Good Grammar means greater success in the workplace?

Could good grammar get you better success at work?
The answer is Yes!

I was recently reading an interesting article about an informal study of LinkedIn profiles, it was specifically focused on the consumer products industry but it is quite relevant in general to jobs and the attitude perceived of people using good or bad grammar. It found that those with fewer grammatical errors had a higher level of professional achievement. It said:

 "Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45 percent more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame."

Could it be that a better grasp of language means a higher level of critical thinking and better attention to detail?
It would seem that as you climb the professional ladder you need to do more management than actual hands-on 'work' which requires a better level of effective and clear communication skills. It follows that those people who write and speak better will express organized thoughts better and so are more likely to have the skills needed in order to advance in their jobs. There really is nothing worse than a boss who cannot explain to you what he wants you to do or his specific vision for the direction of the company. Clear writing skills reflect clear and logical thinking and expression in general.

Of course, the importance of having perfect grammar really does vary and depends on which industry you work in or want to work in, but many younger people these days tend to forget that having even the slightest error in a covering letter or CV can potentially mean losing an opportunity to get the job they want. This is particularly relevant these days when there is more competition between people for far fewer jobs.
One reason cited for the problem of errors is the increased tendency to communicate by text, Whatsapp and other messages which by their very nature inhibit good communication skills by increasing the need for speed, abbreviations or short-cuts in grammar. Whereas in the work field, communication with customers in particular necessitates good clear communication and writing skills. Using the correct language and appropriate style of language gives the person you are communicating with more confidence in your ability to understand, explain and thereby assist them in the matter at hand. This sense of trust in one's ability also reflects well on the company you are working for. Therefore employers take grammar and spelling mistakes in job application letters very seriously as your work will resonate back on them.

However, even those with a good grasp of grammar can fall victim to mistakes in important business correspondence. There are a lot of commonly-made errors of easily confused words, or it could simply be that these are mistakes which people make out of carelessness such as 'your' and 'you're,' 'its' and 'it's'. If it's the case that you are not sure which is right then it's necessary to check the dictionary or the spell-checker and if it's a case of carelessness then people should get into the habit of checking through what they write first before they send a mail or a chat.

Then there are the mistakes which are clearly a lack of grammar knowledge. 'He would of come' instead of 'He would have come' for instance. As with mixing up the use of further and farther, as in 'If you want farther information please call....'. The correct use is 'further' meaning in this case 'more'. Farther describes physical distance, and further describes a distance metaphorically. The best way to remember this distinction is simply that "farther" has the word "far" in it.

It is always best to show yourself in the best light and when writing is the primary means of communication do not just rely on the content; effort is needed to consider the best way to express, organize and package the content.

Grammar counts and grammar can improve your chances of success at work!

Teaching British people to speak standard English

English, as everyone knows is the International language of business. English is one of the official languages of the European Union despite the lack of enthusiastic participation of the UK and most international meetings, conferences or seminars are held in English.

One thing that I constantly hear mentioned by people here in Spain is that when they do business abroad or have an international event in English, they don't have such a problem communicating with people from other countries. However, what will make them very nervous is when people from the UK are present or the event is held in the UK. Dealing with native speakers puts the fear of god in them.

The fact that English is used in these meetings and for International business as a whole should not simply be looked at as an advantage for us. In this time of economic crisis with announcements this week of a dramatic fall in exports, it is essential for British businesses that they can maintain the channels of communication open to foreign businesses. Relying purely on the benefit of business being conducted in our language, without being conscious of the communication problems connected with it, is a surefire way of making the task more difficult for ourselves. There should not be problems of communication and Europeans should not hate dealing with people from the UK.

Why is that? Are people from the UK particularly fearsome or intimidating?
No! But the problem is British people's way of communicating and they are having trouble making themselves understood. It's not because Europeans have particular problems with speaking English, many people speak excellent English, it's just that the type of English that is spoken internationally and the type of English spoken by natives is not the same. People from Latin countries, of course, have a similar base of language and will usually choose English vocabulary of a Latin root as it is more similar to the vocabulary of their own languages, so can communicate in English between themselves more comfortably that way. In fact, even between people in general in Europe, a standardized English has developed, primarily for business purposes, which has been influenced by the direct Americanized way of speaking; perfect for business and perfect for communicating clearly between people who are using a second language to varying degrees of proficiency.

The problem with a lot of people in Britain is that we think English is our language, we are from England of course, but we don't have an absolute right over that language especially if we want to communicate abroad using that language. We need to start thinking of English in the international context as a means of communication, not as our language. We need to communicate in the best and clearest way, thereby using the standardized international form of our language which other people us.

Part of the problem is how we learn our language: we start as young children learning phrases such as 'sit down', 'stand up' or even 'shut up', those who know your grammar will recognise these as phrasal verbs (the bane of any English-learner's life). We then progress to a more colloquial or standard English, mixing it freely with phrasal verbs and then if we continue up to higher education we are introduced to the more formal Latin-based vocabulary. However, nowadays, the more formal, educated way of speaking is becoming less and less common due to it either being considered posh or because of our more rapid and casual way of communicating via technology. On the other hand, non-native speakers of English, particularly those from Latin countries will first learn and use the more formal English, as mentioned before, as it is more similar to their own vocabulary. To a native English speaker, this will be perceived as if the person has a high level of education and therefore a good command of English, not realising that they could well not understand any other, more natural (to the British) form of English. This is where the problem lies, non-natives will understand formal English but often little else, especially if the native speaker has a complicated accent or does not speak clearly.

So, what can British people do to help communication?
Well, without over-complicating the argument and talking about how English is taught in schools, the general attitude of acceptance of 'bad' English and the necessity of learning another language, one way we can do that in International situations is by being aware of the type of English that is spoken by non-natives abroad, being aware of our colloquial use of our language and by trying to start using the standardized International form of English. Instead of littering our speech with phrasal verbs we should choose standard, easily understood vocabulary.
Notice the difference between these questions: 'What time shall we kick off the meeting?' and 'What time does the meeting start?' or 'Shall we call it a day?' and 'Shall we finish now?'
The latter of each of these would be easily understood whilst the former ones would only be understood by someone with a very high level of English.

So, why do we insist on using the the former style? Exactly because we are unaware of how difficult it is for non-native speakers. In our defence, there are a lot of non-native people living in the UK, these people have gotten used to the way we speak English, understand it and use it themselves. Most British people come in connect with these people and are used to the fact that non-natives speak 'natural' British English very well. The thing we forget is that not all non-native English speakers live in the UK and not all of them have had the type of first-hand intensive contact with our language that residents have. People learn English at school and from books, which is not always the best way to get a handling on our form of English. So, if we want to communicate abroad we need to adapt to how English is used there.

Simplify your English use, standardize your language and do not use phrasal verbs, specific UK cultural references or jokes. Awareness of the problems works wonders.
A manager from Ernst & Young was making a presentation at an International Conference in Madrid and had come over with a presentation which he had used often in the UK. During a conversation he mentioned that he did not enjoy giving presentations abroad as the reaction or lack of reaction to what he is saying was unsettling. So, I suggested that he ran through the presentation with me to see if I could give him any ideas about why this might be.
Well, where shall I start?
Not only was the presentation full of phrasal verbs and colloquial language, but there were also many cultural references and jokes - the excuse was that these would make the presentation more enjoyable and more light-hearted, especially with such a heavy subject-matter. This would be probably true in the UK where people understand the references and get the jokes, but not for non-British non-native speakers. The problem was obvious, he was used to the reactions of people back in the UK; they relaxed and laughed at his jokes, tension was released and a heavy meeting became far more laid-back. However, he was not expecting the complete lack of any reaction abroad due to the fact that they just did not understand what he was saying. We went through the presentation, changed the phrasal verbs to more standard verbs, cut the British cultural references and UK-specific jokes, worked a bit on ensuring that his delivery and pronunciation was clear and the improvement was astonishing. Never before had he received such a positive reaction to a presentation that he had given abroad. People responded to his ideas, participated, asked questions and gave very positive feedback. It was an outright success and not only was he pleased with the result but also his boss back home when he won a new contract with a Madrid-based company.

The point of this is to highlight that the essential message of his presentation was the same in both occasions, the difference was in the way he delivered the message and his way of communicating. One received blank stares and no feedback, the other received an enthusiastic response. One was successful and the other not.

Which one would you like to receive the next time you do business abroad?

Pronuncation as a means to Effective Communication

Are you interested in improving your pronunciation?

For Spanish people in general, improving their pronunciation is a common goal. 

There are particular difficulties between the two languages; English speakers equally have as many difficulties with Spanish pronunciation and accent as Spanish speakers do with English. However, due to the phonetic way of reading and pronouncing Spanish words, Spanish tends to be easier than English with its groups of strangely pronounced sounds – take the horrible combination of ‘ough’ which is pronounced umpteen different ways depending on the word!

For Spanish speakers in Spain there is a strong sense of importance and emphasis on the correct pronunciation and accent in Spanish, which is carried over into their desire to speak English equally correctly. For English speakers, however, this is less important; knowing and accepting that there are many correct accents and ways of pronouncing words; I was told recently that in London alone there are five distinct accents, let alone in the rest of the UK, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even India where English is the national language. All are accept as correct.

Many non-native speakers, not just Spanish speakers, look for accent modification/accent reduction training as a way to learn strategies that will help them to improve their pronunciation. The ideal way, obviously, would be with a specialised trainer but there are also many self-help training programs available. Nevertheless, unfortunately this does not provide you with feedback on how they are doing is an essential way of learning what your mistakes are and what to do to improve them so doing this alone is really not the best way to go about improving. There are many software programs out there, but you have to be careful that they have the ability to identify subtle stress and intonation patterns which are essential features to address in accent modification. I have had my own personal problems with software programs. Taking a course on teaching English via an online program, we were expected to understand the program both from the teachers’ side and as well as the students’ so as to understand any potential problems they might be facing whilst using the program. This entailed doing the pronunciation exercises online; I failed all of them and I have to say that my British accent is pretty good! It’s not just English language programs. While I was trying to learn French recently, the software stated that I was incapable of pronouncing anything correctly which was very disheartened. When my French teacher also had an equally bad score, I realised that it was not necessarily my bad accent but rather the software program. Though, that does not excuse my French accent, it still is pretty bad!

Here are some ways to either get started, supplement the training you might currently be taking, or brush up on your skills:


1.   Find a speech role model
Find someone who speaks in a way you like, that you can identify with and is pleasant to your ear. It does not matter who this is, it could be a radio or TV personality, a family member, friend or colleague. Do you like the tone, rate of speech, resonant quality or way of phrasing? Try to imitate those features you consider to be desirable in your own communication.

2.   Get a professional’s opinion
It is difficult to change aspects of your speech if you don’t know what problems are affecting the effectiveness of your communication. It could be a good idea to find a specialist who can help you identify areas that may need improvement, if you really consider that you have problems.

3.   Video or audio-record yourself
Despite the fact that many people are intimidated by this, it is actually very helpful to hear and see how you may present yourself to others. It really does not matter how low or high-tech it is. Consider how you look - fidgeting, playing with your hair (my particular tendency), wringing your hands, moving about nervously), how you sound (monotone, too fast, nasal, too quiet), and how you speak (using professional language or too much slang, rambling, long-winded or concise)?

4.   Ask for feedback from those you trust
If you feel as though your communication may be holding you back at work, ask your manager, colleagues, and others for honest feedback. People who interact with you frequently and in a variety of settings such as on the phone, in meetings, during formal presentations, and so on are best.

5.   Project your voice
Take deep abdominal breaths and speak as you exhale; do not waste any air.  Keep your mouth open and relaxed. Look in the direction you want your voice to go and imagine your breath stream floating along the air towards your target (this would be a person or an object far away from you). Take replenishing breaths as needed so the end of your sentence sounds as loud and strong as the beginning. It is best to stand up when speaking.
 
6.   Pronounce your sounds clearly
It is always a good idea to make sure that your word sounds are accurate and clear, especially at the ends of words. Always finish the words properly so that you say “thinking” instead of “thinkin',” and “biggest,” not “bigges-.” One of my personal annoyances is when people learn contracted expressions such as ‘gonna’, ‘wanna’ or ‘dunna’ when they are young at school as a way of learning authentic speech. I personally feel that authentic speech will come naturally when people are familiar and comfortable about speaking in another language, but it is essential for clear, easily understood speech if you know what the correct ‘un’contracted version is so that you can use it correctly in appropriate situations.

7.   Speak at a slightly slower rate
When people are nervous, they tend to speak too fast. Some people think that speaking fast is a sign that they can speak the language well. However, slightly reducing your speaking rate by stretching out the vowels and pausing where a comma or full-stop would occur infinitely increases your ability to communicate clearly an well. Chunk information into manageable groupings, and then take a breath before continuing. Try to speak at the same rate as the person with whom you are speaking (assuming they are not racing themselves!) This is a way of inducing rapport, empathy and a sense of connection which enables people to listen and understand better.

8.   Use appropriate intonation
Try to speak with a natural, varied inflection pattern. Stress the last important word in a thought group. This will make it stand out and be remembered.
Stress the word by slightly raising your pitch, speaking slightly louder, and lengthening your vowels.
If you just use a louder voice, you may sound angry. 
Smile to infuse a little more energy and/or personality in your voice.

9.  Practice idiosyncratic stress rules when reading
Everywhere you look, you will see proper nouns (business cards); compound nouns (grocery store circulars); numbers (appointment books), and other written references to pronunciation rules. Use every opportunity to read aloud practicing your newly learned techniques for proper stress and intonation. 

10.  Practice whenever, wherever, and with whomever you can
Use every speaking situation as an opportunity to practice your best speech techniques. Practise makes perfect! Listen and observe the reactions/responses to your speech from all you encounter. 

And most importantly, enjoy it in the best way you can and do not worry about how long it takes, all effort is good effort and it will eventually come.

At One Stop Language we can help you with improving your pronunciation as well as developing effective communication techniques.www.onestop-language.comwww.onestop-language.com

Attitudes to languages

On Saturday it was St.Patrick's Day and I was celebrating with my Irish friends in a bar watching the 6 Nations rugby Tournament. Naturally the bar was packed with English speakers from England, Scotland, Wales and of course Ireland along with French, Italian and for some reason Portuguese people. I say 'for some reason' as Portugal are not in the 6 Nations, so they had turned up to just to enjoy the International atmosphere with some excellent sport thrown in. Spanish people were noticeably absent; admittedly, Spain is not a rugby playing nation, but then neither is Portugal.

This got me thinking about the necessary attitude to language learning that is needed if you want to acquire and use another language - the desire to be international and enjoy sharing your time with people from other nations.  A few Spanish people did turn up later, to celebrate St.Patrick's Day rather than watch the rugby, but they came more with the attitude that they wanted to practise English which didn't really mix well with the atmosphere. It really was not the time or the place to do that, it was not a Language Exchange event where the idea is to practise your language with other people who want to practise too. It was a time to enjoy being with other people regardless of their native language and to enjoy something in common, a sporting event and the National day of Ireland. This is exactly what the Portuguese were doing. The Portuguese were there joining in with what the afternoon was about, and I was impressed by their level of English and by the way they were on the same wavelength as everyone else.

Why is it, then, that the Spanish people who came had more trouble assimilating to the atmosphere? Maybe it's because they are in their own country and the rest of us are abroad and for that reason we automatically think more internationally. It's possibly the case. However, and it's very well-known as many Spanish people have told me, that even when abroad Spanish people tend to stick together and do not mix with people from other nations. I went with a Spanish friend, who speaks excellent English, has travelled and lived abroad, but who sat observing in the corner and commenting on how much the international community mixed together; without realizing that you don't have to be foreign to mix. It is this insular tendency which is problematic for Spanish people in acquiring and using foreign languages. Possibly. It is also because Spanish is such a strong International language that it hinders the desire or the necessity to want to acquire and master another language. Maybe. This is definitely the problem for English speakers.

For me, the Portuguese, in stark contrast to the Spanish, were able to mix perfectly well with all people that afternoon. Why are they so comfortable with speaking English? I think one of the major reasons has to do with that fact that Portuguese TV is not dubbed. Films and TV shows from abroad are shown in the native language with sub-titles meaning that Portuguese people from a very young age are used to hearing other languages, primarily English spoken. From a very young age they are assimilating the language, recognizing it, hearing it, picking it up and learning it. English is not a strange language for them, it is and always has been something every normal for them, so they have the facility and comfort to use it naturally in all situations. Being accustomed to hearing and using another language opens up the mind automatically to the world beyond your native borders, it opens up different cultures and ways of thinking to you that you feel comfortable with; they may be different, you may not like them or agree with them, but you are aware of their existence and this makes it easier to feel comfortable being in an international atmosphere.

Spanish people, on the other hand, have been brought up in an entirely Spanish environment where English is clearly a foreign language to be learned at school or at a Language Academy; it is something different and separate from their normality. It is true that this is changing now in Spain. English teaching in school has been improving a lot and it is possible to put the TV on in the original language, something that was impossible not very long ago. But it is still something that you must choose to do, you actually change the language to be either in English (or whatever language the film is in) or in Spanish, it's not done automatically and for this reason a lot of people do not do it or do it when they need to study. As I have mentioned before in my blog, this tends to create stress and people feel they must understand and so when they don't they lose heart and feel that they will never understand English. Bring used to listening to other languages from birth makes it something normal, thereby avoiding this stress. As for the Portuguese and their obviously different approach to dealing with foreign people on Saturday.

This has a great effect on Spain and especially now that we have an economic crisis with so many people unemployed. I was told, again on Saturday, by someone who works in the Human Resources department of a big company, that they prefer to employ a native English speaker who speaks Spanish; or a foreign person, like a Portuguese who speaks excellent English, than a Spanish person with poor English. I think this is very telling.