Having just completed another very successful Intensive Programme in Lithuania, I witnessed once again the challenges of working in a second language. As a native speaker and a teacher on the programme, I was acutely aware of the huge extra efforts it takes to understand the different variations of English which are common in the various countries represented in the project such as Spain, Lithuania, Portugal and Hungary. If you are Spanish you get used to hearing Spanish English and find it difficult to understand Czech english for example. It poses a particular dilemma for me when I can see that two people are talking at cross purposes. When is the correct time, if ever, to intervene and say ‘ I think he means xxx while she’s talking about yyyy.’
In this situation I was the only native speaker (though far from the only good English speaker). But as well as facilitating advantages, native speakers also have responsibilities which I don’t think they are often aware of. In a mixed meeting of native and non-native speakers, the native speakers have an obligation to:
1. Speak more slowly and more clearly. When they don’t have the language skills to use anything other than English, I think that this is the least they owe their non-native speaker colleagues.
2. Try to moderate the accent. This may be tough but you will only have to do it occasionally. Even native speakers have trouble with some accents. My bêtes noires are Falkirk and Texas!
3. Avoid slang and idioms. This may seem obvious but I have seen this happen so often that it seems that it does need to be pointed out explicitly.
4. Use shorter sentences so that the non-native speakers don’t get lost in umpteen sub-clauses.
5. Avoid country-specific references which will only be understandable by people from for example, the UK, Australia or the USA. Dr Who and Top Gear are just about OK but I don’t think that Boris Johnson or Bisto gravy travel well.
No wonder non-native speakers baulk at the thought of having native speakers present at their meetings when the scope for misunderstanding is compounded by the lack of these five strategies. I have heard of meetings where the native speakers have been asked to have a care for the non-native speakers and who have been able to control themselves only for about five minutes before reverting back to old habits. This shows that it’s tough, but surely not as tough as working in a second language?
Of course, if you are involved in high stakes win or lose negotiations then you might want to deliberately employ the opposite of the five strategies!
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