Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[myprofe]

Successful oral communication with a native English speaker depends on your ability to understand what is being said and your capacity to make yourself understood, the latter being easier due to the fact that native speakers are more reluctant to alter their way of speaking. If you�re having difficulty following a conversation with a business partner or client it�s important to make the other person aware of this. Not only are both of you wasting your time but the slightest misunderstanding could have serious results down the road. Ask him or her to speak slowly and repeat back the important information with expressions like, �So, what you�re saying is; let me see if I understood you correctly; OK, you want me to.� And, as a final step, make a habit of following up each conversation by sending a written summary of the important topics. You can never be too careful.
Gordon www.myprofe.com/tandem