Common Mistakes In Conversational English

I've been keeping this reference article for a while, trying to decide whether or not to feature it, However, after a short discussion with a friend over the weekend, I talking about english again is still beneficial.

I must admit that even I have been very lax with my english lately. Having left the BPO industry and needing to deal with an industry largely reliant on our mother tongue, I haven't had as much practice as I used to have before. I've also almost stopped watching movies and TV altogether, so the supplementary exercises that come with them have also been largely out of my life.However, I am grateful that my years of training still has not failed me yet - thanks largely to my dad's way of upbringing and the people I grew up with.

However, I understand that not everybody has the same linguistic blueprint as I do.  Jayjay Viray of Jobsdb lists down some of the common mistakes form applicants commonly encountered by recruitment professionals:

Prepositions – that one word that bridges a subject and a verb can make a huge difference in terms of giving meaning to the sentence. Many kids still stumble and use “giving for” as opposed to “giving to”.    Should you express sympathy “to” or “for” the bereaved?

Tenses – One sentence starts out in the present tense. The following then goes back to the past. And a third will swing to the future. The lack of temporal consistency can muddle the facts and confuse the interviewer.

Subject/verb agreement – Although this is the less common mistake, it still slips out occasionally. The subject may be singular, but the verb is plural, and vice-versa.

Unfamiliarity with American idioms – The grammar may be flawless, the syntax precise, but a couple of applicants still blink when the interviewer throws in American idioms or popular expressions their way. It’s not just a question of knowing what is “cool” or understanding what is “hip”. Would-be call center employees should watch out  if they are still “kept in the loop”, or if a client “can’t make heads or tails” of a product, or when the demands and requirements of a particular service are “going overboard.”

These phrases are not just picturesque, flowery descriptions – Americans, who make up the bunk of call center clients, use them in their everyday lingo. It’s important not just to understand these idioms, but to master their usage.

Translatese – A Filipino employee thinks in Filipino, and then translates it according to the same number of words and arrangement into spoken English. The result may be awkward and even grammatically imprecise. “Did you eat already?”  is literally “Kumain ka na ba?”. The correct English version is “Have you eaten?” – without the “already”.

How about the often used “I’ll buy you.” A non-Filipino who hears this may have sudden visions of a slave trade pop in his brain. But the Filipino saying this actually means, “I will buy (an item) FOR you.” His Translatese version comes from the Tagalog words he had already processed in his mind.  “Ibibili kita ng ________” (t-shirt, softdrink, lunch, etc.).

Confidence – This is perhaps a major factor that can swing for or against a call center applicant’s favor. We’ve had cases wherein interviewees started out on the same basic level, stumbling along their grammar and syntax. But those who do not allow themselves to be intimidated somehow, some way pull some linguistic rabbit out of their habit. Before the interview is over, they have managed to minimize their mistakes and uttered grammatically correct if not exactly sophisticated conversational English.

Pet Peeves of Hiring Managers

Abridged version published on Manila Bulletin, September 16, 2009

Perhaps because of our history of being colonized more than once, we Filipinos find it easy to pick up new languages – the most prominent of which is English. With our many different dialects, and a history of debate over the true national language, English has helped us find a middle ground with which we can communicate with our countrymen, as well as with foreigners.

This, however, does not make us instant experts. Oftentimes, interviewers must struggle to understand what their applicants are telling them. Below are a few of their pet peeves, and some tips on how to avoid them.

1. Mispronunciation

Brought about by the differences in the phonetics of English and Filipino, we are very susceptible to replacing certain consonants for consonants that sound similar to them. The most common mistake is interchanging p’s with f’s, and b’s with v’s, giving you terms like “suferbisor” or “fropesor”.

Probably also due to our many different dialects, we are also susceptible to interchanging vowels for each other. Popular occurrences are even used for local advertising, such as “fich mengo pie” (peach mango pie). We also make the mistake of reading the word exactly as it is spelled, which is one of the main difference of English with many languages. Words with silent letters like almonds, become “ahlmonds”, and words with special pronunciation, like “façade”, can be a challenge for us.

To avoid this, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with the correct pronunciation of these words. When you encounter a new word, take some time to look it up in the dictionary and check the phonetic symbols. If you cannot understand the phonetic symbols, you can go online and check for English songs that make use of that word. If you can’t find it, the word you like may be too high falutin, and it might be better to look for an alternative word to use.


2. Filler Words

In any language we use, we are always limited by the amount of words we know. Some individuals find it easy to use the terms that they have learned. However, during stressful times, or when we are rushing, the right set of words may escape us. Many of us resort to the use of filler words that buy us a few seconds to think the correct term, or to organize our thoughts. Basic common fillers are non-words, such as “umm” or the tagalog term, “ano”. People also use fillers words at the start of a sentence, using terms like “actually” or “basically”, or with sentence enders like “you know”.

Frequent use of these terms can become irritating to the listener, distracting him from your message. Take a few seconds to organize your thoughts. Your interviewer would not take offense if you took a short breath before answering his question. The best way is to start with your gist of your answer, which is the topic, then follow-up with supporting details. You’ll find that filler words may not be necessary when you go straight to the point.


3. Forced Accent

With the advent of the BPO industry, there is an increase in employers looking for good verbal English skills. At times, applicants resort to imitating foreign accents to show their versatility in the English language. However, if you are not used to speaking in this language, your English comes out sounding like it went through a meat grinder and got stuck in the middle.

It is best to avoid using any accent to highlight your English skills. Your objective to be able to send your message across and the use of accents may prevent this from happening. A preferable style would be to have a neutral accent, similar to the diction of CNN newscasters. Do not be afraid to open your mouth for vowels, and make sure you are not speaking too fast. Your interviewer will surely appreciate your efforts.


4. Answering in the Wrong Language

There is a very simple rule in conversational skills – when you are asked a question, answer in the same language the question was asked in. Don’t give yourself a hard time by answering a tagalog question in English. Use simple words to convey your message across.

If you were asked a question in English, and you do not quite know how to answer it in English, ask for permission with the interviewer if you may answer it in Filipino. Being polite and respectful of your interviewer is always beneficial to you.


5. Unclear, or Round-about Answers

The way our sentences are constructed is different from the way English sentences are constructed. Sometimes, however, it is much easier for us to do a word per word translation, instead of taking the essence of the entire sentence and re-wording it to English. Doing a word per word translation can make your message unclear. It is important that we take time to organize our train of thought, and construct the sentences that can get that message across properly. Do not be afraid of using short sentences, as opposed to the popularity of longer sentences in formal Filipino. Be direct to the point, and spare you and your interviewer the extra minutes trying to make a short answer long.

Why Good English Matters In Applying For A Job

No man is an island, so the old saying goes. And how can you be an island? With the Philippine population pegged at 88 million last 2007, you cannot deny that you are not alone. This requires us to learn how to interact with other people to be able to survive, and a major foundation of human interaction is communication. Without good and effective communication, where will we find our society today?

There are different ways to communicate, but the most valuable communication resource sought after in the market is fluency in the English language. As the universal language, the use of English enables us to cross the boundaries of different cultures. This is extremely helpful in this day and age, with different businesses going global, and more opportunities for work and business opening up beyond our country’s borders.

Because of these opportunities, more job vacancies are opening up that require fluency in English. Many of our budding industries right now have international clientele. These types of businesses require good English skills to be able to maintain their company operations. This makes English one of the skills that support the lifeline of their company – their international clients.

The need to learn English is not just restricted to businesses that have international relations. With the numerous dialects in the Philippines, English is becoming a second language with which we can conduct business deals with. It provides a cue that discussions conducted in this language mean serious business, and is separate from personal affairs. Many official documents are also written in English. It is important for those receiving and handling these documents that they are able to understand them. Wrong interpretations of the contents of important documents could mean life or death. This can happen in many different fields, in as simple as daily transactions at a store, making an investment with your hard earn money, or saving a life in the E.R.

Despite all the benefits of English to a company, not all positions in a company require good English skills. For some companies, only key personnel are required to be fluent in the English language. These key positions are usually positions of authority – positions that can make or break a deal. Majority of these positions have supervisory or managerial roles. Their need to master the English language is brought about by the need for accuracy, precision and clarity in their communications with their clients. It is from these communications that the rest of the company will get their daily tasks from, and ensure that the company is moving like clockwork. Correct judgment calls made from proper understanding of client needs are what run a company, and ensure that many of us continue to have a career and a source of living.

Since not everybody is applying for such a role, many job seekers can opt to not master the English language. However, this would limit the length of your growth in your career of choice. For many of us, we dream of eventually being able to hold high levels of responsibility, and receive the equivalent compensation for such work. Companies will consider how far your abilities can benefit them. Without mastery of the English language, both your dream, and your usefulness to the company, will be severely limited.

Given all these reasons, if not for the sake of your future company, the least you can do is to arm yourself with the tools you will need to make your life better. You don’t need to be a genius to master English. All it requires is your determination. English is simply a skill, and just like any other skill, it can be learned and it can be developed. All it takes is for you to make that decision.