As the language spoken by most people worldwide, and the language of international business, English has become increasingly important in facilitating communication between different cultures. Improving your English before moving abroad is a must because the ability to communicate clearly and correctly can help in the new environment, in finding a job, and in understanding the local cultures. Correct pronunciation in English can improve your communication and make living in a new place a whole lot easier! Expressions and phrases used by locals can be a challenge, so correct pronunciation as well as a good understanding of the language can give a better and less confusing experience.

Meet Yael, a master’s student about to relocate to the U.S from Israel who talks about why she felt it was important for her to improve her accent, pronunciation and conversation skills in English in preparation for the move abroad.

As someone who is about to relocate to the US, why do you feel it is important to improve your conversation and pronunciation in English?

I think it is very important to improve conversational skills in English, especially when you are relocating because you want to be able to narrow the gap between your thoughts and ideas how you communicate them to other people.  In terms of pronunciation, I feel (especially after my Accent & Pronunciation training at Say What) that it is easier to connect words and sentences clearly and with the correct pronunciation, because I don’t feel as ‘stuck’ as I used to. 

How important is it, in your opinion, to have clear spoken English for living in a country with English as the native language?

I think that anyone who relocates [to a country like the U.S. for example, where English is the primary natively spoken language] and wants to feel ‘at home’, having clear spoken English helps you a lot so that you don’t feel like a foreigner. It’s equally important to be able to converse daily and know the local phrases at the local supermarket or pharmacy for example, so that you can understand what you hear and how to communicate what you need/ want.

Do you think it is a necessity to improve your English and pronunciation to convey your message and be taken seriously?

Absolutely. If I know how to speak it [English] correctly so that I am fully understood and can get my point across, I will feel more confident to take part, not just in daily ‘casual’ conversations, but also in ones where I want to convey a message which is work-related, or in my case in an educational learning environment (university).

With cross-border business communication mostly conducted in English, is having good (grammar) and clear (pronunciation) English a useful tool to reach more people around the world?

Yes, of course.  For example, I am currently working in a company where I have to speak to colleagues from countries like Spain and Paris, so having a ‘good’ accent is not as problematic because for many of my colleagues English is also not their mother tongue. But if I don’t speak clearly and mispronounce words, that’s a whole different story. Clear English is essential to getting my point across and I will feel less ‘lost’ and make less mistakes because I am more confident to sound professional.   

What accent barriers and mispronunciations have you faced in your line of work (perhaps when conversing, lecturing, or networking)?

There have been a lot of meetings with the CEO for example, where my colleagues have been mostly American, and I didn’t feel confident enough to speak because of my mispronunciations. I felt the need to ‘apologize’ for my English before I even started to speak.

Do you think that some important messages are not conveyed because of poor pronunciation and conversation, and a heavy accent?

Yes. I feel a lot of times I know what I want to say in my Native language [Hebrew] and if I feel that it is hard or won’t be clear in English, I avoid saying it altogether. Or if for example, I have a specific idea I want to talk about, I elaborate less in English.

הפוסט Relocation? English is a Must הופיע לראשונה ב-SayWhat English Training.

I recently sat down with businessman Daniel Z. (Co-founder of Powtoon) and asked him about the importance of strong English skills and good business.

As a public speaker of [important] subject matters, why do you think it is important for you to have clear spoken English for seminars and networking?

As a public speaker, it is very important for me to pronounce words correctly and speak clearly so that the audience can understand what I am saying and the message I want to convey.

Do you think it is a necessity to speak proper [correct] English to convey your message and be taken seriously?

Yes. I think it is a necessity to speak correct English to any audience to be taken seriously. If the listener doesn’t understand the speaker because of poor pronunciation, it will make it difficult for them to understand the content.  I think the more I invest, the better I will speak, the more I will be taken seriously. An audience can have “prejudiced ears” when listening to poor English and this directly affects whether I am taken seriously or not.

With cross-border business communication mostly conducted in English, is having good and clear English a useful tool to reach more people around the world?

Yes, definitely. Speaking clearly with correct pronunciation is a great tool to reach more people because more people understand you. As a result, you feel more confident and you can concentrate on what you want to say and how you say it, using more expressions and phrases.

As a speaker with ESL (English as Second Language), what are some of the challenges you have faced when writing a lecture/speech/ networking?

When writing e-mails and articles [and networking], there are a few challenges. The first is finding the right words to express myself in English. Secondly, I have to think about pronunciation and speaking clearly. Thirdly, I find it challenging to come up with content and how I can present the topic in English to different target audiences.   

Do you think that some important messages are not conveyed because they are not communicated correctly in English? The “lost in translation” effect?

Yes, I do. This is mainly due to not knowing certain English expressions, both in British English and American English. Also, some expressions which are literally translated into English(for example from Hebrew), are not correct and the audience can misunderstand you.

Do you think that speaking it [English] helps you communicate with people from countries all over the world, not just English-speaking ones? If so, in what way?

I definitely think that knowing English helps you to communicate internationally, whether you are in a native English speaking country or not. Most business is conducted in English so rather than learning the country’s native language, it is important to have and use English to interact. 

הפוסט Let’s Get Down to Business הופיע לראשונה ב-SayWhat English Training.

In any given sentence, depending on the focus and type of information conveyed in that sentence, you need to determine which words to stress by raising and lowering your pitch. A single sentence can have totally different meanings depending on which word is stressed each time. So, the best way to describe intonation would be to say that it refers to the way we use the pitch of our voice to express particular meanings and attitudes.

One example which illustrates just how important intonation and proper communication really is, is the very funny comedy routine “Who’s on First” made famous by Abbott and Costello. The premise of the sketch is that Abbott is describing the players on a baseball team for Costello, but their names and nicknames can be interpreted as non-responsive answers to Costello’s questions, mainly because the names of the players on the baseball team have “peculiar” names like “Who”, “What” “I Don’t Know” “Why” “Because” “Tomorrow” “Today” and “I Don’t Give a Damn”. Needless to say, Abbott’s explanations leave Costello hopelessly confused, frustrated and upset because Costello is using “Wh”-questions”, which have the same falling intonation as statements. Would Costello pick up on the players’ names sooner if Costello would emphasize intonation, to remove the ambiguity? Probably, but chances are we wouldn’t have laughed so hard when hearing it then.

הפוסט Intonation: How important is it? הופיע לראשונה ב-SayWhat English Training.