IS THAT CLEAR?: Effective communication in a multilingual world

by Zanne Gaynor, Kathryn Alevizos

Overview

Transform your international communication skills with this unique, easy-to-read guide.

Is that clear? is a small and user-friendly guide for any native English speaker working or socialising with international colleagues and friends.

Condensed into bitesize chapters, this indispensable book explores the common barriers to effective international communication and is packed with practical tips on how to adapt your English and improve your intercultural skills. Is that clear? gets the tone just right, taking something quite complex and turning it into an insightful and enjoyable read. It really makes you think about how you communicate with speakers of other languages and the kind of confusion you can create - without even realising.

From rephrasing idioms to reducing your use of overly polite language, Is that clear? offers simple solutions so that you can get your message across clearly.

An essential tool in any multilingual setting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781916280014
Publisher:	acrobat-global
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	84
File size:	520 KB

About the Author

Zanne Gaynor has taught business English in companies such as Gillette and Banco Hipotecario in Spain as well as general English in schools in Germany and the UK. She has also been a translator for an international photographic company. Between 2003 and 2006, Zanne set up and ran her own government accredited language school in the Balearic Islands. Her books have been published by Pearson, Macmillan and Richmond and she has written English language exams for Trinity. Zanne now lives in Oxfordshire where she has recently worked as a volunteer with asylum seekers. In June 2019 she graduated from Oxford Brookes with a post-graduate award in Education (TESOL). Zanne speaks French, German and Spanish.
Kathryn Alevizos has lived and worked in France and Greece. On returning to the UK, she taught business English to companies including BMW and Schlumberger as well as teaching general English in universities and private language schools. She also spent several years teaching refugees and asylum seekers in colleges of further education. She has worked as a teacher trainer on CELTA courses and is a published author with Pearson. Kathryn is a consultant for Cambridge Assessment and has chaired and written for various international exams. Kathryn now lives in Gloucestershire with her Greek husband and two children. Having a second language in her family has given her an added insight into the challenges of international communication.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction 5

1. Adapting your language

1.1 Time to pause 10

1.2 Cut down on unnecessary words 12

1.3 Lost in translation 14

1.4 At cross purposes 16

1.5 Making small talk work 18

1.6 Questions can be difficult 20

1.7 Disappearing sounds 22

1.8 When politeness is a problem 24

2. Inclusive not exclusive

2.1 Letting others join in 28

2.2 Making multilingual groups work 30

2.3 Does it all have to be in English? 32

2.4 Talks and presentations 34

2.5 Virtual conversations 36

3. Last but not least

3.1 Identity crisis 40

3.2 Pronunciation 42

3.3 Accents 44

3.4 Did you hear the one about…? 46

Conclusion: Is it time for change? 48

Appendix A: Phrasal verbs activity 51

Appendix B: Idioms activity 57

Appendix C: E2 speakers – issues and

solutions activity 65

Answer key 69

About the authors 79

Acknowledgements 83

 

Editorial Reviews

Your message is needed, succinct, and to the point. You are right: so many people have never thought about these things. And little nudges in the right direction are just what they need. David Crystal, British linguist, academic and author

I enjoyed reading your book, found that the practical advice you give in it reflects ELF research/thinking very closely and accurately, and was impressed that you managed to pack so much into a relatively small space. Jennifer Jenkins, British linguist and academic and Chair of Global Englishes at Southampton University

A great contribution to better communication! I hope it is read very widely indeed by those who still seem to think that all they have to do to be understood is to shout more loudly in English. Baroness Jean Coussins, British parliamentarian and an adviser on corporate responsibility

The premise of the book is fantastic and given my experiences of the last 5 years, there is definitely a need that it serves, Paul Harris, Anaplan, Singapore

​Punchy and clear. Rita Mistry, retired IT Consultant

​I thought you got the tone just right, and it made me think about my many encounters with speakers of other languages and reflect on how I might have been clearer. Geoff Barton, General Secretary, ASCL and TES columnist

​What you say in your book highlights the minefield that our language is. The way you present the phrasal verbs illustrates the complexity of language usage and how the native speaker can cause unnecessary confusion without even realising. Nicole Ashbrook, English teacher

I think it’s an excellent idea to write this and I’m really impressed how you’ve turned something quite complex into something really readable and simple to understand. Debbie Birch

I really liked it. It made me really think about how I communicate with speakers of other languages and how I instinctively do all the things you say not to do. I like the examples and tips because they show what you need to do in a practical way. Clare Lucas

From the Publisher