© saywhatenglish.com
Don’t expect people to speak slowly to give you time to 'translate' (the best you can hope for is they raise their voices … like that will help!)
10 reasons it's hard to be an ESL speaker
WHY IT’S HARD TO BE A NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH
10
REASONS
IN THE US, UK OR AUSTRALIA
People will think their opinion is more important than yours, just because they can express it in 'perfect' English
Expect a greenhouse- full of glass ceilings at work …. people like the ceo of google are the exceptions, not the rule
People will think you're less intelligent than you are … sorry, but it's true (and there’s research to confirm this bias)
Don't expect people to avoid idiomatic language about which you have 'not the foggiest' …. Bigger bang for your buck? The whole 9 yards? Cut to the chase? Wot?!
People will get impatient with you as you try to find the words to express yourself … come on already!
Don’t expect people to know how to filter / simplify their English for you - they won't
You won’t be trusted as much. In blind tests, people are more likely to believe statements read by a native English speaker than by a non- native speaker
You’ll be perceived as less successful because you have an accent. Oh, and we can tell you’re a non- native speaker within 10 words!
It will not enter most people’s minds that you’re speaking a foreign language … well, English is the world's lingua franca, right?
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REASONS
10
© saywhatenglish.com
Don’t expect people to speak slowly to give you time to 'translate' (the best you can hope for is they raise their voices … like that will help!)
10 reasons it's hard to be an ESL speaker
WHY IT’S HARD TO BE A NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH
10
REASONS
IN THE US, UK OR AUSTRALIA
People will think their opinion is more important than yours, just because they can express it in 'perfect' English
Expect a greenhouse- full of glass ceilings at work …. people like the ceo of google are the exceptions, not the rule
People will think you're less intelligent than you are … sorry, but it's true (and there’s research to confirm this bias)
Don't expect people to avoid idiomatic language about which you have 'not the foggiest' …. Bigger bang for your buck? The whole 9 yards? Cut to the chase? Wot?!
People will get impatient with you as you try to find the words to express yourself … come on already!
Don’t expect people to know how to filter / simplify their English for you - they won't
You won’t be trusted as much. In blind tests, people are more likely to believe statements read by a native English speaker than by a non- native speaker
You’ll be perceived as less successful because you have an accent. Oh, and we can tell you’re a non- native speaker within 10 words!
It will not enter most people’s minds that you’re speaking a foreign language … well, English is the world's lingua franca, right?
1
9
7
6
5
4
3
2
10
8
BACK TO BLOG