And in Case You Dont Understand Me

Learning a new language tin be a tricky business organization; only you want to become it right. Right?

When you are learning English, a lot of effort is put into picking up vocabulary, spelling, reading and writing.

Even so, the area where your learning becomes nearly crucial is when it finally gets put into practice – non just in the classroom, but in real life. In the classroom, be it online or in a schoolhouse, someone is at paw to listen, to support, to test you and shape your learning.

But how tin can you make certain you understand what'due south going on in one case you go out into the globe and brainstorm to exercise your English? Often as we begin to practice our new-found language skills, we realize that the way words audio in conversation can be very different from how we learned originally. Accents, speed, slang and idiomatic variances can mean we experience very lost – almost every bit if the other person isn't speaking English at all.

Hither is the EF English Live guide to helpful phrases and words to utilise when you're not quite sure what someone is telling y'all…

Formal

These short phrases are polite ways to communicate that you lot didn't hear or don't empathize something in the English linguistic communication.

• Lamentable?
• Excuse me?
• Pardon?
• I beg your pardon?
  [this is especially formal and now mostly used in England]

Longer formal sentences

These sentences volition help you when you don't understand something even though yous have heard it.

• Sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow y'all.
• Alibi me, could you repeat the question?
• I'm sad, I don't understand. Could you say it again?
• I'm sorry, I didn't grab that. Would you lot mind speaking more than slowly?
• I'grand confused. Could you tell me again?
• I'grand sorry, I didn't understand. Could you echo a little louder, delight?
• I didn't hear you. Please could you tell me again?

Informal

These are more common, casual, conversational ways to ask someone to echo themselves, or communicate your lack of understanding. Some are more informal (i.due east. rude!) than others.

• Sorry? – most useful for when you lot but didn't hear
• Pitiful, what? – useful for not recognizing the sound you heard
• A petty more informal (can be rude)
• 'Scuse me? – a more casual version of 'excuse me'
• Huh? – not quite a word but a sound; conscientious how you employ it as it tin can audio rude; as a sound is more commonly associated with 'I don't get it' or 'I don't sympathise' rather than 'I tin't hear you'
• What? – sometimes this can seem aggressive, be careful!
• Eh? – a sound usually used to communicate that it is difficult to hear/decipher someone
• Hmm? – a sound used when yous are a chip more absent or maybe non listening so difficult

Slang

• Come once again?
• Say what? – this is particularly American English language
• Laissez passer that by me again?
• You what? – this is more common in the United Kingdom
• I don't get it… not a question but a statement, meaning simply 'I don't sympathize'

Idioms

Idioms are sayings detail to their language of origin. Hither we take a look at 3 that you might use if you wanted to find a more creative way of saying something that sounds complicated, unclear or hard to understand.

• I can't make head nor tail of what yous're saying.
• This is all Greek to me.
• Sorry this is as articulate every bit mud to me.

Wil

Wil is a writer, teacher, learning technologist and keen language learner. He's taught English in classrooms and online for nearly ten years, trained teachers in using classroom and web technology, and written e-learning materials for several major websites. He speaks iv languages and is currently looking for another one to start learning.

wesselsmund1997.blogspot.com

Source: https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/language-lab/say-didnt-understand-someone-english/