How can you develop English language skills and emotional intelligence?

It can be frustrating when using English as a second language to realise that clients or team members may struggle to understand you, and that the authority and confidence you have in your first language may not translate to the new situation. Use non-verbal cues to observe that you are being understood, and ask for confirmation if you're unsure. Self-deprecating humour is useful when misunderstandings arise and can diffuse any tension in the situation. You can also take training to improve your verbal English communication skills. This shows initiative and a willingness to develop your skills. PronounceMe offers dedicated training programmes for professionals using English as a second language to increase confidence and fluency.

I teach what I call ‘emotional grammar’ which is basically the subconscious cues that natives use to choose tenses to express emotions as well as react to things that others have said correctly based again on the tense used. 750 words isn’t going to be enough to go into to detail, but it’s curious that despite not being taught much grammar at school, native English speakers do actually use different tenses to covey emotion. For example the use of continuous tenses is used (subconsciously) to send a message to the other person that we want to tell a story. “I was standing at the bus stop the other day, when…” here the listener knows that the person wanted to tell an interesting story so listens rather than dismissing it off hand.

The most surefire way to develop proficiency in another language is to fall in love with someone who speaks that language! That's likely the biggest motivational factor. But if that isn't your option, you can find some aspect of the culture to fall in love with that sparks your curiosity and eagerness to engage. Maybe you like a particular actor/actress who works in the English language, or a particular songwriter? That will lead you to materials that you will enjoy spending time immersed in, rather than seeing working on your English skills as a chore. Language is designed for communication and that should always be about connecting with other people and expressing ourselves with authenticity. See what sparks joy!

Many misunderstandings occur in business not through errors in translation of vocabulary, but errors in translation of the intention of the grammar in English. By learning how a native speaker subconsciously chooses a tense, you can learn not only how they are feeling, and consequently how to respond , but also how your language could be affecting your native English speaking clients and in turn your business relationships. We don’t just communicate our emotions through intonation and vocabulary, tenses also play a part.

While reading a wide variety of material and watching films are great ways to gain familiarity with English in different contexts, my favourite way to improve spoken English skills is by learning songs! The songwriter has done a lot of the work of putting together rhyme and rhythm in a digestible and memorable format that will clear up many confusions about pronunciation. The emotional connection that you form to the song and melody will help you to memorise these and add to your EI in English. Learning songs also gives you a lot of English cultural background. In PronounceMe's training programmes we do a lot of work with songs to master specific words and sounds and to have a little fun with the learning process!

Outside of socialising with native speakers and learning ’emotional grammar’ I’ve been promising to write a book about it for years… I think the best practice is to ask for clarification when you notice an unexpected reaction by a native English speaker to your language. Listening to podcasts are also a good source of ‘natural language’ as (generally) they are less scripted than TV shows and series.

You need to accept that by studying another language and culture you are developing a new persona. When you go home for the holidays and spend time with your family and friends, speaking your own language, you will go back into familiar ways of thinking and being. When you return to work it may be more of a challenge to communicate in English and develop the forms of speech that facilitate English fluency. It's worth developing touchstones for concepts and values that help you with the transition to communicating in English and feeling confident that what you have to say is being received and understood. Enjoy and celebrate the new skills and new persona you have gained by learning to work and communicate in another language!

Practice and self awareness are key. Listening to non scripted native speaking shows and podcasts can help get a feel for how English and EI go together. Paying attention to which colloquial phrases produce which reaction in others can help, as can asking people for honest feedback when you get a reaction to hat you’re not expecting to a comment. Of course travelling and spending time in country within a culture is going to give you the best sense of how culture and a language fit together with EI. Stay curious and be reflective on your experiences if you really want learn how the two fit together.