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VIRTUAL TOOLBOX FOR ENGAGING CROSS-CULTURALLY, (c) 2012 Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC.

 
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To follow are several tips for listening past accents that are proven as best practices. We ask you to consider each, and to explore its potential application in your day-to-day work and on future projects.

INSTRUCTIONS:
The survey will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. After you read and consider the tips on the left hand side of each page, choose a statement in the drop down menu under "Your Experience" to rate each tip.

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NOTE BEFORE YOU START: Depending on who you are speaking with, where and in what context, it's important to remember that everyone has an accent, even native English speakers. What are some things that can influence an accent?

■ Sounds, intonation and stress: vowels could be pronounced differently and intonation and emphasis might be used in different ways depending on where a person is from and their native language.

■ Slang, idioms and colloquialisms: these phrases and vocabulary often reflect cultural ideas and can be misinterpreted.

■ The speaker's state of mind: stress, sense of urgency, frustration and fatigue can impact the 'thickness' of an accent.

Question Title

* Tips to Improve Understanding Accented English - Real Time

  YOUR EXPERIENCE
■ Shut out distractions. Focus on what the speaker is saying.
■ Listen for the speaker's purpose.
■ Listen for auditory, non-verbal clues that are culturally relevant (nervous laughter, sighing, long pauses, frequent interruptions).
■ If you suspect that your message has not gotten across, rephrase what you are trying to say. You might, for example, say something like, "I'm not certain I covered everything. Let me go over this again just to make sure."
■ Ask questions that carry just one question as oppose to layered questions. Folding more than one question into a sentence can be confusing and lead to a breakdown in communication.
■ Remember to allow time for the other person to respond to the questions you ask. Try to avoid offering multiple choice responses to your questions.
■ Listen for vague responses such as, "I think I understand" or "I'm sure I can figure it out." In countries as far ranging as Japan and Saudi Arabia, tentative answers like these can actually be interpreted as, "I do not understand, but do not want to come straight out and say so."
■ Avoid using slang, idioms and colloquialisms.
■ Expect to understand. This is not metaphysical advice, it is a practical and proven reality that if you do not expect to understand, you will give up even before the conversation begins. The good news in this regard is that the more you are around accents, the easier it will become -- your ear will adjust to the assortment of sounds and tonalities.
■ Practice listening to accented English. This will help with your practice as it provides an understood context for conversation. Examples include paying special attention to speakers in foreign films, visiting neighborhoods where immigrants from different cultures live, and talking to people in stores and restaurants.
■ Create a relaxed atmosphere and be patient; accents become heavier as tension increases. For example, native speakers of Tagalog (the primary language of the Philippines) tend to put the accent on the second syllable of multi-syllabic English words. When they speak rapidly, this happens more frequently, but when the pace slows, the accent improves.
■ Try to speak relatively slowly while maintaining a relaxed tone, one that makes it clear that you are not being judgmental of the communicator's difficulty.
■ Enunciate your words to help the listener understand what you're saying. This can also serve as a model to the listener for them to speak clearly and enunciate the message they are trying to communicate with you.
■ As a listener, pay attention to the entire message before stopping the speaker. Although you may not be understanding individual words, the meaning of the message may become clear in context.
■ Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions start with words like "what" and "how" and they help the speaker avoid giving a yes/no responses. In some cultures "yes" could actually be a polite way of saying "no." Questions that start with "will" or "can" often call for a yes/no response.
■ If the exchange involves you asking questions of the other party, phrase the question in different ways. This will allow the speaker to answer using different words and creates the possibility that those words will be more easily understood.

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Question Title

* Tips for Effective Listening

  YOUR EXPERIENCE
■ Make a commitment to active listening. Realize that distractions may occur and that you need to be prepared for them. Remind yourself that listening can be a challenge sometimes.
■ If you can, minimize outside distractions. For example, in an office setting you can turn off the ringer on the phone, shut the door or window if there is noise outside, or turn off computer notifications.
■ Try to stay focused on the content of the speakers's message instead of getting distracted by such things as the speaker's accent.
■ Open your mind and be receptive to new ideas. You can't listen if you're mentally debating or judging the speaker.
■ Be empathetic. Try to put yourself in the speaker's shoes.
■ If you notice that your mind is wandering, physically shift your position a little, and refocus your attention on the person speaking.
■ Before you respond, stop and make sure you're finished listening. Has the speaker finished talking? Sometimes you will think someone's finished speaking when, in fact, he or she is only pausing for a moment.
■ Ask questions that seek clarification and development of the speaker's thoughts and feelings. Try thinking of a list of open-ended question structures that can help you in your more common interactions with accented-English speakers.
■ Try restating the speaker's message in your own words. Check to see if you understand with phrases such as, "If I understand you correctly, you are saying..." and "I think what I heard you say was..."

Question Title

* Share your own best tip here:

■ Thank you ■ Gracias ■ 谢谢 ■ Tack ■ शुक्रिया ■ Danke ■ Cпасибо ■ Obrigado ■

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