It’s okay to say something like, “If we don’t work together to reverse climate change, our world is headed for catastrophe. ” You don’t need to say, “Without cooperative interaction between persons from all cultures, our world will experience a colossal loss never before seen. ” Don’t use unnecessary big words or a thesaurus. When you use complicated language for no reason, people usually assume that you want to sound smarter than you are. [2] X Research source For example, it’s okay to say, “We had tremendous growth this quarter,” but you might not say, “We experienced prodigious augmentation this quarter. ”
For instance, say, “I made dinner,” not “Dinner is made. ” Similarly, say, “Research shows that students who read get better grades,” rather than, “It’s shown by research that students who read get better grades. ”
Try asking people you trust, like your best friend and family members, to call you out when you use a filler word. For instance, they might interrupt you and say, “Like!” everytime you say “like. ” Film yourself speaking so you can catch how often you use the words.
For example, let’s say you’re talking about politics with a friend. You’ll sound really smart if you share a position that’s relevant to the conversation, along with a couple of supporting facts. On the other hand, people will tune you out if you dominate the conversation with side topics and attacks on other positions. You might say, “I’m voting for Keely Pierce for mayor because she wants to revitalize downtown. Infrastructure repairs and free metro trips to downtown will attract more foot traffic, as well as new businesses. This will be good for the entire city. ” Then, let other people share their thoughts.
If you’re not sure if grammar is a skill you need to improve, ask a few trusted friends for their honest opinion. You might also talk to a trusted teacher or coworker.
Try to learn background information, what’s currently happening, and concerns for the future. If you don’t have time to read a lot of information about the topic, review a few articles and focus on the key points. If the topic is a book, you might read an overview or study guide for the book. At school, you might encounter topics like a novel or historical events. In current events, you might see topics like the spread of a pandemic or political issues. At work, this might include something like market trends or increasing sales in a recession.
Let’s say you’re hanging out with friends and they start talking about a book you haven’t read. You might say something like, “That makes me think of Brave New World! Have you read that?” If you can’t change the subject, pull facts about other topics into the discussion. If the other person says something like, “The symbolism in this book is so powerful,” you might reply, “I enjoyed the symbolism in The Great Gatsby. "
Say something like, “Our community needs park benches because they encourage people to use the park and they provide parents a comfortable place to sit while watching their children play. ” Don’t bring up other problems with the park or attack people who don’t want benches. Memorizing a few facts or key points about your topic will help you sound more knowledgeable. You might even learn the names of a few key experts to lend your argument some support. You could say, “According to Michelle Steinberg, the director of the National Fire Prevention Agency’s (NFPA) Wildfire Division, houses and other manmade structures can be more flammable than vegetation in some cases. "
It might help to paraphrase what the person said back to them to give you more time to decide what to say. This might sound something like, “It sounds like you don’t support the downtown revitalization because you’re worried about rent going up,” or “So you’re saying libraries need longer hours?” You can also pick up on a few key facts about the topic while you’re listening to the other person’s ideas. This can be a big help if you don’t know a lot about the topic.
Let’s say your literature class is discussing the novel Animal Farm, and another student starts talking about how it’s a fable about the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Go ahead and ask questions like, “What’s the Bolshevik revolution?” or “Why is this a fable?” Similarly, one of your friends might say something like, “I can’t believe you buy clothes from that store after last month’s scandal. ” Say, “I didn’t hear about the scandal. What happened?” If someone presses you to share an opinion about a topic you don’t know a lot about, it’s okay to say something like, “I need to do more research on this topic before I feel comfortable taking a stand,” “I need to review the background information to be sure,” or “I’m waiting for more evidence to come to light before I draw conclusions. "
If eye contact is hard for you, practice by staring at yourself in the mirror. Then, get a friend or relative to help you practice staring into each other’s eyes. With practice, you can feel comfortable making eye contact.
Be careful not to slump or look down, as this makes you look less confident.
For a generic gesture, spread your arms out with your hands palm up. Bring them back in, then spread them out again. If you’re talking about something you don’t agree with, you might push your hands away from your body to show opposition. When you’re listing things, use your fingers to show “1,” “2,” “3,” etc. To hammer home a point, turn 1 hand into a fist and then bring it down onto the palm of your other hand.
If you notice yourself start fidgeting, place your hands in your pockets or at your sides for the time being. Even though gesturing is important, it’s better to be still if you’re having a problem with fidgeting.
