From Accent to Asset: Integrating Non-Native English Speakers | Myke Wilder | TEDxMechanicsville

Key Concepts:

• Second language acquisition challenges
• Importance of fluent English as a second language (ESL) teachers
• Communication strategies for interacting with non-native English speakers
• The role of English in global collaboration
• Overcoming comprehension barriers in a second language
• The impact of hearing impairment on communication, paralleling ESL challenges
• The significance of kindness and understanding in cross-cultural communication

1. Personal Anecdote and the Challenges of Second Language Acquisition:

• The speaker recounts his experience as an 11-year-old in Montreal, Quebec, struggling to communicate in French at his father's gas station.
• He highlights the inadequacy of his English school's French instruction, where teachers were not fluent.
• Example: His initial interaction with a customer who used unfamiliar French slang ("sas five bucks") and reacted negatively to his offer to clean the windshield ("finetre breeze").
• This experience illustrates the difficulty of understanding conversational language and idioms in a second language.

2. The Prevalence and Impact of ESL Challenges:

• Millions of second language speaking workers face comprehension problems daily.
• Most non-native English speakers have not had a fluent English-speaking teacher.
• The speaker notes the shift away from terms like "mother tongue" and "native language," suggesting "ethnic language" as a preferred alternative.
• He emphasizes that without fluent instruction, immersion is crucial for understanding regular conversation.

3. Parallels Between Hearing Impairment and ESL Challenges:

• The speaker's personal experience with hearing loss provides a unique perspective.
• He draws parallels between managing conversations with a hearing impairment and communicating in a second language.
• The core issue is the same: if you can't hear or understand the words, you can't follow the conversation.

4. The Speaker's Experience as an ESL Teacher:

• The speaker retrained as an ESL teacher specializing in business English 12 years ago.
• He has coached over 7,000 hours of executives, managers, and entrepreneurs in person and online.
• He emphasizes the importance of having business experience and understanding what clients are going through.

5. The Global Demand for English and the Need for Fluent Teachers:

• Over two billion people worldwide speak English as a second language or are learning it.
• Three out of four non-English-speaking countries include English in their education system.
• However, teachers are often local and not necessarily fluent.
• The trend towards English accelerated after World War II and exploded with the internet.

6. The Role of Native Languages and English as a Bridge:

• The speaker acknowledges that people will always speak their native languages.
• Socolinguistic studies show that native languages connect people to their ethnicity, family, and sense of self.
• Neurallinguistic studies indicate that our brain's neural network is created around our first language, making us think better and be more creative in it.
• English serves as a bridge to overcome cultural and linguistic gaps.

7. Practical Strategies for Improving Communication with Non-Native English Speakers:

• Practice 1: Speak to be understood:
  • Emulate broadcast journalists who reduce connected speech.
  • Focus on clear articulation and avoid "mushy" speech.
• Practice 2: Implement policies that encourage clarification:
  • Encourage the use of a non-verbal gesture (like raising a hand) to signal a need for clarification without interrupting the speaker.
  • Allow speakers to react positively and slow down when needed.
• Practice 3: Improve listening skills:
  • Do not confuse eloquence with intelligence.
  • Recognize that speaking a second language is often easier than understanding it.

8. The Power of Kindness and Understanding:

• The speaker shares an anecdote about a client who introduced him to his partner using non-idiomatic English ("She's old like you and she loves opera like you").
• A native English speaker would have said "She's your age."
• He emphasizes that if he had laughed off the comment because it wasn't said "right," he would have missed out on a significant relationship.
• This illustrates the importance of looking beyond imperfect language and recognizing the underlying message.

9. English as a Tool for Global Collaboration:

• Global problems like hunger, climate change, and cancer require international cooperation.
• Experts worldwide share data and knowledge in English.
• English speakers are uniquely positioned to facilitate this collaboration and have a responsibility to do so.

10. Conclusion:

• The speaker urges the audience to think of their audience and speak to be understood.
• He emphasizes that effective communication is not just good business but crucial for the future of society, the planet, and communities.
• He concludes by stating that the path of communication has been paved, and it is up to native English speakers to make that path smoother.