Page 42 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

Part 2

Small Talk

Chess Champion

We had an advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) student who
had been a chess champion in his country and—until he became one
here—needed to further his language skills for job interviews. This
man was very personable; he was well-dressed, looked professional,
and had an engaging smile. Our first meeting was similar to a job
interview in that Boris introduced himself, handed me an impressive
résumé, and told me about his job qualifications and his interest in
chess. Then there was silence. I asked questions, similar to those a job
interviewer might ask, and there continued to be silence. Boris under-
stood the questions but spent so long considering his answers that I
knew that the listener, even though patient, would become uncom-
fortable. The listener would then try to make himself or herself clearer,
attempting everything to be able to communicate with Boris.
Boris’s issue was that he considered every word he wanted to say
to be a chess move. “If I say this, then what would a company job
interviewer say?” Through many targeted exercises, Boris conquered
his “fear of making a wrong move or saying a wrong word” and even-
tually was placed in an appropriate work situation. He continues to
play chess and is able to switch from his “chess thinking” mode to a
speaking-with-people mode.
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