5 Ways to communicate more clearly with international teams

Clear communication is essential in work and business. If you work with an international team, it is even more important to pay attention to the language you use. Some may speak English as an additional language and may not be used to hearing native-speaker English.

Even if English is their first language, these tips will help you to communicate much more clearly to a wider audience so you won't waste valuable time repeating yourself.

1. Slow down and pause

When time is short, we want to get through tasks quickly - this can often mean we speak quickly too. However, rushing through what we want to say may lead to wasting more time in the future when you realise most of your team didn't understand you.

Slow down! However, don't fall into the trap of overpronouncing every word as you will sound patronising. Speak as you usually would but at a slower pace. Where you naturally want to take a breath, take a longer pause instead. This will allow everyone time to process what you are saying, and more people will remember your message.

2. Cut out the figurative language.

When you speak English as a first language, your speech is probably full of figurative language: words and phrases that can't be translated directly. For example, idioms such as "it's a no-brainer" or "let's touch base" can be confusing and distracting for speakers of English as an additional language.

We also use two-word phrases called phrasal verbs, which often have a non-literal meaning: "cut out" (from the title of this point) is a great example. Others include, "set up" and "call off". Phrasal verbs are notoriously difficult for learners of English, so where possible, use a literal word (which they are more likely to know) instead. For example, "arrange" or "cancel".

Let's "remove" (not 'cut out'!) figurative language from our communications.

3. Be mindful of indirect language

British English is full of indirect language, which can be extremely confusing, even to the most advanced English speaker. Indirect language is often used to be polite or to get someone to do something that may be inconvenient for them.

The most confusing example is when an instruction is posed as a question. For instance, instead of saying: "Ana, please deliver the presentation next week", you might say, "Ana, would you mind delivering the presentation next week?".

You really want Ana to deliver the presentation but you know she might not want to, so you soften it. To Ana though, it sounds like there is a choice, so she could easily refuse.

Avoid using this language where possible, and just add a 'please' and/or a 'thank you' if you want to sound polite.

4. Use signposting language

These are words and phrases that connect your ideas together. They help to guide the listener and make your communications much clearer.

For example, in a meeting you could outline what you're going to talk about:

"First we'll discuss......., then we'll move onto ........... and finally we'll discuss.......".

Then you could indicate that you're starting the first point, "Let's start with ..........".

You could also summarise the key points at the end, "In Summary, ........".

Even if some people get lost in the details, a clearly signposted summary will ensure they can catch the important information at the end.

Using these little signposting phrases may seem simple, but they can make a huge difference to the clarity of your communications.

5. Check understanding throughout

When I say check understanding, I don't mean ask, "Do you understand?". This question is usually followed by a nod or a "yes" even if that isn't the case.

Give time between each of your points for everyone to ask questions. By the questions they ask, you can gain a good understanding of what you have or haven't explained clearly.

You could also ask specific questions to check understanding, especially if some aren't forthcoming with questions.

In summary, the first step to making your communications clearer is always awareness. First, pay attention to how you are using language now.

Does everyone understand what you say? What aspects of your communications could be leading to misunderstandings?

What could you do to speak more clearly?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

For more information about my courses and workshops for international teams, check out my website: www.theenglishcoach.biz