Hi there, my name is Kim and I teach English online at englishwithkim.com.
Today's lesson is on clarifying what you heard, asking for repetition and confirming your
understanding in business English, although these tips can be used just about anywhere.
What am I talking about?
Well, if you've been studying English for a long time, you probably feel pretty confident
about your ability to understand the majority of a conversation.
However, sometimes when you're talking to someone, they say something
you didn't quite hear.
They use a phrase or an expression that you're not used to, or maybe they started to mumble
and they didn't speak very clearly.
So what do you do?
Well, don't freak out.
Just relax.
Here's what you have to do.
The first thing you need to do is clarify what you heard by asking for repetition.
If you feel like you missed a key word or phrase during an explanation, or you'd like
the other person to repeat him or herself, there are a number of questions you can ask
in order to clarify what you heard.
Most importantly, remember to be polite.
You can use an introductory phrase like, Would you mind...?
Could I ask you...?
Could you...?
You can also start with a small apology like, Sorry...
Just a second...
Sorry to interrupt...
And thirdly you can admit you missed something, saying, I didn't catch that, I didn't get
that, I want to be sure I understood, and I want to make sure I heard that right.
All of these phrases show that you're listening, but you want to make sure you've
understood all the important details.
They allow you to interrupt without being rude.
So now let's talk about some phrases for clarifying what you heard.
While I read them, pay attention to my intonation because the intonation also says that you
want some clarification and that you're ready to hear what the person has to say.
Would you mind repeating that for me again?
Would you mind going over that one more time?
Sorry, could I ask you to tell me that piece of information again?
Could you clarify what you meant by the challenging word?
Just a second.
Can I get a little more clarification on that topic?
I just want to be sure I understood.
Sorry to interrupt, but I didn't catch that.
Could you run it by me one more time?
Could you be more specific?
I don't think I got your meaning.
Could you go over that again?
I don't think I quite understand what you meant.
Would you mind repeating that?
The second thing you can do is to confirm your understanding by repeating and restating
the other person's idea.
Another way to be sure you've understood what the other person is saying is to repeat what
you've heard using your own words.
Restating the other person's idea is a great way to show that you're listening carefully.
It also helps the other person find a way to simplify or clarify what he or she said
if you've misheard or misunderstood a key point.
Sometimes the person speaking needs to rethink what he said and say it again more clearly.
Here's some phrases for restating an idea.
Let me see if I understood correctly.
Can I just check what I got from that?
I'd just like to confirm that I got that right.
My impression of what you said was...
Is that what you meant?
So what you're saying is....
Does that sound right?
You mean that we should do x action and y action.
Is that right?
Do I understand you to mean...
If I understood you correctly, you're saying...
Am I reading your suggestion right, when you said....?
You mean...?
I think you're saying...?
In other words....
By emphasizing that you're repeating their ideas to check and confirm your understanding,
you show them that you take accuracy seriously and want to make sure you've got all the information
you need before moving forward.
Ending with a question enables the other person to clarify any confusion and provide additional
details that he feels are important.
Restating ideas is an excellent way to avoid misunderstandings and also enables you to
ask for clarification without having to say directly that you didn't understand everything.
The third step is to say thank you and show you understood.
After the person you're talking to has repeated what they said, provided additional information,
or clarified your doubts, be sure to say "thank you" and state that you now
understand the concepts better.
This allows you to move onto other topics and assures the person that you're now on
the same page, that you both understand what you're talking about.
Here's some ways to say thank you.
Thanks for clarifying.
I understand better now.
Thank you for repeating that.
It makes more sense to me.
Thanks for explaining your point of view again.
That helps me see where you're coming from.
Thanks.
We seem to be on the same page now.
I appreciate the clarification.
Glad we agree on that.
After watching this lesson, I hope you feel more confident clarifying what you've heard,
asking for repetition and confirming your understanding.
With practice, these skills will help you sound more natural in English and speak more
like a native speaker.
If you're interested in more information from English with Kim, please visit my website
at englishwithkim.com where you can find this lesson and you can also follow me on Facebook
at English with Kim or on Instagram for mini lessons and real life lessons,
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Thanks for watching.
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