Take a step back and really listen to your words. Ever notice how some of our expressions create a visual that has very little relevance to the concept being expressed? Consider “I’ll keep my ear to the ground,” for example. It can only be puzzling for someone newly arrived from another country! Another example might be “I see a lot of red flags with that report.’’ What does a red flag signify if you don’t understand American sports? It’s so important to use real words conveying real meaning when we speak to people who grew up in other countries. You will get more understanding if you say “I’ll pay close attention to what’s happening and what I hear around me” and “ There might be problem areas in that report.’’ Think about your listener before using this type of description.
The LanguageLady is often asked about what a person can do by himself to improve how well people understand him. I’ve written before about the importance of slowing your rate of speech. This entry will talk about something else you can do without lessons…pronounce the final consonant on all of your words ending with a consonant. This is probably the most common error among all speakers, both USA-born and those born in other countries. In the former instance, it’s simply sloppy. In the latter, it creates non-comprehension. Why? When the speaker and the listener speak the same native language, they are able to understand poorly pronounced or incomplete words because they use the same playbook (aha! Another American sports analogy!). That’s why we understand the President when he says ‘goin’ and doin’ and drops the final g from a lot of words when he is speaking to the general population. And why we can understand what someone means when they say “pitcher” to refer to an image and not someone throwing a ball or a container for liquid. And why we can understand when someone says “I axed him” and know that there has been no bloodshed, only a question.
But…..when the listener and the speaker have different native languages, a mispronunciation creates a different word in the mind of the listener, a word that is not the intention of the speaker, and a word that can change the entire meaning of a sentence. An example might be when someone means “hold” but says “hole.” Or leaves off the final “d” in “board,” making the word sound like “bore.” I’m sure you can think of countless others. For foreign-born speakers, this is a challenge since words in many languages end with vowels and an open mouth. You must close your mouth to pronounce a consonant, an uncomfortable feeling for many. The results you will see will be worth the effort. The easiest thing to do to increase the clarity of your communication and be understood correctly the first time, is to visualize the written word and pronounce the final consonant.
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You think English is easy? The LanguageLady never ceases to marvel at how complicated it can be. Consider the following sentences. Can you pronounce them correctly?
It’s time to polish the Polish furniture.
The bandage is wound around the wound.
The dump was full and had to refuse more refuse.
The farm was used to produce produce .
The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .
There are many similar examples to prove the same point…..English is a crazy language with few clear guidelines on these pronunciation pairs. Those growing up in the US have no difficulty reading the above sentences. Check them out with your foreign-born friends or colleagues. So have some patience (patients? they sure sound alike) with those who don’t have the same frame of reference that you do. Goes a long way towards positive intercultural interactions.
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Summer is a time of travel and travel is a time of interaction with cultures, custom, and languages different from those we know. A small amount of preparation for these travels, paired with a large degree of awareness of best practices while travelling (foreign OR within the US) can reap big rewards and make you a wise and welcome tourist. Picture yourself as a ‘’native’’ of your region. What makes you most likely to want to help someone who needs directions or assistance? If someone were to approach you on the streets of Morristown , speak to you in Russian, and expect you to understand and respond, criticize your city or country, how would you feel? Anxious to help him or her? I don’t think so… and yet, many travelling Americans expect everyone to speak to them in English and do everything the same way “we” do it. Granted, English is an international language and is widely spoken, but attitude is everything. Have a good one. Here are a few things that you can do before and during your trip that will build rapport and make your travel easier and more pleasant.
Before you leave:
- Take some time to learn some ‘’survival’’ words in the language of the country you are visiting. There are so many apps with sound that make it easy. Good Morning, Hello, Please, Thank You, Excuse Me, I’m sorry, or asking for Help, paired with a big smile, can work wonders.
- Learn the “Question Words” of Why, Where, Who, When, How Much, How. With matching body language, you’ll be able to communicate on a basic level.
- Do some basic cultural research. The web is chock full of customs and other cultural information. Learn a little about where you are going. Focus on American behaviors and gestures that might not be welcome where you are travelling. You can also find this basic information in Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (Morrison), an exhaustive book about interactions in 60 countries. Being clued in on what is important to the residents of the country or area you are visiting will help you avoid accidentally offending someone or embarrassing yourself.
When you are there:
- Remember to smile, lean in to show friendliness, and don’t be afraid to use the words and phrases you’ve learned. Don’t worry about how well you say them. Your effort will be appreciated and welcomed. Use your foreign words frequently, especially Please and Thank You.
- Play “Charades.” Use your body and your voice tonality to communicate non- verbally. You’d be surprised how far this goes toward understanding, paired with the combination of limited English ability on one side of the exchange and limited native language ability on the other. Work towards common understanding with a smile and ‘’open’’ face.
- Be cautious in your interactions. Avoid politics and religion and never criticize or mock the customs or religious beliefs of the country you are visiting….even if the local person does! Just because they may speak negatively of their government or religion does NOT mean that you can agree or add your comments. Be wary on touchy subjects! Offending locals can be uncomfortable at the least and dangerous at the most.
- Be appreciative of all that is offered to you and avoid making negative comparisons to what you have or eat ‘’at home.’’ Enjoy what is unique to that country or region and do not appear to question its quality.
These hacks, developed throughout a lifetime of foreign travel and extensive conversation with foreign expats here in New Jersey, will help you to be the enlightened, savvy, and welcome visitor, both in other regions of the US and abroad. Happy travelling!!
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Being Understood: It’s EVERYTHING!!
When people can’t understand you, they can’t buy what you’re selling, understand your requests, offer you a job, or promote you to a better position. The inability of professional, managerial, and sales staff to communicate clearly or intelligibly present complex ideas in English can also cost the employer new clients and have significant negative impact on keeping existing clients and on the credibility of the manager’s, professional’s, or salesperson’s expertise.
Have you ever ended a business, professional, or customer service conversation in anger and frustration because of the inability to understand or be understood? Does poor speech or writing ability have impact on your confidence in the service provider or professional? How confident do professionals feel when constantly asked to repeat what they say?
Many metrics exist in business to track “business lost” but nothing exists to track business ungained. Consider this real-life scenario described to me a few years ago by a business acquaintance who happened to share an elevator with two attorneys in her Manhattan accounting firm. The lawyers had just finished interviewing a forensic accounting associate for the purpose of bringing him into a matter they were handling. “Well, we certainly can’t use this firm, ” one attorney was overheard in comment to the other. “I didn’t understand a word he said.” Business ungained. No one will ever know why the firm did not get the business and no one will ever tell the associate that it was because of his heavy accent, which made his expertise unintelligible and questionable.
Could this scenario happen in your business?
Fortunately, improving pronunciation and/or writing are very teachable skills. Business owners and decision-makers are now realizing that it makes economic sense to provide language and culture-related support to their skilled and loyal employees. Professional and non-professional employees can be helped to overcome language challenges. This firm began providing accent reduction coaching to its talented foreign-born financial professionals who would be client-facing and giving oral presentations.
Language Directions can help you to help your valuable accent-challenged employees. Quickly, Efficiently, and Confidentially.
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