Accent, Workplace & Awareness

WHAT you say and HOW you say matter!

– SPEECH ETIQUETTE

WORKING ABOARD – PART 2

Previously we talked about how certain European English accents are much more acceptable in the finance world than any other industries. UK’s main financial hub is in London and many would agree that London is a metropolitan city with its own culture compared to the rest of the UK, this statement is not far off from the truth. Perhaps this is the reason why certain accents are more accepted than anywhere else in the UK. However, this does not happen across all sectors. Other parts of the UK remain conservative, hanging on to their history and identity, this alone make profiling your customers more difficult. For example, London may embrace the French accent, but this is not reflected anywhere else. Received Pronunciation continues to attract high prestige. Ethnic minority and regional industrial urban English accents continue to receive low ratings. Many foreigners think they understand modern Britain but the truth is, are we really living in modern Britain? Like it or not, Britain has a history of accent prestige and that British regional and ethnic accents still face negative bias to this very day.

Cultural Differences

You might have worked with English colleagues in your country or regularly communicated with English clients via email, but that’s a different experience than living in the country. When joining a new team, you want to demonstrate your value. How do you come across to your colleagues? Competent or show off? Intelligent or arrogant? How to demonstrate your knowledge without coming off as arrogant will help you to fit in.

WHAT you say and HOW you say matters! Some cultures tend to speak loudly but when they communicate in the same way when speaking in English, they might come across as rude. Many times in conversations we hear the other person saying, ‘there’s no need to shout, I can hear you.’ or ‘why are you shouting? I’m just talking to you.’.

Communication is a major problem in most businesses, cultural differences and language barrier have always been the key factors behind the break down. We see this happen time and time again. Even if non-native English-speakers have good level of English, misunderstanding and misinterpreting messages can make interactions difficult in the workplace. Limited vocabulary is also a contributing factor.

Non-verbal communication

Facial expression is the final piece of the puzzle. You can lie with words but your face tells another story. The listeners can gauge your emotion. Your should align your words with your facial expression. Never underestimate how a single fake smile or smiling under the wrong circumstances can be a recipe for disaster.

Timing

When and how you introduce how things can be done in your culture is also important, don’t try to be too clever and tell the local how things should be done unless you have been asked to. Timing is everything. It’s nothing to do with discrimination. You are in a different jurisdiction now, things are done differently. Respect that!

Conclusion

There’s a time and a place to express yourself. The words you use can make or break any relationship, and it is equally important to learn how to deliver them. Your tone of voice and facial expression matter too. At Speech Etiquette, we don’t just teach, we mentor. We will explore all of these key elements as part of our programme to improve your communication skill while improving your English and changing your accent.