Your Public Speaking Secret Tool

Smiling, by any measure, is a win-win for you and your speaking audience.

Your Public Speaking Secret Tool

Smiling is one of your greatest assets as a presenter.  It is beneficial for you and your audience because it establishes a positive aura, demonstrates confidence, hides fear, and increases engagement.

It is said that it takes forty-three muscles to frown and only seventeen to smile. You always make others more comfortable when you look happy. Smiling also keeps us physically and emotionally healthy and can actually improve your public speaking. When you display a positive and relaxed mood during your presentation you can better handle unexpected events such as negative feedback and tough questions.

Smiling before you present increases your chances of capturing the attention of your audience members and engaging them for fully.

We know from the science that smiling to an audience activates mirror neurons and helps to bring a smile to the face of our audience. Remember smiles are wildly contagious. This, by any measure, is a win-win for you and your speaking audience.

This research is pretty clear: Smiling changes your state of mind even if you are in another not so positive state such as anxiety or fear. So why not take a small step in your speaking practice and share a smile. Your audience will love you for it and you will feel the positive difference. Embrace the positive and be a better speaker – smile!

Smiling is part of this non-verbal message to our audience that we are projecting a powerful and positive presence. Smiling sends a positive cue to our audience, communicates our openness, puts our audience in a positive state of mind.

We smile when we're happy, right? But there has been a lot of research done showing that a smile actually works both ways. Yes, when you feel happy, when you feel content, or when you see or hear something funny you smile! 

But also, even if you're not happy or if you're just in a regular mood but you make yourself smile, that sends a signal to your brain that you are happy. All of a sudden, all the physical signs start acting like you are happy. 

So, whether you're happy or not just the simple act of smiling puts you in a better mood. And what happens when you're in a better mood? You feel more relaxed. You feel more confident. You feel more calm.

Where would you use a smile in public speaking?

Number one, you want to smile before you go on stage. The mere act of smiling can put an anxious or scared person into a calmer, more confident state. So, give it a try. 

You may feel nervous. You may feel a little shaky. But take a deep breath and smile, really smile. Really extend your lips. And stand like this for a few seconds and see how it affects your whole mood and your whole physical being.

Now that your smile relaxed you a little bit, you’re going to use your second smile. As you are walking on stage or as you are coming on the live video for example you are going to smile to your audience. That's the first thing you're going to do before you open your mouth to say anything. The first couple of seconds is just you smiling. 

Now it has to be a sincere, genuine, and authentic smile. I'm not talking about a fake smile where you're smiling, and you really don't mean it. No, you have to mean it! You have to smile like you mean it. 

Look at your audience, look at your camera if it's a video and smile. What does a smile do? It shows your friendliness towards your audience. It shows your sincerity towards your audience. It shows that you want to be there. It shows that you're a nice person. So, remember to smile as soon as you get on stage.

And third, smile during your presentation. Now of course you could be talking about something serious, it could be somber topic, and you may not be able to smile about it. But if there is a chance, definitely smile at your audience. Again, it helps you connect with them. 

It helps you engage with them. It puts not only you in a better mood and in a more calm and confident state, but also your audience. Because remember, a real genuine smile is very contagious.

There are two things I want you to try,

(i) First, practice smiling when you don't even feel like smiling. As you're going about your day and you're doing your everyday stuff just take a second, stop, and smile sincerely, happily. Let people think you're crazy. But smile and watch how your body reacts. You are going to feel it almost immediately. How you are beginning to feel better. How your mood improves. How your heart rate decreases. How you're becoming less stressed and more confident. 

(ii) And the second thing I want you to try is to smile at some random people. Again, in a very sincere, genuine way. Maybe you're in the store or paying for your purchase. I want you to smile at the cashier, a real nice genuine smile. And see what the smile does, because what you’re going to feel is that not only will it relax you and put you in a better mood, but the other person will most likely, if not smile back, they will still light up.

Here are four more reasons you should smile when presenting,

(1) It Makes You Feel Better: Smiling helps you to feel more comfortable and also helps to reduce any tension you may be experiencing, especially when you are nervous before delivering your talk.  Since it is contagious, it attracts a positive atmosphere that allows for a more engaging atmosphere. 

(2) It Can Hide Your True Emotions: Smiling helps to mask any nervous feelings you may be experiencing and can make you more optimistic.  Smiling more can actually change how you are feeling at that moment, helping you to forget those uneasy feelings so that you do not make your audience uncomfortable. 

(3) It Demonstrates Confidence: Smiling helps to boost your confidence, making the audience see you as more competent and attractive.  In addition, a strong tone of voice also helps to make the audience view you positively as you sound more confident. 

(4) It Increases Audience Engagement: You must prioritize your audience’s needs.  As your presentation is all about meeting the expectations of that audience, your goal must be to engage them and make them feel that they are involved in the presentation and that you are speaking directly to the individuals in the audience.  

Smiling helps to build positive relationships and gives you the confidence to establish direct eye contact with as many individuals as possible during your presentation. 

Remember, smiling is one of your greatest assets as a presenter.  It is beneficial for you and your audience because it establishes a positive aura, demonstrates confidence, hides fear, and increases engagement.

Let your smile be one of your greatest assets. Keep that old saying in mind as you get ready to speak, “Smile and the world smiles with you."

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10 Ways to Enhance Your Vocabulary

A good vocabulary can help you communicate better in everyday life and express yourself in the best way possible.

10 Ways to Enhance Your Vocabulary

A good vocabulary can help you communicate better in everyday life and express yourself in the best way possible. The better your vocabulary is, the more precise you can be about what you are saying or writing.

Why expand your knowledge and use of words? You'll be able to communicate (speak and write) more clearly and concisely, people will understand you more easily, and you will increase the perception (and reality) that you are an intelligent person. Besides, learning new words is a fun activity -- and one you can even do with the people around you. Challenge a friend, family member, or roommate to learn new words with you.

A good vocabulary can help you communicate better in everyday life and express yourself in the best way possible. The better your vocabulary is, the more precise you can be about what you are saying or writing. Regardless of whether you are studying English at school, enjoying your summer vacation or you're not even a student, at all, these 10 methods are your secure path to growth and enrichment in the English vocabulary department.

1. Read Every Day: 

Once you’re out of school, word drills and assigned reading become things of the past. While these were tools for building your vocabulary repertoire while you were young, it doesn’t mean you should abandon reading. Try to read a well-written and edited essay, magazine article, book or news article every day. The more you read -- especially novels and literary works, but also magazines and newspapers -- the more words you'll be exposed to. As you read and uncover new words, use a combination of attempting to derive meaning from the context of the sentence as well as from looking up the definition in a dictionary.

2. Keep a Personal Dictionary:

Remember those early elementary school days when you had your first classes of English and each new word learned had to be documented either in a separate notebook or at the back of your current one? Well, this is actually one of the most efficient ways to learn new vocabulary and track your overall progress. Buy a new notebook or create a new memo on your phone where you will regularly update a word list of all the new English vocabulary you have mastered thus far.

3. Learn New Words Every Day: 

How often do you come across words that are unfamiliar as you read? Don’t just gloss over them; take the time to look them up, and if you don’t have the time right then, write them down and look them up later. To improve your vocabulary quickly, make an effort to learn at least 3 to 5 new words every single day. There are plenty of ways to do this, such as a Word of the Day calendar or email list, or simply picking a word from a thesaurus or dictionary. 

4. Learn from Context:

Research shows that the vast majority of words are learned from context. Learning in context of situations and sentences has huge benefits for all three aspects of vocabulary acquisition, learning, recall and retention. Vocabulary should always be learnt in context not in isolation.

There are many ways of introducing context into the vocabulary learning, the simplest being to learn vocabulary in sentences.

Beyond sentences, one can experiment with learning words with stories, songs or just everyday situations. For instance, rather than learning weather related words on their own, look up a weather forecast online, and try to imagine a conversation about weather next week, and how it will affect the picnic one has been looking forward to so much.

5. Visualize New Words: 

Another research shows that visualization is a great way to remember new words and their meanings. A good example of this is the word stratovolcano, which is a high, pointed mountain with a violent explosion. One way to remember this meaning is the fact that the prefix “strato” sounds like “straight-oh,” which may make you think of a straight ruler or a “straight-o-volcano,” which describes the word’s definition.

6. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: 

They say repetition is the mother of learning. It is – plain and simple. The way the human brain works is it actually utilizes repetition patterns to strengthen the meaning and usage of everything new that we learn. While it is crucial that you constantly learn new vocabulary, it is pertinent that you revise each and every new word to make the most out of your learning experience and always keep your head in the game.

7. Edit Your Own Writing: 

After you finish writing, be your own editor and go though the piece with a fine-toothed comb to identify overused and nondescript words with something more precise or colorful. Editing is an important process for spotting writing errors, but it’s also great for improving the tone, style, and clarity of your writing. It might help to read the sentences aloud, then note any lack of precision. Search through your memory for more descriptive words, or consult a thesaurus if you need to. As you replace words, remember that using a large number of complex words won’t necessarily clarify the meaning, and it may just make your writing more pompous. Ask yourself, “Do I know a better word to use instead?” You may replace “use” with “acquire” or “obtain,” or “do” with “perform.”

8. Engage in Conversations: 

Your true mastery shines when you are able to use new vocabulary in a real-life setting. Engage in conversations. While doing so, try to include those new words where appropriate as a sign of confidence and for additional practice. Simply talking with other people can help you learn discover new words. As with reading, once you hear a new word, remember to jot it down so that you can study it later -- and then slowly add the new word to your vocabulary.

9. Make Use of Games and Apps: 

This is probably the most frequent method of learning new vocabulary and mastering new languages among the learners of today. Most language learning apps, such as Duolingo, Memrise or QuizUp are vocabulary-centric and utilize repetition and behavioral patterns to aid your learning process and help maximize your time and effort. They're easily accessible and usually don't have any time restraints so you can basically learn only when you want to. This is highly important because you don't need any extra motivation to learn; you're just using your phone as you normally would while also learning something new. Playing board games such as Scrabble and Crosswords helps do the trick, as well.

10. Stay Motivated: 

The last one on the list is something most learners fail at, leading them to either lose the motivation to learn new words or even quit the learning process in its entirety. To avoid doing so, set a particular new word count as your daily or monthly goal. This is actually the backbone of learning anything new, especially when it comes to languages.

In order for you to improve your vocabulary as much as you can, you need to cultivate the curiosity to learn new words every day.

It's the inner motivation that can fast track your progress and get you way past your goals at any given day. 

Some Vocabulary Tools/Websites:

Here are some useful (if slightly random) tools for helping improve your vocabulary: 

• Dictionary.com's Word-of-the-Day
• English-Word Information
• Free Rice: Learn Vocabulary, Donate Rice to UN World Food Program
• Get The Words
• Vocabulary.com: Free Word Puzzles and Activities
• WordPlays.com: Word Games

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Quick Fix Solution by Using English Fillers

In reality, even native English speakers use filler words, and they use them often.

Quick Fix Solution by Using English Fillers 

When you think of someone as being a fluent English speaker, you probably think they speak perfectly without stopping. In reality, even native English speakers use filler words, and they use them often. These words are an important part of sounding natural when you speak English.

“English is like, totally fun to learn, you know?”

You’ve probably heard lots of filler words being used in conversations or in movies and TV shows. These might not seem useful, but they are actually a pretty important part of the English language, especially in American English. 

Filler words can be an English learner’s best friends, if you use them correctly and not too often. That’s why here is a list of English filler words which will make you sound like a native speaker. 

Filler words are words (and phrases) that are used to fill silence when you’re speaking. They’re words that don’t add any real value to the sentence. 

They simply keep you going while you come up with the rest of your sentence. Their actual name is “discourse markers,” but they’re much more commonly known as “filler words.” 

You might already use filler words without realizing it. When you can’t think of the right word to use in a sentence, you might say “umm.” This gives you a break while you think, without an awkward, silent pause. 

Since filler words don’t really add any meaning to the sentence, you don’t need to think about using them. This leaves your brain free to think of other things—like the word you’re trying to remember.

You only need to use filler words when you’re speaking with someone. Generally you won’t use fillers when you’re writing. 

When you’re speaking with someone, though, you might need some extra time to figure out what to say. That’s when you can use filler words. 

Sometimes people use certain filler words (“like,” “literally” or “believe me”) when they’re writing online in website comments, chats or social media. This is fine too, since conversations online are very similar to spoken conversations. 

Filler words are used for a number of reasons: 

To show that you’re thinking. Use filler words when you need to think about your answer or statement. For example: “I have basically… ten more years of college.” 

To make a statement less harsh. When your friend has some broccoli stuck between his teeth, you could just tell him, “You have something in your teeth,” but that might make him embarrassed. It might be nicer to say something more like: “Well, you have, um, you have a little something in your teeth.” 

To make your statement weaker or stronger. While filler words don’t add anything to sentences, they can be used to change the sentence tone—the attitude of the sentence. See how different these three statements sound: “I think pugs are cute” is just a regular statement. “Actually, I think pugs are cute” shows contrast—that someone else doesn’t agree. “At the end of the day, I think pugs are cute” is something you might say as a conclusion to a discussion about pugs and their ugly (or cute!) wrinkles. 

To stall for time. To stall for time means to do something to try and gain more time. Filler words are an excellent way to stall when you don’t know how to answer a question, or when you don’t want to. For example, if your teacher asks you “Where’s your homework?,” your response might sound a bit like this: “Uhh. Umm. Well, you see.. My dog ate it.” 

To include the listener in the conversation without ending your sentence. A conversation takes at least two people. Some filler words and phrases can include the other person in the conversation. It’s a bit like reaching out to them as you’re speaking to keep their attention. For example: “It was a really big bear, you know?” This sentence includes the listener without ending your speaking turn. Your listener might nod in agreement, allowing you to continue telling him about the bear. 

As you can see, filler words seem useless at first, but they can be really important! When you think of someone as being a fluent English speaker, you probably think they speak perfectly without stopping. In reality, even native English speakers use filler words, and they use them often. These words are an important part of sounding natural when you speak English.

You’re allowed to pause and think, to be unsure of how to answer, or even to forget the right word to use. The trick is knowing the right filler words to use while you put your thoughts together. Every language has its own set of filler words. Learning English filler words will help you sound more like a native speaker.

Use Filler Words in Moderation. Like with anything else, you could use filler words too much. Overusing filler words (using too many, too often) can make you sound unprofessional. Even worse, it can make it difficult to follow your sentences. So do use filler words when you speak, but don’t use them too much.

Here is a list of some ‘fillers’ we use frequently in English:

• well 
• you see
• you know
• after all 
• I mean 
• you know what I mean
• at the end of the day
• Believe me
• I guess/ I suppose
• or something
• right?!
• like
• sort of 
• kind of 
• say 
• the thing is 
• in other words 
• by the way 
• ok here 
• first of all 
• above all 
• maybe 
• as far, as to 
• anyway 
• in short 
• so 
• in a word 
• in brief
• actually/ basically/ seriously
• totally/ literally/ clearly
  
  

  

  You only need to use filler words when you’re speaking with someone. Generally you won’t use fillers when you’re writing.

  
  

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*If you like this blog post and wish to share your experiences/ remarks/ views with me, you are most welcome to write to me at pdpbygauravmisra@gmail.com. Thanks!