When English is Not Your Native Language

Dina shares her experience navigating the language barrier

When I moved from my home country to the United States my English level was pretty solid. I could read and write. I've already worked with English-speaking colleagues. However, the difference being an “outsourced resource” where the client knows you are in some country somewhere and your English is not perfect and they adapt their vocabulary and pronunciation, is one thing, but being embedded into a fully American team was a pretty real shock (especially to my confidence).

Let’s put it this way… standing in line at Chipotle where you should be quickly telling your choices gave me so much anxiety that I decided to stay hungry on multiple occasions rather than go through the embarrassment of not understanding what the Chipotle employee is asking me and feeling the pressure of holding up the whole line.

Over time my English improved drastically and I started feeling more confident. But I remember those early days vividly and the vulnerability I felt. I wish someone shared a couple of these thoughts with me earlier: 

1. Ask questions

It’s okay to clarify and make sure you understand everything. If you're still confused after the first explanation, don't hesitate to ask again.

2. Embrace your accent  

It’s totally okay that you have an accent. If you sense that someone didn't catch what you said, simply repeat it.

3. Ask for pronunciation tips

Ask a colleague to help you learn how to say a word correctly. Don’t take it personally if someone corrects you, instead use it to learn ! For instance, I'm still cautious about pronouncing "beach," and I often mix up "suit" with "suite”.

4. Seek feedback on your written communication  

When you are writing an email and you are unsure if you are getting your point across, ask a trusted colleague to proofread. Notice how others structure their emails. These days you can also use tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT. Just be careful, use it to learn, don’t blindly rely on these tools. 

5. Familiarize yourself with slang and idioms

I used Urban Dictionary quite a bit, for example, to look up things like  “to get iced” and “canadian tuxedo” . Being a part of a team is not only about a language, but also about the culture. 

6. Say yes to social invitations

When your colleagues invite you for a drink after work, don’t skip it (even though it’s tempting, I know!). Try to get out of your comfort zone. Successfully keeping up with conversations in a bustling bar over a beer is a clear sign of your improving language skills!

Adapting to a new language and culture is undoubtedly challenging, yet it promotes personal growth and creates opportunities. Your efforts not only benefit you but also pave the way for future colleagues joining the company. In our next post, we will explore ways in which English-speaking colleagues can ensure that everyone feels comfortable and included.

Yana’s 2 cents:

I stand by every word above. When I moved to Ireland, it was a real shock to me, and a sudden blow to my self-esteem when I realized that I couldn’t fluently speak English.

I felt embarrassed due to my accent until one day, during an offsite, we played a game and I had to admit to my Scottish colleague that I didn’t understand a word. Suddenly, my Spanish colleague said, 'Me neither! But I didn’t want to say it out loud.' Well, that was a relief; I’m not alone! This was also later validated by this video where Alexa also couldn’t understand the Irish accent.  Over time, I embraced my accent and stopped feeling bad about it.

Another example that comes to mind is when, after working for a number of years with American colleagues, I received a Slack message from my London-based peer saying, 'Thanks a million!' what does it mean??? It appears to be the UK/Ireland version of the American 'thanks so much' 😀 Even with English being a global language, there are a ton of nuances and little cultural differences that you need to take into account. By the way, the best book I've read on this topic is 'The Culture Map' by Erin Meyer.

I have thousands of examples like this! The good news is, English is just a language; it’s a hard skill, meaning that it's easier to develop than e.g. influential communication or active listening. With enough dedication, you can learn it!