Speak Slowly

There’s the classic image of the ugly American in a foreign country who is upset that everybody in this

country whether it’s Italy or whether it is Malaysia doesn’t speak English now.

It’s inexcusable for Americans to be like that but it is true now when you see something like that in

a movie or a TV show there’s the classic.

I am now talking to you loudly and slowly so you will understand my language.

Obviously that doesn’t work if the person you’re speaking to doesn’t speak your language.

Now here’s the part that’s a little bit confusing or contradictory.

I actually do recommend that when you are speaking to foreign audiences that you speak a little louder

than normal and a little slower than normal.

Now we all have cultural biases I have a bias.

I’m an American.

I only speak English but what I have found in speaking all over the world is there’s a tremendous number

of people who even if English is not their first language they have a working understanding of English

because they’ve seen so many movies from Hollywood TV shows in English they have learned a lot of English.

So here’s where speaking a little bit slower helps.

It’s simply easier for people to process what you’re saying when it’s slower.

They can see the separation between words.

It’s easy to sort of hear it figure out in their mind what is that word that they remembered studying

in English class five years ago and then they have to translate it from the English word to the word

in their language.

That takes time.

Now I’m not suggesting that you speak like this in a robotic what because that’s annoying.

That’s really I’m not suggesting that but what I am suggesting is speak a little bit slower than normal.

Don’t be afraid to pause a little more between sentences thoughts paragraphs.

Feel free to walk a little more.

Pause reflect look at people’s eyes to see that there is some connection going on.

So it’s a subtle thing but I do recommend speaking a little bit slower than normal longer pauses.

It’s going to be much easier for the people in the audience who are translating in their own brain but

it’s also going to make life much easier for the translator because professional translators are doing

an awful lot but it’s still tough to be speaking out to the audience at the same time having to listen

to you.

So when you pause occasionally they can then say what you just did in the other language.

And yet they haven’t missed anything from what you’re saying.

So that’s the beauty of pausing and also just speaking a little louder than normal is going to make

it easier for anyone to comprehend it again you’re not yelling You’re not shouting You’re not the so-called

Ugly American but a little louder more pausing will make it much much easier for everyone to understand

and translate in their own brains.

And that’s going to make it more effective for your speech and your presentation.