Speech Tips
English Communication Skill: How to Ask for Clarification for Vague Words
English Communication Skill: How to ask for Clarification for Vague Words.
Experts say that one of the two most important skills to advance your career is asking questions.
Asking questions takes a little bit of courage. The benefit can be clear communication, getting specific answers which help you or your organization … or your personal life.
What do you do during a communication if the other person uses a vague word– also called “relative word. ” Relative words are nonspecific descriptive words which only have a meaning in relation to something else.
Examples of vague or relative words which can create a great deal of confusion:
- Substantial
- High quality
- Soon
- Many
- Large
- Cheap
Ask for clarification when someone uses one of these words. What do you do if the person insists on using generalities? Press for a range. If you still don’t get a specific answer, offer two or three ranges and ask the person to choose one. For example, you can say, “Do you mean more like 20 to 30, or a hundred, or a thousand?”
Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.
Want to Reconnect?
Want to Reconnect?
The reconnection call is a call to someone you have not talked to in a while. In the latter part of 2022, life is qualitatively different than these last two years– for many, a good time to reconnect with others. Your purpose is reconnecting, reestablishing the relationship , and getting an update on what the other person is doing.
Start out by acknowledging that it has been a long time, then express an interest in catching up. Even if it feels awkward at first, often the relationship can be reestablished quickly.
English Communication Skill: Get More Out of Listening — Ask Questions
English Communication Skill: Get More Out of Listening — Ask questions!
No one says everything you want to hear in the best order, depth, and detail. What to do? You must ask questions to get the information you want or need.
In the American culture, etiquette prohibits us from rapid-fire questions. Do questions are not confrontational, but simple easy-to-understand questions to elicit specific information.
Jargon
Don’t be shy or embarrassed about asking someone to clarify a statement which has an unfamiliar word or acronym. Many use jargon or language of their profession when they talk. Ask the meanings of those words.
More difficult is the situation when you are in the same industry and the other person assumes you know the meaning of words that he or she is using. You may feel embarrassed to ask for the meaning under that circumstance because you think you should know. There are a few good ways to handle this situation. My favorite is this , “Just to be sure that we are using our vocabulary in the same way, tell me exactly how you define ABC.” And when the other person defines a term for you, you can respond:
- That’s great. We use the phrase the same way.
- Glad I asked; we use that phrase a little differently, but we can go with your definition.
- I just learned something new.
Negotiations
Negotiations require special concern. If you think the other person is using a term drastically different than you are accustomed and some real damage may be done if you use the word their way instead of your way in a negotiation, say “We should define that term in the written agreement so others won’t get confused. You and I know what we are talking about, but we want to be sure that everyone else does, too.” Don’t get into a battle over definitions.
What about making your English speech pronunciation more accurate? Be Watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.
English Communication Skill: Best Listening- Body Language & Power of Notetaking
English Communication Skill: Best Listening- Body Language and Power of Notetaking
At least fifty percent of a person’s impression is from your body language.
- Take an alert body position in any meeting
Enhance your conversation by doing these body positions
- Uncross your arms and legs.
- Sit straight in the chair.
- Face the speaker full on.
- Lean forward.
- Make as much eye contact as you can.
Getting drowsy? Don’t give in–sit up straighter, stand up, get a drink of water. Get the blood flowing. Don’t think you can effectively combat drowsiness without changing your physical position.
- Write it down
Taking notes is a great listening aid. Even if never refer to your notes again, writing the most important points boosts the entire listening process. Besides, absorbing an entire conversation through listening only is almost impossible.
Negotiating? Taking notes is important throughout every step of the negotiating process. Review your notes right away to be sure that you wrote down everything you may want to remember, If you can’t read your notes, then redo the notes right away.
For negotiating or any business meeting or important meeting of any kind, consider providing a status report to the other side. That’s an excellent way to assure that you listened well. Writing down what you think you heard and verifying the material with the other side is a positive experience.
That memo acts in another way. if your counterpart believes you recorded the conversation incorrectly, then he or she can provide the conflicting information. Immediately thank the other person and also point out that you wrote the memo to be sure you listened well and interpreted the discussion accurately.
Here is a tip –if the other person says you got it all wrong and misunderstood him or her, do consider this. You may have listened carefully, because it is just as likely that the other person is correcting a sloppy communication to you. People often change or refine their position when they see it in writing. Do let that modification happen gracefully.
When the other person provides a new version of the negotiations or the communication in any meeting, simply change your notes. Remember, you write it out to get it right.
Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.
What You Get From Your Reconnecting Conversation- Networking
What You Get From Your Reconnecting Conversation— Networking
When you reconnect with another person, maybe by phone or in-person, the information you hear may not only be of interest to you or but also something for which you can give support. Maybe you are able to assist the person in some way.
Or the information might be valuable to someone else you know.
Typically, after telling you what’s going on in their lives, they will come back and inquire about yours. So both sides of the conversation get an update. Also, be sure to let the person know when the conversation needs to close with something like “I’ve got to go in about five minutes to catch another phone call (or meeting). That often prompt the query about you.
The conversation is re-establishing relationship and is a natural source for networking.
