Your English Need Not Be Perfect — The Courage to Be Understood

I went to Canada with no English at all and stayed four years and eight months. My conclusion: what the world asks of us is not correct English but the courage to be understood.

Many Japanese people fear mistakes so much that they stay silent until their grammar is perfect. Yet most English speakers in the world are said to be non-native. Global English has always been a practical tool, full of accents and errors. My friends Barry and Brian never once laughed at my broken English. People who try to communicate are rarely laughed at; it is the silent who get overlooked.

In negotiations, too, the person who leans forward with simple words often earns more trust than someone who says nothing in perfect English. Language may be only a vessel for warmth. Basic vocabulary, something worth saying and a little courage may be all we need. What do you work for?