|
Communication
|
|
- Attends to the choice of working language(s)
- Chooses modes of communication that suit the particular communicative purpose
- Establishes suitable communication networks
- Establishes and agrees communication protocols
- Takes steps to deal with communication problems
|
|
- Motivated to learn and use other languages, and willing to invest time and effort in this
- Confident in ability to pick up and use foreign languages
- Tries out words and expressions in unfamiliar languages
|
|
- Adapts use of language to the proficiency level of the recipient(s) so as to maximise comprehensibility
- Pays attention to, and adapts where necessary, aspects such as:
- Speed
- Frequency and length of pausing
- Complexity of sentence structure
- Complexity of vocabulary
- Use of idioms and colloquialisms
- Use of local accents and dialects
|
|
- Listens attentively
- Signals that listening is taking place
- Regularly checks and clarifies the meaning of important words and phrases, to ensure that all participants attach the same meaning to them, even when they are well known
- Notices potential misunderstandings and seeks clarification/negotiates meaning until common understanding is reached
|
Attuning |
- Adept at observing indirect signals of meaning, such as intonation, eye contact and body language, and at picking up meaning from them
- Pro-actively studies indirect signals of meaning, asking about them in order to deepen their knowledge at a conscious level
- Learns to interpret indirect signals appropriately in different cultural and communicative contexts
|
|
- Discloses and elicits background information that is needed for mutual understanding and meaningful negotiation
- Structures and highlights information by using discourse markers to ‘label’ language, by using visual or written aids, and by paying attention to the sequencing of information
- Exposes own intentions by explaining not only ‘what’ s/he wants, but also ‘why’ s/he wants it
|
Stylistic flexibility |
- Pays attention to the different styles of communication (e.g. formal/informal; expressive/restrained) that people may use
- Builds a repertoire of styles to suit different purposes, contexts and audiences
- Uses different language styles flexibly to suit different purposes, contexts and audiences
|