Make a GREAT First Impression in English!

Does your mind ever go blank when you're asked to introduce yourself in English?

You're not alone.

Here's the surprising truth.

Less is often more.

But simply saying your name isn't enough.

Don't worry.

By the end of this video, you'll know exactly how to introduce

yourself confidently in just three sentences whether you're

in a formal or informal setting.

And everything I'm teaching here today can be found inside the self-introduction

Cheat Sheet that you can download for free when you join my ESL newsletter.

Link is in the description.

Let's get started.

Formal introductions.

All right, let's start with formal introductions.

These are perfect for situations like job interviews, business meetings, or

introducing yourself to someone official.

Formal introductions are all about making a good impression

and sounding professional.

In a formal setting, start with a polite greeting.

You can say, 'Good morning', 'Good afternoon', or 'Good evening'.

Or even a simple 'Hello' can work here.

Keep it simple, clear and polite.

Next, you can introduce your name.

You can say, 'My name is,' or 'I am...' For example, "Good

morning, my name is Anna Tyrie."

You can mention where you're from and where you live.

For example, 'I am from (country)' and 'I currently live in (city).' Or, 'I am

originally from (country) but I moved to (city, country) five years ago.

Or 'I come from (city) in (country), but I have been living in (city,

country) for three years.'

It's always great to get the present perfect in where you can.

Here are some examples.

"I am from Brazil, and I currently live in London."

"I am originally from Italy, and I currently live in London."

"I come from Cadiz in Spain, but I've been living in New York for three years.

But you may also be living where you grew up.

In which case you can say, 'I am living in my hometown of (city) in (country).

Or you could say, 'I was born and raised in (city, country), and this

is where I am currently living.

For example, "I am living in my hometown of Istanbul in Turkey."

"I was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, and this

is where I am currently living."

Now it's time to mention your education.

There are lots of ways you can talk about your education.

Pick the one that you feel more comfortable saying.

If you have already finished your studies, you can say, 'I have a

degree in (then add your field of study) from (then add the university).

Or 'I graduated with a degree in (field of study), from (university).

For example, "I have a degree in computer science from the University of Sao Paulo."

"I graduated with a degree in languages from the Sorbonne in Paris."

"I have a Master's degree in psychology focusing on mental health counselling."

"I have a Doctorate in education and teaching specialising in

early childhood education."

If you are still studying, then the formal way of saying this is,

'I am currently pursuing a (name the degree) in (field of study).

Or, 'I am in my (and then the year of study that you're in, first, second,

third, fourth perhaps).' 'I am in my (year of, and then field of study degree).'

'I plan to be doing a (type of degree) once I finish my undergraduate degree.'

So, for example, "I am pursuing a degree in law."

"I am in my first year of a medical degree."

"I plan on doing a Master's degree (or you could say postgraduate

degree, or doctorate, or PhD) once I finish my undergraduate degree."

"I am currently pursuing a degree in law, focusing on international law.

I plan on doing a PhD once I finish my undergraduate degree."

Notice, with 'doctorate' or 'PhD', we don't say 'degree' after that.

We just say, 'I'm doing a doctorate in (whatever field of study).

Or 'I'm doing a PhD in (field of study)'.

Next, let's talk about your work.

What do you do for a living, Anna?

This is an extremely common question, so it's really important to be

able to confidently and clearly explain what you do for a living.

A more formal way of saying this is, 'I work as a (and then you add in the job)'.

Or, 'I am currently employed as a (then job title) at (and then

the company that you work at).

You could say, 'I work in the (then industry sector) as a

(and then add your job title).

Or if you manage a team or a Department you could say, 'I manage' or 'I lead

the (whatever department) at (and then the company) handling (and then you tell

them your tasks or responsibilities).'

For example, "I work as a software developer in a tech company."

"I am currently employed as a financial analyst at Lloyds Bank."

"I work in the healthcare sector as a data scientist analysing medical records."

"I manage the HR department, focusing on employee satisfaction."

"I lead the research and development department at Pharmatech focusing on

creating new treatments for cancer."

If the conversation allows you can add a small professional touch by

mentioning a hobby or interest.

'In my free time I enjoy (hobby).' 'Outside of work, one of my main passions

is (hobby), which I've been doing for five years.' Example, "In my free

time, I enjoy reading business books."

"Outside of work, one of my main passions is surfing, which

I've been doing for five years."

Sometimes the situation calls for you to tell your audience

a fun fact about yourself.

It can be really hard to think of something on the spot.

So, it's always better to be prepared for this type of question.

Basically, they want you to share something unique or

interesting about yourself.

Here's an example.

"One fun fact about me is that I've visited over 15 countries."

Now, let's put all of these phrases together in one short introduction.

"Good afternoon, my name is Anna.

I am from the UK and I currently live in London.

I have a degree in computer science from the University of Sao Paulo.

I work as a software developer in a tech company.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and one fun fact about me is that

I have seven pets including a snake, non-venomous of course."

Here's another one.

"Good morning.

I'm Paula and I come from Paris, France, but I have been living

in Amsterdam for three years.

I graduated with a degree in languages from the Sorbonne in Paris.

And I'm currently working in the IT industry as a project manager.

Outside of work, my main passion is singing.

I sing in a church choir two times a week."

See how structured and professional that sounds.

Keep it clear and confident.

Now it's your turn.

I'm going to give you the structure and you fill in the blanks.

Next, we will move on to informal introductions which

are a lot more relaxed.

If you're enjoying this lesson, please let me know by hitting

the like button and be sure to subscribe for more English lessons.

Informal introductions.

In an informal setting like at a party, in a class, or when meeting new friends,

you can be more relaxed and casual.

You don't need to follow a strict structure and it's more about

being friendly and approachable.

So, instead of a formal 'Good morning' or ''Good afternoon'.

You can say, 'Hi.' 'Hey.' 'What's up?'

Keep it casual and friendly.

Introduce your name in a relaxed way.

'I'm.' 'My name's, but you can call me.'

For example, "Hi.

I'm Elizabeth.

But you can call me Beth."

When you're in a more casual setting, you can say where you're from like this.

'I'm originally from (country), but now I live in (city).

Or I'm from (city).

For example, "I'm originally from Spain, but now I live in London."

In an informal setting, keep your education brief and simple.

You could say, 'I studied (field of study) at university'.

Or 'I just finished my degree in (field of study)'.

For example, "I studied graphic design at the University of Sao Paulo."

"I just finished my degree in marketing and communication."

Now you don't have to be too formal when talking about your job or studies.

Simply say, 'I work as a (and then your job title), and it's really fun.' Or

you could say, 'I'm a student and I'm studying (and then your subject)'.

For example, "I'm a graphic designer and I love working with creative brands."

Now, this is a great chance to connect with people by

talking about what you enjoy.

'In my free time, I love (hobby)'.

'I'm really into (hobby)'.

For example, "I'm really into photography and hiking on weekends."

"In my free time, I love playing online video games."

Everyone loves an interesting or funny fact.

It's a great conversation starter.

You could say, "Fun fact about me.

I can play the guitar."

Here's another example.

"One fun fact about me.

I have a dog named Samson who can do five tricks."

Now, let's see a full example for our informal introduction.

"Hey, I'm Laura.

I'm originally from Italy, but now I live in Dublin.

I studied graphic design at the University of Rome.

I'm a graphic designer and I love working with creative brands.

I'm really into photography and in my free time on the weekends, I love

taking my camera and going hiking in the mountains near where I live.

And one fun fact about me, I have a dog named Samson who can do five tricks."

It's much more relaxed, but still fun and interesting.

The key in informal settings is to show your personality.

Now it's your turn.

I'm going to give you the structure and you fill in the blanks.

Now make sure you have the self-introduction Cheat Sheet that will

help you to write down your introductions and then practice saying them out loud.

You can even share your work in the comments below.

I look forward to reading them.