“Lost in Translation” – Less is more
In order to avoid unnecessary errors, the individual sentences and the entire content in general should not be drawn out unnecessarily. In addition, you can safely avoid excessive showmanship for the wrong reasons, for example trying to make the email particularly intellectual. Basically, the rhetoric in the English email conversation does not have to be of the quality of a member of parliament. That’s not necessary. The balance of diplomacy, clarity and straightforwardness determines the (good) tone of the conversation. A general or patent recipe is difficult to define, but if you stick to the KISS formula – keep it short and simple – you are doing a lot right. When sentences are kept short and simple, there is little room for errors.
“I’m foxdevilswild” – Just don’t translate German proverbs and sayings
Admittedly, it is not always so easy to communicate the meaning and meaning of German idioms in English. And yet these are the ones who often fall victim to 1:1 translations. In the best case, people smile and have fun, but in the worst case, they doubt their competence because the recipient only understands train stations – which, by the way, is translated as “it’s all Greek to me” and not “I just understand train station”.
Many mistakes also happen because the texts are first written in German and then translated word for word. However, the orientation towards the German “original” is not particularly helpful. However, learning and using common phrases can make communication much easier and even promote it.
More Dos & Don’ts – This is how it works with the neighbors too
The address and the content (salutation, structure, greeting, attachments) are important factors in English email communication. The tonality in English emails is often different than in German. In the USA, the relaxed tone of voice is not unusual, and people sometimes greet each other with a cheerful “Hi”. In England, however, things are a little more personal. Of course, the correct salutation in English emails also depends on the situation and the type of relationship with the recipient. Depending on the situation, it is sometimes formal, sometimes informal.
Native English speakers also tend to switch to their first name more quickly, which is generally rather unusual in Germany. The typical abbreviations should also be known. You may also want to be careful not to mix the different varieties of English (BE, AE, etc.). In general, you should familiarize yourself with the people you are talking to. In addition to purely linguistic qualifications and competence, cultural peculiarities, national standards and the very own idioms of a language also play a decisive role in English email communication.
Expert tips: How to successfully present in English
1. Engage your audience
The audience must be able to identify with your words. Give your listeners a problem to think about: “Suppose your marketing budget was cut by 99 per cent tomorrow. How would you go about promoting your product?” Or tell your audience a personal story or anecdote. Use “enrolling questions”: “How many of you want a lot more money in their lives? And how many of you want a lot more freedom in their lives? How many of you want both?” The important thing here is that you really want to see hand signals from your audience. Therefore: When you ask the first question, raise your right arm high up. For the second question, raise your left arm all the way up. Maintain eye contact with your audience.
2. Use plasticizers
Many so-called softeners are used in English – idioms that make what is said sound more diplomatic, words like like, quite, a little, fairly, all in all, probably, a bit, more or less. “I sometimes think we are just a little too price-conscious.” Or: “It’s not quite what we wanted, but it’s a little better than their last offer”. Say these sentences to yourself with and without the softener. How does it feel when you install the softeners? Practice using softeners in your sentences.
3. Be opinionated
Especially in a second language, it is often difficult to find the courage to confidently represent your own opinion. Learn phrases to help you introduce your opinion politely and firmly in meetings and presentations. The Softeners’ rules apply here again: I can imagine that…, In my experience… (no one can say anything against your experience), I can honestly say that…
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Realize that questions are not a bad thing. Especially when you present in the second language, the fear of questions is even greater than in the native language. First of all: Thank you for every question. “Thank you for posing that question” or just “Thank you, great question”. Also introduce your answer briefly. I think I answered that earlier.. or Well, as I said… (you have already mentioned the matter before). I’m afraid I don’t have that information with me. Can I get back to you on that? Or I don’t know that off the top of my head. Can I get back to you on that? (You don’t have the answer at hand.) Irrelevant questions can be answered with “Good question and I am glad you asked that but I think that raises a different issue.” Or pass the question back to the speaker and the audience: “Interesting (question). What do you think?” Or: “Interesting (question). Does anyone have an answer for that?”
5. Nobody is perfect
Say goodbye to your German perfectionism. It is more important that you are perceived as authentic and human than that you give a boring lecture with perfect grammar. North Americans want to be entertained. If you notice that you are not being understood, speak up: “I have a feeling I am not being clear? Is that true?” If you realize you have expressed something poorly, simply say: “I thought I was not clear. Let me rephrase that…” In English, this is called ‘as-ising’ (telling it as it is).
6. Make sure attachments are correct
Fragen werden im Englischen nicht einfach nur mit Yes oder No beantwortet, es gibt immer einen Anhang. “Do you like your hotel?” – “Yes, I do. (Thanks for asking)” Oder :”Yes, very much (Thanks for asking).” “Could you say that again?” – “Yes, of course!” “Do you agree with me?” – “No, I am sorry, I (really) don’t.”
7. Public contact
Love your audience! Unlike the Germans, North Americans are not afraid of each other’s success. Your audience wants you to succeed. Always maintain eye contact during your speech. Address your audience directly. Your listeners want to be seen. They want to feel addressed by you and not be perceived as a nuisance.
