An inclusive team for non-native English speaker

When I joined Messenger, my English was bad. As a non-native English speaker, it was hard to communicate. Hopefully, that’s changed by having an inclusive team and by working on my English. Here are some tips I listed to help your team being more inclusive if you’re a non-native English speaker:

• When you don’t understand, ask to reformulate instead of repeating. I remember this awkward moment, when I asked three times my design lead to repeat a question. This situation would have been better if I asked to reformulate instead.
• Suggest people avoid acronyms as much as possible. I was working on Instagram Direct and I asked my manager what IGD meant. If it’s hard to learn new English words, acronyms are way harder. Sometimes, acronyms can exclude people from conversations.
• Ask for something to review (pre-read, Figma file, product brief) before a meeting. I know it’s extra-work, but when I don’t have context on a meeting before it starts, it hard to structure my thoughts and articulate my questions.
• Suggest that you need some time to pause before your questions. By the time I’ve formulated my question in mind, the team have often started a new conversation. If you need time, advocate for it. “Could we pause here? I have a question I’d like to ask”.
• Ask an ally if they can ask for your opinion in meetings. When your ally notices you haven’t spoken up in a meeting, they can engage you directly and give you the opportunity to give your opinion. When a teammate ask for my opinion, I feel so valued and thankful.
• Ask for confirmation that what you said was clear. A lot of time I presented something with the feeling of being clear. But sometimes the questions I received make me realize that nobody fully understood my explanation. Don’t hesitate to pause as you go and ask if people are following.
• Set expectations by educating your team on the fatigue experienced. I didn’t understand why I needed so much sleep starting this new job. Focusing all day on a different language costs a lot of energy.
• Let people know that you encourage feedback. For example, I like to know if I am pronouncing a word incorrectly, or I have made spelling mistakes.
• Take notes. Writing notes help me to keep track of discussions. When I can’t take notes (because I’m presenting a project for example) I ask someone to do it for me.
• Take English Classes. It’s a time and money investment, but it’s extremely helpful. Do not hesitate to take classes to improve your English.