On Friday morning, Maya sits next to Daniel in the shared office kitchen. She knows his face, but not his name. A simple question about a free seat starts their conversation. They talk about where they are from and what they do. Maya adds one detail about her clients. Daniel explains that his team is in Spain. These small details give them something more to talk about. Earlier in the week, Maya prepared a long introduction. Now she realises she doesn't need to say everything at once. She can share a little, listen, and ask a question back. When you introduce yourself, choose details that fit the moment. Your name, your work and where you live are often enough to start. Then leave space for the other person. It is a conversation, not a speech. You don't need perfect sentences to make yourself clear. Short, natural answers help the conversation move forward.

You joined a walking group a few months ago. Tonight, everyone is asked to say a little about themselves before the walk. You used to describe yourself as shy, but that is only part of the story. Fala de ti sem guião, durante cerca de dois minutos, ligando o teu trabalho, o teu tempo livre e o que está a mudar. Alguém diz: “You don't seem shy at all.” Responde a isso com honestidade e explica o que ainda te custa.

You are applying to join a small local group that only takes a few new members each year. They ask for a short paragraph about yourself, not a CV. You want to be honest about being nervous with new people without sounding like a risk. Escreve 3 a 6 frases em inglês. Diz quem és e o que fazes, explica o que te trouxe até aqui e o que mudou em ti no último ano, e diz o que esperas do grupo.