For 20 years Shelley Purchon taught people from all over the world to improve their English. Then she decided to turn the tables. She now helps English speakers to adjust the way that THEY communicate, so that people who didn’t grow up with English as a mother tongue can understand them more easily.

Shelley learned the hard way how it feels to try to understand a foreign language when she moved to Spain in her twenties. Seven years later she moved back to the UK and taught refugees. She began to notice that although her students could understand her, they were struggling to understand other English people.

She realised that most native English Speakers just didn’t know how to adjust their speech for a person who wasn’t fluent in English. 

In 2018 Shelley set up English Unlocked to tackle this problem. 

In this episode, she shares some great tips for individuals and organisations, so that you can make your message equally engaging for everyone you’re speaking to, no matter how good their English is.

If you have international clients and colleagues, or if English isn’t your first language, you are going to love this episode. 

 

Enjoy!

 

What you’ll learn:

• Shelley’s own experience as a non-native living in Spain.
• The epiphany she had that started her on the journey to starting her company. 
• Why someone who speaks fluently in your language may still struggle to integrate seamlessly into your business. 
• Why being a native speaker could be costing you sales and business opportunities. 
• The challenges that Shelley has faced in getting people to pay attention to this problem and how she overcame them.
• The three biggest benefits for an individual or organisation of modifying their language. 
• The biggest mistakes people make when they speak to non-native speakers.
• Tips that will make all the difference to engaging non-native speakers. 
• Whether it’s still possible to effectively use metaphors, analogies, stories and humour when you’re speaking to an international audience. 
• What Shelley has noticed about the way I can communicate better on the podcast.

 

https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/post/how-did-english-unlocked-get-started

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-inclusive-your-company-non-native-english-speakers-purchon

https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/post/watch-this-video

 

All things Shelley:

How To Be Understood By Overseas Clients (And Avoid Losing Sales)

Code for Discount to Shelley’s Event: ARCHER50

https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/

https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/weekly-drop-in

https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/free-downloads

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-purchon-38969b107/

The LinkedIn post relating to international humour

 

Books:

The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and Others in Your Life  by Helen Palmer

 

Resources:

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership

Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme. 

Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here.

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

 

Thanks for listening!

 

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