Better Conference Calls In English - How To Help Native English Speakers Do Better! - The English Training Company

Yes you heard me correctly, “Better Conference Calls In English – How To Help Native English Speakers Do Better!”.

In our training and as Business English Trainers (and native English speakers) we’re constantly told by non native English speakers that the worst conference calls in English are with native English speakers.

And mostly I agree!

Communication is always better when both sides make an equal effort to communicate clearly, simply and concisely. 

Better Conference Calls In English – How To Help Native English Speakers Do Better! 

Here are 10 tips to help your Native English speaking colleagues:  

1. Project Your Voice:  Articulate what you say, speak clearly, project your voice and speak comfortably. Soften your accent, not everyone understands Glaswegian (the dialect/accent of people from Glasgow, Scotland)
2. Filler Words: “Um”, “yeah”, “uh huh”, “ok”, “right”, “get it”: Be careful not to overuse “fillers” as it can confuse and distract people´s concentration.
3. Moments Of Silence: Have moments of silence (2-3 seconds) for other people to understand and digest complex ideas and information. Don’t overuse it as too much silence can be uncomfortable. 
4. Slow Down And Pauses: Not everyone will have the same English level so try to speak slower. Also use pauses after key ideas or points to give non-native speakers an opportunity to understand before continuing.
5. Are We On The Same Page: Check from time to time and to see if everybody understands and is on the same page.
6. Encourage People Not To Be Scared To Ask: No it’s not your English level, often native English speakers speak too fast without realising. Encourage your colleagues to be proactive and use things like “I didn’t catch that”, “I didn’t follow that” , “can you explain it in a different way?” “can you repeat that?”.
7. Agenda Points: don’t mix them or move to fast to the next agenda points: For each agenda point,it is important everyone participates, follows the conversation and understands key ideas. If you mix agenda points or move too quickly to the next agenda point you´ll lose the participation and engagement of some of the participants.
8. Plain And Simple English: Non-Native English Speakers are quick to blame their English level. During conference calls all native and non-native English speakers need to be reminded to use plain and simple English when communicating internationally.
9. Company Acronyms and Jargon: Not everyone inside or outside your company understands your company´s acronyms and jargon. Your options are either to check people’s understanding of Acronyms and Jargon or avoid excessive use. There’s a reason why the game “Jargon Bingo” became popular in many offices.
10. CSC Communication: Make sure your ideas are communicated clearly, simply and concisely.

A Conference Call In Real Life – (a video we use in our training)

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I hope this helps you with your professional English and in your professional career, Christopher!

The English Training Company – we help companies and professionals to become Advanced Business English Speakers and make their mark!