Confident Communication in English takes Courage, Commitment and a touch of Vulnerability

First Published September 20, 2021 by Giselle Banks

3 minute read

The stark reality is, that in this moment in time, especially in this global market, many businesses expect their team members and clients from diverse nationalities to communicate with each other hand with native speakers in English. Obviously, the native English speakers have an unfair advantage here in that, they don’t have to switch into another language in order to communicate their ideas, make an impact or be heard.  

'Post-Meeting Participation' 

A workplace trend, often discussed by my students is that, after a meeting in which there have been both native and non native speakers present, the non native speakers have a debrief meeting  in order to discuss what was covered in the meeting. It is in this safer space where the less confident can clarify, in a safe space, any misunderstandings or confusion without feeling self conscious or judged. Connections within the same group of colleagues are thus being made on 2 levels , between the native speakers and more confident of the non native speakers and between the non native speakers. 

Another way the more self conscious of the non-native speakers manage the pressure of meetings in English is via email. That is to say, they ask a question, clarify a point or share their input in a private e-mail directed to the convener of the meeting. In this way, they have the time to carefully compose their comments/ideas in written English. Both these solutions are good ways to manage the language barrier but in the long run will not take these highly qualified non-native English speaking professionals in the direction they could and should be heading in their careers.

The Courage to be Vulnerable

Confident communication in another language takes time and in many cases, forces you into situations where you are vulnerable, where you may not be able to express yourself with the same clarity that you would in your native tongue. Many of you who are reading this will have studied English since you were children, thus for you, it now comes with ease, and this may no longer apply to you. However, many of you have not. I am truly in awe of all of you. Learning a language is one thing, but conducting business and communicating appropriately in the different contexts presented to you on a daily basis: in meetings with colleagues, communication with clients, at the watercooler, at social/business events, is another. Unfortunately, you can’t directly translate what you want to say from your own language because it just doesn’t work. As we are all aware, speaking another language does not just involve the knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, you have to understand the culture, begin to think how they do in order to communicate in a way that you will be understood how you want to be. I have experienced this because I spent many years living and studying in Mexico. Prior to moving to Mexico I had studied Spanish as part of my University Degree. I knew the grammar, I could analyse complex literary texts and write in Spanish at a high level but it wasn’t until I moved to Mexico and lived the language for many years that I was also able to communicate the spoken word with clarity and without inhibition and with the confidence that I was actually being understood as 'me'. So, the pressure for people to learn and communicate in English on a daily basis in the workplace is a huge ask. However, many of you are now doing this whether you like it or not and whether you want to or not.

Commitment

For my part, I love teaching English as a foreign language. I love seeing the development in my students, their increased confidence  which leads them to being able to communicate freely and with ease. I love hearing their stories of having a greater impact at work. All this comes with a combination of consistent practice, determination, a willingness to make mistakes and the right mindset. If I can accompany you on your language learning journey, It would be my honour.