How to tactfully communicate when it's hard to understand someone's speech/accent?

Anonymous

December 20,2023 at 5:30AM UTC

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How to tactfully communicate when it's hard to understand someone's speech/accent?

This is a "politically incorrect" question, but as someone in tech in need of a job, I REALLY struggle to understand the speech of some accents, especially a strong accent and/or talking fast, and I could barely get through a conversation with a (US-based) tech recruiter originally from India the other day. Luckily I could blame being outside in the wind (when I was not expecting anyone to call) for my difficulty understanding him, but I would not have done much better had I been indoors.

This is awkward to even acknowledge, even posting anonymously, but beyond trying to keep communication to email, has anyone found a way to successfully deal with this (in a not awkward way)? I once watched tech tutorials on youtube/Udemy with instructors of that background as job interview prep (more to try to calibrate my auditory processing to the accent than even the tech) but that doesn't feel overly successful.

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Heather (she/her)December 20,2023 at 7:57AM UTC
Slow down. Make sure you're actively listening. And if you need something repeated, ask simply and directly.
AnonymousDecember 20,2023 at 8:37AM UTC
This can be difficult, and remember it cuts both ways - I find some strong accents difficult to understand but I have an Australian accent and when I speak quickly people who are new to Australia find me difficult to understand. Asking this question isn't 'politically incorrect', it's a reality of enjoying multicultural communities.
I agree with Heather. Don't be afraid to politely ask to have something repeated or repeat back to them for confirmation. If it's something important, like details of a job interview, ask if they can email you the details.
AnonymousDecember 20,2023 at 5:01PM UTC
It’s a justifiable question and you’re trying to be polite wanting to understand and listen. I’ve gotten use to it but years ago had gotten so frustrated when every call I received sounded garbled that I’d just hang up. Even though all through high school I watched Bollywood movies some how didn’t help. I realized perhaps they may have the same issue with me? So I learned empathy. So when I don’t understand something I’ll politely say something like, “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that”, “could you please rephrase?” and then thank them for the clarifying. There has been a few times where it didn’t make any difference how many times they’d repeat it that I asked them to send me an email instead with the job details and then call back after I read it or responded the message if I’m not interested in applying.
AnonymousDecember 21,2023 at 5:43AM UTC
I politely ask people to speak more slowly, to repeat or or to rephrase. I also put the onus on me: “Sorry, I didn’t get that.”
Another approach is to repeat what you thought they said and ask for clarification. “So am I correct in thinking that your point is (insert what you think they said) or am I missing something?”
AnonymousDecember 22,2023 at 2:42PM UTC
You can respectfully request that they repeat, and in an active listening sort of way, repeat what you thought they said. I like that you are trying to watch people with the accent you have difficulty hearing, as the repetition can help. I used to work with an international tech support organization, and the more I listened, the better it got. If this is strictly over the phone, can the person switch to a video option through ZOOM or TEAMS? Watching the lips move and body language can help.
AnonymousDecember 22,2023 at 5:00PM UTC
try to do the calls over Teams or Zoom where you can add closed captions as well as a visual (lips, gestures. Etc) good luck!
AnonymousDecember 24,2023 at 8:27PM UTC
I agree. Closed captions are a huge help if there’s a video option. I also sometimes ask people to move closer to the mic if they’re in a conference room.
AnonymousDecember 22,2023 at 7:37PM UTC
I've done all the tricks but living in NYC kind of solved this issue for me.
Some people (a certain single name list company comes to mind) are super-defensive though - they are hard to understand, have crappy headsets, are in loud rooms, and then get ANGRY when asked to repeat themselves. They think the customer is being difficult and giving them a hard time about their accent instead of purely, truly can't understand them. No matter what, you may be given a hard time. I just ask them to spell, slow. down.
AnonymousDecember 27,2023 at 1:29PM UTC
I have a super hard time with Indian accents.
Not all of them and not everyone but I find that they have a different cadence and sometimes put the stress on different syllables than we do in this part of the US. For what it’s worth I am of Irish descent and I was probably in my 20s before I finally understood people who spoke with an Irish accent lol and I was surrounded by them. Literally everywhere next-door across the street. Could not understand them. so it isn’t you and I don’t consider it politically incorrect. It’s all what you’re used to.
AnonymousDecember 30,2023 at 5:46PM UTC
Your ask is completely valid and reasonable. The key to hearing words through heavy accents isn’t so much TRYING to hear the words, rather it’s about allowing yourself to lower your anxiety and relax. It’s obvious you want to hear the correct words, but you’re probably very tense and unable to relax enough to learn or open up. Make sure you’re always in a place that’s quiet (and if not, ask for a call back in X minutes so you can be in that place). Breathe and relax yourself so you can take the call. If you don’t understand something being said, let them know you didn’t catch what they said and if they’d be so kind to repeat it. State it back to them by asking if you understood them correctly. At the end of the conversation, ask them to please send you a follow up email on the discussion so that you have all the important and relevant information you need. Video calls may/may not help until you’re more comfortable and relaxed to have a face-to-face video call. Subtitles/closed captions may be helpful, but they can also distract from hearing, and not always be correct as well. It’s all worth trying out, but make sure to put any misunderstandings on yourself. It’s always helpful to inform a recruiter with a heavy accent that you’re not great at deciphering some words, ask if they’d mind repeating anything you don’t understand, and that you’d be grateful to them for any extra time they spend with you. This will allow you both to lower your guards and eliminate frustration. I hope this helps you and anyone else who has a hard time hearing words through heavy accents/dialects.