Is English your second language?

Who do you most often use English with? Native speakers of English or non-native speakers of English?

Most English communication in the world is between non-native speakers of English. This means that many phone calls, emails and business presentations are conducted between people who are using English as a language in common.

In these situations, the most important thing is to communicate effectively. This often means that ideas and concepts are communicated in simple English in order to minimise misunderstandings and to save time. Here are some handy tips to make sure you use English effectively with your overseas colleagues.

1. Use simple language where possible.

Avoid idioms and phrasal verbs (even if you are confident using them!) and keep your sentence structure simple. This also means you are less likely to make grammar mistakes.

2. Be prepared to rephrase and explain your ideas more than once if necessary.

"What I mean is…"
"What I'm trying to say is…"
"To put it another way, ….."
"In other words, ….."
"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear. I'd like to say…."
"To rephrase that, what I mean is…"

3. Learn how to define words if others don't understand.

"It's something we use to…"
"It's a kind of …."
"It's similar to X but…"

4. Listen carefully to what people say and ask questions.

"When you say …. do you mean…?"
"Could you explain that again, please?"
"Could you go over that again, please?"
"Could you speak more slowly, please?"

5. Say you don't understand.

"I'm not sure I understand what you are saying."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand."
"I'm sorry, but I don't follow you."

6. Avoid blaming the other person for misunderstandings.

Instead of saying "you said…" try
"I understood…"
"I was under the impression that…"
"I got the idea that…"

7. Use body language effectively.

For example, hand gestures are particularly useful if you are taking people around your office, or giving directions to other people. Nodding when you agree with someone, or shaking your head in disagreement reinforces what you are saying.