Many years ago I attended an international school. In the school, as in “real life”, people from the same nationalities tended to stay together. Attracted to the safety that it represents to be with people who speak the same language and understand the same customs and codes. In unfamiliar settings. All the “minority” foreigners (as we were all foreigners), had to mingle with the other large groups. And what happened? A lot of the time they could not participate in the conversation, because the majority group spoke their mother tongue, rather than the joint language; English. After a while a new group emerged, the one with a mix of minority foreigners. I think they gained a lot more out of their stay abroad than those who stayed with their fellow countrymen- and women.
Language is power, they say. I suppose it was originally meant for people within the same country, splitting between those who could read, write and master the language elegantly and those who couldn’t. Today the scope is bigger. In large international companies the ones who speak fluently the main company language is at advantage of the others. And they can use the language as a tool; to include and to exclude. People in general prefer to feel part of a group, to belong. Choosing to speak a language that not everyone understands, is a very strong excluding technique that has efficient results if the aim is to make someone feel as an outsider. But, most of the time, we are probably just not aware of our own impact in groups with different language skills.
So, what are good language inclusion behaviours?
– When in a group, speak a language that everyone understands. I know it is easier to slip into the mother tongue or a language you master well, but the group will benefit from the input of a person with a different background.
– Let people try to express themselves, even if it takes them longer than you. The dance around the subject might actually bring something to the conversation. If they ask for help on translation, that’s the moment to offer the word they are looking for.
– Ask your colleague if s/he wants to be corrected in grammar, offering it as a gift to improve.
– Be open for “creative” versions of expressing a situation (it’s great when people think of a saying in their own language and try to do an instant and direct translation – wonderful new perspectives!)
– If your language level is much higher than those in your group, try to use more common words and avoid regional jargon.
When talking about inclusion at work or in social settings, I often think about micro-inequities, or “little things mean a lot”. All the little things we say and do that when added up can have a strong positive or negative effect on others. Being aware of our impact makes the difference.
