thomblake comments on The 5-Second Level - Less Wrong

111 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 07 May 2011 04:51AM

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Comment author: thomblake 12 October 2012 08:10:17PM 1 point [-]

...which made me think of a five-second skill: when someone uses poor language or otherwise communicates strangely, instead of taking offense at their rudeness, try to figure out what they meant (interactively, if possible).

I usually also try to point out a more helpful phrasing - most non-native speakers who are trying to communicate in English seem appreciative.

Comment author: RobinZ 12 October 2012 08:19:24PM 0 points [-]

Suggesting phrasings is a good way of interactively figuring out what they meant, and I recommend it for the purpose.

Suggesting phrasings to tell people how to say what they mean, on the other hand, bears a risk of being annoying and/or wrong. I think an attitude of seeking clarification is more likely to be successful.

(footnote: I have almost no relevant firsthand knowledge.)