Category: Speaking
3 tips for better participation in meetings
Common Indian Errors in Business English
Why do you make the same language errors, again and again?
Why do people keep repeating the same grammatical and vocabulary errors, even after they have been corrected?
For example, language learners learn that one should say ‘equipment’ and not ‘equipments’. The reason behind it is that ‘equipment’ is an uncountable noun, and so one shouldn’t add an ‘s’ to it. The phrase three equipments is grammatically incorrect. When I say this in a session, people nod their heads in complete agreement. But, when they leave the room, and have a conversation, they are more likely to ask: Where are the equipments?
Why are they repeating this error? The clue is in the photo of this post. The photo is of a fossil. The language errors that we make are fossilized in our minds. This means that even if the trainer corrects you in a session, afterwards, when you speak with friends or colleagues, you are likely to return to making the same error.
Can you de-fossilize your language? Yes, you can. But you have to work at it. Pay attention to how you speak and write. And mentally note down the errors which you know you are making. (I monitor my speech, almost, all the time.)
Over time, when you speak and write, you will use the grammar point or word, accurately and effortlessly.
The ignored skill of listening
Listen to the sound of the river, if you want to catch fish. – an Irish proverb.
In language learning there are four skills: speaking, listening, writing, and reading.
Of these, the productive skills are speaking and writing. And the receptive skills are listening and reading. When learning a language, the emphasis is on the productive skills. We usually ask, can you speak Japanese. And not, can you read Japanese.
In India, English language learners are keen to speak and write the language. Unfortunately, they are less keen to engage with the receptive skills of listening and reading.
In this post, let’s focus on listening.
4 ways listening skill can help you
As you may have noticed, Indians are terrible listeners. Often, we start speaking while the other person is still speaking. (I am guilty of this too: I confess!) This could be because we are so absorbed in what we feel about the topic, that we cannot wait to express our opinion. Or this could be because we believe we know exactly what the other person thinks on a particular subject. This often happens between husbands and wives.
It is good etiquette to let the person complete what he or she is saying. No matter where one is–at work or at home.
Listening can help you to improve your communication skills.
Here is how:
Listen for pronunciation
Listen how people pronounce words. Are they emphasizing a particular syllable? If so, on which one?
For example, in India, some people pronounce the word sentence as: senTENCE.
Actually, in international English, it is: SENtence.
Listen attentively when you are watching your favourite Netflix series. Notice which syllable is stressed in a word.
Listen to the flow of speech
How is the person using intonation? Is the tone flat? Or is there a rise and fall in pitch to convey nuances in meaning and emotion?
Pay special attention to intonation. How does a stand-up comic use intonation? How is it different from a journalist reporting a story?
Listen for cohesion
When yo
u listen to a speech or watch a documentary, ask yourself why a particular idea or thought has been introduced. Does the next idea follow naturally from that first one? Many times a speaker begins by setting the context. And then she may make an assertion. And then follow it up with supporting statements.
Can you critically analyse the flow of ideas? Do they make sense, when placed next to each other? Could they be ordered in another way? Are all ideas equally important? Analyzing in such a manner will help you to make more effective presentations at work.
Listen with empathy
When listening to someone, try to imagine their lived experience. Where are they coming from? What are the challenges they face? This will help you to better understand them. People will feel that you are giving them your undivided attention. Consequently, they may open up to you even more. When you listen with empathy, you are more likely to recall what was said. Your conversations will be more meaningful. And yes, your communication skills will improve.
As I said before, we live in a world which does not value listening. If we start listening better, we’ll start communicating better.
Don’t forget to listen to yourself
Listen to yourself when you make a complaint, when you make a request, when you give an order, when you plead for understanding, and when you make a presentation.
How wide is your range of vocabulary? Are you repeating words and phrases? Are you learning new words / phrases on a regular basis? At times, do you find it difficult to express a complex idea?
Are you using grammar correctly? Are you using a variety of grammatical structures? Does your grammar crumble when you are angry?
Do you use different types of intonation when speaking to different people? What is your rate of speech? Are you speaking as fast as a bullet train travels?
Phew… That’s a long list of questions, I know. But it will be worth your while to start looking for answers for some, if not all, of these questions.
Focus on listening
When you truly listen, there is so much you can learn.
Listen to others when they speak. Listen to yourself when you speak.
If you will listen intensely and with purpose, you may be surprised as to what you discover.
Listen to the sound of the river…
Image credit: Freepik
How good is my English ?
We are not particularly good at critically evaluating ourselves.
Often, we are under the impression that we are more competent than we actually are. Alas! This misconception is present in language skills as well.
It has been my experience that English language skills in companies are in need of drastic improvement. Many engineers, managers, associates, executives, lawyers, accountants, and software programmers are unable to express themselves clearly, concisely, and politely. At times, they find it challenging to communicate complex ideas. Their range of vocabulary does not permit them to express nuances–the same words/phrases get repeated in many different conversational settings.
And yet, when people are questioned about their English language abilities, after a few seconds of introspection, they reply that their English is quite good.
Why is this happening?
There may be a few reasons for this wide gap between perceived and actual language skills.
Lack of exposure
The first reason could be that people are just not exposed to good language.
They do not read books that are rich in idiomatic expressions and that have a variety of sentence structures. They do not have people around them who are proficient speakers of the language. They do not watch documentaries and movies which transport them out of their comfort zone and introduce them to words and grammatical structures that they would not usually encounter in their everyday lives.
And even when they are exposed to good language, they rarely pay attention. They are not active listeners and readers. They are not able to recognize and appreciate new grammar structures or new vocabulary.
Hence, people are not aware of the richness of the language.
They don’t know that they don’t know.
Fluency does not mean accuracy
Fluency is often confused with accuracy. There are speakers who speak with confidence and fluency.
When you hear them, they seem perfectly at ease with the language. They have a good rate of speech and pronounce words reasonably well. However, when you listen carefully, you start to notice things.
They make basic grammatical errors (such as I didn’t went there). And they use vocabulary incorrectly. For instance, using the word improvise when they mean improve. These errors may be fossilized, meaning that they are deeply embedded in the mind.
In an environment where the overall language level is at the pre-intermediate or intermediate level, these fluent, but inaccurate speakers, can be mistaken to have strong language skills. This leads them to believe that everything is okay, language wise.
Feeling of possessing superior language skills
At office, most people have roughly similar language levels. In general, it’s a mix of pre-intermediate and intermediate level speakers.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. This is true when someone with an intermediate level of English starts giving lessons to someone who is at the pre-intermediate level. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against one human being teaching another human being. But, this is not always the best way to learn.
First, the person may be providing incorrect advice, leading to the spread of incorrect grammar and vocabulary. Poor grammar is especially contagious.
Second, the person doling out the advice may consider himself to be a language guru. He may consider himself to be somewhat of an authority on the English language. Now, that is a worrying thought. Will he ever question his own level of competence?
So, is it varying combinations of ignorance and arrogance that leads a good person to overestimate his language level? Possibly. In all fairness, I would say that it is more ignorance than arrogance.
Do you want to better understand your language level?
1. Start by second guessing yourself.
How effective are your emails? Does your reader or listener understand your message? Are you using words that precisely convey what you want to say? Are you using the same words in email after email after email? If the answer is yes for the last question, then you need to widen the range of your vocabulary.
2. Benchmark your communication skills with that of others.
What words and phrases does your CEO use when she makes a presentation? Is she using simple sentences or complex sentences? Is there anything you can learn from her? Watch Youtube videos of people you admire, especially on TEDx. How do you compare?
3. Test your English.
In my opinion, the best assessment happens face-to- face. Do visit a language school that provides credible assessment, such as the British Council.
If doing that is not possible for the time being, you could test yourself online.
Access these online tests to get an idea of your language level:
Cambridge English Language Assessment
You may not be as good as you think you are.
When it comes to assessing your language level, approach it with humility. And be open to learning.
I repeat: you may not be as good as you think you are.
A harsh statement, I admit. But, if you take it to heart, your future-self will thank you.
Learn English with your child
Learning any language takes time. And that includes English as well.
Many people working in the corporate sector want to learn English words and phrases that are directly related to their work.
They often do not have the time or inclination to strengthen their foundations (grammar, vocabulary, writing skills, reading skills, listening skills, and speaking skills).
Learn with your child
How can you strengthen the foundations of your language?
If you have a child at home, consider yourself lucky. You can learn with her. Together, practise reading from her textbook.
Use the content in the textbook as a launchpad for further learning.
For example, if there is a lesson on food, watch YouTube videos on the topic.
When watching, be sure to be an active listener.
Make a mental note of new vocabulary, grammar structures, and pronunciation. See if you can identify any of the words / grammar that you and your child have come across in the textbook.
After you finish the activity, you could have a conversation about it.
Did you like the YouTube video? Why? Why not? What were the main points? Was there any new information? Were there any words that you want learn more about? Was it easy to understand the accent of the speaker?
Immersion is key
If you want to learn any language– the secret is immersion. The language needs to be around you all the time.
With your child, set aside some time when both of you speak only in English. For instance, at the dinner table, you could revise the words / grammar that you have together looked at.
Don’t worry if mistakes are made. Making mistakes is a good sign. That means you are engaging with the language. After all, when learning a new language, it is normal to make mistakes.
Practise, practise, practise. Over time, you and your child will become fluent speakers.
Be consistent
It is said that the child is the father of man.
I believe that the child is an excellent English teacher for a man or woman. Learning with your child is a fun, natural way to learn anything.
If you choose to learn with your child, make sure that it is a long-term project. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t see immediate results.
Slow and steady wins the race! Always.
For more information and advice, visit: British Council LearnEnglish Kids.
Do you have plans for your child to study abroad? This is a post on how to help her succeed in international English exams.
4 idioms related to war
Photo taken at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum in Ludhiana, Punjab
At times, it may seem that there is more war than peace at work.
Here are four idioms that may reflect what is happening at your office. See if you can use them.
Four idioms derived from war
to cross the Rubicon
During Roman times, the modest river Rubicon marked the boundary from where Gaul (France) ended and Italy began. As a rule, Roman generals returning to Italy disbanded their armies before crossing the Rubicon to enter Italian soil.
Of course, the victorious and ambitious Julius Caesar thought otherwise. He crossed the Rubicon with his battle-hardened army and thus started a civil war.
To cross the Rubicon is take a decision from which there is no turning back.
An example sentence: By agreeing to consider the proposed changes, the Minister has crossed the Rubicon.
to look daggers at somebody
Quite simply, this means to look sharply or furiously at someone.
“At the meeting, the production manager looked daggers at me. What did I do?”
a loose cannon
In sixteenth-century English warships, cannons were mounted on carriages. When the ships swayed back and forth, some of these huge guns would roll about dangerously, endangering the crew.
In today’s world, a loose cannon is a person who behaves in an unpredictable way–often causing some form of disorder. I’m sure you’ve come across at least one loose cannon this year.
“Careful, he is known to be a loose cannon.”
on the warpath
The warpath was the route North American Indians would take to meet their adversary.
Nowadays, the term has come to mean being in an aggressive mood and looking for a fight.
“Avoid Prashant. He’s on the warpath today!”
I used Dictionary of Idioms and their origins by Linda + Roger Flavell as a reference for this post. If you would like to learn more about idioms and their origins, do pick this book up.
I’m sure you have heard this idiom before. He has a chip on his shoulder. But, do you really know what it means?
Ever wondered about vocabulary related to the moon?
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