The secrets of good communication
What is important and what is not?
Hello!
Last week, I mentioned the benefits of upgrading to a paid membership for £6 a month.
As well as getting full access to my growing library of lessons …
… you also get an invitation to join a chat with me and other learners on Zoom, so you can practise your English.
I’m mentioning this again today because I’m getting ready to send out invitations for the next Zoom chat very soon!
Otherwise, please continue to enjoy my Friday emails for free!
Now, let’s think about the secrets of good communication.
These are things I hear from English learners:
“I need to use high-level vocabulary to communicate at work.”
“I need to learn more idioms so I can speak like a native speaker.”
“I need to study the grammar more so I don’t make any mistakes.”
“I need to learn a perfect British accent.”
But let’s stop a minute and think. Are these things really true?
Is good communication really about using complex vocabulary?
Is it actually necessary to speak like a native speaker?
Will other non-native speakers understand the idioms you use?
And does it matter if you make a mistake?
The truth is that good communication does not mean long words, idioms, perfect grammar or native-like pronunciation.
And that’s good news, right?
Remember, native speakers don’t speak perfectly all the time. We forget words. We stumble. We make grammar mistakes. And yet, we still manage to communicate!
Well, most of the time anyway!
In fact, I know native speakers who are not great communicators! They use lots of fancy words and jargon, so I don’t know what they mean. They miss out important pieces of information and then wonder why I don’t understand. Or they just don’t listen properly!
And I know English learners who can chat, joke and communicate really well, even before reaching an advanced level.
I always remember two maths teachers I had at school. One was a brilliant mathematician but not the best teacher. He couldn’t explain things at our level. The other said he wasn’t the best at maths, but we all thought he was a fantastic teacher. Why? Because he knew how to communicate clearly and simply.
He also had empathy - the ability to imagine himself in our situation and see things from our point of view. This teacher was good at communicating difficult ideas because he could imagine himself as the listener.
So what is good communication?
It’s not about sounding like a native speaker.
It’s about being understood.
Good communication is:
💙 Explaining your message simply and clearly.
You don’t need idioms and complicated vocabulary to do this.
💙 Having the confidence to use the language that you already know.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t your vocabulary. It’s nerves. Confidence makes a huge difference.
💙 Not staying silent because you’re afraid of making a mistake.
We all make mistakes, even in our first language. You can still be clear, even if your grammar isn’t perfect.
💙 Listening carefully to others.
Good communicators listen well. Other people feel valued and respected when you listen to what they have to say.
💙 Remembering that you have something to offer.
Your ideas matter more than your mistakes. People want to hear what you think.
Of course, it’s great to keep building your vocabulary and improving your grammar.
But confidence, clarity, and empathy will take you further than any idiom ever could.
See you next week!
Katie
A big thumbs up to all your points, Katie. Another stumbling block my students have is the I MUST STUDY ENGLISH HARD trope —there’s so much effort-ing that there’s no allowing English to come naturally. I tell them, put down your test prep books (how a lot of people “study”
English here in Japan) and pick up a newspaper or REAL book. Even just ten minutes of REAL reading a day can make a difference!