“Even when I'm traveling throughout the United States people always say, ‘You must be from New Joisey,’” Liz interrupted as she exaggerated her words to create the classic New Jersey accent. “Where are you from?” she asked the man.
“I am from France but I work for a Swedish manufacturing company in the UK.”
Liz smiled. “I'm Liz, by the way,” she said as she stuck her hand straight out for him to shake.
“I'm Pierre,” he said as he stretched across an empty seat to meet her hand.
“So what brings you to the United States?” Liz questioned.
“I was doing a site visit for my company in Houston, and then I had a quick meeting in LA. Now I'm going back to headquarters in Stockholm. You know, with my heavy French accent people don't understand me easily. In business it's not too bad, but when I try to order things, like today, sometimes it is pretty difficult. It seems like a lot of people find me hard to understand.”
Liz nodded her head in understanding. “What happens with me feels even more challenging because it's my native language, and I feel like an outsider when I'm speaking English in Brazil. I can really empathize with your situation.”
Pierre's eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. He looked at Liz. “Unreal – you sound so clear. But truthfully, when I speak English with non-native English speakers – I mean, when I'm with my colleagues from Sweden, and Mexico, and Dubai – we don't have problems to work with and understand each other. In my mind, the major issue is when we work with native English speakers – our American, English, or even Australian colleagues. I feel that there is a bigger disconnect there. It should be a two-way street, but they make it seem like it is our problem…as if only the non-native English speakers have the problem. The truth is we have a hard time understanding them, too; it's not only them having a hard time understanding us.”
“Tell me more about that – what do you mean?” Liz asked him, trying to better understand his experience. As a native English speaker, Liz was interested in this new perspective.
“English is their first language and it seems like they don't realize that we all speak broken English. Sometimes it feels like they don't make the effort to try to work with us to – how do you Americans say? – ‘level the playing field.’ They will speak really very fast and use a lot of expressions that we don't totally understand. It makes me really frustrated and angry sometimes.” Pierre looked down at his hands as if a bit embarrassed that he had just expressed his frustrations to one of “them” – a native English speaker.
Liz sensed his hesitation. “I don't think you speak broken English. I am listening to you speaking very clearly and easily right now. Where did you get the impression that your English is broken?”
Pierre looked up at Liz and sensed her genuine interest. “Well, I guess it is because of my accent, and I get really nervous and I always feel so stressed. I am an executive expected to make presentations all of the time in English. I usually have to prepare a lot. I spend hours and hours preparing slides to make sure the English is right. I always practice with my wife, and it's a lot of work. Even after all that work it often feels that people don't understand what I am trying to say. I want people to see me as an innovator and a top contributor, but I'm not sure they do. On the team there are so many native speakers of English, and they seem to present with such ease. My boss – a native English speaker of course – has given me feedback that I need to improve, but I feel that his feedback is just holding me back. I feel very judged by my boss whenever I make presentations. When I present at trade shows, or when I'm invited to speak about our company, some people will come and tell me that I have such a great accent, but frankly I'd like for them to come and comment on what I have just said, instead of how I sounded saying it.” Pierre laughed suddenly. “Ahh, I am so sorry to bore you with such details.”
Liz laughed along with Pierre. “Well, your boss should go to Brazil and try his English there. I used to give feedback to my non-native speakers of English just like your boss gives you. But now, I actually feel more like you,” Liz said with a huge smile on her face. She laughed again. “I too am an executive, and we are in the same boat. Just a few weeks ago I gave a presentation. Even though the official language of the company is English, I'm not sure the audience understood me. I was just seeing a sea of empty faces. I felt a little shattered! I am surrounded by Portuguese speakers who are working in English with me, but I am clearly at a major disadvantage.”
Pierre looked at her thoughtfully. “Thank you for sharing that, because I do not hear that too often. I often feel that we – the non-native speakers of English – do all the hard work. We take accent reduction courses and conversation classes, all after long days at work.” He laughed again. “What I would dream of is for native English speakers to develop some skills to be more comfortable with different cultures and accents. I'm okay to work hard, but they could meet us halfway. I want you to be at ease in Brazil, but I must confess how wonderful it is to hear a native speaker struggling in English!”
Pierre and Liz both burst out laughing. Pierre continued, “I see this problem in many companies in Asia. They spend hours and hours on accent reduction and work on their pitch – all of those painful things. I have a friend in Japan who's a genius – he really is – but a lot of Americans are having a hard time understanding him. He's totally brilliant and should be a part of the executive team. I think he has equal skills or even better skills than some of the current leaders, but he's not promoted because of his accent.”
Pierre and Liz had been so wrapped up in their conversation they didn't realize how crowded the airport lounge had become. Almost all the tables were filled with travelers frustrated with their long layovers. A dark-haired man had been sitting at the table next to Liz sipping on his scotch and trying to hide his overt interest in their conversation.
“I am so sorry, but I overheard what you said,” the man said to Pierre and Liz.
Pierre and Liz were both now becoming aware that the lounge was cramped and the crowd was growing. They looked over at the man.
“I apologize, but it is very interesting to me,” continued the man. “What you say is so true for me as well. I'm so sorry for interrupting. I just find it very interesting that you are talking about this. I have many friends in companies who are very frustrated because they don't feel they can express themselves well in English.”
Liz and Pierre shared a glance. “Don't apologize!” said Liz. “Do you have the same frustrations at work? Your English sounds fine!”
The man's eyes widened and he brought his index finger near the tip of his nose and tapped into the air three times. “Me?” he asked Liz.
Liz furrowed her eyebrows slightly. “Yes, yes, you. Do you have a hard time at work?”
“Well, like many Japanese it is really very difficult for us. We often sit in meetings and can't follow the meaning very well. Then there is what people call ‘brainstorming,’ but it just seems like people are guessing in public and people speak all at the same time – or even try to speak over each other. It is not very organized.” He hesitated. “I…I...I find it very difficult. I have gotten some cultural training where people told me this would happen, but I find it very frustrating, and I don't understand how this way is useful.”
Liz sat back in her seat and chuckled. “It's funny you say that, because when I worked in the U.S. brainstorming was second nature to me. But the first time I ran a meeting in Brazil, I opened up the chance for brainstorming and I was the only one speaking! It made me feel very uncomfortable.”
In disbelief, the Japanese man asked, “In Brazil?”
“Oh yeah! I thought brainstorming was second nature for people, but now I'm learning exactly what you're learning. What's your name, by the way?” asked Liz.
“I am Toshi.” He paused. “Yes, it is very difficult for me. And I worry sometimes how I will then get my ideas so quickly out in English.