Having lived in Japan for over two years now, this Brit has learnt a few things about communicating to Japanese people. This obviously includes day-to-day living and teaching students, of all ages, with varying levels of English.
If you don’t know, “grading language” means communicating at a level so the receiver understands. Or in other words, use simple words so people understand.
It can be challenging for speaker and listener alike.
I usually grade my language and slow down my speech to be understood. Even now, as I write this, I am grading what is written. I write a sentence and think “will people understand this?”, then delete it all and write something simpler.
Is that okay? Am I being rude thinking that the listener/reader won’t understand me?
Am I helping with the other person’s English language by limiting my vocabulary?
In my classes I do use words that are unknown to my students to help them learn and communicate better.
That is the key thing. COMMUNICATION.
TOO DIFFICULT? - ***I use the words I think you know and would be useful to you. If you’re four years old or 64, I want you to understand me and I you. I am grateful of the dedication, hard work and willingness to understand and to be understood.***
EASIER - Use simple words. Use words you know. Learn the words you need to, such as what you are interested in.
It’s okay to make mistakes, I still do and English is my first language!
Learning English takes a long time. A native English speaker could spend their whole life studying grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation and still won’t know everything!
To anyone that is learning English:
1. Use the English that you know, as often as possible.
2. Study the English that you want.
3. Practise what you have studied until you know it.
4. Go to 1.
Any comments, please let me know. Duncan.
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