A Spanish colleague of mine makes occasional, but repetitive English mistakes. Would it be considered rude or impolite to correct him?
I haven't actually corrected him at all, but I feel as if I should say something like "When you say xxx it can sometimes throw me off, it's more correct to say yyy". I'm not sure if this is the best way of putting it.
How should I address this; or should I just suck it up?
You may want to leave out the part about it "throwing you off". Instead say:
"Instead of xxx it would be better if you said yyy."
There's nothing "wrong" with correcting him as long as you're polite. That being said, some people may thank you, and others may complain to HR that you're bullying them (I have witnessed both reactions).
It all comes down to your personal relationship with the individual, his personality, and perhaps the setting (no one likes being "called out" in public). Only you can be the judge of whether it's appropriate to speak up or not.
Another possibility would be to phrase it as a request for clarification:
"I'm not entirely sure of what you mean. Would it be correct to say 'X?'"
Or:
"In other words, 'Y?'"
The speaker might realize that s/he did not use the most-correct phrase to convey what s/he meant to say, but here the correction has been offered graciously.
Also, consider if the way that the speaker did put it was "good 'enuf." If it's clear-enough what the speaker meant to say, maybe "let it ride."
The key is to judge the speaker's personality and temperament, and above all not to appear patronizing or insulting.
If you are the person's superior, remember that the person might not reveal to you any displeasure or discomfort.
In Spanish culture (and, many European cultures, vs. USA), there is a whirlwind of implied cultural context. It is imperative that you be aware of how any foreigner would interpret what you say, in the context of his or her culture, not your own. It is imperative, also, that you be sensitive to the possibility of "I shall not let you hear me scream."
Consider taking this person privately aside, and ask him or her what s/he would honestly prefer. Maybe s/he welcomes the instruction. Maybe, s/he is mortified and humiliated. In private, s/he may be honest.
"Fragile: Contains a genuine human being."
Consider asking them.
I have found that some people react positively, others negatively to corrections.
I've fared well by correcting them once and if I get an honest "Thanks!", I'll assume it is welcome. If I'm unsure about the response or the enthusiasm dies down, I will ask whether they would like me to correct them or not.
As a non-native English speaker, I ask my closest colleagues to always correct my English, it's a great way to keep improving it.
If you're close to this person, I think it would be absolutely appropriate for you to ask them how they would feel about it. I know I'd thank you profusely ;)
WARNING: If you ever see that this person is sending emails outside the team with errors / typos / bad collocations then it's a different issue... PLEASE let them know, they could be affecting the team or company's image and they may not be aware that there's a problem. It may not be your role to spot this kind of thing, but you'd be doing a lot for them if you pointed out a problem they can work on.
IMHO there is the rule in language teaching to correct only the most frequent mistakes and just repeat the faulty phrase in correct words. So there is the opportunity to hear the correct sentence.
(American who lived in Japan for 2 years and learned Japanese there): You can start by asking if the person would like you to point out ways their English could sound more natural. I would leave them an easy-out so they don't feel (for business reasons) that they have to say yes and accept a constant irritation. "If you're already getting feedback from other people, I don't want it to become a distraction for us or for you to feel you have to say yes."
There is nothing wrong with correcting somebody's mistakes. It's all about tact.
The way foreigners would learn the language is by wanting to learn it. And that is through friendly, relaxed conversation.
So sure, correct and give tips, but don't expect the person to immediately start using the correct forms without making the same mistake over and over.
It's ok, even desirable to correct a non native speaker's English, especially if he makes the same mistake frequently. If it's a "one time" thing, you might want to let it go.
But do it in private, so that you don't embarrass him in front of others. As a "softener," you might ask, "how would you say this in your language/in Spanish?" That gives him a chance to be the "teacher" so you are receiving, as well as giving, feedback.
As a non-native English speaker I comment:
As a non native english speaker, yes, please do. Its not rude, and he probably doesn't know he is making mistakes. If you are so inclined, please take the time to correct him. The vast majority of people will really appreciate that.
You could say, "when you say ____, it makes me confused because in English, that means ____". You might add (if appropriate) "I'm not the only person who's noticed this." DISCRETION is key here.
I think this is constructive, and that if you don't embarrass him, he's likely to ask you a better way to phrase it.
