even more. So make sure you pick up that resource, over on our website, I’ve linked it below.
Words and emotions
When we find a word, that works for us- it’s like discovering the perfect pair of shoes. The word fits us. It feels comfortable. We can travel with it and use it often. But just like a good pair of shoes, it can take time to find the perfect words to walk through life with.
Let’s check this q uote from Kory Stamper (an amazing author who also writes dictionaries)
“People want to have some deeper connection with the word, to take responsibility for it, or to know some secret part of it. It’s not enough to know how to spell a word or what a word means; you have to know it (Stamper, 197).”
You can improve and get better at finding words to express your experience and when you do this, your life will grow. Relationships will become easier. Your public speaking will be more interesting and expressive. Your interpersonal communication will be more precise.
So let’s get into our resource which will give you the structure to grow your emotional vocabulary so that you can express yourself better in English:
using our emotional vocabulary builder
1. Take a real scenario
2. Express your feelings in your first language about it. Record it on your phone, write out the key words.
3. Then, in the next column, see if you can find a way to express the same feeling in English. I don’t want you to TRANSLATE, I want you you try to express. If you find that there are missing words, or you can’t fill in enough information then move to the next step.
4. NAME the category of feeling generally in English. So, if you are talking about when you got proposed to and you can express if fully, in Spanish, how can you summarise this feeling with 1 English word you know.
5. Then, use some resources you could: check the thesaurus (but that is a bit boring), watch an interview about a proposal on youtube and catch words that could work for you – write them down, read a blog on the topic, recall a episode from a sitcom and watch it in English or with captions and see what words are used.
6. Write your key words. Make sure you know the phonetics and finally
7. Recreate your scenario and express it in English. Notice your improvements and celebrate!
Communication comfort needs a massive tool stack for every language we speak.
To get your message across successfully you need to have
- The ability to pronounce the language comfortably so you can feel confident
- The ability to find the precise words you need to express your feelings and ideas so that your listener gets you
- The ability to share your feelings with comfort and precision
I’m sure that this tutorial brought you a step closer to your communication goals. But maybe for some of you, it made you crave even more!
This is something that our team is totally obsessed with.
Every day at Voice Science we work hard to help our clients improve their English speaking in 1-1 training sessions. Because we believe in the power of communication and know that science based communication strategies can get all of us a long way.
When it comes to expressing yourself confidently in English, there are lots of tools you need to master: Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Grammar, Confidence strategies and Mindset are all factors that will build your success. Our team are here to assist in a tailored way, if you feel that more work is needed, why not check out our English Pronunciation Training or Elocution Programs over on our website.
No language or accent is superior to another. There is so much detail and skill needed to communicate and sometimes life brings us unpredictable moments that make it stressful. It is very normal to feel a change in your identity and even ability as a communicator once you move abroad, switch into your non dominant language or start new activities (like a new job).
We want to tell you there is lots of science based methods to help you if you are having a hard time. So if you have questions about our programs, please reach out and be sure to check out the Elocution and Communciation Consultation in particular.
Thank you so much for being here and spending time listening to these ideas. I hope you feel empowered and inspired. This week, on our instagram we are starting a social media series that is all about word finding difficulties. Make sure you follow us over on instagram to get daily tips for the next 5 days about how to get yourself out of situations where you just can’t find the damn words! I think you’ll love this series. Also be sure to follow us on Youtube and facebook if you found this tutorial helpful. And why not share this video with a friend or colleague if you think it could help them. And, if you have questions, be sure to add a comment, I’ll reply.
As we conclude, please remember, your voice and message matter immensely so stand tall, smile big and have a great day.
Enrol and Start the Work Right Now!
I want to congratulate you for all the good things I’m sure you’re already doing but also I want to encourage you to keep up the work. Pronunciation agility takes time, and dedication, so don’t lose the faith. Focus in on our strategies that we’re sharing weekly and make sure you get your hands on all the free downloads to help you along the way, over on our website. Just look for the TIPS page. We have a complete treasure trove of ideas just for you.
And, if you want to go deeper, why not enrol today in Your Personalised Pronunciation audit. You’ll learn so much and the added bonus is, I’ll finally get to meet YOU which’ll be pretty exciting. And, you can do it no matter where you live. We have clients signing up for this from all over the world!
As we conclude this tutorial I want to remind you, when you work on your pronunciation that it is really normal to be unsure about what sounds you need to fix, especially if English isn’t your first language.
Which is why I custom engineered Your Personalised Pronunciation Audit.
A neat and engaging way for you to get the feedback you need on your English speaking right now, wherever you are.
I have developed this audit because I believe that you can learn anywhere. And you can improve anywhere.
Your personalised pronunciation audit makes our expert clinic accessible to you no matter where you are in the world.
After working with 1000s of clients who want to improve their English I saw that there was a real need for tailored feedback on English speaking globally that is precise and strategic so that you can learn exactly what your pronunciation needs to sound more confident and comfortable.
On that note, it’s time to wrap up this pronunciation party.
Thank you so much for being here.
Remember your voice and message matter enormously.
And I’m here to advocate for your comfy communication so don’t be shy to ask a question here. I’ll reply.
Have a great day. Hold your head high and speak with pride.
As I always say, “Communication is like string theory, it’s the foundation of everything, so go get them!”
Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you soon,
Ciao!
XO