3 Recommendations to Non-Native Speakers When Presenting in English
For many working professionals, presenting often a daunting experience. As a Business English trainer who works with Executives in France, I am fully aware that for those whose native language isn’t English, the stakes when presenting can be much higher. As companies become more globalised, leaders are increasingly expected to speak English with clarity and confidence to clients. Nevertheless, having to speak in your non-native language can lead to feelings of insecurity, frustration and anxiety, regardless of their fluency level. With this in mind, I thought I would share three recommendations that non-native English speakers can apply to build their confidence when presenting.
1) ‘Overlearn’ your presentation
First and foremost, I would recommend that you dedicate more time to the delivery of your presentation than perfecting your pitch deck. It’s worth almost ‘overlearning’ your presentation so that it become completely entrenched in your long-term memory. This would help to reduce the likelihood of mental blockages and increase spontaneity when speaking.
2) Less emphasis of your accent, more on your speed of speech
Having a clear accent is important, especially if you accent is hard for listener’s to understand. A strong accent can pose problems for listeners; if they are straining to understand you they will quickly lose interest. According to research conducted in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, authors Kristin J. Van Engen and Jonathan E. Peelle identify that accented speech can cause audiences to experience “reductions in intelligibility, comprehensibility, and processing speed — the same effects caused by hearing loss or background noise.” Therefore, by slowing down your speaking speed, you will help your listeners to better manage the potential barriers of hearing and comprehension that can arise.
3) Pause often and vary your speech tone and pitch
From my experience working with clients, taking frequent pauses serves three benefits - 1) it forces you to speak slower, improving listeners’ comprehension of your point, 2) it will help you to remain on track, or get back on track if you have momentarily lost your trail of thought, and 3) it adds emphasis and further impact to the points you are putting across. Presenting well in English not only requires a clear accent, but also requires speakers to vary the tone and pitch of their voice at key transition points throughout your pitch. This can drastically improve engagement levels of your audience and your overall impact of the point you are wanting to put across.
If you feel that you might be missing out on opportunities and being overlooked for English-speaking opportunities, or you feel that you have all the words, but can’t seem to communicate well in professional situations without fear of judgment from others, then I am here to help you take that leap by ensuring you come away with the highest standard of English.
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