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Communicating with Coworkers Who Don’t Speak Your Language

Communication is an integral part of any thriving society, it is how we express feelings and cultivate relationships. However, communication at home or at work can be very difficult for some people, and when you add a language/ culture barrier there are even more things that can go wrong. There are thousands of languages in the world, and in your lifetime you have probably met a wide assortment of people who did not speak your language. When you’re working with someone who speaks a different language there are many creative ways to communicate with them that will make collaboration and teamwork easier. Here are a few tips to help business communication go smoother for all parties involved.

Find Some Common Ground

Try to feel out how many words and phrases the other person knows in your language and vice versa. Use those to begin communications. It does not matter if the conversation is very simple, it is a start. Try to avoid the use of any slang words; using slang could lead to a lot of confusion or even offense if the person takes the slang term literally. Remember to speak clearly, loudly, and slowly. You will appreciate the same from them when they attempt to respond in their language. If you’re working with this person on a daily basis, try to use the same words over and over again. Don’t get fancy with your wording because learning a new language takes time and a lot of effort. As soon as you or the other person shows signs of improvement in the new language, then you can start using more complex sentences and challenging words. Using the same words that you both understand will help you communicate, but using the same word over and over that you don’t understand will not help. For example, if your coworker does not know the word for “peach” saying peach over and over again is not going to help them understand what it is. They will not have a Eureka! Moment and suddenly a new idea will pop into their head. Instead, grab a peach and point to it and say the name again. If you can’t find the object or it is an abstract concept, consider explaining the word in a simple definition they will understand.

2. Actively Listen

Listening to someone speak in a foreign language can be very confusing. If you know a few words, trying to translate them in your brain can take a great deal of effort. Try to make that effort and hopefully the person you are speaking back to is doing the same. Look out for confusion on their faces or nonverbal body movements that express perplexity. Most people say “huh” when they are confused no matter where they’re from. Others will shrug their shoulders or raise their eyebrows. If someone is trying to explain something to you in their language, try to learn the phrase for “I don’t understand” in their language so you can let them know they need to explain it differently.

3. Write It Down

Some people may understand a language on paper better than they can understand it while it is being spoken, especially since accents differ greatly among many languages. If someone has studied a language in school, for example, they probably have a lot more experience reading the language instead of speaking it. If you know that you’re going to be speaking with someone who does not speak your language, consider bringing a small notepad with you when you go to see them. If the person will not recognize a word even if you write it down, try drawing it. If you’re not much of an artist, Google the word on your phone and pull up images to show them.

coworkers communicating in different languages.
Source: Stockphoto.com O#20443 – ID#100092592016

4. Be A Mime

Not literally of course, but acting out what you are trying to convey can be very helpful since you are unable to use your words. For example, if you need to let this coworker know that it is time for lunch, mime having a plate and spooning food into your mouth. You can also rub your stomach to let them know you are hungry. Gestures can be helpful as well. For example, lifting up four fingers will let them know that the meeting is at 4 pm, or that you need 4 copies of a certain document, it all depends on the context of your conversation. Just keep in mind that not all gestures mean the same thing throughout the world. In some countries, certain American gestures are considered rude.

5. Get a Helpful Translator

If your company has recently brought in new employees from another country, or you have been hired into a company that works across different time zones or countries, it is a great idea to download some translation apps on your cell phone. You can use Google Translate right from your phone’s internet browser or you can peruse the app site for something to have readily on your phone. A few apps to consider downloading on your iPhone or Android device include iTranslate, TripLingo, SayHi, Voice Translator Free (Android only), and iHandy (iPhone only). If you don’t want to have your phone out all the time consider purchasing a language dictionary. Leave the dictionary in your desk and bring it along with you when you know you’re about to have a conversation with the coworker who doesn’t speak your language.

Overcoming a language barrier is not impossible. It is important to continue at it and not get frustrated with yourself or the other party. Remaining as professional as possible when speaking to any coworker is very important, so don’t forget these rules still apply to someone that doesn’t know your language. Respect the person who has come into your office with a language barrier, do not make them feel bad for not understanding a foreign language overnight. They are clearly at your job because they want to work and therefore they deserve to be treated with dignity. If it is you who is on the other side, you’d most appreciate this treatment returned to you.

How to get a Canadian Phone Number

Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy. However, its constitution recognizes the king or queen of the United Kingdom as its Head of State. The Head of Government is Prime Minister Justin Pierre James Trudeau, and Governor General Julie Payette represents the Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II. Canada is located in North America, its capital is Ottawa, and the administrative divisions include 10 provinces and three territories*: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon*.

The estimated population of Canada in 2017 was 36,708,100. Also in 2017, there were 14,987,520 fixed telephone lines (i.e., landlines) and 30.45 million cell phones.

Get a Canada Phone Number from Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding sells the largest selection of local, mobile, and toll free numbers in Canada. The numbers have fast activation with commitment. The local and mobile numbers are SMS optional.

Canadian phone numbers work as follows:

  • Your customer dials the number.
  • Global Call Forwarding routes the call to your phone anywhere in the world.
  • You receive the call on your phone or business telephone system.

All of these numbers are toll free to callers.

Buying a number is a straightforward process, as follows:

  1. Select Canada as the country.
  2. For a toll free number, select a prefix and then select a number.
  3. For a geographic number, select a locale, choose the SMS capability if desired, select a city, and select a number.

Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers in nearly every Canadian province. Canadian virtual numbers are available in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

Area Code Chart

The following graphic is an area code chart for Canada. An overlay is an area code that covers a region currently assigned to other area codes.

Population and Telephone Usage in Provinces and Territories

The subsequent paragraphs discuss each major province or territory, its population, landline estimate, and cell phone estimate. The basis for the telephone estimates is configured by the provinces or territories’ percentage of Canada’s population multiplied by the total number of landlines or cell phones.

Alberta

Alberta lies east of British Columbia, west of Saskatchewan, and south of the Northwest Territories. To the south, it borders the US state of Montana. Its capital is Edmonton, and its largest city is Calgary. Tourist destinations in Alberta include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper and Sylvan Lake. Alberta’s 2017 population was 4,286,100, and it had 1,749,968 landlines and 3,555,394 cell phones.

British Columbia

British Columbia borders the Pacific Ocean and Alaska to the west, Alberta to the east, Yukon and the Northwest Territories to the north, and the US states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana to the south. Its capital is Victoria, and its largest city is Vancouver. British Columbia has a diverse economy with service industries dominating its GDP. Its 2017 population was 4,817,200, and it had 1,966,811 landlines and 3,995,950 cell phones.

Manitoba

Manitoba borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut to the north, Hudson Bay to the northeast, and the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. Winnipeg is Manitoba’s capital and largest city. Agriculture, energy, forestry, mining, oil, and tourism dominate Manitoba’s economy. Its 2017 population was 1,338,100, and it had 546,332 landlines and 1,109,977 cell phones.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick borders Quebec to the northwest and the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast. The isthmus of Chignecto connects New Brunswick to Nova Scotia on the east. The Bay of Fundy is to the southeast, and the US state, Maine, is to the southwest. New Brunswick’s capital is Fredericton, and its largest city is Moncton. Its economy depends upon agriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining, and tourism. Its 2017 population was 759,700, and it had 310,177 landlines and 630,184 cell phones.

Canada provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador consists of Labrador on the mainland and the Island of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean. Labrador borders Quebec to the southwest with the Atlantic Ocean on all other sides. Newfoundland Island lies southeast of Labrador. St John’s, on Newfoundland Island, is the capital of the province and its largest city. The economy depends upon mines and quarries in Labrador, oil production from offshore platforms, the fishing industry; in Newfoundland, there are paper and lumber mills and agriculture.

Tourism is also important during the months of June through September. The province’s 2017 population was 528,800, and it had 215,903 landlines and 438,649 cell phones.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories border on Yukon Territory to the west, the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean to the north, Nunavut Territory to the east, and the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the south. Its capital and largest city is Yellowknife. Its economy depends upon its natural resources, which include gold, diamonds, natural gas, and petroleum. The Northwest Territories’ 2017 population was 44,500, and it had 18,169 landlines and 36,914 cell phones.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia lies southeast of New Brunswick, and water surrounds the Nova Scotia peninsula: the Gulf of St Lawrence to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Maine to the southwest, and the Bay of Fundy to the west. Nova Scotia’s capital and largest metropolitan area is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the world’s largest exporter of Christmas trees, lobsters, gypsum, and wild berries. Other sectors of its economy include defense and aerospace, the film industry, tourism, information and communications technology, and Michelin tires.

The province’s 2017 population was 953,900, and it had 389,467 landlines and 791,276 cell phones.

Nunavut

Nunavut Territory constitutes the major portion of northwest Canada and of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It borders the Northwest Territories to the southwest, Manitoba to the south, Hudson Bay to the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Its capital and largest city is Iqaluit. Mining, along with oil and gas exploration dominate the economy, which also depends upon arts and crafts, hunting, fishing, whaling, and the New Canadian High Arctic Research Station. The territory’s 2017 population was 38,000, and it had 15,515 landlines and 31,522 cell phones.

Ontario

Ontario is the most populous province in Canada. It is home to Canada’s capital, Ottawa. Toronto is the provincial capital and its largest city. Manitoba lies west of Ontario, and Hudson Bay and James Bay are to the north. Quebec is to the northeast and east, and five US states, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York are on Ontario’s southern border. Ontario’s economy includes manufacturing, power generation, natural resources, and auto production. The largest single employer in the national capital region is Canada’s Federal Government. The province’s 2017 population was 14,193,400, and it had 5,795,012 landlines and 11,773,669 cell phones.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the smallest province in land area and population. However, it is the most densely populated province at 25.25 persons per square kilometer. Its largest city and capital is Charlottetown. PEI lies in the Gulf of St Lawrence north of the Nova Scotia peninsula. Agriculture, the fishery, and tourism are the basis of its economy. The province’s 2017 population was 152,000, and it had 62,060 landlines and 126,087 cell phones.

Quebec

Quebec is the only province with a predominantly French-speaking population. Its capital is Quebec City, and its largest city and metropolitan area is Montreal. Natural resources, aerospace, information and communications technology, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry drive Quebec’s economy. Quebec borders: to the west, Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay. At the north, Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east, the Gulf of St Lawrence and Newfoundland and Labrador. To the south, Quebec borders New Brunswick and the US states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. The province’s 2017 population was 8,394,000, and it had 3,427,179 landlines and 6,962,967 cell phones.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a landlocked province with Alberta to the west, Northwest Territories to the north, Manitoba to the east, and the US states, Montana and North Dakota, to the south. Its capital and largest city is Saskatoon. Saskatchewan’s has a diverse economy. Service industries account for 41.3%. The remainder of the economy includes mining and petroleum (13.0%), wholesale and retail trade (11.7%), transportation, communications, and utilities (9.1%), manufacturing (7.7%), agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (6.8%), construction (5.1%), and other (5.3%). The province’s 2017 population was 1,163,900, and it had 475,208 landlines and 965,475 cell phones.

Yukon

Yukon borders Alaska to the northwest, the Beaufort Sea to the north, the Northwest Territories to the east, and British Columbia to the south. Whitehorse is its capital and only city, although there are also seven towns: Carmacks, Dawson, Faro, Haines Junction, Mayo, Teslin, and Watson Lake. Yukon’s economy consists of mining, tourism, manufacturing of furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, hydroelectricity, and trapping and fishing. The territory’s 2017 population was 38,500, and it had 15,719 landlines and 31,936 cell phones.