Working in a bilingual environment is enriching… and sometimes frustrating. Between missing words and phone calls that move too fast, it’s easy to feel out of your depth.
Good news: your employees don’t need to be perfectly bilingual to work well together. As an HR manager, you can set a framework that makes communication easier.
Here are three practical tips to improve collaboration within your bilingual teams.
1. Don’t pretend you’ve understood everything!
A phone call in another language can quickly become stressful: you recognise a few words, you guess the meaning… and you hang up with lingering doubts. The right reflex is not to pretend you understood, but to take control of the pace.
Ask your interlocutor to speak more slowly or to rephrase. That’s normal and professional. Also get into the habit of summarising in one sentence what you’ve understood: “If I understand correctly, you would like…?”
This short recap immediately clarifies any ambiguity and reassures everyone.
Don’t hesitate to ask for confirmation by email. Having the key points in writing saves time, avoids misunderstandings, and allows you to reread everything calmly afterwards.
2. Make mistakes!
One of the biggest traps in bilingual environments is self-censorship: you listen, you generally understand, but you don’t dare to speak up for fear of making mistakes or struggling to find the right words. Yet it’s precisely by speaking — and making mistakes — that you improve.
To do this without stress, create the right conditions. Set the tone with your colleagues: “Feel free to correct me, I really want to improve.”
This simple sentence removes part of the pressure and invites the other person to be supportive.
Also consider finding a buddy: a Dutch-speaking colleague you trust. They can be your go-to person for language questions and someone with whom you can exchange ideas and continue learning outside of work.
3. Don’t take things personally!
A kiss on the cheek or a handshake? Small talk or getting straight to the point? Dutch speakers and French speakers don’t always interact in the same way.
For example, Flemish colleagues can sometimes be quite direct in their communication (especially by email), while French speakers often place great importance on greetings and small talk.
Keep in mind that cultural codes can differ and avoid interpreting everything on a personal level. If something makes you uncomfortable, simply say so. Most of the time, talking about it helps clear up misunderstandings and leads to better mutual understanding.
Communicating in a bilingual environment is therefore not about aiming for perfection: it’s about securing mutual understanding, daring to speak up, and staying open to others. With a bit of goodwill and a minimum of kindness, linguistic and cultural barriers can become bridges to genuine collaboration between French and Dutch speakers.
- Aubry Touriel, Deputy Editor-in-Chief / Head of Training at DaarDaar
Read also: Dutch, a true key to employment and career advancement