Questions answered: Using English as a foreign language at work

Sion: So, here at Business Spotlight Audio, we’ve started answering global professionals’ questions  about using English as a foreign language at work.

Melita: What’s interesting about the two questions we’re focusing on this month is that they are very similar, but with slightly different concerns at their coreKerncore. 

Sion: Yeah. Both professionals are worried about not sounding confident in high-stakes situationSituation, bei der viel auf dem Spiel stehthigh-stakes situations. But one is focused on the use of idioms and the other on the effect of accent and hesitationZögernhesitation on credibilityGlaubwürdigkeitcredibility. 

Melita: Let’s listen to the questions one by onenacheinanderone by one and then we’ll respond with some advice.
 

Zulfiya Urunova: Hi, my name is Zulfiya Urunova. I’m originally from Tajikistan, in Central Asia, and I recently moved to London. I’m co-founderMitgründer(in)co-founder for this start-up called Take Care Mom. It’s a maternal mentalpsychischmental-health platform that works across 83 countries. And English is not my first language. In fact, it’s my fourth language. So, I grew up speaking Uzbek and Tajik, learned Russian, and then, starting from school age, I learned English. But now, I run my entire business in English. I pitch to international investors, I speak at global conferences and lead teams across multiple countries, and that’s all in English. 

So, my question is, when I’m pitching to investors or speaking at conferences, I sometimes notice that native speakers use very casuallässigcasual, idiomatic phrases that make them sound confident and relaxed — things that I would never naturally say. How can I sound more natural and approachablezugänglich, nahbarapproachable in high-stakes professional situations without it feeling forced or rehearsedeinstudiertrehearsed?

Sion: Hmm. This is an interesting one. But I think there is a difference between sounding relaxed and sounding confident. Idioms might make someone sound like they have a good commandhier: Beherrschungcommand of the language, but that wouldn’t necessarily make me more likely to do business with them.

Melita: Yeah, to be honest, I think native speakers sometimes add unnecessary complexity with idioms that actually creates distance rather than connection, particularly in international settings. When you’re pitching to investors or speaking at conferences, you want to be as clear as possible. That actually means simplifying concepts and making them accessible. 

Sion: Yeah, I agree with that. I would avoid regional idioms. It’s worth remembering that some expressions might be understood by native speakers from the UK but mean something else to native speakers from the US.

Melita: That’s a good point. For example, “let’s table this” in the UK means “let’s discuss this immediately”, but “let’s table this” in the US means “let’s leave this for later”. 

Sion: So, in high-stakes situations, I think confidence is about deliver sth.hier: etw. übermittelndelivering a clear message that people won’t understand differently. Especially if you are trying to get people to invest in your company, then understanding is be keyzentral seinkey. People won’t invest in something that is badly explained. 

Melita: You can, of course, soften your language with simple phrases that are easy to slot sth. into sth.hier: etw. in etw. einbringenslot into any situation. These are more useful than obscureunklar, undeutlichobscure idioms. Things like “in my view”, “to be honest”, “let me walk sb. through sth.etw. mit jmdm. durchgehenwalk you through this step by step...”, “what this means in practice is...”, “what we’re seeing is...”, “let me break sth. downetw. untergliedernbreak this down for you...”.

Sion: OK. So, in summary, be yourself, say the most important points in clear, understandable language, and if you do use idioms, just use them to frame your ideas. They should be widely recognized, internationally understandable phrases. That way, you won’t worry about getting a complex idiom wrong in a stressful situation. The more comfortable you are with the language you are using, the more authentic you’ll seem.

Melita: OK, let’s listen to the second learner question.
 

Mousaab Khaldi: Hi, my name is Mousaab Khaldi. I am an executiveFührungskraftexecutive coach from Morocco. And English, by the way, is my third language after Arabic and French. My question here would be about authority and credibility. When I coach seniorleitendsenior executives in English, mostly people whose first language is also English, I sometimes feel like my accent or occasional hesitation makes me seem less authoritative, even when my ideas are strong. So, my question is how can a non-native English speaker project sth.etw. projizierenproject confidence and credibility in high-stakes professional conversations without trying to sound like a native speaker?

Melita: This is such a common concern. So many people worry about their accent and pausing to find the right word. I know I do when I speak a foreign language. But I don’t see either of these things as a problem if your thoughts are well structured and understandable.

If you’re an executive coach, people choose to work with you because of your expertise and your ability to guide them through situations. Having an accent doesn’t make you any less credible. It’s about what you are saying rather than where you are from. 

Sion: Yes, and in some scenarios, people might choose to work with you because of your intercultural know-how. They are working with you because of your background.

Melita: Hmm. I think it is about reframing yourself and your offering. Rather than thinking, “I am a non-native speaker who sounds more hesitant than native speakers”, think “I am an intercultural, multilingual professional with a uniqueeinzigartigunique perspective to offer.” You can prepare yourself for moments of hesitation by learning a few phrases that signal that you need time to think. 

Sion: Things like “That’s a great question. Let me think about that for a second...” or “Just to make sure I’ve understood: Are you saying...?” You can also give yourself extra time to think and structure your response by saying things like “There are a couple of ways to look at this...” or “I’d approach sth.an etw. herangehenapproach this in this way...”.

Melita: And there is no shame in admitting that you don’t have a full response yet. Honesty builds trust. Saying something like, “I will look into sth.sich etw. näher anschauenlook into that further and get back to you with a more thoroughgründlich, sorgfältigthorough response...” shows that you are willing to put the time into finding real answers for your client. A quick response isn’t necessarily the most authoritative one.

Sion: And if you want to feel more confident before a meeting, you can record some phrases that you think will be useful and play sth. backetw. abspielenplay them back on your phone before the meeting. Then, they’ll stick in your mind, and you’ll feel more natural saying them because you’ve heard them before.