Trust in language? What? Shénme? 什么? During my time living in Shanghai, I have become accustomed to the hundreds of "literal" translations between Chinese and English that do not always come out right when it comes to manners and politeness in either culture. How do you trust your staff to represent your company in a polite and professional way in a second language? What do your customers think of your staff when they communicate in English, when they rely on one-to-one or literal trans-lations that do not always mean what they think it means. Take, for example, the "What?!" that I regularly hear as a facilitator, uttered by non-native English speaking participants when they haven't understood or heard something properly in a workshop. Again, I frequently hear the ubiquitous "What?!" when I speak on the phone (in English) in China, when the listener on the other end didn't catch what I had said. Sure, as a language point, the pronunciation and grammar are correct – Shénme? (什么?) / What?. However, does a better expression exist that serves the same purpose, and shows an individual's politeness, professionalism and understanding of language in context? How do I feel, as a native English speaker when I hear "What?!"? As a Shanghai resident, qualified English trainer and speaker of basic Mandarin, I understand the many linguistic idiosyncrasies between the English and Chinese languages and appreciate that a "what" is not necessarily meant in Chinese as rudely as it sounds in English. However, for the first timer, they may wonder… is the speaker being rude, impatient or careless? These unintended consequences can get in the way of successful communication. In these situations, the utterance of "What?" (shénme) spoken in Chinese, whilst not the most polite utterance, will suffice in many contexts if someone didn't hear or understand. In English, "what" has certain polite alternatives that in business contexts are essential for professional differentiation. A "Pardon?" or "Sorry?" with rising intonation makes the native English speaker feel far more at ease, and inclined to respond with a better, friendlier answer or clearly repeated phrase. So, what can be done about it? Literal translations might be useful or correct in certain moments, but how might unintended meanings affect your company's image of being polite and professional? A professional Business English trainer or coach can guide non-native English speakers towards polite English discourse, and provide multiple role-play and feedback opportunities to participants to raise the awareness of the use of fossilized language errors and the dangers of literal translations. Decide what is an acceptable level of language politeness for your company and your team, raise the awareness, learn new phrases, practice, give feedback and encourage your team to become more aware of specific language details that can make all the difference between your company and your competitors. Trust your team to represent your company internationally as best as possible, and let them trust in their company's guidance and provision of the best English phrases for the most polite, effective and efficient communication. Go to overview ->