Keep your brain fit

by | Jul 3, 2015 | Allgemein | 0 comments

“A rolling stone gathers no moss”. Have you heard this old proverb before? It’s the English version of the German proverb “Wer rastet, der rostet”. It means that those who keep moving never run out of new ideas.

If you like the idea of keeping your brain active, take a closer look at these tests (link to: testmybrain.org). While you test yourself, you’re building your brain profile and contributing to brain research at Harvard University.

 

Where’s the subway?

by | Jul 2, 2015 | Allgemein | 0 comments

If someone asks you this question in America, they’re looking for the underground railway. Brits call this the ‘underground’ or ‘tube’. In Britain, they’re looking for an underground tunnel that takes people to the other side of a busy road. Americans call this an ‘underpass’.

So you see, even native speakers can misunderstand each other!

 

Do you fear the Q&A session?

by | Jul 1, 2015 | Allgemein | 0 comments

I find that a lot of people are worried about the question and answer session at the end of their presentations. I think it’s because they can’t prepare this time as carefully as they can the actual presentation itself.

So what can you do once you’ve asked your audience: Do you have any questions? Here are my tips:

  • Repeat the question so that others in the audience can hear it and that you have a bit of time to think about an answer.
  • Thank the person for the question: Thank you for your question. / That is a great question. / I’m pleased you asked it. / I get asked that question by many people.
  • Check that you fully understand the question: If I understand you correctly, you’re asking me if I can …
  • Answer the question and then check if it’s what the person wanted:  Does that answer your question?
  • If you can’t answer the question, be honest and say so. You might even like to ask the audience for help: Does anyone know the answer?
  • And do remember to make a note of questions you can’t answer directly and promise to answer them later:  I can’t answer your question now, but I know someone who can. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

‘Then’ versus ‘than’

by | Jun 30, 2015 | Allgemein | 0 comments

I’ve seen a lot of people using these words incorrectly. So how can you remember the difference? (Tip: take a close look at the letters in bold.)

‘Then’ means ‘next’ or ‘at that time‘. For example: We organised the meeting and then we started working on our new project. Everything was so much easier back then.

‘Than’ is used in a comparison. For example: The new office chairs are more expensive than the old ones. They are much nicer than the old ones.