Do you know how to connect with any type of native speaker at any time?
In today’s episode we’ll break down native speakers into three types of people and we’ll show you how to get a conversation going with any of them by working with them where they are at.
Today’s episode is all about being able to anticipate.
When you approach someone you should have an idea of what type of person they are and how they will respond to you.
Your idea of this person is just a theory and it’s based on where you are located.
3 types of native speakers:
#1: A native speaker who has not traveled. This person is not used to hearing English in any way other than the way they speak it. They might not even understand a native speaker with a different accent or a British person. This person has no practice hearing English with any other accent besides what they use. Older people might also be in this category, ages 60 and up. A person at this age might also have hearing issues. Don’t give up on speaking to them! They will have very interesting things to say. They have lived long lives and they have insight into historical events that you’ll never hear from people your age. Here is what you can do if you notice that they are puzzled. You can say:
- “I’m sorry. Should I repeat myself”?
- “Did you get that”?
- Slow down and say each sound clearly
#2: A native speaker who is used to hearing international accents. This person has heard international people speaking English. They might have a coworker from another country or they have interacted with international people in shops or at restaurants but they don’t experience international accents all of the time. They might need a little bit more time to adjust to hearing your accent. This is the majority of people in the US. You should expect that you’ll have to repeat what you say.
- “Should I repeat that?”
#3: A native speaker who listens to international accents all day or a teacher. Jessica and Lindsay fall into this category. It doesn’t matter what your accent is. We will understand immediately. The native speakers that participate in the Boston Adventure will fall into this category or somewhere in between category 2 and 3.
The takeaway:
To connect with people we need to meet people where they are at.
Not everyone is going to be at the same level in terms of understanding international accents.
That’s why we created our course to help you build the skills to speak with anyone.