Common Communication Mistakes Made by Business Professionals For Whom English Is Not Their First Language
As a person for whom English is not their first language, there are common grammatical mistakes that can lead to your being misunderstood by colleagues.
Here are the top two most common grammar mistakes a business professional might make when communicating at work.
Uncountable Nouns
The English language is full of nuances, specific circumstances and quite frankly, inconsistent grammar rules. One of these nuances is the difference between countable and non-countable nouns. Countable nouns are more common and refer to nouns that can be counted. These nouns have both a singular and a plural form. For example: woman/women, plate/plates. By contrast, non-countable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted. Some examples of non-countable nouns are sleep, furniture, and art.
A common mistake made by non-native English speakers is assigning quantitative value to non-countable nouns. For example, they might say, “I want two arts” rather than the correct form, “I want two pieces of art.” In this example, because “art” is a non-countable noun, a countable noun, “pieces,” is inserted, in order to pluralize the quantity.
Subject-verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is another common mistake made by non-native English speakers in both verbal and written communication. When structuring a sentence, it is important for the subject and verb to agree with one another. The verb must be pluralized if the subject is plural. For example, a person might say, “One of my co-workers like to cook pasta for dinner.” The correct version of this sentence is “One of my co-workers likes to cook pasta for dinner.” Subject-verb agreement is incredibly nuanced. It is often a strong indicator of whether a person is a native English speaker, or English is not their first language.
Oral English Skills vs. Written English Skills
Another common issue I see amongst business professionals is a gap between oral English skills and written English skills. For many executives, writing in English can be significantly more difficult than speaking English at work. This makes sense when you consider the added complexities of spelling and punctuation required in written communication versus oral communication.
In this recent article by Forbes, writer TJ McCue explores how these written communication errors can hinder your career growth and how tools, such as Grammarly are helping non-native speakers improvise their written English.
Your Colleagues Want You to Succeed
As an English language coach specializing in business communication, I have helped countless executives and senior business professionals, for whom English was not their first language, become better understood at work. As part of my tailored learning support, I create strategies to address gaps in your skillset and your English communication. We then work to develop these communication skills, based on your specific role, your industry, and your career growth.
Schedule a 30 Minute Complimentary Meeting to meet Sandra via phone or video. Find out if you both are a good fit to work together. Come to the call with your questions and what business communications challenges you’d like to get help with.