2. Become more aware of others’ verbal messages in intercultural encounters. Be aware of your own assumptions about others’ language skills. For example, what kind of assumptions do you make when you hear accented English? Or a southern accent? Or an elaborated style? Or a succinct style? Practice your decoding skills. Check to see if others really meant to say what you understood.

One way to do this is by asking others directly. However, remember that not everyone is comfortable with direct questions and answers. Practice other ways of trying to understand messages, such as observing or asking indirect questions.