HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY During Awkward Virtual Meetings

In this lesson, you will learn the main difficulties English learners face during virtual meetings and the solutions for each of them. You will also learn the words, expressions, and sentence patterns you need to speak English confidently during any virtual meeting.

DESCRIPTION

• “In April 2020, Zoom announced the milestone of 300 million daily meeting participants. Today, the software registers over 3.3 trillion annual meeting minutes.” https://backlinko.com/zoom-users
• Advantages: Allow individuals to meet together, without having to be in the same physical space. This makes virtual meetings a convenient solution.
• Disadvantages: However, they also present some challenges. This is because virtual meetings require an individual to sit and look at a screen for an extended period of time. During this time the person must focus on the information that is being presented and sometimes even interact with others in the virtual environment. Also, virtual meetings can sometimes make it difficult to properly communicate an idea or concept.

WHY ARE THEY AWKWARD / DIFFICULT FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS?

1. Hard to understand | It is hard to understand everyone when using a computer. (Similar to the difficulty that is experienced when an English learner has to make a phone call. Seeing someone in person makes it a lot easier to understand what they are saying.)
2. Difficult to give presentations | It is difficult to give presentations when you are forced to connect with a screen instead of with a physical audience. Making an emotional connection while giving a presentation actually helps English learners feel more confident. So, when people are not around, it causes more stress to the English learner.
3. Uncomfortable breakout rooms | It can be uncomfortable to be placed in a separate room with other people and then feel like you have to talk. Suddenly you feel more pressure to speak and this can make you feel more nervous.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

1. Ask them to repeat (examples)
   • “My apologies. I didn’t catch what you said. Would you mind repeating that last point again?”
   • “I understood what you said about __________, but I missed your other point. Can you explain it one more time please?”
   • “I wasn’t able to fully understand the last point. Would you mind breaking it down one more time please?”
2. Summarize to verify you understood (examples)
   • “I want to make sure that I understood correctly. You said that ______________. Is that correct?”
   • “Thanks for the explanation. I just want to verify that I got all of your main points. You said __________________. Does that sound about right?”
   • “I truly appreciated your explanation/presentation. Your main points were ______________. Did I miss anything?”
3. Ask someone in the chat area (examples)
   • “I think I missed the last point. Would someone mind writing what he/she said again here?”
   • “What did he/she say? I wasn’t able to catch the last part.”
   • “I didn’t understand one part. What did he/she say about ___________?”

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE TO GIVE A PRESENTATION

1. Keep it simple (examples)
   • Focus on giving 3 main points
   • Give 1 – 3 easy to understand details for each point
   • Give one clear example/experience for each point
2. Start with a good attention grabber (examples)
   • Tell a story
   • Give an interesting fact
   • Ask them a question
3. Make it interactive & engage (examples)
   • Get people involved by asking questions throughout the presentation
     • “Does anyone have a question about the last point I made?”
     • “Has anyone ever experienced this before?”
     • “Who can tell me the first main point that I mentioned at the beginning of my presentation?”

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN A BREAKOUT ROOM

1. Have a summary of 3 points from what was discussed before the breakout room in case you are asked to say something (examples)
   • “The 3 main things I learned from the presentation were…”
   • “The 3 things that stood out to me the most from the presentation were…”
2. Have a few questions prepared related to the topic of the meeting (examples)
   • “He/she said _______________. What are your thoughts on that?”
   • “He/she presented two ideas about ____________. Which one did you resonate with the most?”
3. Listen and then restate what your group members say before giving your comment (examples)
   • “You said __________________. I also agree with that. I would add though…”
   • “I like how you said ____________________. I think that ________________.”