Is there any vocabularies or best practices for a technical support how to communicate in multiple languages?

Question

I am a technical support engineer.

My mother tongue is not English, I still write and speak with a lot of mistakes, constantly improving my English skill, please do not judge me strictly ;)

In my job I have to communicate with people around the world from Alaska to New Zealand and not all of them speak English clear and fluently. Sometimes it's really hard to understand them, sometimes it's just impossible. Even they think they speak English very clear and without mistakes, but it's not (unfortunately).

I decided to start learn another languages in order to communicate with clients in their languages to make them and me feel comfortable.

Thus, I'd like to get known is there any vocabulary for techsupport or some kind of best practices, e.g. how to say "Hello, you've reached technical support, how can I help you", "please describe the issue you faced in detail" and so on.

Actually I have to know not only these words but much more, however I'd like to take a start in a right way.

Answer 1

First of all, I will give you some advice what to avoid in your situation:

1. You need a language for specific purposes. Avoid learning vocabulary which is usually offered by standard courses for beginners like travelling, booking apartments, buying tickets etc. It is not your priority now. Focus on vocabulary of your domain of operation.

2. Avoid applying newly acquired knowledge in business situations before gaining certain level of fluency. There still can be some cultural differences that can cause you to unintentionally offend your peer. Conversational skill is still very important so try to make some accounts on Q&A sites in target languages. Add default footnotes to your accounts to encourage native speakers to correct you.

Other hints:

1. Build your private small dictionary of words appearing frequently in your domain. I have done so by trying to read or listen to something and write down words which I don't understand.
   Good sources for you can be:

   • Searching for some technical articles in Wikipedia and then switching the language.
   • Searching for some tutorial videos on YouTube in target language (for example courses how to use some applications like Photoshop)

2. It is very difficult to avoid that you will need some advice of teachers or native speakers how to pronounce words properly. What comes to mind now, to solve this problem:

   • Maybe just few short private lessons with tutors.
   • Create your own videoblog. You can cast some tutorials how to do interesting things (share your practical knowledge) or you can simply praise that country and talk about your impressions after your visits there (most nations very enjoy it). Remember to ask your visitors to correct your pronunciation errors.

3. Instead of using dictionary of target language in your mother tongue, try the opposite way as much as possible. Also try to use learning materials in English instead of your mother tongue (to still practice English even learning a new language -for me it was very important)

4. Try to practice by describing (saying loud) in target language, what you did in your job each day. At the beginning you can do it with the help of dictionaries. Later try to use your own words as much as possible.

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I'm also not any English native speaker and I will be very grateful for any found mistake in my answer too :)