Express Yourself SLP

What tools do you have in your tool box for clear, proficient and effective communication?

What tools do you have in your tool box to speak with clarity, easy and proficiency?

Your unique voice matters.

Don't let fear hold you back from expressing yourself and sharing your thoughts with the world.

Book an appointment with Biana Mikhlin M.S., CCC-SLP now: https://expressyourselfslp.com/book-an-appointment/

Your thoughts and emotions matter. Don't hold them in. Express yourself with confidence.

Book an appointment visit now: www.expressyourselfslp.com

📌 How to Sound Confident

1. Eliminate filler words. Avoid words that serve no purpose except to fill the space between sentences. These are words like um, ah, like, and the dreaded, you know? Excessive filler words can be irritating to listeners, and make speakers sound unsure of themselves.

2. Take time to pause. Most people use filler words because they’re afraid of silence. It takes confidence to use dramatic pauses. A pause is like the period in a written sentence. It gives your audience a break between thoughts.

3. Vary your pace. Confident speakers vary the pace of their verbal delivery. They slow down and speed up to accentuate their most important points. Audiobooks are recorded at a moderate pace of 150 to 160 words per minute. It’s slow enough to be understood, but not so fast that the listener has a hard time keeping up. TED speakers, similarly, speak around 163 words per minute, right in the sweet spot.

Now, you know all the secrets of how to feel confident during a performance. All that's left is practice, practice, practice. Don't be hard on yourself if it takes time to achieve greatness. Keep up the good work. Nothing is more influential than the strength of your presence corresponding to the strength of your ideas.

How to Look Confident During a Presentation. Part 3

Today, I want to discuss another important aspect on how to look and feel more confident when speaking in front of a crowd.

📎 Read, save and try to implement these advice during your next speech or presentation.

Keep an open posture.
💁🏻‍♀️ Open posture means that there’s no barrier between you and the audience.
This includes your arms.
🙅🏻‍♀️ An uncomfortable speaker might unconsciously cross their arms, forming a defensive pose without being aware that they’re doing it.
🙋🏻‍♀️Confident speakers, by contrast, keep their arms uncrossed with their palms turned up.
🙅🏻‍♀️A lectern is a barrier. Stand away from it.
🙅🏻‍♀️ A laptop between you and your listener is a barrier. Set it to the side.
🙅🏻‍♀️ If you keep your hands in your pockets, take them out.
🙋🏻‍♀️ An open posture takes up more space and makes you feel more confident. If you feel confident, you’ll look confident.

Follow my advice, practice, and believe me - your performances will never be the same again.

🗣️ How to Look Confident During a Presentation.

Research shows that people form impressions about a leader’s competence in as little as half a minute. This means, within seconds, listeners will decide whether you are trustworthy, and they will do it based on your body language and vocal attributes. What you say and how you say it are equally important.

There are ways you can create an appearance of confidence and competence-even if you're nervous or timid on the inside.

Do you know what they are ?

Let’s discuss in the comments below, or let me know if I should post more on this topic ⤵️

🗣️Why should you attend accent modification courses?

Each person sets their own goals during accent modification training. The courses are adapted to individuals specific requirements and needs. Nonetheless, the main objectives are speech improvement and self-confidence, allowing individuals to effectively communicate in their personal, professional and educational realms.

Here is one of the most desirable objectives for people requesting accent modification courses:

1. Improving speech intelligibility.

2. Increasing language fluency.

3.Enhancing voice quality.

4. Improving voice resonance.

5. Increasing general language and pronunciation skills.

6. Reducing accent.

It’s also possible to attend accent modification courses online. In such a way, you can be flexible in your everyday plans without decreasing the efficiency of the courses.

Accent Modification is the process of altering the way your speech is enunciated.

👉🏼 For example, you may have trouble with sound pronunciation, articulation, and inflection.

Even if you successfully learned and understand English, it can be difficult to improve the way your speech sounds without professional help. That’s because a person can’t monitor their language patterns during natural communications. The help of a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) is essential in accent modification.

🤝🏼 Get started on reducing your accent by booking accent modification consultation with me.

After the initial evaluation, I will provide you with accurate recommendations on ways of improving your accent, voice, and language.
This step will allow you to clearly understand how much time is needed for improvement.

☝🏼For example, if your accent is not very severe, it could take only a handful of sessions to fix it.

🗣️ When speaking a foreign language, you may find your speech isn’t so perfect.
This happens because of the accent, caused by sounds difference in languages. Some people believe such a special way of pronunciation is their strong point. However, an accent can interfere with proper communication and delivering the right messages.

People considered it impossible to change an accent. Nonetheless, accent modification speech therapy proves just the opposite. For example, Margaret Thatcher moved from a Lincolnshire accent to Received Pronunciation which is linked to an aristocratic background. If you feel unconfident when talking to native speakers and go through frustrating experiences in thought expression, such services can do a great job.

Would you like to learn the steps on how to achieve accent reduction with me?

Drop a “+” in the comments below and I will DM more info.

🗣️ Diaphragmatic breathing technique (sitting)

As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair.

To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair:

📌 Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.
📌 Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.
📌 Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.
📌 Tighten your stomach muscles, so that your stomach moves back in, as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible.

Write in the comments how do you like this practice?
What questions did you have when you did it?
What were the feelings afterwards?

Breathing

Did you know that in order to perform any task, we need to breathe.
To perform a speech task we need to obtain and sustain enough oxygen to keep our voice clear, strong and loud.

Did you know that our lungs can fill up to 2 liters of oxygen. On average a person takes in half of that during a breathing cycle.

When you breathe, you don’t use your lungs to their full capacity. Coordination between the larynx (voice box) and lower airways is essential for adequate voice production. Discoordination may contribute to various voice problems.

How do you breathe?

SO LETS TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT VOCAL FRY

WHAT IS VOCAL FRY?

📌 Lowest vocal registry that's produced.

WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?

📌 There is very little air flow causing the voice to become a popping or creaking sound.

HOW DO YOU TREAT IT?

📌 The nature of the voice changes related to insufficient air flow
posture
- shoulders and chest are well-stabilized
- adeqaute breathing pattern
- using sufficient air flow
- reinforce the consistent steady stream of air from the beginning to the end of speech production
- using sufficient air flow.

Let’s talk about Vocal Fry 🗣️

Have you heard this term before?

A person who uses vocal fry speaks with a low pitch and suboptimal airflow, with the vocal cords in a relatively lax position. Often noticed as “cracking voice’, “laryngealized voice” or “glottalized voice”. This describes the lowest register when compared to the model of normal speech.

Think Kim Kardashian!

Two causes of vocal fry:

- The staccato irregular vibration of the vocal folds.
- At the end of sentences to mark the completion of a speaker’s thoughts as a standard part of language.

Im planning on talking more about vocal fry in my next post and stories.

Click that little 🔔 on the upper right corner of my profile so you don’t miss it – it will be very interesting and useful.

Accent Modification

Is your accent interfering with your day-to-day work?
Does speaking in public or to new listeners cause you to feel anxiety, embarrassment, or frustration?

Let me help you!

I am the only accent modification Speech Language Pathologist in the Manhattan area recognized by the Institute of Language and Phonology. I provide the Compton Pronouncing English as a Second Language (PESL) program.

The PESL, a highly structured, evidence-based approach. A proven method of accent modification techniques and pronunciation improvement for non-native and regional American English speakers.
Studies demonstrate increases in pronunciation clarity and accuracy of at least 50% by majority of clients who complete the training program.
The PESL program begins where conventional English as a Second Language (ESL) courses end. All courses are completely customized to each client’s specific accent patterns and pronunciation proficiency level.

Who will benefit?
- Anyone who speaks English as a second language.
- Motivated professionals who want to be better understood in meetings, by clients, and co-workers.
- Anyone who has doubts about their communication style or skills and wants to increase their confidence.
- Anyone who wants to feel comfortable interacting with colleagues and individuals in a social environment.

You can make an appointment on the website: or simply by sending me a DM.

Do you want to have courage and confidence in asking for what you want?
Do you want to have more fulfilling and meaningful conversations?
Do you want to get rid of your anxiety and fear of public speaking?
Do you want to be better and clearer understood?

Then it's the time for you to get to know about my services.

I coach my clients to build self-confidence while improving and expanding upon their current communication skills. I help support motivated professionals who wish to be better understood in meetings, by clients, and colleagues. I specialize with individuals who speak English as a second language or were born outside the United States.

▪️Accent Modification is a service designed to develop new speaking habits, resulting in more proficient and clear articulation. After completing the training specifically designed for individual needs participants will experience 50% fewer communication breakdowns.

▫️Corporate Speech & Language Development is a service designed to advance your understanding and use of spoken language, master dynamics of conversation, acquire skills to speak with ease, clarity and competence.

Want to know more about these services?

Then don't miss my next post. Click follow and subscribe for post notifications on my page.

Let’s get to know each other!

I was born in Lithuania, grew up in Brooklyn, and now work and live in Manhattan, NY.
Not being a native English speaker, I understand the challenges faced when not being understood.

In 2014, I received a Master’s of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Adelphi University. My mission is to help people know what to say and how to say it powerfully. I help others break through fear and doubt in the personal and professional speaking arenas.

My services include understanding and use of spoken language, developing skills to speak with ease, clarity, and competence. Allow me to enrich your vocabulary, refine your speech, and strengthen your chances for success.

I look forward to supporting any individual looking to improve their ability to express themselves in all aspects of their life.