1. listening
2. speaking
3. reading
4. writing

Which one of these is the “Odd-One-Out”? Which one of these is different from the other three? The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone, on your own, without anyone else. You can listen to the radio alone. You can read a book alone. You can write a letter alone. But you can’t really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!!

That is why you should make every effort possible to find somebody to speak with. Where can you find people who can speak English with you? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?

At School

If you go to a language school, you should use the opportunity to speak to your teachers and other students. When you go home, you can still practise listening, reading and writing, but you probably can’t practise speaking. If your teacher asks you a question, take the opportunity to answer. Try to say as much as possible. If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students, try to say as much as possible. Don’t worry about your mistakes. Just speak!

Conversation Clubs

Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another. Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you. They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.

Shopping

If you are living in an English-speaking country, you have a wonderful opportunity. Practise speaking to the local people such as shop assistants or taxi drivers. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop. “How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” “Which do you recommend?” Often you can start a real conversation – and it costs you nothing!

Pubs and Bars

Even if you don’t live in an English-speaking country, there are often American, British, Irish and Australian pubs in many large cities. If you can find one of these pubs, you’ll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.

Language is all around You

Everywhere you go you find language. Shop names, street names, advertisements, notices on buses and trains… Even if you are not in an English-speaking country, there are often a lot of English words you can see when walking in the street, especially in big cities. And there are always numbers. Car numbers, telephone numbers, house numbers… How can this help you? When you walk down the street, practise reading the words and numbers that you see. Say them to yourself. It’s not exactly a conversation, but it will help you to “think” in English. For example, if you walk along a line of parked cars, say the number on each car quickly as you pass it. Test yourself, to see how fast you can walk and still say each number. But don’t speak too loud!

Songs and Video

Listen to the words of an English-language song that you like. Then repeat them to yourself and try to sing with the music. Repeat the words as many times as possible until they become automatic. Soon you’ll be singing the whole song. Or listen to one of your favourite actors on video and repeat one or two sentences that you like. Do it until it becomes automatic. It’s good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.

Above all, don’t be afraid to speak. You must try to speak, even if you make mistakes. You cannot learn without mistakes. There is a saying: “The person who never made a mistake never made anything.” So think of your mistakes as something positive and useful.

Speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress.

Speaking clearly is difficult for some, but clear speech matters in the English language as much as in any other -the public speaker, debater, voice artist, prose or poetry reader, must speak clearly. Many speech disorders are correctable by speech therapy. Not speaking clearly may have to do with articulation, vocal tone control, nervousness. “Practice makes perfect” -to practise on speaking clearly is easy. Voice training, the speech exercises below may help enable clear speech.

Speaking clearly avoids misunderstandings in dealings. Clear speech is essential in business. Speak clearly must to the audience performers -actors, actresses, comics, narrators and other entertainers. Teachers must speak clearly when teaching. Not speaking clearly, mispronunciation, looses marks in English language examinations. A jury must understand a trial-lawyer’s speech clearly, a doctor must speak clearly to a patient. Clear speech is important in lecturing, broadcasting, and narration ~whether the speech is literary or artistic or educational -in technical language or not. Speaking clearly, correct pronunciation and voice tone, is effective speech. Inability to speak clearly limits opportunities. It profits one to speak clearly.

Clear speech is essential in public speaking. Speaking clearly isn’t “a’wight”, ‘all right’ is. To speak ‘thin’ as “t’in” is bad pronunciation, unclear speech. In public speaking “cadalog” or “loore” isn’t clear speaking. Clear speech inability distracts in public speaking, to speak clearly when delivering a speech enhances it… Clear pronunciation, speaking clearly, whether to an individual or an audience of many, pays.

Clear speech involves confidence, tone, articulation. Clear speech defects are not all physical. If that does not prevent speaking clearly, one can learn clear speech… Exercises below help speak clearly.

Clear speech inability caused by lack of confidence is remediable. Stage-fright like nervousness makes it difficult to speak clearly. An anecdote of the Cypriot writer-poet-thinker teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari illustrates this: In a radio broadcast of a boxing match between Abdi and Bandinelly, “the winner is.. Adbinelli!” Speaking clearly becomes possible by bearing in mind these: The listener/s, without a guarantee that you will speak clearly, decided to listen to you. This decision involves tolerance for difficulty in speaking clearly. This tolerance on speaking clearly is enhanced by curiosity. Your nervousness to speak clearly does not do away with the interest of the listener/s. Your not speaking clearly is to be met with patient effort to understand you. Instead of worrying about having difficulty to speak clearly, concentrate on speaking rationally, relevantly. Aim at sense, not articulation. It makes fears unnoticeable about speaking clearly. Soon follows clear speaking.

Clear speaking is affected by tone. When you are speaking loudly, it distracts. If you are speaking too quietly, you can’t be heard. Speaking fast, or speaking too slowly, is failing to speak clearly. Monotonous speech is not clear speech: ‘In the box’ is different than ‘In the box’ -tone of voice makes it clear or not clear speech. Tone can spoil articulation. Tone of voice is habit; change it by tone of voice training: Practise clear speech by saying ‘1-2-3-4-5′ in low voice, loud voice, then low voice again. Repeat the word ‘I’, then ‘You’, speaking slowly, then speaking fast. Speak them with emotion: in joy, sorrow, sympathy, anger -try to speak clearly. This enables clear speaking. It’s voice training in speaking clearly.

To speak clearly necessitates articulation, correct pronunciation. Glottal-stop makes ‘never’ “ne’er”. Clear/dark L pronunciation, as in the pronunciation of ‘willy-nilly’ or “il’egal”, affects speaking clearly. The pronunciation of the English R before the vowel as in ‘irregular’ may be the clear speaking problem; or its substitution as in “loore” instead of ‘law’. It can be a combination, as in “a’wight” instead of ‘all right’. What prevents clear speech is sometimes substitution for or the addition to the letter S, as in “kithing” instead of ‘kissing’, or “shtrait” instead of ’straight’. The letter T is sometimes is dropped, as in “bo’le” instead of ‘bottle’, or is substituted to, as in “cadalog” instead of ‘catalogue’; or the TH is dropped, as in “t’in” instead of ‘thin’. These pronunciation difficulties in clear speaking can be overcome by articulate speech. Clear speech training enables articulation. Articulate speech, in the right tone of voice, is clear speech. Practise pronunciation by speaking each letter or syllable slowly. It helps articulation, clear speaking. It enables to speak clearly.

The audibility of the letters F, K, P, T, affects clear speech, articulation. If the speech problem is speaking these too softly, hardly audibly, it’s correctable: Place tiny pieces of paper in your hand. Hold your hand 1 or 2 inches (3 to 5 centimetres) away from your mouth. Blow away the pieces of paper saying ‘far-for-fur’, ‘King-Kong’, ‘paper-punch’, ‘trend-setter’. These help clear speaking. Such practice will enable clear speech.

(Inability to sound the letter S ruins articulation, spoils clear speech. It’s caused physiologically. Practising ’sang some silly song’ helps sound it.)

Such clear speech inabilities are correctable. There are many kinds of impaired speech, speech impediments, and speech therapy. Difficulty as above in speaking clearly is not due to physical defect. It is, as in the musical My Fair Lady, how speak ‘common flower-girls’ and how ‘ladies’ speak. Learn articulation. Speech habits can be changed by practising speaking.

Speaking clearly is important. Clear speech affects relationships. Not speaking clearly affects the tone of voice in talks, in public speaking. Not speaking clearly can cause innocent oral remarks in teaching, debating to insult. Businesses suffer whose staff do not attach importance to speaking clearly. Deals fail if one can’t, with verbal emphasis, speak clearly. Vocal auditions fail of actresses, actors, who cannot speak very clearly. Clear speech is so important that speech writers and scriptwriters separate similar sounding words. Socially, you are ‘common’ if you cannot speak clearly, but not if have clear speech. Defective speech, speech impediment is correctable… Practise clear speaking. One can learn to speak clearly.

Clear speech inability can be rid of by practising clear speaking.

Prior you start your traveling, go to the library or purchase books on foreign language translations for the countries you will visit. They have key words and phrases that help you understand what others are saying and for people to understand you.

Often, reading up on this before you travel makes it much more effortless while on vacation. Make sure you purchase a foreign language translation book that is simple, contains common words and phrases.

By learning common phrases and basic vocabulary, you can then try making up sentences to use as conversational topics.

There are also foreign language translation CDs and computer software programs around that not only help you understand or learn another language but let you hear the accents and pronunciation of words and phrases.

By listening to the unique vocal patterns and emulating their speech,you will find foreign language translation is not as difficult and frightening as you thought.

If you are going to be in another country for an extended period, there are people that will teach you the foreign language basics before you travel that can help a great deal while you are away. Between books, CDs, computer software and teachers, you can certainly find the help you need before you embark on your vacation in a foreign country.

Remember to carry a foreign language translation dictionary with you at all times in case you do run into difficulties and need a little help making yourself understood.

Depending upon your skills and requirements, different types of English learning courses are available. For instance, if you are a beginner then you can take General English Course, covering sessions on English reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Usually, this course is designed to improve your skills in English vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

For HR Management and marketing students who want to boost their business studies as well as career, then one of the best options would be to take Business English Course, which is primarily focused on improving your writing and speaking skills. Also, included in this type of course are training for presentations, negotiating, letter drafting, and telephonic skills.

There are also courses exclusively designed for academic purposes, which especially give special emphasis on such aspects as essay writing, lecture listening, academic reading, improving computer skills, and library works. Another popular category of English courses is exam preparation course, which is usually designed to prepare or train for a particular exam. This type of course is very intensive and includes exam portions and practice papers, apart from some General English.

Likewise, one of the best options for people who are looking to enhance their careers in such fields as travel and tourism business would be to take English Course for Specific Purpose. This course usually place emphasis on the language skills and vocabulary required for the jobs. It may also sometimes involve training for making presentations, preparing reports, and telephonic skills.

Additionally, one to one courses are nowadays popular, whose content and timetable are crafted according to the special requirements of the learners. Different types of English Courses also include computer based courses, exercise classes, conversation courses, and mini-project courses. Included in the exercise courses are participation of learners in role play and practicing of writing skills.

Conversation courses are intended for learners to enhance their social interactions skills, and include real-life discussions and an expert instructor to guide you in discussion. In mini projects, learners are given a unique opportunity to improve their skills on a specific by working on various projects, such as business skills including negotiations and presentations; communication skills covering idioms and accent reduction; technological skills for dealing with office applications like MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and preparation for tests including Cambridge Exams, TOEFL, and IELTS. The duration of these courses depend upon the nature as well as the topics covered in the course.

One of the prime benefits of English courses or programs is that it serves as a great way to fill in the missing gap in your knowledge or skills, since they are mostly inclusive of innovative classes and educational events. Another prime benefit of this program is that it helps you attain success in much desirable courses, such as TOEFL exam, which is vital in order to enroll or work in a US school or firm.

However, the benefits of an ESL programs are far beyond the educational and employment opportunities it renders. An English learning program can help improve an individual’s linguistic skills, thereby making them adept in comprehending complexities arising as a result of the language’s grammar as well as meaning. Also, included in English learning courses’ advantages are improved social interaction skills and ability to work in a creative environment.

Nowadays, endless options are available to take courses on English courses, with a large number of reputable teaching centers and programs to choose from. With the introduction of the internet, there are superb alternatives to take English learning courses online.

It’s often much easier to motivate yourself to work if you have something to aim for. Goals can be short or long term. A short term goal in learning English might be to learn enough to be able to book a hotel room. A longer term aim could be to attend a University in a foreign country, or get a 6.5 on the IELTS exam.

1.2 Be Prepared to Work Hard

Learning a language is generally not easy. Most people have other things to do in their lives apart from learning English. You need to realize this and be patient with regard to your progress. But you won’t achieve much if you don’t put in the effort. Your progress depends a lot on you.

1.3 Make Time

Many of us lead busy lives and find it hard to fit new things into an already established routine. Learning English can be requires discipline. You need to set aside time for your learning and be prepared to study during that time. Putting things off because you’re too tired is ok every now and then, but it shouldn’t become a habit. Make English an indispensable part of your schedule.

1.4 Ask Questions

YOU ARE NOT SPONGES! You can’t expect yourself to absorb everything and not have any questions to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your teachers and/or friends.

1.5 Do Some Extra-curricular Work

Having a teacher to instruct and guide you is vital. However, you can also study independently in fact; this will be more likely to make you a successful language learner. Don’t wait until it’s time for class to pull out your English books.

1.6 Watch English Movies

This is a great way to pick up colloquial English and practise listening. You don’t need to be able to understand every word to understand what is happening in a movie. Turn on the English Subtitles to help with understanding – this is a great way to practice reading also. Choose movies that you are more likely to be able to follow. Movies with short dialogue, separated by long sequences of no dialogue are ideal, as they allow time to absorb the language. Romantic movies tend to fall into this category.

1.7 Listen to English Music

Music can be a fun way to learn English. The next time you’re at a karaoke bar or maybe at home singing in front of your TV, try singing an English song. This is a great way to practice putting some emotion into your English and will really improve the way other people perceive your meaning when you’re speaking English to them.

1.8 Reading

Reading is a fantastic way to learn new vocabulary. Try reading short stories rather than long novels. These are often broken down into short chapters which can be read and then analyzed for language. Don’t feel that you have to understand every word. Try to get the general meaning. Underline unknown words and try to guess their meaning from context. You can use your dictionary later to look them up and check if you were right. Use graded readers. These tend to have questions designed to test comprehension of what you have just read.

1.9 Go to English Corners

Public places such as bookstores often tend to have free English corners. Don’t be shy. Go along and take part. Ask questions. Meet people just like you who are interested in learning English.

1.10 Use the Internet

The internet is a fantastic invention, which has changed the way we live our lives. While it is fantastic to be able to read the People’s daily or chat with friends online, it is a waste if we don’t use the medium to learn English. Many English schools offer a full suite of blended online learning applications – but, in addition to that, there’s plenty you can do on your own.

1.11 Read English Newspapers

There are numerous newspapers which provide a rich source of interesting and varied reading materials. This is a really good way to improve your reading.

1.12 Listen to Radio

Virtually every radio station in the world is up for grabs with the Internet. Don’t just be content with the VOA or BBC world service. There are many other interesting alternatives. Try listening to radio from around the English speaking world.

1.13 Chat

You can use MSN, Yahoo! and other chat programs to chat in English. Try finding some of your English speaking friends. If you have Skype, encourage your friends to get it too and call them for free using your computer.

1.14 Don’t be Self-conscious

There are a few old-fashioned methods which might sound quirky but can work:

Improve your pronunciation: Use a mirror to practice making difficult English sounds; record yourself speaking English and listen afterward, paying attention to stress, intonation and problem phonemes.

Think in English: Have an imaginary conversation in English. Think through what you’re going to say.

Speak to your friends in English: Encourage yourself to practice by speaking with each other. This doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom. Try speaking to your classmates or friends in English. Don’t worry about picking up bad pronunciation habits-speaking more regularly will give you a much greater level of confidence and you will definitely improve faster.

1.15 For Parents

Kid’s whose parents take an active interest in their child’s education will probably be much more likely to become successful language learners. Let them know you care by communicating with them regularly about what they are learning:

• Check their homework and help them with it as much as you can.

• If they join an English course, make sure they are actually using those tapes that you paid for at the start of the course. Too many kids never even take off the cellophane wrapping on their cassettes. Your child can learn a lot from reviewing material from each unit on the tapes.

• If you can speak even a little English, don’t be afraid to use it with your child. Don’t be afraid that your child will learn bad pronunciation – that’s one of the reasons you want your child to learn English! But the more exposure they have to the language, the better they will become at English.

• Encourage your child to read as much as possible in English. It’s important to choose material appropriate to your child. However, there is a wide range of material available at local bookstores which will be suitable for your child.

• Let them watch cartoons and movies in English. Children love cartoons, and seeing them in English will only increase their desire to learn.

One of the best ways you can help with your child’s education is to take part yourself. Why not sign up for an English course yourself. Come to any English school with your child and learn English together.

Kursus Bahasa Inggris EF

1) Slow Down

It is common sense, really; the faster you speak, the harder it is for your listener to understand. The easiest way to instantly increase the clarity of your speech is to simply slow down.

2) Pause

Pauses are effective little tools that can be employed in a number of situations. Use them to clearly separate sentences and when changing topics.

3) Speak Up

If you want to say something, really say it! Stand up straight, take a deep breath and speak on the exhale. Don’t cover your mouth with your hands, a book or your notes. Make eye contact with your listeners and speak directly to them, not down to the floor or to your slides.

4) Articulate Word Endings

In our haste to get our messages out, we often times fail to enunciate word endings – the grammatical markers at the ends of words, such as the plural ’s’ or past tense ‘ed.’ If you don’t articulate these sounds, it sounds like you’re making very basic grammatical errors.

5) Use Clear Consonants

Here are a few examples of commonly confused consonant sounds: /b/ & /p/, /d/ & /t/, /g/ & /k/, /v/ & /f/. The first sound in each pair is voiced, whereas the second sound is voiceless.

Place your hand in front of your mouth while you say these pairs out loud: gate/Kate, girl/curl, game/came.

If you are articulating the /g/ and /k/ sounds correctly, you should feel an explosion of air when you make the /k/ sound.

6) Use Consistent Word Stress

To a native English speaker, a certain word stress is considered appropriate or inappropriate depending on where the person is from.

“Inappropriate” word stress can really rub listeners the wrong way because it deviates from their norm and indicates that the speaker is an “other” – an outsider. This can be quite FRUStrating (US)/frusTRATing (UK) for the non-native speaker who is just trying to get his point across.

“So which variety is correct?” I always recommend sticking to the form you are most comfortable with. Try to be consistent with whichever variety suits you best.

7. Speak Simply

Never use a long word where a short one will do. This is a common rule most people have heard, but unfortunately very few put it into practice. Your main goal in every spoken interaction should be to have your message understood. Do this by simplifying your vocabulary and using common English words.

Before you start down the path of learning English, make sure you really want to. If you cannot say that you truly want to learn the language, you are going to struggle, particularly if you are trying to learn English online. Remember, it is a challenging language and will take a measure of dedication to learn.

Also, you need to identify your motivation. Ask yourself why you want to learn English. Understanding your motivation, whether it be to help qualify for a better job or to communicate with someone you know, will help you stick to your goal of learning English.

Tip 2 – Set Realistic Goals

You are not going to learn English overnight, even if you are highly motivated, are a great student, and are attending the best online English school you can find. You need to set realistic goals that you can work toward as you master the language.

Your goal for the first week may be to master some basic vocabulary. Then you may wish to tackle an important grammar rule. If you already have a basic understanding of English, you can set goals to improve your pronunciation or listening comprehension. You need to know your basic goals before you begin attending English school so that you can choose the best program to help you meet them.

Tip 3 – Set Aside Time to Practice

Learning any language takes practice, and lots of it. Knowing how to practice a language is important. You can’t simply sit at home and talk to yourself. Even if you are trying to learn English online, you need to find native speakers to talk to. You can use the telephone or online chats to talk to people who know English well, but you need to find someone to talk to.

You can also practice by writing English. Write letters, emails, and notes in English whenever the recipient can understand English. Your English lesson at school will probably have you writing as well, but practical writing in the real world is the best way to discover whether or not you know the language well enough to communicate.

Tip 4 – Immerse Yourself in the Language

The best way to train your brain to think and understand in another language is to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Subscribe to publications in English, and read them. Read books in English, and listen to recordings made in English. Speak the language whenever you have someone near you who can understand it, especially when that person is a native speaker who can help you with your pronunciation.

Watch television programs in English. This is one of the best ways to help yourself learn English, because you will have a visual reference to help you understand the spoken word. If your television has closed captioning capabilities, turn this on. Then you will also have a written reference to reinforce what you are learning.

The best thing about the immersion approach is that it gets you used to the proper pronunciations of the words. Also, by immersing yourself in the culture that surrounds the English language, you can pick up on slang words and words that are not quite used correctly, but sound right to English speakers. You will pick up on phrases that are commonly used, and phrases that are best left untouched. So, whenever you have the chance to practice speaking, writing, or listening to English, take advantage of it. You will soon learn English as well as any native speaker, or perhaps even better!

When you register for such a free course, you can choose where to begin depending on your current level of proficiency in the English language. For example, if you already have the basics of the language, you can choose to start at the beginning to refresh your knowledge and proceed through this section quite quickly to advance to Elementary, Pre-Intermediate and Upper Intermediate levels. Beginners should always start with the initial section even though many adults may find it very simple. The fact is that in order to learn English well, you have to start learning it as English children do. The instruction is geared for adults, but there are many online sites that have instruction for children as well.

Games are an important way of learning the language. It is essential that you enjoy the learning so that you will stick with it and not become frustrated. The instructional games offered as part of the free English courses are designed to help you have fun and learn at the same time. Flash games, for example, expose you to thousands of English words by showing you the picture associated with the word and then the word. The games are categorized, such as animals, occupations, school subjects, etc. Each game starts with a series of cards turned face down. You have to click on a card to reveal a picture and a word and then you have to find a matching picture in the remaining cards.

Each set of instructions is followed by a set of exercises that give you practice in using the English language structure that you studied. If you wish you can return to the instructions as many times as you wish and you can take notes while you are learning as well. As soon as you complete each online exercise, you will get immediate feedback on how well you did. This enables you to go back and see where you went wrong so you can correct your mistakes.

The designers of MovingOn English courses recognised this and set up a series of courses that accelerate fluency at an incredible rate. Their classroom function recognises the need to get the fundamentals mastered, while rotating teachers provide a variety of accents. If one really needs to learn English fast and needs to reach a certain level of fluency, then visit www.movingon.com and read through the information on these great courses.

MovingOn coursework is geared toward the realities of everyday life, but can also be adapted to more specific needs, such as insurance, teaching, marketing, and more.

MovingOn has created an intensified version of the curriculum used in English speaking countries. The teacher to student ratio is kept at a maximum of 6 students per teacher, not only in class, but also during afternoon excursions, ensuring that each student will get individual attention and be corrected when having any difficulty. The afternoon courses ensure that in addition to immersion in the language, students will be immersed in the culture of the country. Furthermore, the constant attention and intensive English focus throughout the entire day puts what the students learn into practice and builds fluency.

A typical day on a MovingOn course starts with morning classroom instruction. There are scheduled breaks and lunch after the classes. After lunch, it’s time to ‘take it to the street’ and one of the many afternoon excursions will begin. Trips are made to museums, castles, and the surrounding countryside, which are not only breath-taking and enjoyable, but afford students the rare opportunity to use the language that they are studying. The day’s vocabulary is reviewed during a stop at a pub or cafeteria on the way back to the accommodation. In the evening, it’s dinner with the teachers. Ever vigilant, the teachers will listen and unofficially evaluate the students who are using their new-found skills.

Sounding too intense? It’s not. Seeing the sights within the country, meeting the people of the country and learning to converse with them in everyday situations is worth the effort.

If you need to get fluent in English, quickly and accurately, don’t buy a CD or attend a ‘conversational English’ course. Contact MovingOn and you’ll be amazed at the intensity, the attention to detail, and your own progress in mastering the English language.

While it may be true that simple communications are relatively easy, more complex communications may present more of a challenge. When working with clients, colleagues, superiors and staff, it’s critical that when you communicate, your intended meaning comes across successfully.

When you are conducting business in a foreign country, whether English is your first language or not, you will want to ensure a clear and successful communication. You can achieve this if you think carefully before you speak and apply some of the tips below.

The most obvious yet very important tip is to avoid the use of slang and buzzwords. When an American English person says “I’ll fill you in later” or “let’s play it by ear,” they really mean, “I will provide the details later” and “Let’s wait for further information before taking further action.” If this is what you mean, then these are the words you should use.

Speak slowly and distinctly. You may be speaking to a colleague and trying to read their reaction to what you are saying. If they look disagreeable, you may be wondering if it’s because they disagree with the content of what you’re saying to them. But in reality, it may be that they do not understand or misunderstand your message altogether. While they are thinking about the words you’ve chosen, they have stopped listening to your core message.

Try to learn some of the local language and use it during your communications. It will show your international colleagues that you have taken an interest in their culture and are making an effort to communicate as effectively as possible.

Be mindful of your vocabulary. Certain words that are used in different cultures, while all in English, may have the same definition, but have a slightly different meaning. Americans, for example, may use the word “leverage” to describe a method of “taking advantage” of a market or competitive situation. Chances are high that this particular word is not used the same way in the country you are visiting.

Emphasize clarity over grammar. While grammar is always the first rule in writing and speaking English, or any language, what’s more important for global communications is clarity of the message. Focus on your point and strive to communicate your message as succinctly as possible.

Stay alert. Avoiding slang, speaking clearly and learning local language phrases can be difficult to do, especially when you are traveling and feel jet lagged, in need of sleep and enduring some of the stress that comes along with international travel. Try to stay alert and keep your communication skills sharp.

It’s one thing to have a native accent but quite another to speak English in a way that is not being understood and is causing a communication breakdown. In order to build effective global work teams and manage projects across international borders, clear and precise communications are a necessity, and cultural communication breakdowns are no longer acceptable.