Do you feel so nervous when you make a phone call in a foreign language that you make mistakes? This article lists six common ones you should avoid. Oscar Wilde once said: “Experience is the name we give to our mistakes.” We all make mistakes sometimes. What is important is that we learn from them. Here are six common mistakes to learn from: 1. Sounding deadly serious When we are working in a foreign language, there is extra pressure to sound professional. As a result, we may overcompensate. This makes our business partners think we are very serious. So, smile occasionally. This lightens your voice. 2. Sounding unclear If you are not quite sure of how to pronounce a word, you may swallow it and make it unclear. You need to speak clearly, even if you pronounce the word incorrectly. The other person will probably understand what you mean from the context. If not, they will interrupt you, and you can say you’re not sure how to pronounce the word X. Either way, the meaning is then clear. 3. Sounding bored It is often difficult to get the right intonation in a foreign language. As a result, you may speak in a flat monotone. This makes you sound bored and tired. To avoid this, try to put some energy into your voice. Emphasize key words and sentences. 4. Sounding negative Because we are worried about our language skills, we sometimes try to lower the expectations of our listeners. We use words like “unfortunately” and negative phrases, such as “I’m sorry, but...”, “I don’t know if...”, “I’m not sure whether...” or “I can’t...”. Sounding positive is much more effective. Here’s a simple rule: whenever you have something negative to say, follow it up with a positive statement. For example: “I’m afraid a meeting next week is not possible. But I could come the following Tuesday, if that’s OK.” 5. Sounding stressed It’s more difficult to multitask when working in a second language. In our own language, we may be able to talk on the phone, make notes, check the computer screen and signal across the room to a colleague. If we try to do all this while speaking a second language, we can easily miss important pieces of information. We also sound stressed. Focus on your English and on what your partner is saying. 6. Sounding ungrateful At the end of a call in a foreign language, we are sometimes so glad it’s over that we simply finish without thanking the other person. So, don’t forget to thank people for their time, their information or their suggestions.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:10:21 +0000
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