Tips for multilingual meetings with international colleagues
Do you work in an international team or interact with international colleagues? If so, chances are that your meetings will often be in English. However, not everyone may be equally fluent in English and international colleagues may not be proficient enough in Dutch. Multilingual meetings can be a solution.
Receptive and parallel language use
In multilingual meetings, you could all choose to speak your own language, as long as everyone understands one another. This is called receptive language use and could mean a Dutch question is answered in English, for example.
If you choose to speak English with your colleagues even though your native language is Dutch, this is known as parallel language use. Then international colleagues can respond more quickly and understand what is being said.
Whichever meeting form you choose, multilingual meetings create more flexibility and inclusion within a project group, team or department.
Tips for multilingual meetings
If you have opted for multilingual meetings, it helps to speak slowly and to watch out with proverbs or sayings. More tips for your next meeting with international colleagues.
Are you a member of one of our participation bodies? The university has various language facilities, such as language buddies, for participation body members who do not speak Dutch.
Participation bodies: language facilities