This oft-quoted statement from Oscar Wilde is not intended to express any arrogance on my part as a native speaker of English. Quite the contrary: I have the utmost respect for those who must conduct business in a foreign language with people who are also not native speakers. But the fact is that when a Brazilian and a Japanese businessperson must negotiate, it will likely be done in English.
This is on my mind because lately I have had the pleasure to work with some very smart and motivated people who have to roll out a new technical service for their company’s subsidiaries around the world – which means they have to conduct a nine-day training course in one country and then pick up and do it again in another country, again and again, with all the challenges of language, logistics culture, values, etc.
The more time I spend with them, the more important it seems to me that they remember to design the following into their training:
- Frequent opportunities to ask questions for clarification
- Lots of chance for summary and restatement
- Hands-on opportunities where people can test their knowledge and learn by doing
- Shorter sessions with refresher breaks
- Sensitivity to the fact that things may be done differently in different countries and modifications may be necessary. One size does not fit all.
We agreed that they need to create their own technical translation dictionary so that the written documentation, PowerPoint slides and all trainers call things by exactly the same name.
“The limits of my language means the limits of my world”
But another question always comes up: How do I improve my English?
The first step is to listen to English. Thanks to the Internet and podcasts today that is not only easy, but can be very interesting because of the wide range of programming available.
In past blog posts I have mention video podcasts like TedTalks, RSA Videos (Royal Society for the Arts) and HBI IdeaCasts (Harvard Business School). But a regular series which I find fascinating is the audio podcast Freakonomics which is produced by the authors of the wildly popular book of the same name. As an American I also like the weekend radio/audio news magazines produced by National Public Radio (NPR) in the US called Weekend Saturday and Weekend Sunday. Both are two hours in length.
If you find some other podcast gems, pass them along so I can share the riches.
And don’t forget the simple idea that when watching an American film on DVD, switch over to the English audio track and immerse yourself in the way natives speak. I guarantee that your initial frustration will rapidly dwindle as your brain gets used to the patterns of spoken English.
Have one English-speaking meal a week (no, hamburgers are not a requirement). If the others in your home speak English, they might enjoy helping you practice. Otherwise find some colleagues and do it during lunch at work.
Also, use a video recorder or webcam to practice your presentations and listen back to what you sound like.
Perfection is not the objective. Don’t let language get in the way, so find some way to communicate what you need to say and you’ll find that it will get easier and better every day.
Here is a bit of humor in a one-minute TV commercial which I hope provides no offense to my German friends: https://youtu.be/yR0lWICH3rY
And if you wonder how it felt for me to learn German over the age of 40, you might enjoy this essay from Mark Twain: "The Awful German Language".
- Herb Nestler