Nearly Lost in Translation - thoughts and reflections on working in a second language.

I like to think that my communication skills have always been a strength for me - in English at least. Don’t get me wrong, I make mistakes and occasionally succumb to social anxiety. Despite being able to speak to a room full of people with minimal preparation, I might occasionally panic in a meeting of four and find myself rambling to over-explain and justify my existence in said meeting - maybe a little like this sentence. Overall, though, I have nurtured these skills throughout my career, and in many ways, they have become part of my identity as a professional.?

Over the past year, communication has been an even bigger focus in my life. I have been living in Valencia, Spain, and with that comes life and work in a different language. One of the main reasons my partner and I chose Spain over a more conventional location like London, among other things, was to experience a life that differed more from home. As it turns out, there are many similarities between NZ and Spain, but of course the main difference is the language. I arrived with much less Spanish than I had hoped, and have spent the better part of the 14 months learning it. I have gone from being monolingual, like many New Zealanders, to using two languages for most aspects of my life - making friends, working, going to the doctor, coaching lacrosse, running errands and more. With this has come many emotions and I can proudly say my Spanish could maybe be considered at a level of ‘just-about-acceptable’.?

As journalist José Luis Pe?arredonda put it, working in your second language is often like eating soup with a fork. I can confirm this sentiment. I recently mistranslated ‘crane’ (the construction machine) when discussing health and safety on a site, leading me to explain that access and safety needed to be maintained in and around ‘the birds’ for the duration of the works. I also remember a colleague back in New Zealand speaking in her second language, saying ‘my eyes are irresistible because the sun is so strong’, rather than ‘irritable’. We laughed together, but I understood what she meant. Ironically, three years later, when I told that same story in my second (or really my 1.5) language, I made the exact same mistake, bringing on fits of laughter, but again, no misunderstanding.?

Where am I going with this? Well, New Zealand is a multicultural country, with many people working in their second language (or third, or fourth, and so on), and bilingualism is a hot topic at the moment. I can’t speak for anyone specifically learning English, but I hope that my reflections from my year might spark some thoughts or ideas of your own. Whether on engaging with colleagues working in a different language, supporting a diverse workforce, or recognising how English-centric we can be in New Zealand, are despite having the incredible opportunity to be bilingual.?

To address the elephant in the room: I feel increasingly guilty that my second language will be Spanish and not Te Reo Māori. You can likely never truly understand culture, people, history, traditions, or politics without understanding the language and the different worldview it may offer. It frustrates and disappoints me that being bilingual hasn't been celebrated, encouraged, and facilitated in New Zealand throughout the decades. However, learning Spanish has motivated me to make Te Reo Māori my third language - hopefully sooner rather than later. I can't wait to embark on that journey and truly understand home.?

Language learning for a job is a catch-22. No amount of classes or books is going to fully prepare someone for the realities of working in their second (or third, or fourth) language. You can spend hours with a dictionary only to be thrown into a meeting and realise you know none of the words or phrases actually being used. Ironically, the only way to get better is to use the language and practice. Yet, in order to get the job, candidates are often expected to have near-fluent levels of communication from the start. We need to be more open to hiring for potential, knowing that with support and time, language will follow - likely much faster than if they were still in a classroom.?

Experience and intelligence don’t just disappear because someone doesn’t speak your language. Mistakes will happen, trust me they will. However, if we shift focus from perfection to understanding, communication becomes a lot smoother. A great team isn’t about perfect grammar, patience, collaboration and a bit of creativity and humour go a long way.. Find innovative ways of communicating and respect the expertise and experience that a diverse team brings to the table.??

Spending your life in another language is exhausting, especially if part of life is work. If a colleague looks exhausted every day, it might be because they're working about twice as hard to do the same amount. Each task requires thinking, rethinking, sometimes translating and retranslating, and double, triple-checking. Not to mention the level of social anxiety, discomfort, embarrassment and overall stress they may be feeling. I may not lack confidence when speaking Spanish, but I often spend hours worrying: Did I offend anyone? Did we understand each other? Why don’t I seem funny in Spanish (though I'm not entirely sure I am in English either)?

So, some pragmatic tips that might help you or your teams, depending on the situation:?

• Check in with your colleagues navigating a language other than their own, see how they feel about language correction that day. Some days they will want to improve; other days they may just want to get through.??
• Remember to be empathetic when reviewing reports or work and providing feedback; often, content often matters more than the commas. There are plenty of digital tools at our disposal for grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• When appropriate, ask if your speed of speaking is okay, and be mindful of using jargon and idioms excessively.?
• Summarise the end of meetings with clear actions and points, and ensure you are building professional relationships outside of meetings alone (good practices regardless).
• Offer moral support, especially when it comes to phone calls or communication without body language.
• Above all, champion and trust your team, and build an environment based on understanding.?

I am constantly reminded that we (monolingual, English speakers) are a much smaller percentage than the global population of bilingual people. Most of the world is learning another language. Many of us monolingual English speakers could stand to be a little more patient and appreciative of the effort it takes to learn and speak another language, let alone work in it.

I have been incredibly lucky to have colleagues and friends who have been kind, understanding, and willing to laugh with me at my language mishaps. But not everyone has that luxury, so if you manage or work alongside someone who is navigating a language, my advice is simple—be patient, be kind, and remember that perfection is a myth. Offer feedback when it’s welcome, support when it’s needed, and, most importantly, celebrate the diversity that your team brings. A diverse team makes for engaging conversation, varied viewpoints and experiences, and growth challenges, whilst adding a lot of fun and humour along the way for those mistakes I can guarantee will happen.?

If you are on your own language learning journey, how has this shaped other parts of your life, your world view or your approach to communication? I would love to hear your stories.?