Improving Your English Communication at Work

Are you an international researcher who often needs to speak in English at work? You may be feeling frustrated as you think of all the time you’ve spent working on your English skills without seeing the results you expected!

You can read and write in English without much difficulty anymore. But maybe it's still difficult to have a simple conversation without being asked to repeat something. Sometimes you have a suggestion that could make a real difference in a meeting. Before you can think of the words you need to explain it, the opportunity is gone!

Or maybe you dread questions after a presentation because your mind goes blank when asked something you didn’t expect.

Imagine what it would feel like to speak English precisely and confidently! What would it be like if you knew you could convince your coworkers or clients of the value of your proposals?

So what can you do?

After years of English study, it’s unlikely that watching more YouTube videos will help. Not even finding a patient English speaker to practice with is likely to make the difference you want. You need communication skills beyond the level you can get from English language classes. You also need a systematic plan that addresses the exact weaknesses holding you back.

Here's an analogy that might help you see what I mean. Imagine that a friend has always wanted to take part in a major bike race. It wouldn’t be enough to prepare by riding his bike regularly or even going on long-distance rides with friends. He needs to scale up to a whole different level!

He might start by consulting with a professional trainer. The coach would examine his current biking technique and discuss the areas he needs to work on. As he concentrated on them, he'd also need to design a training schedule to increase his speed and endurance. He would make plans to race at several smaller, local events before facing a national or international competition.

The way to develop your English communication skills to the professional level you want is similar.

First, identify your weak areas and develop a systematic plan for mastering them.

If your colleagues have trouble understanding you, you'll want to concentrate on your pronunciation. (You may also need to focus on word and sentence stress. They're important in English!)

If you sometimes struggle to find the right words to explain an idea or answer a question, you may need to build your English vocabulary. Even more than that, practice thinking and speaking in English. Talk about the things you care about when you’re not under pressure—with friends, English partners, or even your dog. That will make it easier to think of the relevant words when you need them. (In English we sometimes call that keeping them “top of mind.”)

If you don’t know what to talk about in certain situations (when networking? in casual conversation?), include practicing those conversations in your plan.

Do you find it difficult to get a chance to speak in a meeting? Do you know how to interrupt when necessary, or to politely remind an interrupter that you haven’t finished yet? Do you find it difficult to give negative feedback, or to deal with conflict in the office? There are English phrases and techniques which can help with each of those situations.

As you target and work on your weak areas, your fluency and confidence will grow. You won’t have to avoid unfamiliar situations or dread unexpected questions. You'll know you handle them!

Step 2 is to master professional-level communication skills like explanation and persuasion in English.

It’s not enough to improve the weak areas in your English. You also need to learn the advanced communication skills that can make English a tool to reach your goals. Give effective explanations by finding out what your listeners already know and exactly what they want to learn. Then practice giving them the examples and background that they need to understand the idea.

When you need to convince an audience of something, start by learning their perspective and values. Give them evidence, but also tell stories to help them understand the value of your proposal to the issues they care about. Practice responding to objections and making the benefits of your solution clear. Understanding your listeners' points of view will help you to find common ground and share your ideas more effectively.

Step three is to practice the new skills you have developed with role-plays or mental rehearsals.

Try them out in situations like the ones you often encounter at work. It’s like a test drive, applying what you’ve learned so you can find and work out any remaining difficulties in a low-pressure situation. Practice giving and receiving feedback, explaining a new idea, or arguing for a project or proposal as you might need to during a meeting…

As you apply your new skills in settings that resemble your work environment, your confidence on the job will soar. You'll add more value to discussions at work and give your ideas the hearing they deserve. Your company will be able to count on you to represent them effectively before others. It will open doors to professional recognition and new opportunities.

Don’t get discouraged! Professional, confident English is within your reach!

Let me know if you’ve tried these approaches and how they worked for you.

If you’d like to try them, message me. Let’s talk about your next steps and if you would be interested in working together to jumpstart your goals.