13
2.8
International Audience?
If you are presenting to an international audience, with a majority of the crowd not
speaking English as a first language, you have to be careful about a few things:
• Use less text (this tip actually applies all the time – Sect. 2.1):
– Don’t use full sentences, just fragments (bullet points)
• Use tons of images and icons illustrating your main points:
– Each text box or bullet point should have its associated image
• Talk slowly and:
– Avoid slang, avoid idioms, avoid cultural references and jokes
– When synonyms exist, only use the simplest term
– Clean up your speech from filling words (“you know…”)
– Be concise and straight to the point
If you follow these tips, it is actually not only the international audience that will
benefit. Even the native English speakers are likely to better understand what you
are talking about.
2 Basics
2.8
International Audience?
If you are presenting to an international audience, with a majority of the crowd not
speaking English as a first language, you have to be careful about a few things:
• Use less text (this tip actually applies all the time – Sect. 2.1):
– Don’t use full sentences, just fragments (bullet points)
• Use tons of images and icons illustrating your main points:
– Each text box or bullet point should have its associated image
• Talk slowly and:
– Avoid slang, avoid idioms, avoid cultural references and jokes
– When synonyms exist, only use the simplest term
– Clean up your speech from filling words (“you know…”)
– Be concise and straight to the point
If you follow these tips, it is actually not only the international audience that will
benefit. Even the native English speakers are likely to better understand what you
are talking about.
2 Basics