Doesn't sound like much fun, does it? And chances are you will be introducing yourself to strangers for dozens, if not hundreds of times in your lifetime. You hope that practice makes perfect, but does it?
Fear not! A few quick tips will, if not help you, get you to think about what you can say, next time.
First thing to remember: if you don't have fun talking about yourself, nobody will have fun listening to you. So relax and smile!
Here're 3 Do's and 3 Don'ts of self-introduction, Kat's picks.
Do's:
1) Make it personal: It's about YOU, and you're UNIQUE! Say things that the 10 people before you or after you will not likely to utter. Surely you like things other than "going to movies, listening to music, and playing basketball"?
How about your propensity to eat too fast, too slow, or to eat certain things? Any quirks you have, like having to check your email box or Facebook page every 5 minutes? Make fun of yourself. Your audience will laugh with you - and remember you.2) Tell a story: There's nothing more dramatic, or attention-getting, or entertaining, like a good narrative. That's why we like movies and novels. Job titles and education background can't reveal and showcase who you really are like a good story can. People will want to hear about, for example, the craziest thing you have done - mine is once swimming in the Amazon River and catching some piranhas for dinner. True story!
3) Make it relevant to your audience: Why should these people care about what you have to say? Because you make it about THEM. Keep the main points close to the purpose of the gathering: if you're at YOYO, for example, talk about your relationship with "English", or what brought you here in the first place. If it's a dating event... Well, you tell me!
Now for the Don'ts - above all, DON'T GIVE THE SAME SELF-INTRODUCTION EVERY TIME!
1) Don't follow the "formula": Name. Job title. Favorite pastime... and we are all bored to tears already.
(And trust me, your prospective employer won't be able to tell you apart from 50 other interviewees!) If you have to cover those grounds, make them interesting. Perhaps you have a funny nickname? You've just made a huge career change? Or you like to do some weird things at 2 am, every Sunday morning? Maybe you really are a boring person, but nobody else needs to know! 
2) Don't list only good things: It's perverse psychology, but we tend to be more fascinated by things that are negative as opposed to positive. Think celebrity gossip and you'd know what I mean. If you say, "I want to share a secret with you, and please keep it from my wife: I buy expensive gifts for her just so that she won't complain about where all the money has gone!", people will probably laugh, and won't really think ill of you. There is one negative thing you should avoid: Don't say, "my English is poor". Please!
3) Don't worry about your English: The perfect English doesn't necessarily make for interesting English. It may even slow you down if you are thinking about your grammar instead of your story. You are probably more likely to be popular in a new group if you are NOT the best English speaker in the room, anyway!
Are you ready for your next self-introduction? I can't wait to hear it!
Kat
