Introduction to Asking for Clarification
Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. This week, we’ll cover ways to ask for clarification at work. It’s hard for many people to admit they don’t understand something, whether they are native or non-native English speakers. But it’s crucial for avoiding misunderstandings and a vital skill to learn for your career success. By the end of the episode, you’ll have five tried-and-true phrases to ask for clarification.
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Now, let’s begin!
Why Asking For Clarification Is Vital to Your Career Success
You may recall from the previous Express to Impress Podcast episode, 8 Takeaways About US Business Culture: Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map, that Americans are low context communicators. That means we define good communication as specific, simple, and clear. Therefore, a good communicator expresses themselves as transparently and precisely as possible, and they repeat their main points. Americans aren’t the only ones who communicate in this way. Other low context countries include Australia, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany.
You may be wondering how this communication style relates to asking for clarification. People from those cultures do not assume you will read between the lines or guess at their meaning. If you do not understand something 100%, they expect you to speak up. So, if you don’t understand their instructions but nod your head anyway out of politeness, they will not appreciate that. Instead, they will appreciate it if you state plainly that you don’t understand and ask for clarification.
Now, I’ll tell you a bit about my experience asking for clarification.
Story About Asking for Clarification
If I had a nickel for every time I spoke up in class as a child and young adult to tell the teacher I didn’t understand, I’d be rich. While this behavior would be perceived as rude or even unacceptable in other cultures, I actually received participation points for speaking up in the US. In other words, it was encouraged and appreciated!
But I recall that I didn’t always state my confusion with tact. I frequently shot my hand up in the air and blurted out phrases like, “Wait, I’m confused!”, “What do you mean by that?”, or simply, “Why?” My teachers would sigh and explain the concept again in plain language with exasperated looks on their faces. After many interruptions like this, they might suggest I come in for one-on-one tutoring, and I gladly took them up on their offers.
Why was I empowered to ask for clarification? Unlike in many cultures, most of my teachers didn’t shame me for asking questions. In fact, they gave me participation points for speaking up! I also believed that I had at least average intelligence, and if I was confused, others were likely confused, too. Another motivator was that I believed my teachers had a responsibility to teach us well so that we could learn. I also wanted to earn good grades and knew it was only possible if I understood the concepts. And finally, asking clarification questions, especially regarding a request, didn’t work out so well at home. I distinctly remember my father’s response when I asked “why” after he asked me to do something. He said, “When I say jump, you say how high.” At least at school, the adults couldn’t get out of answering questions so easily.
Tips on How to Ask for Clarification
Alright, now let’s look at five polite clarification sentences.
Excuse me. I’m afraid I don’t follow you. Could you clarify what you mean by that?
I’d like to jump in here. I’m a bit confused. Could you walk me through that again?
Sorry to interrupt, but I’m a little lost. Could you please explain what you mean?
Let me make sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying…?
I’m still unsure of what you’re getting at. Could you be a little more specific?
Sometimes, you may want to interrupt the speaker to let them know you’re lost. In those cases, you can start by saying something like, “excuse me, sorry, or I’d like to jump in here.” Other times, it’s more appropriate to wait for the speaker to finish their thought or request before expressing your confusion and asking them to clarify what they mean. You have examples for both of these situations.
I also want to point out that many of these phrases include diminutive words like “a bit” and “a little.” We often use diminutive words to sound more polite, even though it means using a few extra words, and we typically like to be direct when speaking in English. For example, you can use “Can you be more specific?” or “Could you be a little more specific?” Can you tell the subtle difference? The second option is the more polite version. Not only did I use “a little” in the second option, but I used “could” instead of “can.” Both of these small changes made the question more polite. The extra words? Totally worth it!
Now you’re all set with clarification sentences to avoid misunderstandings! Which one sounded nice to your ears? I recommend you use the one that feels most comfortable for you.
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English Language Learning
That’s all for today! Thank you so much for listening to the Express to Impress podcast. I invite you to tune in next time to learn definitions for the idioms and phrases covered in this episode.
And if you found this episode helpful, please remember to share it with a friend! See you next time. Bye!
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