Ask HN: Working in a language that isn't your native one. How hard was it?
I'm currently interviewing for roles in another language and it's so difficult. I'm wondering if this is universal? I'm struggling to even imagine the daily work in a company. Handling meetings, understanding requirements, standing up for my solutions... I sound like a child. Anyone lived through this? How?
On the other side, one thing I have tried to be more mindful of, as a native English speaker often working with nearshore contractors, is speaking and writing more simply. Enunciating more, slowing down a bit, and using fewer idioms can go a long way towards making ESL coworkers more comfortable.
I speak 4 languages fluently. Here is what helped:
1- Speak slowly. Don't rush it
2- Its fine to formulate what you want to say in your mind before saying it. take your time.
3- Use a phone and record yourself speaking about different subject. Practice, practice and practice.
4- Some audiences are harder than others. French people for example tend to nitpick and want you to be really fluent. While most english speakers are fine with your speaking, but it depends on the audience and who you are speaking to.
5- You obviously need to immerse yourself in the language you want to speak. Tv-shows, Movies, News and even tabloid. The latter is actuallt good to understand jokes, innuendos and other subtle conversations.
One thing I also noted, is that if you follow/watch people who are not native speakers, they actually tend to explain things/concepts better. Because they are limited in words and have limited scope compared to native speaker. Anyone remarked this?
"French people for example tend to nitpick and want you to be really fluent." I humbly disagree.Moved to France only recently and started a company. Whenever I try and talk to locals in French they politely interrupt and ask if it was easier for me in English.
That's all really great advice, thanks!
I suppose a lot of that time taking is what feels awkward but you're right it's better to be understood and clear.
Love the idea of non-natives explaining better in some ways but that doesn't feel like me right now.
Honestly, I feel this on a spiritual level — or, well, an infernal one.
My native language is PHP, which, as everyone knows, is the demonically fluent tongue of the Ninth Circle. Down there, variables appear from the void, arrays shift shape without warning, and error messages read like ancient curses. Beautiful stuff.
Recently I tried picking up Rust, which people kept hyping as some kind of angelic, higher-order language… but after using it, I’m convinced it’s just the void teaching itself self-esteem. Every compiler message sounds like: “I’m perfect. You’re the problem.”
So yeah — working in a non-native language is tough. But if I can survive switching between demon-speak and cosmic-void-whispering, you’ll be fine too.
Haha I should have been clearer that I meant human rather than programming (or demonic) language. But by the sounds of it, I should be down there in the infernal PHP realms! The boringest part of type safety is surely the safety...
My Bad, I keep think hacker news refers to mostly programming..
I'm pretty sure the parent post is referring to spoken language, not programming.
I’m confused as to why your comment got downvoted. It wasn’t rude and the poster even confirmed they misunderstood in a sibling comment.