Continuing from last month’s column, here are the last six of the ten essential points of using “International English.” 5) Avoid negative questions/ tag questions. English is somewhat unusual in that the framing of this kind of question doesn’t really impact the answer; it merely reflects the speaker’s guess at … Continue reading
Even among native speakers of a language, assurance that the intended meaning of a word or phrase has been understood can sometimes be elusive. Winston Churchill, a noted historian and linguist in his own right, wryly commented that Britain and the United States were “two great countries separated by a … Continue reading
Remember those old adventure movies that have a Western family living in luxury in some exotic location? Gorgeous house in beautiful surroundings. Private nannies for the kids. Car and driver at Madame’s disposal. Leisurely power lunches with the movers and shakers of the local business and political communities. White jacket and … Continue reading
One situation you may encounter during international business meetings is unfamiliar “silence.” Here are a couple of typical instances where silence – and the use of silence – can be confusing or disadvantageous if you are unprepared for it. A common misstep many Americans make in international meetings is assuming the best … Continue reading
Forrest Gump’s communication style was simple and direct, with nearly universal references to which everybody could relate: mother, food, friendship, and of course, those famous boxes of chocolates. Communication with your international audience should be in a similar fashion to Forrest’s. Oral comprehension is heavily dependent on the speaker’s international … Continue reading
Forrest Gump or The Wolf of Wall Street? Which one would you pick for your international sales and marketing team? Over the years, Hollywood has provided us with some interesting models that could be used in developing successful training techniques for use overseas in non-English speaking countries. In the hit … Continue reading
