Preventing misunderstandings: How to clarify in English.
If you are just learning English and you join a multiplayer game with English speakers, there will be times when you don’t understand what is being said. Here are some things you can say and do to help you communicate with your teammates.
Tell your teammates you are not a native English speaker
It is good to let your teammates know right away that you are not a native speaker. That way they can adjust how they speak to you.
Here are some sentences you might want to use. Use the full sentences – or only the first parts of them if the full sentences are difficult for you:
English isn’t my first language. I’m from …
I’m still learning English, so you might need to speak slowly to me.
My English isn’t very good, so please be patient and try to speak clearly.
Sorry, but I’m not very good at English. You might need to repeat what you say.
Admit you don’t understand
If you don’t understand something, admit it.
Sorry, I don’t understand
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you said.
Ask for clarification
It is usually not enough to just admit you don’t understand. You need to ask for help as well. Here are some ways you can do this. (Note: “Please” is good to use at the beginning, but after you have used it once or twice, you can probably stop saying it every time)
Could you (please) speak more slowly?
Could you (please) repeat that?
Could you (please) say that again?
Check your understanding
If necessary, you can take one more step. Tell your teammate what you understand to check to see if you are right. Here are some ways you can do this:
Do you mean I should…?
In other words, …
So you are saying …
If I understand you correctly, you are saying…
Be specific
If you can, try to be specific about what you don’t understand.
What do you mean by…?
I don’t understand what you mean by ….
Could you spell that?
Could you spell …?
Could you give me an example?