Help! I'm A Native Speaker But No One Understands My English

Learn How to Use Your English More Effectively for Better Intercultural Communication With ESL Coworkers

Created byScott Paton, Martin Luxton, Scott Alex

Last updated 6/2017

English

What you'll learn

Communicate more effectively with people from other cultures.
Understand why there are problems in intercultural communication.
Use techniques and strategies they will learn in the course to resolve communication problems.
Discover how to communicate better with non-English speakers

Course content

4 sections • 25 lectures • 2h 57m total length

Introduction11:32
Martin Luxton and Scott Paton describe what you can expect in the course. They share their backgrounds and why they are qualified to teach this subject. Check the resources tab for an important announcement!

Introduction4:54
Learn why native speakers of English have a problem communicating in their own language with foreigners and the kind of problems this causes.
Culture17:49
It's not just language that can be a problem but also the culture. And even native speakers from different countries like Canada and the UK sometimes have communication problems.
Arrogance7:08
Why an attitude like, 'They should learn better English' is not helpful.
Accents8:31
Even when you speak simple English a strong accent can be a problem.
Linguistics12:52
Phrasal verbs, jargon, slang, dialects, neologisms . . . lots of areas for misunderstanding.
Generational5:22
Language is constantly changing and one generation's English can be very different from another generation's.
Expectations3:48
We all grow up to learn to expect certain things in certain situations, but what if expectations in another country are different?
Perceptions6:24
What we think is interesting may be boring for other people. Two people can look at exactly the same thing and interpret it differently.
English Taught in Foreign Schools7:42
A lot of foreign school systems focus on teaching grammar, so don't be surprised if a well-qualified employee can't speak a word of English!
DIfferent Conventions7:16
Dogs in the UK say Woof! Woof! but Brazilian dogs say How! How! And British people only have fingers on their hands, not on their feet.
Borrowed Words5:20
Same word but different pronunciation and/or meaning. Beware borrowed words!
Expats Gone Native6:03
What happens when native speakers of English live for a long time in a foreign country.
The English 'Expert'8:18
Learn why it's important to pick your battles when you have a problem with the company's English 'expert'.
Summary14:31
We recap all the points in this section.

Introduction2:20
Accent Reduction8:17
Accent reduction is a very effective solution but it's difficult to implement.
Enunciation4:54
Finding the sweet spot where you speak clearly but don't sound unnatural.
Grade Your Language10:55
Just as you would change your vocabulary when talking to a child, you have to consider the English level of your audience.
Concept Check3:59
Don't assume people understand what you said - use concept checking to make sure they got it right.
Invest in Your Staff's English2:20
Why you should champion English language training for your staff.
Show Interest in Their Culture6:14
The more you learn about a culture, the better you understand and the better your relationships.
Summary5:03
Here we run through the various strategies you need to ensure you are understood.

Requirements

Technical requirements are just a device to access the course.
You need to be open to personal development in the area of intercultural communication.

Description

Are you a native speaker of English but foreigners find your English difficult to understand?

Do the people you work with say they understand you when they clearly don't?

Do you feel you and your non-native colleagues are on a completely different wavelength?

Then this course is for you.

In this course, we

Highlight the reasons why native speakers of English have problems communicating effectively with coworkers and customers who are from a different culture.
Help you to understand intercultural dynamics and how to deal with them constructively while, at the same time, respecting other cultures.
Look at why two people can have a completely different interpretation of the same sentence.
Discover that even native speakers from different countries don't understand each other!
Discuss the need for both sides of the conversation to speak "better" English.

Once we have identified the issues that interfere with intercultural communication, we focus on the simple but effective solutions you can implement.

Solutions such as:

Accent reduction (for native speakers!!)
Grading your language
Concept checking

So, if you are a native speaker of English and need help because your colleagues or customers don't understand your English, check out this course now.
Intercultural communication is communication between people of different cultures . Intercultural communication refers to a process where people from different cultures share meanings. It can be symbolic, interpretive and transactional.

Intercultural communication is becoming a vital skill set as business, education and relationships become increasingly global.

It is important to learn how to deal with cultural differences when you interact with international students, whether they are studying abroad, traveling, or working in multinational offices.

This course will teach you how to recognize your cultural identity and those of others, as well as the cultural assumptions that we all hold, the nuances and potential for cross-cultural interaction and (mis)understanding. Learn about different communication styles and how they can differ from one country to the next. Also, learn how to adapt and assess diverse situations.

Who this course is for:

Native speakers of English working with foreigners, either abroad or in their own country, who are having communication problems that affect their business.
People who work with English native speakers and need help to understand why there are communication problems.
HR professionals who need help to resolve intercultural communication issues.

Help! I'm A Native Speaker But No One Understands My English

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 12min

Why Don’t Foreigners Understand Native Speakers of English?14 lectures • 1hr 56min

Solutions8 lectures • 44min

Wrap Up2 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: