How to effectively present in English in the 21st Century

Here is a good language lesson that came up in one of my classes today.

We were talking about New Year Resolutions and I pointed out that there is a language within English that tells the listener whether you will achieve what you want to achieve or whether it will remain a dream.

Words like:

I want to…

I plan to…

I hope to…

These sentences tell the listener that you are not likely to achieve what you want to achieve. These sentence beginnings are what I call “Dreamers English” they are the language used by people who dream of achieving things, and not by people who do achieve things.

A sentence beginning with “I will…” tells the listener that you are serious about what you want to achieve and is more likely to believe that you will succeed.

Examples:

We want to open negotiations with Australia about a free trade agreement

I will open negotiations with Australia about a free trade agreement

So next time you are preparing your presentation, remember to use “will” rather “plan to” or “want to”