The first major cultural challenge faced by any immigrant centers on getting a job in which he or she needs to use, on a full-time basis, a foreign language. In fact, the anxiety that the worker experiences in a multicultural environment is considered inversely proportional to the command he or she exhibits of a language that is not his or her own.
Improve professional communication in a foreign language
The better one's knowledge of a language, the more confident and secure one will be in exchanges with native-speaking colleagues who communicate in that language. Conversely, immigrants with a poor command of the host country's official language risk causing cultural misunderstandings in the office and tarnishing their performance.
In addition, in many countries, such as Canada and European nations, work and business are conducted in multilingual environments. The challenge, then, lies in expressing oneself in a professional environment in more than two languages.
Perfect bilinguals are not exempt from facing cultural clashes of linguistic origin, since this type of disagreement arises even between individuals who have a common language but come from different countries.
The explanation lies in the different ways of speaking a language and the different connotations of phrases and idioms by the receiver according to his or her cultural context.
A variety of techniques can be implemented to develop more effective professional communication.
In this regard, eleven useful tips are listed below:
Setting the pace and tone of communication
Expressing yourself slowly and clearly is a polite but direct way of sending a message to those who hear you: "This is how I want you to communicate with me.
It does not pay to try to speak fast or use familiar language to convince of optimal language proficiency. On the contrary, with a slow pace and a formal tone, colleagues will appreciate your efforts to converse efficiently in their language and will respond in kind.
Construct simple and direct sentences that ensure accuracy.
A useful tip for those who are beginning to work in another language is to construct simple sentences, avoiding incisive and complicated terms. In oral and written communication, simple verbs, active sentences, easy to pronounce and commonly used words should prevail.
When requesting or giving instructions, conciseness and accuracy should be preferred. For this reason, the following expressions: "as soon as possible", "at your best judgment", and "as appropriate", are characterized by their indefiniteness and varied speculations according to the linguistic-cultural context.
However, it is possible to achieve precision in statements similar to these: "The report is due on such and such a date and time"; or "Specifically, how would you like this situation to be handled?
Avoiding informal idiomatic expressions
Local idioms and idiomatic usages represent the most difficult part of a foreign language to master.
It is essential to eliminate them from professional communication in order to avoid confusion and errors. In the same way, it is necessary to eradicate joking or foul language, even if colleagues use it.
Indicate the ideas that have not been understood
It is normal that in the early stages there are instructions or ideas that are not perfectly understood. It is recommended, in these cases, to ask for immediate clarification. In the professional environment, all concepts should be clarified.
It may seem embarrassing at first, but it is worthwhile to make sure for the sake of work efficiency.
Check if you have been understood
Just as it is considered pertinent to ask for clarification, it is almost an obligation to offer it. Effective communication in a foreign language resembles a two-way street: one understands and must make oneself understood.
A professional strategy to know if the recipient has understood what has been said is based on asking him/her to summarize what he/she has retained from the conversation.
Likewise, you can tell that the other person has understood if you present the original idea in different words. Useful phrases might be: "In other words, what is expected..." or "The key to this instruction is...".
Exercising patience
It may seem a simple thing to say, but a beginner in a foreign language needs to cultivate patience. Therefore, it should not be taken as a personal offense or insult if the listener does not understand and frequently asks you to repeat what has been said.
In addition, with genuine tolerance, efforts must be made to accept and get used to the accent of the nationals, which differs from the standards learned in the language schools of the country of origin.
This is the case of "Québécois", the French spoken in Quebec, the French-speaking province of Canada, which is far from that used in France.
A similar situation occurs with the generalized English in certain areas of the United States, such as the Southern states; or the Australian English or the English spoken in New Zealand, whose idioms and local expressions are often difficult to understand even for native English speakers.
Finally, patience must also be exercised with the other immigrants, who add their own accents and expressions to the already complex labor situation.
Prefer you
Whether or not to use a Tute or not is a complicated decision. When communication takes place in English, any hesitation disappears; while in Romance languages (French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, etc.), doubts arise in the choice of one form or the other.
Should I be on a first-name basis with my colleagues, should I distance myself and address my client as "you"? My boss is addressing me in the same way, should I treat him in the same way? In some societies, informal communication is preferred and addressing the other person as "tutee" is approved as an expression of trust. The United States, Canada and Australia are models of informality in the workplace.
In other peoples, on the other hand, this behavior is considered a terrible discourtesy, which has a negative impact on the perception of the worker. For example, Europeans are distinguished by the systematic use of usted, even in circumstances that might seem extreme, such as among friends and family.
Thus, in order to avoid risks, it is advisable to use usted, unless the interlocutor expressly requests otherwise.
Harmonize the tone of the communication with the medium.
When working in a multicultural and multilingual environment, special care should be taken in choosing the communication channel with the appropriate form and tone. For example, not all information should be transmitted in an e-mail, since certain messages are expressed orally and in direct contact with the recipient.
Each resource (e-mail, telephone, videoconference, chat, etc.) has its own communicational execution and when a foreign language is used, it is sometimes difficult to understand the dynamics of a certain culture. Therefore, prudence, patience and common sense are the immigrant's best allies.
Avoid putting yourself at a disadvantage
In the work environment, the immigrant should refrain from mentioning his or her language limitations as a pretext to avoid certain responsibilities or challenges. Moreover, making excuses at every turn for "faulty use of the language" could be misinterpreted by colleagues and supervisors.
Thus, the best way out is based on strengthening the necessary confidence to understand that every day the mastery of the new language will increase, because "practice makes perfect".
Therefore, we start from the conviction that the improvement of a foreign language is achieved precisely by practicing it in a real context, such as the workplace. In short, leaving the classroom and speaking the language learned in the office on a daily basis will make a big difference.
In Rome, do as the Romans do
A good practice involves respecting and adopting the linguistic conventions and formalities of daily use, i.e., adopting the greeting and farewell phrases of those born or established in the place, especially if they correspond to the formal language and not to the familiar one.
It is also useful to study and use the models of other employees in the configuration of texts, such as the headings and closings of letters or e-mails.
In some corporations, written communication is characterized by its formality and is usually regulated by style manuals, which should be carefully examined and followed.
Younger workers, belonging to the so-called "Generation Y" or "Millennials", permeate the corporate work environment with informality.
This is particularly evident in technology companies, which abound in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Despite this trend, formal dealings in this sector are reserved only for clients or external audiences.
Consuming popular culture in the new language
It is advisable to keep informed about the news, culture, sports and entertainment of the community where you live. Also, learn the names of local leaders and personalities, actors and athletes.
At the same time, get to know the popular television programs, read the daily press and, if possible, subscribe to local publications. These suggestions will undoubtedly help to understand the cultural references made by colleagues during work talks and will stimulate the learning of expressions, idioms and terms that will gradually make the immigrant feel at home.
