How to work with Clients who DON'T Speak English

‘Hey Phil, can you go do a subjective history of Mr Zhang? He only speaks Cantonese.’

One of the most helpful attributes I developed in my life (albeit not through effort), is the ability to speak three different languages.

I can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

To say this helped in my career is an understatement.

And even though I speak three languages, I live in Sydney – one of the most multicultural cities in the world, which means that I have to communicate with non-English speaking background or ‘NESB’ quite a lot.

It’s because I’ve been able to communicate with so many NESB that I know there are DOs and DON’Ts that they appreciate. So here are my top tips for communicating with someone who doesn’t speak English. If you want to watch the video, just click on the video below. Otherwise, read on, reader!

First and Foremost

Let’s all operate under the same assumption here. Just because someone doesn’t speak your language does not mean they are somehow intellectually inferior to you. This is an important statement I have to make because so many people speak to NESB as if they’re dumb (from the tone, pace and over-explanation). I have so many family friends who were engineers and doctors back in China, that had to do low-skill labour in Australia because they simply couldn’t understand the language. It’s a language issue, not an intellectual one.

Okay, now that we’re all operating on the same page… let’s go through what you SHOULDN’T do first.

Don’t #1 – Speak More

For the sake of this exercise, let’s imagine you are English speaking and are currently in China. You’re trying to grasp the language (so you know a few words), and someone is trying to explain the directions to a certain train station.

Let me ask you something.

Do you think it’d help more if he:

Said less, and slowly… or said more and quickly?

I bet you said the first option. And yet, that’s exactly the OPPOSITE of what happens. Most people who try to communicate with NESB try to say more, and quicker. Sorry, I just find this strategy so incredibly dumb and if you’re doing it… I hope you stop right away.

Speaking faster and more words is hard even for native English speakers to understand. How the hell is a NESB supposed to benefit from that?

Don’t #2 – Speak Louder

If someone doesn’t understand your language, how does speaking LOUDER help? They’re not DEAF. They juts don’t have your language. So if you speak faster AND louder, do you think that’s going to help?

Of course not. It’ll do the inverse. Your patient will get nervous and have even more difficulty understanding you.

Don’t #3 – Repeating the same words over and over

If they don’t understand what you’re saying the second time, what use is repeating the same thing the third, fourth of fifth time? It’s like banging your head against a wall. It’s incredibly silly. And quite comical.

The good news is, once you understand these three mistakes – you already know what to do. You just have to reverse engineer the process.

Do #1 – Speak Less

If your patient speaks broken English, you need to speak broken English. If you can get your message across with 3 words, then do so. There’s not benefit to 10. Instead of saying, ‘does your back hurt?’ You can probably say… ‘back hurt?’ and point to the location.

Sometimes, it’s actually more helpful to stop speaking completely and communicate through body language. Charades works for a reason. And you’ll be surprised – you can actually get your message across more effectively than relying on words.

Do #2 – Speak Evenly

If speaking quickly and loudly makes understanding worse, then speaking slowly and normally makes it better. By being calm and measured, your patient will feel more settled and be able to understand you more.

Do #3 – Use Simple, Basic Words

Simple words are good not just for NESB, but for EVERYONE. Even a scientist would rather listen to something simple than an audiobook of a systematic review. Don’t fall for the trap of jargon and complexity like it’s somehow going to demonstrate your expertise. Your expertise is only relevant to the extent that the person in front of you UNDERSTANDS it. So understanding first, expertise second.

Communicating with NESB is easier than you think. It just takes self-awareness and consideration for the patient. I hope this helps!

Wishing you success,
Phil