Communicating with Bilinguals

When I worked as a teacher at Child Development Association I had to really pay attention to how I communicated with parents who spoke English as a second language. I had to use simple words with them so they could understand me. I slowed down my speech because I wanted to make sure that they were understanding and processing the information correctly. When they spoke I had to closely listen to what they had to say and have patience when they had to think about the right words to say to get their message across. I had a co-worker that needed help with her English writing. I had to proofread her writing to make sure she was grammatically correct. I also had to be patient with her because her Puerto Rican accent would get in the way of me understanding the English word she was trying to say. She may even ask me what something meant and I would have to find a synonym that she understood.

 I communicate differently with my son than I do with the children in my childcare center. I can keep separate how I deal with my child versus someone else’s child. When I answer the phone I sound my most professional. My voice changes and if it is a potential parent then I go into a sales mode. There are many ways I communicate with different people and different situations. Am I being just me all the time? I think I am, but in different ways.