Are you comfortable asking people for clarification when you don’t understand them? How about offering clarification to make sure people understand you?
Some of us may not like to ask for clarification because we don’t want to seem inattentive or disrespectful. We may hesitate to offer clarification because we don’t want to be perceived as lacking confidence in our speech or in other cases, patronizing.
However, being completely confident with both of these is useful, and in some cases crucial, for successful communication. This is true whether English is your first language or second language.
The article below, from ThoughtCo., provides common phrases that you can use to effectively clarify and check information.
When using these phrases, it’s also important to use the right tone. For example, using a polite and professional tone may be appropriate in most of these situations.
Observe how others ask and give clarification. Consider recording and re recording yourself saying some of the phrases until it conveys the attitude you wish to express.
If English is your second language and you are interested in enhancing aspects of your English communication, Progressive Speech provides customized training focused on effective, clear, and confident speech.
/confirmation-56a2aefb3df78cf77278c7e9.jpg)