Facial Movement

Asians often skimp on facial movement. That is, the face doesn’t move much when you are speaking, so an audience of mixed cultures may not know if you are passionate, serious, happy, distressed, joking, overjoyed or angry. Learn to connect emotional expression with your words to improve your speech. It makes a big difference if you are sending consistent emotional support to your words. If you try to “fake it to make it”, it can backfire. A fake smile is easy to spot and hard to maintain (looking inconsistent if you let it go). If you don’t express yourself with facial movement, an American audience may not connect with your message and may doubt your words. Instead of attempting to do something “over the top,” start small, get feedback, video record and watch how you look. Engage the eyes with expression. Practice linking the emotion you feel with your words. It will make a huge difference in how your are received by others.