Doing Biz Abroad | business in the global marketplace

Presenting to an International Audience

by Jean Mercedes on February 15th, 2008

In 20+ years of international business, I have only ever met one native English speaker who knew how to present to an audience who spoke English as a second language. The list of things to remember is neither difficult nor long, but following it will go a long way in ensuring that you are understood.

The main things to be aware of when presenting in English to a non-native audience:

• Slow down. Pause after every main point.
• Simplify your language. Short sentences without any jargon are easier to understand.
• Many sayings and analogies don’t translate into other languages, so it is best to avoid them, like all jargon and colloquialisms.
• When you introduce a phrase or special word, define it or ask the audience if they know what you mean.
• Use the active voice with action-specific verbs. Once again, direct sentences are easier to understand.

What experiences have you had presenting to international audiences?
Resource:

A Canadian site called ExportSource offers an excellent guide for presenting to international audiences. The topic of this post is covered in their guide under chapter “4.2 Adapt your spoken message”.

Image from teico-net.net

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