How Can I Introduce Myself in English?

Quite often, I notice that English students learn to introduce themselves in a way that is
scripted and unnatural.

Most textbooks fail to reflect authentic English interactions. That’s why today we’re going to
look at some natural and common ways to introduce yourself in English.

For a good introduction in English, you need to practice in advance. As an English

learner, it’s a good idea to prepare a couple of introductions and practice them until
you’re comfortable with them.

Also, keep in mind that self-introductions are context dependent. To come up with good
introductions, you’ll need to think about common places and situations where you are likely
to introduce yourself in English.

If you landed on this post looking for inspiration, here’s what we’ll cover today:

1. How to introduce yourself in a class

2. How to introduce yourself in casual situations
3. How to introduce yourself in a meeting at work
4. How to introduce yourself in an interview
SELF-INTRODUCTIONS IN ENGLISH

Context is everything

When we see someone give the most engaging, impressive and rapport-building introduction,
we immediately think they’re gifted.

But in reality, there’s usually a lot of work behind it.

When writing your sample introduction in English, ask yourself: Who exactly am I talking
to? Depending on your answer, there will be different things to include in your introduction.

So, what makes an introduction effective? First, it needs to be appropriate for the given
setting.

Consider, is it a formal or an informal situation?

Because you know that saying “Hey there! how’s it going?” is perfectly okay if you’re with
a group of friends, but of course, it might come across a bit odd in a meeting with you r boss.
So knowing the context is important.
Let’s look at some ways you could introduce yourself in English based on different
situations.

How to introduce yourself in a class

So you’re in a class with other students and your teacher asks you to introduce yourself in
English.

Self-introductions in a class are meant to be brief and conversational. You don’t need to
provide a detailed account of your life. Keep this checklist in mind:

• Mention your given name if different from your official name.

• Talk about where you’re from, or where you were born and where you’re living now.
• Share an interesting detail about yourself: What do you for fun? What interests you?
• Maybe you’re too busy at work and don’t have time for hobbies. Not a problem! Just
talk about a hobby you did in the past, or an activity you’d like to try in the future.
• If you’re taking the class by choice, mention the reason you’ve decided to take it.

This leads us to something like this:

“Hey, I’m Mateo but people here call me Matt. I grew up in Argentina, and lived there
most of my life before moving to the United States. I speak Italian, Spanish and
English. I love gaming, and I stream on Twitch almost every day. I’ve always wanted
to improve my English so now that I have the time, I’ve finally signed up for classes
online.”

Here’s another example:

“My name’s Lucia and I’m from Spain. I was born in the south of Spain but I live in
Barcelona. I work as a translator, and I don’t have much time for hobbies these days.
But in the future, I’d like to try yoga. I’m taking this class because I want to improve
my speaking in English.”

What if you’re the teacher introducing yourself to a new class?

Introducing yourself to a class is one of the first challenges you’ll have to overcome as a new
teacher.

First impressions are important. The moment you start talking, your students will start
forming an opinion of you.

So what should you take into account? Here’s my list of tips:

• Keep it light, fun, and professional.

 • Share some fun facts to break the ice.
• Try to find common ground: are you teaching little kids? Tell them your favorite ice -
cream flavor. If instead, they’re teenagers or adults, share your favorite TV show.
• Talk about your goals for the class.
• Have your students ask you questions.
• With my students, I try to make it interactive and fun using randomizers.

Here’s an introduction I shared with a class of 14-year olds earlier this year:

“Welcome back to class! I was looking forward to meeting you.

I’m Sol and I’ll be your teacher this year. I always enjoy staying at home and hitting a
good mystery book! I’m not much of an outdoor person, as you can see. I love rainy
days where I can wrap myself in a blanket and binge-watch series without feeling
guilty!

Do you know why I love English? Because it makes me feel like I have a superpower!
And my goal this year is to help you become the best English speakers possible. Now,
tell me about yourselves. What do you love the most?”

If you notice, the tone is personal, and you can customize it based on your preferences. I like
introducing myself as approachable, so I break the “teacher” mold and show a glimpse of my
personality.

How to introduce yourself in casual situations

As much I love the rush that’s brought about by spontaneity, there are some situations that
turn out better with a little preparation.

Small talk is the perfect example to illustrate this point.

The best advice I could give you is to keep your introductions short and light. You’ll also
want to give the other person room for follow-up questions.

When it comes to greetings, you could say: “Hey there,” “Morning!” or “What’s up?”

Here are some examples:

• Morning! I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Aryan.

• Hey there! I’m Surya. I’m new—I just moved to the building a couple of days ago.
Have you lived here for long?
• Hi Amy. I heard it’s your first day so I thought I could reach out and introduce
myself. We haven’t officially met but I’ll be working with you on this project.
How to introduce yourself in a meeting at work

Work meetings are usually planned ahead, but let’s not overlook the importance of the
introduction.

Let’s say you have to lead the meeting. In my experience, meetings at work are expected to
get straight to the point. So start with a quick greeting then share the purpose of the meeting
right away.

Here are some things you should consider when tailoring your introduction:

• Quick greeting.
• The purpose of the meeting.
• What you’ll be covering.

Here’s an example:

“Good morning everyone! I’m Diana from product development and today I’m excited
to share with you that the mobile version for our product will be available as of
Tuesday. Today, I’d like to give a quick demo of the new functionalities.”

NOTE: The tone will be dependent on the company’s culture. Tech companies usually
encourage a more relaxed and casual style. This gives the freedom to use informal
expressions that may be frowned upon in more conservative settings.

How to introduce yourself in an interview

I’m currently working for a multinational company based in the United States and one of the
things I had to go through was an English assessment during my interview.

So, I know that interviews in a foreign language have that extra element of anxiety, becau se
it’s not only about our job skills.

But the good news is that designing a well-crafted and compelling introduction in English
will pave the way and give you the confidence and ease you need to make a good impression
during your interview.

So when your interviewer asks you: “tell me a little bit about yourself,” keep the following
points in mind:

• If you’ve been contacted before by your interviewer, you could start with: “It’s nice
to finally meet you in person!”
• Alternatively, you might start with saying, “Thank you so much for taking the time to
meet with me today…”
 • Then continue with talking about relevant experience. What makes you a good fit for
the position?
• Mention relevant professional information that your interviewer would want to hear
about you. Why would adding you to the team be an asset?
• Make sure you research the company and find out as much as you can about it.
Include in your introduction why you’re interested in the company.

Here is an example of how you could introduce yourself professionally in English:

“It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!

After graduating from university, I worked in sales for a few years. But three years
ago, I started working in digital media marketing and my experience in sales definitely
helped. I was able to help the company consistently hit its targets and grow their brand
in the industry. I know that you’re looking to grow your influence online, and that’s
why I applied for the position…”

Professional introductions and questions like “tell me about yourself” may feel
overwhelming if you’re unprepared. On the flip side, taking the time to practice your answer
will give you the opportunity to share important and relevant information with your
interviewer and leave a lasting impression.

Grammar points for introductions in English

Remember:

1. Use the present simple for general facts about your life and routines.
2. Use the present perfect when you talk about your life experiences and achievements.
3. But if you mention a finished time period (last year, in 2010, etc.) use the simple past
tense.

Final Thoughts

Introductions will always be awkward if you don’t know what to say. In short, don't get
caught unprepared! So make sure you take the time to write down some introduction samples
in English for different scenarios and practice them until you master them.