Podcast Episode 24 – International Communication in English with Chia Suan Chong

The Clark and Miller English Podcast with a photo of Chia Suan Chong on a red backgroundHave you ever had problems communicating with people from different cultures?

Have you ever felt that your English is good, but you’re still not getting your message across?

Speaking a language isn’t just about getting the words right – especially when you’re dealing with people from all over the world.

In this episode, I interview the awesome Chia Suan Chong, an expert in international communication and English as a lingua franca.

We talk about:

  • what English as a lingua franca is;
  • who can communicate better in English: native speakers or non-native speakers (the answer will surprise you);
  • how to be polite in English;
  • an interesting case of misunderstandings between catering ladies from India and baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport;
  • how communication skills can save lives;
  • whether teachers are prescriptivists or descriptivists;
  • how giving grammar reasons and not grammar rules can be better teaching;
  • how language can show us our similarities and differences.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (which was a lot!)

Listen on iTunes / Spotify / Acast / Stitcher / SoundCloud