Author Archive
Tips For Communicating With The Locals When You Can’t Speak The Language
Image by assbach
Editor’s note: This is a post by the other original Location Independent Professional - Jonathan - who’s been elusive and mysterious on this blog until now. He’s an artist not a writer (or so he says), so go easy on him!
When I get nervous I tend to speak faster and my voice seems [...]
Image by assbach
Editor’s note: This is a post by the other original Location Independent Professional - Jonathan - who’s been elusive and mysterious on this blog until now. He’s an artist not a writer (or so he says), so go easy on him!
When I get nervous I tend to speak faster and my voice seems to raise by a few octaves. I just about manage to get away with this when I am conversing with a fellow English speaker, but how can I expect someone with limited English language skills to understand me?
Not only that but I’m one of those people who feels rude and embarrassed about not being able to speak their language - which makes me even more nervous, even higher-pitched and even less understood!
Unlike Lea, I don’t pick up languages after just a few lessons and since becoming location independent 18 months ago I have had to really think about how I communicate with other people when I can’t speak their language and they have a limited understanding of mine.
These are a few of the things I’ve learned about how to communicate when you’re both speaking a different language…
