Everyday English

My core belief when it comes to communication is that we should meet people where they are, not where we think they should be.  That means  texts should be written so the greatest number of people can understand them. Others disagree with this idea.  They think that by using overly simple language, we are not challenging people to learn.  This week, I'd like to look at both sides of this argument by examining interpretive texts from art exhibits. However, is not just for museums.  It is an issue I see every day - particularly in a global Business English context. 

For more information or to leave a comment, please contact me on my website.  I'd love to hear from you!

Marshallsay English - Because words matter.

Museums and exhibits mentioned in today's episode:

The Städel Museum, Frankfurt
The Schirn Museum, Frankfurt
Splendor & Misery in the Weimar Republic, Schirn Musuem, Frankfurt

For some reason, people think that to sound intelligent, or be taken seriously, they have to give long, complicated explanations.  In fact, the opposite is true. There is a genius in simplicity.  How do you achieve this? Stay tuned and find out.

Marshallsay English - Because words matter.

Contact metoday for your English language needs or for more information.

People are ready to travel again, and that means reading online reviews. But how you communicate with your guests can mean the difference between getting 1 star or 5 stars. Read on to get my top tips – as well as some functional language – that will leave all your guests feeling like VIPs.

Visit me at www.marshallsayenglish.com to find out more about the services I offer.

Marshallsay English - Because words matter

Interpretive planning - Proofreading - Language training

Generation Z (those 15-25 years old) feel invisible to those in power.  How will this affect how you communicate with this age group?  This week, we'll look at how young people feel about technology, relationships, and the future, as well as the role of museums in this conversation.

Contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for an upcoming episode.  I'd love to hear from you.

Marshallsay English - English services for those in the heritage and tourism industries.  English language training, proofreading and copyediting, interpretive planning

Often, it isn't a guide’s language skills that determine the quality of the tour. It is their ability to tell a good story. How do you do that?  Listen and find out!  If you'd like to get in touch, have questions, comments, or if you need help developing a tour, please contact me on my website, www.marshallsayenglish.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

To see the dining room at Hampton National Historic Site, which is mentioned in the podcast, click here.

Here’s the technique I developed to help you create and give tours in English when English isn't your first language.  

If you'd like to get in touch, have questions, comments, or your site needs help developing a tour, contact me on my website, www.marshallsayenglish.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

To many, being fluent means using perfect grammar all the time, knowing nearly every word in the dictionary, and speaking without an accent.

Newsflash:  for most people, this is not a realistic goal.

My solution is that you should stop trying for complete fluency. Instead, you should first aim for “functional fluency.”  Listen in to find out more.

Landing a job that requires experience presents a real Catch-22 situation for anyone trying to break into a new field. How are you supposed to get professional experience if no one will give you a job to get that experience?  Try volunteering!  Whether you want to learn a new skill, make friends, practice your English, or enhance your CV, volunteering could be the way to go.

For more information or to download my free guide "Top Tips for Conference Calls," please go to my website www.marshallsayenglish.com.

Marshallsay English - Helping you change the world, one word at a time.

You have an issue you want the world to know about. How do you communicate your message so that people not only listen, but they also care enough to do something about it?  Join me today to find out!

Resources:  Marshallsay English, www.marshallsayenglish.com

This week, I am breaking from my normal Business English blog to talk about something really close to my heart: grassroots activism.  If you can tell people about your cause in your own language - that's great.  But so many of the issues we face are global issues - which means discussing them in the global language of English.  Today is basically an introduction - but I will continue on this theme for weeks to come.   Let me know what you think!

Resources:  Marshallsay English - www.marshallsayenglish.com 

We are living in a world where people aren't sure what's happening from one week to the next.  And that can cause stress.  But did you know that one of the best ways to alleviate stress is good communication?  Join me today for my top three tips for communication practice to keep your team stress free.

Resources

Marshallsay English - www.marshallsayenglish.com

During this pandemic, video calls have changed the way we communicate.  But sometimes people forget that most communication is non-verbal.  With that in mind, are you sending the right messages when you participate online?  This week, we are going to talk about how to get it right.

Free Resource, "Top Tips for Conference Calls". https://marshallsayenglish.com/tipsconfcalls/

Feel free to leave a message on my website: https://marshallsayenglish.com/contact/

Everyday ENGLISH is brought to you by Marshallsay English.  Don't just learn English.  Own it!

Last week, we looked at the Objective and Summary sections of your CV.  This week, I'd like to discuss how to describe your professional experience.  Do this well, and you will get that interview!

Everyday English, brought to you by Marshallsay English.  Don't just learn English.  Own it!  www.marshallsayenglish.com

Resources from this week's episode:

Michigan State University Career Services Center has a great list of action verbs to use on your CV.  

This article talks about soft skills and why they are important to employers.

Stay safe, and have a great week!

A recruiter takes less than a minute to decide whether to read your entire CV or not. This is why the Objective and Summary are so important. It introduces them to who you are and what you can do. Write a good introduction, and the recruiter will continue reading. Write one that doesn’t connect to the job, and the recruiter will simply move on to the next application.  

Everyday ENGLISH: brought to you by Marshallsay ENGLISH.  Don't just learn English.  Own it!  www.marshallsayenglish.com 

Websites discussed in today's episode are:

Indeed.com.  Go to https://www.indeed.com/worldwide and choose your country.

Monster.com

Let's face it: with everything happening in the world, you might need to look for a new job.  That means writing a CV, building your network, and job interviews.  But what if you have to do it in English?  No worries!  We'll be discussing this and much more over the next couple of weeks.

This week, I’d like to talk about what to include in your CV.  Next week we’ll look at specific functional language to help you write a fantastic CV in English.

Everyday English is brought to you by Marshallsay ENGLISH - Don't just learn English.  Own it!  www.marshallsayenglish.com.

Resources for this episode:

Europass -  a service of the EU and a really good resource to help build your CV. 

Improving your English means engaging with the language outside of the classroom. But who has time for that? You do! Check out my fun, easy, everyday techniques to help you improve your English.

Believe it or not, native speakers make grammar mistakes, too. This week, we are going to look at some of the errors native English speakers make and I'll give you tips on how to get it right.  

For more information or to leave a comment, please go to my website www.marshallsayenglish.com

Right now, it seems like the entire world is conducting business by conference calls.  But conference calls in English can be difficult for non-native speakers.  In this episode, I discuss some techniques you can use to help with both your listening and speaking skills so you can take your next conference call with confidence.

Right now, people are saying a lot but not necessarily communicating what needs to be said. How can you make sure what you are communicating is clear and is at the right level of urgency?  Join us today to find the answer to that question.

Change isn't coming.  Change is here.  How you communicate that can mean the difference between success and failure.  This week I've got some basic tips on how you can get people to listen.  Next week, we'll start looking at the language of change and how that differs from general softening techniques.  

Presented by Marshallsay English. Don't just learn English. Own it!  www.marshallsayenglish.com.

The coronavirus means that more people are working from home - and working from home means online meetings.  A lot of people hate these calls because - well - people aren't always on their best behaviour during them.  So, this week we are going to talk about online meeting etiquette.

Your English does not have to be perfect in order to communicate well.  In this episode, I look at what makes a good communicator - particularly for customer service professionals.