Lin writes: I am a businessman who works on foreign trade. I will
attend the Canton Fair in April, but I am afraid my English won't allow me
to communicate with overseas buyers there - For now, my oral English is
not so good. Could you give me some suggestions on how to improve my oral
English and listening in recent days?
My comments: By "recent days", Lin, I think you mean to say
"immediately", i.e. before the April event.
If I'm not mistaken, you're in your 20s. Even at that young an age, you
must have studied the English language for years, and if you have learned
anything in those years, you should have known that major breakthroughs in
listening and speaking do not happen overnight.
Yet, this is something you are looking for. This year's Spring Fair
opens on April 15. You have barely a month to prepare for it. You
therefore look for dramatic improvements. Dramatic improvements, you know,
call for drastic measures.
Ergo, try one or more or all of these things:
Take a voice lesson (see if a mesmerizing voice will compensate for
imperfect pronunciation). Read Krishnamurti (see if you'll wake up on
the morning of April 15th a changed man, not only enlightened but fluent
in English and as talkative as a simultaneous translator at a news
conference at the National People's Congress). Speaking of which, read
Wen Jiabao's Work Report to the National People's Congress itself (see if
it performs the magic of "warming your heart like a spring breeze" as it
reportedly does for many a deputy. Further, see if the winds blow all your
problems away). Take cold showers only (see if it might work).
Got it? Quit looking for tricks and techniques, quick fixes and magic
bullets. There's no secret to seek.
Point is, you don't have to do anything peculiar or particular. Relax
and carry on doing what's been working for you. You're all right.
Remember, foreigners at the trade fair are there to see products and cut
deals, not there to hire the best interpreters. If your company's products
are inviting, rest assured potential foreign clients will get over your
perhaps imperfect English - they won't let it get in the way. So, get over
it yourself and take it easy.
That said, if there's anything you might do differently in the next few
weeks, you might want to further acquaint yourself with your company's
very products. In other words, if you are currently reading a book of
poems by Rumi, you may want put that down and read instead all the
particulars about your company's products to be exhibited at the fair.
Read them out loud too, for speaking exercise. Also, you may want to
consult those who've been to previous Canton fairs, in order to learn the
good lessons and avoid common pitfalls. Other than these, I don't see any
need for confusion, distress or panic.
Easy for me to say because, you see, I already can guarantee you that
come April 30, when this year's spring event closes, the organizers of the
Canton Fair will once again declare it a huge success. It's been a success
year after year without fail. And your company probably will claim nothing
less than the same for its own participation - in total disregard to your
current worries and concerns.
So chill out and have some fun. Enjoy the bazaar.
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