[teampractices] Fwd: How to communicate compassionately with non-native English speakers

[Nick Wilson (Quiddity)]

https://medium.com/@mollyclare/taming-the-steamroller-how-to-communicate-compassionately-with-non-native-english-speakers-d95d8d1845a0
A good essay.

TL;DR: Some detailed examples of how to improve communication and
interactions, for the benefit of anyone who uses English as a second
language.

Phrasal verbs in English can be particularly hard to master. Just think

about “cut off” vs. “cut up” vs. “cut over” vs. “cut in” vs. “cut out” vs.
“cut down” vs. “cut back” and you’ll see how confusing it can be when you
recommend “cutting back” on something, or asking someone to “cut it out”.
[...]

Make your message very clear, especially your request. This is doubly

true for me, because I work with Germans, who are famously direct. The
American habit of softening and burying a request is just confusing and
pointless to them.

The last thing you and I want to do is overwhelm. We work across language

barriers, not because it’s glamorous or fun or easy, but because we care
about collaborating with people who are different from us [...]. And
non-native speakers are committing to this collaboration even more than we
are: they’re reaching out to us by working in English. [...]

n.b. Yes, there are some over-generalizations and stereotypes in there.
It's still good overall, though! ;-)


Quiddity

[Fwding by request.]