Speaking to People Who are Learning your Language

Back in high school I decided that I wanted to study abroad, so I’ve know this was coming for a long time. One of the things I did to prepare myself was volunteer with the exchange students at my school. Most came from Asian countries, so English was incredibly difficult for them simply because it’s so different. I immediately found it awkward talking with them; I wanted to speak in a way that they could understand, but not come across as talking down to them. To study in the U.S. students must be intelligent and hardworking, so these students were by no means dumb. It’s just hard to present yourself well in your second language. Now that I have experienced both sides of the language barrier by becoming an exchange student in Ecuador, here are some of my tips for speaking to people who speak your language as a second language.

Speak differently to people based on their skill level

First off, there is no one right way to speak to language learners. I have lots of international friends who learned English in school, while going about their days using another language. Some of them speak perfectly; I never have to slow down or repeat something. Others are fluent, but I need to watch my speed and occasionally explain things. Then, there are my friends who are still early in the process of learning English. I constantly think through what I say to state it in the clearest terms possible and frequently have to reword and explain things. Slowing down or adjusting how you speak to a foreigner isn’t inherently rude. In fact, talking in a way that the person you’re speaking to can understand is the nicest thing you can do. The people I enjoy chatting with the most here are the ones who let me teach them how to talk to me. I need them to slow down a bit, since Guayaquil has a famously fast way of speaking, and they can’t switch to English the first time I don’t hear something. It’s also okay to ask for guidance on the best way to speak to someone.

Start off speaking normally

One caveat to the above point is to be careful not to assume that someone is bad at English or can’t understand you. One of my least favorite things here is when I go to checkout at a store and the cashier, who’d previously been speaking Spanish, looks at me and switches to English. Often their English is not as good as my Spanish and they tell me the wrong amount and the transaction ends up taking longer than it would have in Spanish. In some cases, automatically switching languages or talking very slowly comes off as rude and like you think the other person is dumb. I’m fine if people start speaking to me like the normally do with other native Spanish speakers. If I need them to slow down or explain something, I’ll tell them. Occasionally people offer to speak in English to be nice and that’s fine; I always decline though. Talk with someone a bit then adjust how you speak; check in with them to make sure it’s helpful and see if there’s anything else you can do. These should make your conversations go more smoothly.

Don’t switch languages just to be faster

I came to another country to improve my language skills, not to have people accommodate me. So even if you can speak a language that the other person also fluently knows, they may not want you to use it. You can offer, but ultimately suffering through some awkward and slow conversations is part of the process. I am thankful for the friends who are willing to go through the process with me, rather than speaking English because it’s easier.

Use synonyms and explain things

Sometimes if I don’t understand something people keep repeating the phrase over and over. A few times is helpful, but after that it should be clear that it isn’t working. There are many countries that use Spanish and they all do so slightly differently. There’s no way a school can prepare a student for all the dialects in existence. Even though I have eight years of studying Spanish under my belt and two large dictionary apps at my disposal, I frequently run into words that I have to ask a local about to learn the meaning. They just don’t exist in my dictionaries. If saying the same phrase a few times doesn’t work, reword it. It isn’t that hard if you just remember to stop and think for a few seconds, but in the rush of things people seem to forget this is an option. Try a few different options and if none work then you’re probably going to have to define some words as the person your speaking with has likely never heard them before.

A going away party for my friends from Japan who were exchange students for one year

Just because someone looks confused doesn’t mean they are

A common experience among the students in my exchange program is having people be surprised when they realize we can speak Spanish. The first few weeks abroad are tough and the transition from slow classroom practice to the speed and slang used in real life conversations is hard. Even if someone looks confused or has a blank expression they probably know more of what’s happening than you’d assume. There are a million reasons why someone could look lost that don’t have to do with them not understanding the language. Speaking is the hardest skill for many students, so they can understand what is being said and only begin to look challenged when they go to add something. It is also possible to be confused by something cultural rather than what is being said. They could be tired, sick, having trouble focusing, distracted by background noise, or not able to understand a certain accent. The exchange students in my group get constantly annoyed that people write us off as being bad at Spanish, when there’s just an outside factor slowing us down. Oh, and as a side note, please remember that most of the time people can understand when you’re making jokes about them, even if they don’t understand the words.

Be patient

When someone says something to me in Spanish I have to hear what they say, translate it to English in my head, decide what to say in English, and translate my answer to Spanish. Communication in Spanish takes longer than in English. When people ask me a question then only wait two seconds before repeating it or asking me if I understood. They think they’re being helpful, but interrupting my thought process only further slows me down.

Speak to the person directly. Don’t ask others about them.

“Does she speak Spanish?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask me?”

Hopefully, this one doesn’t need explanation.

Summarize

This is especially important in large groups. At the end of a meeting, for example, ask the person if there’s anything they didn’t understand that they’d like you to explain. It may be best not to do this in front of everyone to avoid causing embarrassment. Don’t worry about offending them; if your help is not needed, the person will still feel good knowing they have someone to go to if they ever need to.

Observe

One of the best ways I learned about communicating with foreign language speakers was by watching other people do it and making note of their mistakes. I find that causes of problems are more glaring when you’re not directly in the situation.

Adapt

Change how you speak to the person as their skill level changes. They’ll appreciate being spoken to on their level or having a new challenge. It’s okay to check in and ask if there’s something you can do to be more easily understood. These situations can be uncomfortable and it’s easy to feel like you’re messing up. Ultimately, the effort is what matters more than anything else.