Do you want to speak English more clearly?
If you are a B2 or C1 learner, the reason you sometimes freeze or lose your train of thought usually isn't a lack of vocabulary, but it's a lack of structure.
When you don't have a framework for your ideas, your brain has to work twice as hard, because it has to decide what to say while simultaneously figuring out how to say it.
This leads to that mental overload where you either freeze up completely and say nothing or you start off well, you know, you start sharing your ideas and everything, but then you quickly lose your stamina after 30 seconds and you get lost in your own ideas.
After 30 seconds speaking, you might think to yourself, what was I talking about in the first place?
I forgot.
Today, I'm going to give you four powerful speaking frameworks that will help you organize your thoughts instantly.
So that way, you can sound more advanced, more professional, and much more confident.
The first framework I have for you today is the PREP framework.
This is your go-to structure for giving opinions or answering why questions.
P stands for point, so you state your main point clearly here.
R is for reason.
Explain why you feel that way.
E is, for example, give a specific story or anecdote, you know something to illustrate the point you're making.
NP is for point summarized.
This is basically about reinforcing your main idea again.
For example, if someone asked me if the 80s and 90s were the best decades for movies, I could say something like this
I definitely think the 80s and the 90s were the best years for movies.
The main reason is that they had a great mix of fun action films and really original stories.
For example, in the eighties we had classics like Back to the Future, and the nineties gave us famous movies like The Lion King or The Matrix.
These were films that everyone loved because the ideas were so new.
So I think those 20 years were the most creative time in cinema history.
You see what I did there?
Could you follow the prep structure as I was talking?
Now, understanding these frameworks is a great first step, but the only way to truly internalize them, so you don't freeze in real life, is through active practice.
The more you practice using these frameworks, the better you get and the more second nature they become to you.
And that's exactly why I created the B2Edge.
This is my AI-powered coaching app, designed to give you a safe space to train your speaking skills every single day.
The app gives you plenty of opportunities to answer questions about all kinds of topics.
And the best part, it gives you instant personalized feedback on your response, so you can see exactly where to improve the next time.
The AI coach inside the app is trained by me, so it's like having access to my 20 years of teaching knowledge right there in your pocket.
So if you want to stop just studying and start speaking with more control and confidence, check the link in the description to join the b2 edge today.
The second framework i want to teach you today is called the star.
This is perfect for narratives, sharing stories or tell me about a time when questions it's a popular framework using job interviews.
S stands for situation.
Set the scene.
T is for task.
What was the challenge?
A is for action.
What did you specifically do?
And R is for result.
What was the final outcome?
For example, imagine an interviewer asked me about a difficult problem I solved.
I could say something like well, a few months ago I was hosting a live webinar and my internet suddenly cut out.
I had 100 people waiting, so I had to find a way to get back online immediately.
I stayed calm, switched to my phone's 5G hotspot, and re-entered the room within seconds.
The result was that I only missed two minutes of the presentation and the audience actually praised me for the quick recovery.
Nice, right?
So use the STAR framework whenever you want to share a story.
It's great for job interviews.
The third framework is the past, present, future model.
This is the ultimate cheat code for introductions or talking about your career.
You basically say something about your past, then your present, then your future.
For example, I originally started learning English because I was obsessed with rock music and wanted to understand the lyrics of bands like Guns N' Roses.
Nowadays, I use English every single day to run my business and connect with people globally.
Looking ahead, my goal is to keep impacting as many people as possible with my hard-earned knowledge of the English language.
This could be a great framework for that.
Tell me a bit about yourself, question that you usually see at the beginning of every job interview.
Now the fourth framework is the pros and cons sandwich.
This is how you show new ones at a B2 or C1 level.
Let's look at this example.
Imagine I have a question like, do you prefer big cities or small cities?
Here's a possible answer.
Well, on one hand, living in a big city is incredible because you have access to culture and jobs.
However, the downside is definitely the cost of living and the constant noise.
Overall, I think it depends on your stage of life.
Right now, I prefer the energy of the city.
You see, this is a great framework when you want to offer a more balanced point of view.
And there are many times when we need to be more balanced.
Now, to make this framework sound natural, you need filler phrases to use with them.
These aren't just ums and uhs.
They are strategic tools to buy your brain time to choose which technique to use.
For example, if you are using the prep framework and need to think of a reason, you could say something like this
That's a multi-layered question.
If I had to pinpoint the main reason, I would say if you're using star and need to set the situation, you can try.
Actually, a very specific example comes to mind from a few months back, and then you start your story.
For past, present and future.
When you move to the future, you can say something like that brings me to where I am today.
But looking further down the road, and then you continue.
And finally, if you're using pros and cons and you are transitioning to the downside, use a bridge like First you talk about the good stuff, then you say, having said that, there's a flip side to consider.
Or you could say I should also mention that it's not all positive, because using these phrases makes you sound more conversational and less like you're reading from a script.
But remember the golden rule of advanced speaking.
Silence is not failure.
Many learners lose stamina and get lost in their own thoughts because they feel like they have to keep talking all the time to fill the silence.
They finish their point and then they keep rambling because they are afraid to stop.
Don't do that.
Once you finish your framework, your point, you are allowed to stop.
Remember, a structured 30-second answer at a C1 level is much more impressive than a messy two-minute ramble.
So let's do a quick recap of what we covered today.
Use prep for your opinions.
Use star for your stories.
Use present, past, and future for your journey.
And use the sandwich for balanced discussions.
Build a house, finish the structure and then pass the ball back to the listener by asking what's your take on that?
Remember, conversations always happen with another person or group of people.
Say your piece and throw it back to your listener.
If you want to stop freezing and finally internalize these structures, remember that the B2 Edge, my app, is built specifically for this kind of active practice.
You get the prompts, you record your response, you get the feedback.
All you need to reach that C1 level with confidence.
So click the link in the description to start training with the B2 Edge.
If you found this video helpful, let me know in the comments which of these structures, which of these four frameworks, will you try first?
And of course, don't forget to like and subscribe.
I'm Thiago.
I'm signing off.
Thank you so much for your attention today.
And if you want to keep learning, I highly recommend you check out this lesson next.
I'll see you in the next video.
