Strategies and tactics
48 posts
Imagine you are in a public space together with someone else. Instead of just grabbing your phone, you may want to start a casual conversation to break the ice. In such moments, small talk is used to connect with strangers and thus to break the ice. Such ice-breakers are also […]
Erin gaan met een gestrekt been. Handig? Waarschijnlijk niet. Wat nou als jouw communicatiestijl zo voelt door je woordkeus?
Descriptive language & copywriting Metaphors | The founding fathers of metaphoricity, Lakoff and Johnson (1980), have argued that even though most people would argue that there can be life without metaphors, it would be extremely hard to live life without them because they are everywhere. Some may find them a […]
People connect to people and I, as a recruiter, would like to get to know you, not just read a shorter version of your resume. With this in mind, let’s paint a picture.
If English is not your native tongue, and you want to find the right words to express gratitude or something or just want to express wishes for co-workers, I am here to help you strike the right tone and wording. For this purpose, I have listed some for you to use. I hope this will help you to start well!
🔵 Why this video was created? Well, many non-native speakers don’t know how to punctuate well, which is an important skill or tool – if you will – to master to ensure and improve the legibility of your texts. Moreover, not being able to do it well makes you look […]
We all want to feel appreciated and valued in the workplace but we are all also imperfect human beings, who occasionally have an off-day. However, sometimes the feedback we get from others in the workplace may indicate that we could improve something in how we communicate in the professional domain. Continue reading
De instellingen wijzingen op je (nieuwe) telefoon en een persoonlijk bericht inspreken voor degene die je telefonisch probeert te bereiken. Hoe doe je dit nu professioneel in het Engels?
🔵Emotional Intelligence (EQ) | Do you know how to accurately discuss your emotions in English? Well, you might want to learn more vocabulary as having a robust vocabulary range is one way to demonstrate this type of intelligence in the workplace. 🔵 In this video, you will learn more about […]
Diplomacy skills | How to interrupt someone, as a non-native speaker, in an educational or professional setting without coming across as being impolite or rude.
The labour market has changed due to COVID-19. With a sudden influx of job-seeking professionals, you might wonder how to make your application stand out. I am a corporate recruiter, and I will tell you how.
Poor organization and monotonous speech are often a reason as to why talks do not resonate with an audience. For this reason, signposting is recommended, which is the topic of video 1. Moreover, a video was created on the topic of sound-chunking - a way to start placing emphasis on parts that actually matter most and how to speed up and slow down for effect. Watch the videos below. This video is one of two videos of this Playlist on Youtube - incl. voiceover.
Many non-native speakers don’t know when it is and isn’t polite to interject and jump in to ask for clarification, offer their opinion or express enthusiasm, which tends to lead to feelings of discomfort and even insecurity. This series is focused on the types of settings and covers everything you […]
Why you should care about becoming more aware of how meaning is shaped in interaction Vocabulary and grammar most important? Most clients and course participants of language & communication courses are mainly focused on using the right words (i.e. in terms of semantic meaning and meaning you can find in dictionaries) and verb tenses when communicating in English - completely valid and understandable. Language use, however, is more complex and extends to higher levels. Continune reading.
Besides including attention grabbers, the actual talk should be well-structured and clear introductions consist of at least two parts. One of them is providing an outline to ensure that your audience knows what to expect, so [continue reading]
Want to start expanding your mental lexicon? Two support series on YouTube to help you start doing just that.
Besides including attention grabbers, the actual talk should be well-structured and clear introductions consist of at least two parts.
it soort boodschappen zijn vaak bedoeld om je te overtuigen van iets. Framing is dus het vormgeven van percepties met als doel bepaald gedrag te sturen. We worden overweldigd met boodschappen die geframed zijn en voelen ons soms niet eens meer aangesproken door de veelheid van het blootstellen aan reclameachtige boodschappen. Dit gegeven zou kunnen maken dat je wat negatief aankijkt tegen het onderwerp ‘framing’ en het woord dus een negatieve connotatie (betekenis) heeft voor je. Wel kan het handig zijn om te weten wat het is en hoe je er eventueel zelf gebruik van kunt maken om je communicatieve doelen te bereiken en dus effectiever te kunnen communiceren, of dit nu in het Nederlands of Engels is, maakt dan niet zoveel uit. Lees verder.
You might be about to lose your job, or you may have lost it already due to Covid-19, resulting in having to find another one. As we sympathize, wish to help you get a new one as soon as possible, and want to set you up for success, we have created […]
In this video, two types of questions are explained and many examples are given to help you prepare for job interviews.
If you are looking for a position with an international company, you are expected to not only apply but also interview in the English language. There is some low-hanging fruit for you to simply pluck from the myriad of tips you will find online. Continue reading.
Have you ever wondered why certain speakers include so many rhetorical figures, while others only seem to use a few of them? Wondered about the communicative effect such choices have on audiences? Ever heard of register and other topics in vocabulary acquisition, like the connotation of words? In this part […]
Select rhetorical figures that will help diminish or enlarge your arguments in a way that suits its purpose best. Continue reading.
Interested in persuading others of your stance? Want to be able to communicate more effectively and with more impact at work? Want to get the job done to the best of your ability? If you do, you should not just focus on the content of your job, but also on being persuasive while communicating with others. In this blog series, I will explain the five parts of rhetoric, and this first part is about 'invention'.
Ever read an advertisement and have been surprised by how language was used it the ad? Or perhaps you were not really aware of what the advertiser did exactly. But did you understand the message instantly anyway? Perhaps even wondered why certain stylistic choices were made in such ads? There’s a reason why advertisers, for example, make such decisions regarding language use.
In the professional domain just doing your job by focusing on content and being a friendly co-worker usually is not enough. At some point, you must at least attempt to convince others to accept your plan or proposed course of action to avoid becoming redundant, and you will have to make sure that you’ll remain relevant to the company you work for or to your clients for survival. Getting the desired promotion, expanding your clientele, or just getting the job done requires persuasion. This is a practical skill that is about using language more effectively and thus to your advantage.
Veel mensen vinden presenteren in het Engels best lastig. Niet alleen vinden ze het lastig om te bepalen wat ze moeten zeggen, maar vooral hoe ze iets moeten vertellen voor een groep. Dit is vaak toch wel een dingetje. We hebben het dan nog niet gehad over alle ogen die op je gericht zijn of dat publiek waarvan je weet dat er redelijk wat weerstand te verwachten zal zijn, omdat je misschien een boodschap te delen hebben die nogal wat impact zal hebben op medewerkers of een andere groep belanghebbenden. Een goed gegeven presentatie kan dan veel doen. Wil je weten hoe je dit effectiever kunt doen? In deze post geef ik je een aantal tips in het Nederlands, zodat je er zelf beter mee uit de voeten kunt en een effectieve presentatie zult kunnen geven in het Engels.
Readers of such documents would like to see their initial question answered, their style mirrored, but also have expectations in terms of content and style. Continue reading.
Leesvaardigheidsproblemen onder de aandacht in Televisieprogramma ‘Nieuwsuur’ In Nieuwsuur (NOS-NRT) is vanavond (15-2) te zien geweest dat laaggeletterdheid een groter probleem is geworden in onze samenleving, vermoedelijk veroorzaakt door een sterke afname aan interesse in lezen onder jongeren. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) onderzoekt regelmatig ‘reading literacy’ onder jongeren […]
Interested in learning how to start beating the 15-second rule to ensure that your work product gets read? This post covers the aspects of writing to consider first.
Are you currently using English professionally and are you a non-native speaker of English? Are you currently using idoms in your speech at all? In this article, I explain why it would be useful to start acquiring and using idioms in a professional domain.
Interested in how the British Council measures test scores of candidates who take official Cambridge English ESOL exams? Please watch the video on the Cambridge English scale and how it complements the Common European Framework of Reference
