With an influx of students traveling abroad, attaining a cultural experience while meeting academic goals, colleges and universities in the U.S. are welcoming these students with programs to increase English language fluency and individual confidence in listening, speaking and writing. It is essential to approach the students speaking English as a second language (ESL) to help transition them in today’s academic and work environment. The ESL programs, offered by schools, such as Villanova, seek to provide the highest quality and broadest range of English instruction, as well as counseling and cultural information pertinent to the students' understanding of and adjustment to life in the U.S; this includes working in a professional atmosphere.

With the help of such programs many professional services, organizations and enterprises are able and proud to hire a diverse, professional staff that is can relate to the global customer. However, cultural barriers still exist in the workplace, and this includes communication with those employees still working on their transition from non-native speaker to fluent English speaker. You may come across these communication barriers in e-mails, conferences and conference calls. Therefore, if you take on the role of conference call moderator, keep those non-native speakers in mind. It’s harder for them than it is for you.

Conference calls may be one of the most excruciating experiences for non-native English speakers. A number of factors can make a conference call difficult, such as sound quality, subject matter, number of participants, etc.; throw ESL into the mix and the conference call could be on the path to destruction without proper leadership. Below are some important reminders when running a call with non-native speakers in attendance:

• Articulate, speak slowly and comfortably
• When listening to another speaker, don't over- or under-use continuers (things like “uh-huh”)
• Slow down the communication process, do not rush
• Be proactive in asking if participants need clarification and check for understanding after each topic discussed
• Be an effective conference call leader

As TMC’s (News - Alert) Tammy Wolf wrote, conferencing solutions provider Eagle Conferencing brings new and innovative ways to the table for today's competitive business environments and organizations to get the most of their meetings. So, before your next conferencing experience, read up on the latest tips provided by InterCall (News - Alert) University to get the most of your meetings, as well as how Eagle Conferencing can help you and your colleagues avoid potential issues before your meeting begins.