When communicating with strangers or attending events or presenting at conferences, how do you usually introduce yourself?
Dr. Linh Phung, Head of the English program at Chatham University, USA; founder of the English learning platform Eduling shares how to introduce yourself in some common situations:
When you're out for a walk and meet a neighbor gardening, if you start a conversation by saying hello, they'll usually say hello back. At this point, you can say a few introductory sentences, such as: "Hi. You have a beautiful garden. Btw (by the way), my name is Linh. I live two houses from yours."
When attending a standing party, if it is a work situation with someone you have not met, you can confidently shake hands and introduce yourself with a simple sentence: Hi. My name is ... After the other person answers, you continue the conversation by asking: What do you do? (What job do you do?). Don't ask "What's your job?" because that sounds less polite. You can also ask: Where do you work? (Where do you work).
Ms. Linh Phung (far left) and students at Chatham University, USA, April 2023. Photo: Chatham University
At conferences, to get to know the person sitting next to you, you ask: How's your conference so far?; Are you enjoying the conference?. After they answer or listen to the presentation, you can continue to ask about their name and job.
Sometimes you will need to introduce yourself in more detail when presenting in front of a crowd. If no one else introduces you, you can talk about your own experience to establish credibility before presenting.
For example, I often introduce myself with recent activities like: My name is Dr. Linh Phung. I'm currently the director of the English Language Program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and founder and director of Eduling. I've been teaching EFL/ESL for over 15 years in various countries. I'm also the author of a picture book called Tug of Words: The Language Tug of War Game and an English learning book titled IELTS Speaking Part 2: Model Speeches, Strategies, and Practice Activities. I have also published an app called Eduling Speak to connect learners to talk in pairs during tasks and games.
(My name is Dr. Linh Phung. I am currently the director of the English program at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and the founder and director of Eduling. I have more than 15 years of experience teaching English in different countries. I am also the author of the comic book Tug of Words: A game of language tug of war and the book IELTS Speaking Part 2: Model Speeches, Strategies, and Practice Activities. I recently published the mobile application Eduling Speak to connect learners to speak in pairs based on language tasks and games).
In mid-May, when I returned to Vietnam and participated in a training program for more than 150 English and foreign language instructors in military schools organized by the Department of Schools, Ministry of National Defense, I told a longer story about myself. The reason is that many people do not know what experiences I have to share with them. My introduction includes the following points:
I was born and grew up in Vietnam. I obtained my Bachelor Degree from the College of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University Hanoi. After working at the university for a few years, I went to the US to do my Master's. After finishing my MA, I returned to Vietnam for a year, but then went back to the US to get married. I often say: English and education take me places, but love and marriage make me stay in the US. I've been working as the director of the English Language Program at Chatham University in the US for 12 years.
(I was born and raised in Vietnam. I studied at the University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. After working at the school for a while, I went to the US to study for a master's degree. After that, I returned to my country to work for a year and then returned to the US to get married. I often say: English and studying took me to new lands, but love and marriage made me stay in the US. In the US, I have been the director of the English program for Chatham University for 12 years now).
In general, we always need to introduce ourselves in different situations. So, in my opinion, we should prepare and practice to get the best results.
Linh Phung
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