Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleIt’s�not�just�what�you�want�to�say�that�counts,�but�also�how you�say�it.�In�the�following�you�will�fi�nd�suggestions�in�expressing�yourself�clearly,� politely� and� effectively� in� English.� First� we� will� look� at� re-quests.�Make�sure�you�use�the�right�words�when�you�ask�someone�to�do�something�for�you.�As�German�speakers�we�tend�to�be�very�direct,�sometimes�imperative�when�we�want�something.�In�English,�requests�are�usually�“softenend”�by�an�introductory�sentence:

� This�is�a�bit�diffi�cult.�I�would�appreciate�it�if�you�could�help�me.�� I�have�got�this�report�to�fi�nish.�Would�you�mind�waiting? �Do�you�have�a�minute?�I�wonder�if�I�could�ask�you�to�proof-read�

this�for�me.�� �It’s�my�son’s�birthday�today.�Would�it�be�possible�for�me�to��

leave�an�hour�earlier?English pronunciation!Psychology = “seikologi”Pneumonia = “nemonia”, you don’t pronounce the “p”!

Knee= “ni:”, you don’t hear the letter “k”.

False FriendsWords�or�expressions�which�look�alike�or�almost�look�alike�in��German�and�English.�They�may�even�sound�similar,�but�differ�in��meaning:�

German English English German

Akademiker a person with a university education

academic Universitäts-lehrkraft

(Arzt-)Rezept prescription recipe, receipt

Kochrezept, Quittung

sensibel sensitive sensible vernünftig

Find the right termGerman�words�can�be�translated�differently�into�English:Einfluss/beeinflussen:

� �Influence = Wirkung, e.g. Drugs have a major influence on the body.

� To influence = beeinflussen/(ein)wirken, e.g. This medication influences the body in a decisive way.� Impact = (heftige) Wirkung, e.g. The treatment had little impact on the problem.� To affect = beeinträchtigen, beeinflussen, e.g. Smoking and drinking affect the human body.

Studie :� Study = wissenschaftliche Untersuchung, e.g. Several studies on this subject have been published

recently.� Survey = Gutachten, (Prüfungs)bericht, e.g. We will not include these figures in our survey.� Trial = Versuch(sstudie), e.g. One version of these peptides has been shown in clinical trials.� �Report = (Studien)bericht,

e.g. A 2005 report of the National Science Foundation noted that…

The language of meetingsThe�language�of�meetings�follows�defi�nite�patterns.�Effective�commu-nication�in�meetings�and�conferences�is�partly�a�matter�of�knowing�certain�special�expressions.�

Make�sure�that�what�you�say�is�clear�and�understandable.�In�order�to�guarantee�that�native�and�non-native�speakers�will�listen�to�you�and�respect�what�you�say,�it�is�advisable�to�use�short�and�simple�sentences,�to�articulate�clearly�and�to�speak�with�enough�volume�and�at�an�ap-propriate�speed.�

Be�sensitive�to�cultural�differences�in�how�people�express�and�com-municate�their�opinions�and�views.�

Use�diplomacy�to�disagree:�The�use�of�direct�phrases�such�as�“I dis-agree”�or�“You are wrong”��is�too�direct�and�may�sound�offensive�and�impolite.�Begin�your�disagreement�with�a�positive�sentence:�

� Yes, but…� You may be right, but…� I see what you are saying, but…Use�would,�could�or�might.�These�modal�auxiliaries�are�often�added�to�make�what�you�say�more�tentative.�It�takes�away�the�dogmatic�tone�of�many�statements.�Here�are�some�examples:� That is unacceptable = That would be unacceptable.� I don’t agree = I wouldn’t agree.We�can�also�“warn”�the�listeners�that�a��disagreement�will�follow�by�an�introductory�phrase,�such�as:Actually, in fact, as a matter of fact, frankly, to put it bluntly, with respect, to be honest.�The�last�four�introductory�phrases�introduce�even�a�warning.

Bringen Sie Ihr Wissen ein!BASEL/WIEN – Geht es Ihnen auch so? Sie lesen regelmäßig wissenschaftliche Lektüre aus dem angelsächsischen Sprach-raum und fahren gerne auf internationale Kongresse zur Fortbildung. Ihr passiver eng-lischer Wortschatz ist weit-reichend und auch die medi-zinischen Fachausdrücke sind Ihnen geläufig. Doch wenn Sie sich selbst zu Wort melden möchten, gelingt es oft nicht, die Frage so elegant wie ein „native speaker“ zu formulie-ren. Also lassen Sie es lieber bleiben. Schade! Wir möchten Ihnen nun aber das Rüstzeug vermitteln, sich kompetent zu Wort zu melden. Frau lic. phil. Dominique Battegay aus Ba-sel, hat viel Erfahrung mit den Schwierigkeiten deutschspra-chiger Teilnehmer an ihren Business-English-Kursen und hat diese in einem Kurzlehr-gang für die Medical-Tribune-Leser zusammengestellt. Ma-chen Sie mit! Bessern Sie Ihr Business und Medical English mit der Medical Tribune auf.

Kompetent bei Internationalen Kongressen

FÜR MEDIZINER MIT

ENGLISCH

Tipp:

Be�careful�with�the�expression�„would�you�be�so�kind�as�to…...”.�It�can�sound�arrogant�and�sarcastic.�„I�was�wondering”�is�a�little�less�direct�and�more�formal�than�„I�wonder“.

Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleEnglish-speakers often begin a complaint by using „softeners“. For example, they may use words such as seem or appear in order to look less confrontational. Note the following examples:Also, avoid using „you“ at first (e.g. „but you said ...“). It helps the other person to save his/her face when dealing with your problem. The more personally attacked someone feels, the more defensive – and unhelpful – he or she is likely to become. There appears to be a problem with my registration for the mee-

ting. I have sent an email to the registration office two weeks ago. I wonder if you could clarify something for me. The receptionist

tells me there is no record of my reservation. There seems to have been an error with my order. I asked for a

steak and not for a lobster. I think there must have been a mistake with my bill. I have been

charged for the entire doctors group instead of myself only. I don’t quite understand this question. It looks as if the listeners

totally misunderstood my talk.

Grammar hints:Be careful with the spelling of the indefinite article. When the following noun starts with a vowel, you have to use „an” instead of „a”: An appropriate method An effort / influence / under-

standingBut: If the following word starts with the vowel „u” pronounced as „ju”, the indefinite article remains „a”: A university A unique opportunity

False FriendsWords or expressions which look alike or almost look alike in German and English. They may even sound similar, but differ in meaning:

German English English German

Meinung opinion, point of view

meaning Bedeutung, Sinn

Schema diagram scheme Plan, Entwurf

sparen to save to spare übrig haben, verschonen

Find the right termGerman words can be translated differently into English:

Methode: Method = Art und Weise, System/Planmäßigkeit,

e.g. The methods used for detecting prostate cancer disease in daily practice are not very efficient.

Technique = (Arbeits-)Verfahren/Art der Ausführung, e.g. The proposed techniques are regarded as suitable.

Procedure = Vorgehen/Verhalten, e.g. This procedure is adopted in order to avoid ambiguity.

Process = Vorgehen/Verlauf e.g. This process can be carried out by any of several methods.

Way = Mittel und Wege,e.g. The experiments were performed in the same way as described above.

Approach = Annäherung/Versuch, e.g. This approach can be used in many situations.

Theorie: Theory = Lehre,

e.g. Many of these theories were false. Concept = Begriff/Auffassung,

e.g. Cardiologists have adopted the concept of global cardiovascular risk assessment.

Idea of = Vorstellung von, e.g. The idea of a global pandemic is scary. Philosophy = praktische Lebensweisheit/Weltanschauung,

e.g. From all the details presented, a philosophy emerges, namely that patients can decide about the extent of their care.

The language of meetingsHow do you ask for somebody’s opinion or give one yourself? Find out about the options you have: What’s your position/view on …? What’s your opinion of …? I wonder if you’d like to comment, Ms Lang? I was wondering where you stood on this question?Giving strong opinions: I firmly/sincerely believe that … I’m absolutely convinced that … There is no doubt in my mind that …Giving moderate opinions: In my opinion, we need to … It seems to me that we should …Giving tentative opinions: As far as I’m able to judge ... I would say that … I think it would be fair to say … Tipp: Using „would” gives more flexibility in case you need to change

your view later. It is more diplomatic and avoids offending the liste-ners.

If you want to bring somebody in to present a point, you could say: Mr. Bean, would you like to come in here? Allow me to give the floor to Mrs Ingram. I’d like to call on Mrs Davis to present her views on …If your opinion includes a suggestion, present it in question form or even add „n’t” to it: That is too late. = Isn’t that too late? We could cancel. = Couldn’t we cancel?These examples sound more tentative and negotiable if they are gram-matically negative.

Bringen Sie Ihr Wissen ein!BASEL – Dass Sie ohne Angst

zum Mikrofon greifen oder

sich in kleineren Workshops in

die Diskussion einbringen, das

sind die Ziele unserer Serie

„Englisch für Mediziner”. Sie

lernen in diesem Kurzlehr-

gang zielgerichtet den Wort-

schatz, den Sie für die Diskus-

sionen auf internationalen

Kongressen brauchen. Aber

auch die kulturellen Unter-

schiede kommen zur Sprache.

Personen deutscher Mutter-

sprache kommen oft direkt

zur Sache. Im Englischen gibt

es aber „ungeschriebene

Gesetze“ der Etikette der

Kommunikation, die wir Ih-

nen in der Rubrik „Say it in

style“ näher bringen wollen.

Verfolgen Sie diese Serie, die

nun regelmäßig in der Medi-

cal Tribune erscheint. Frau lic.

phil. Dominique Battegay aus

Basel hat für Sie eine weitere

Lektion zusammengestellt.

Kompetent bei Internationalen Kongressen

für Mediziner mitEnglisch

Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleIf you owe somebody an apology for something that has gone wrong, you have the following options: I understand that you are upset. I do apologise. I’ll see who can

help you with your enquiry and then get back to you immediate-ly.

Please excuse me for having kept you waiting so long. Can I offer you anything to drink?

I’m so sorry about forgetting your order. I will take care of it right away.

Tipp: In British English, „sorry“ is used after something has hap-pened, for example after you have done something wrong. „Excuse me“ is used before you intend to do something. If you want to inter-rupt somebody during a meeting say: „Excuse me, could I comment on your remarks?“In American English the expressions „excuse me“ and „sorry“ are not necessarily differentiated.

Grammar hints:Be careful with the spelling of words that sound the same or similar:

Lose = verlieren (verb) Loose = locker, lose (adjec-

tive)

Prove = beweisen (verb) Proof = Beweis (noun)

False FriendsWords or expressions which look alike or almost look alike in German and English. They may even sound similar, but differ in meaning:

German English English German

Formula form formula Formel

Labor laboratory (lab)

labor (US) labour (UK)

Arbeit

Rationell efficient rational logisch, rational

Find the right termGerman words can be translated differently into English:

Begriff: Notion = Vorstellung/Idee, e.g. The notion of „fatigue“ is quite vague. Idea = Idee/Gedanke, e.g. Health insurers pursue the idea of reducing health care cost. Conception = Begriffsvermögen/Vorstellung, e.g. The conception of children about disease depends on their age. Term = Ausdruck/Bezeichnung, e.g. The term SARS was still totally unknown just five years ago.Beziehung: Relationship = Verhältnis/Verwandtschaft, e.g. The relationship between Dr. Miller and her nurses is excellent. Relation = Bezug, e.g. The relation of treatment and outcome should usually be

studied in randomised trials. Correlation = Wechselbeziehung/gegenseitige Abhängigkeit, e.g. Our research has shown little correlation between serum

cholesterol levels and bone density. Connection = Verbindung, e.g. This study shows a close connection between eating habits of

mice and the XYZ gene. Link = (Ketten)Glied/Bindeglied, e.g. Our website offers many links for evidence-based medicine. Linkage = Verkettung, e.g. The linkage between humour and politics is not always apparent. Association = Zusammenhang, e.g. The association of heart failure and the increased number of

traffic accidents is not easy to explain.

The language of meetingsPoliteness is very important in English (and probably in other langua-ges, too). Therefore we must use certain phrases which may sound prim (= geziert) to a German speaker, but are perfectly all right in Eng-lish.

The most common phrase in England is „I’m afraid”. It may warn of disagreement, but its general meaning is wider and indicates that the speaker recognizes his or her reaction as unhelpful or unwelcome.

So, the question „Could I speak to Tom, please?“ could be answered: I’m afraid, he is out of town.Or: „Would next Monday be convenient?“ I’m afraid, I’m tied up all day.

Avoiding direct disagreement increases the chance of a successful communication. Therefore, good negotiators often restrict general statements by qualifiers (= ein einschränkendes, milderndes Adjektiv oder Adverb). Here are some of the most common qualifiers in English: There seems to be a slight misunderstanding. I have some reservations about your kind offer. The airplane will arrive with a short delay (of three hours!). We have a bit of a problem with our rented car. We need a little more time to finish that project.

Often, the English language avoids negative adjectives and prefers using not very followed by a positive equivalent. Look at the follo-wing examples: The hotel was not very clean = The hotel was dirty. The food was not very hot = The food was cold.

Die richtigen Wörter finden!WIEN – Bereits die dritte Lek-tion unserer Serie „Englisch für Mediziner” können wir Ihnen in dieser Ausgabe der Medical Tribune anbieten. Das heutige Kapitel dreht sich um das Thema „Fragen stellen”. Gerade auf wissenschaftlichen Kongressen, ist es wichtig, bei Unklarheiten während eines Vortrages in der Diskussion um Aufklärung zu ersuchen. Die Fragen sollten möglichst klar und präzise erfolgen, denn oft ist wenig Zeit, weil sich viele Kongressteilnehmer zu Wort melden. Gleichzeitig kommt es, wie wir in den beiden vor-herigen Kapiteln schon gese-hen haben, in der englischen Sprache oft auf Feinheiten an. Direkte Fragen, wie sie in unserem Sprachkreis durchaus üblich sind, gelten bald als unhöflich. Wie Sie diesen Ba-lance-Akt am besten meistern können, lernen Sie in diesem Kapitel unseres kleinen „Eng-lischkurses”.

Kompetent auf internationalen Kongressen

für Mediziner mitEnglisch

Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleIt is not always easy to remind people of deadlines, meetings or ap-pointments. It is therefore best not to give them the feeling that you don’t trust them to remember something. Avoid starting sentences with „Have you forgotten …?“ or „May I remind you that …“. In-stead, mention the date in the context of what needs to be done before that: I just wanted to check whether you have got all the informati-

on you need for the meeting next week. Is everything set for our appointment on Friday? The deadline is coming up in a few days, so I wanted to make

sure that everything is all right.When you think that a person may have forgotten something, use an indirect question or comment, such as „weren’t you…“ or „I thought“: Weren’t you meeting Tom today? I thought you had mentioned having an appointment with the

board this morning.When it is clear that someone has forgotten something important, you can simply state what has been forgotten: Don’t forget your glasses. Are those your glasses?When something that has been promised is not done, it is best to avoid direct blame which can be counterproductive. In that case you could express your request by using an introductory sentence: I was wondering about the confirmation you were going to

send me.

Grammar hints:The following nouns can be used in the singular only:

This information is very useful. He gave me a good piece of

advice. Our project was a good

experience. Much progress has been

made over the last few years. No news is good news.

False FriendsWords or expressions which look alike or almost look alike in Ger-man und English. They may even sound similar, but differ in mea-ning.

German English English German

rentabel profitable rentable mietbar, mietfähig

spenden to donate to spend ausgeben, ver-bringen

Direktion management direction Richtung

Find the right termAnsicht/der Ansicht sein: Opinion = Meinung, e.g. In my opinion this approach seems sensible. View = Auffassung, e.g. Man’s view of illness has changed over the centuries. Viewpoint = Gesichtspunkt, e.g. A variety of viewpoints is presented in the book. Point of view = Standpunkt, e.g. From this point of view, this procedure may be considered unnecessary. Perception = Wahrnehmung/Vorstellung/Erkenntnis, e.g. Biotechnologists must counter the perception that their industry is not adequately regulated. Mind = Meinung/Ansicht, e.g. There was a tendency in the public mind to deny the progress of research.

Verbesserung: Improvement = im Sinne von Fortschritt, e.g. Various improvements have been made in order to overcome these problems. Refinement = im Sinne von inhaltlicher Verbesserung, e.g. Later refinements by the editor have improved the style of the chapter.

The language of meetingsOne way of avoiding misunderstandings during meetings is by cla-rifying what someone has said. By rephrasing the other’s position, you show that you have not only listened to him/her, but that you also attach importance to what he/she has said.Asking for information: Would I be correct in saying that ...? Am I correct/right in assuming that ...?

Asking for repetition: I’m afraid I didn’t quite get your last point. Could you go over it

again? I’m sorry, I didn’t quite follow/get/understand what you said about …Tipp: Asking for repetition helps in three ways: If you don’t understand somebody who is not clear, but it is impo-

lite to say so. If you don’t understand because of your own or the speaker’s limi-

tations in English, you get a second chance to understand. If you have understood, but need time to think.

Correcting misunderstandings: I’m afraid there seems to have been a slight misunderstanding. I guess I have not been entirely clear on that point.

Rephrasing: Sorry, I’m probably not making myself clear. Let me put it another

way… To be more specific …Tipp: These phrases can either be used in reply to a request for cla-rification or as a way of reinforcing your point by putting it in other words. Notice that it is more polite and diplomatic to say that it is your fault even if it isn’t. Avoid phrases like „you didn’t understand“.

„Wie bitte?“ oder „Hmh?“WIEN – Sicher haben Sie das

bei einem internationalen Kon-

gress auch schon erlebt: Sie

haben etwas nicht verstanden

und möchten den Referenten

um eine Wiederholung bitten,

oder Sie wollen gekonnt Ihre

Meinung kundtun. Wie ma-

chen Sie das am besten? In

dieser Lektion „Englisch für

Mediziner“ bekommen Sie

wieder gute Tipps, wie Sie Ihr

Anliegen elegant formulieren

können. Und wie gehen Sie

vor, wenn Sie jemanden an ei-

nen wichtigen Termin oder ein

Meeting erinnern wollen? Die

Rubrik „Say it in style” gibt Ih-

nen die richtigen Anweisungen

dazu. Unsere Autorin, Frau Do-

minique Battegay, lic.phil., hat

wieder ein paar Lernhäppchen

für Sie zusammengestellt.

Kompetent bei internationalen Kongressen

für Mediziner mitEnglisch

Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleThere are different ways in English to ask for information. Here you find the options you have: What/where/who/when/which-questions are used in informal con-

versations with colleagues you work with regularly. In other situa-tions, this type of questions may be considered impolite as they are very direct.

Could you tell me-questions can be used when asking for general information in public places, e.g. „Excuse me, could you tell me which bus runs to the airport?“

I was wondering … is a standard opening when you meet somebody in an impersonal situation. It often comes in response to „May I help you?“

Do you know (by any chance) …? If you add „by any chance“ you are showing that you don’t necessarily expect your colleague to know the answer.

Do you happen to know …? Is a variation of the previous type of questions and is used when asking something that is out of con-text. It can be introduced by saying „By the way …“

Tipp: Be careful with the expression „would you mind”! This phrase is neutral as in the sentence: „Would you mind shutting the win-dow?“ But when you use it with the verbs tell and say, such as „Would you mind telling me where you have been?“, it sounds patronizing and like a parent speaking to a naughty child.

Grammar hints:In written English, the German word weniger has got different translations:„Less” is used before nouns in the singular, „fewer” before nouns in the plural: Less information, money, re-

search. Fewer atoms, data, people.In colloquial English, on the other hand, the combination of „less” and the plural form is acceptable: We have less students enrolled

than last year.

False FriendsWords or expressions which look alike or almost look alike in Ger-man and English. They may even sound similar, but differ in mea-ning:

Find the right termGerman words can be translated differently into English:

Bedeutung: Meaning = Sinn/Bedeutung, e.g. This word has no meaning. Sense = Sinn(esorgan); Sinn/Verstand, e.g. His argument makes sense to us. Signification = (bestimmte) Bedeutung/Bezeichnung, e.g. Could you tell me the signification of this symbol?

Fehler: Mistake = Fehler, den man macht, e.g. He made many mistakes in his test. Error = Irrtum, e.g. These new methods unveiled small errors in the experiments of previous researchers. Defect = Fehler im Sinn eines Makels, e.g. Women who took thalidomide during their pregnancy had children with birth defects. Failure = Fehlschlagen/Scheitern, e.g. The acute failure of the aortic valve may lead to very rapid deteri-oration. Malfunction = Funktionsstörung/Versagen, e.g. We checked the apparatus for possible malfunctions. Misconception = Missverständnis/falsche Auffassung, e.g. There is a widespread misconception that smoking is not dangerous.

The language of meetingsThis chapter will deal with the techniques of persuading at meetings; how to make an argument more convincing or to show that I myself am not convinced.

Asking questions: Wouldn’t it be a good idea to …? Have you taken into account …?

Adding information: If we look at it in another light … I wonder if you have considered …

Challenging: This part is more direct than the previous two. Be careful with these phrases as they can cause offence. I wonder if that view is justified in the light of … I would be inclined to …, if I were you.

Expressing reservation: I’m afraid such a decision might lead to … I can’t help feeling that … I’m rather worried about ...

Reassuring: We share your concern about this, and you may rest assured that … Let me assure you straight away on that point.

Nach Informationen fragenWIEN – Will man „Lektüre“ oder „Arztrezept“ ins Engli-sche übersetzen, muss man aufpassen, dass man nicht in die „False Friends“-Falle tappt. Auch in dieser Lektion „Englisch für Mediziner” hat Frau Dominique Battegay, lic.phil., für Sie ein paar „False Friends“ zusammengestellt. Was im Deutschen als „Fehler“ gilt, hat im Englischen ganz un-terschiedliche Begriffe, wie Sie in der Rubrik „Find the right term“ sehen können.

Kompetent auf internationalen Kongressen

für Mediziner mitEnglisch

German English English German

Lektüre reading (material)

lecture Vortrag

Protokoll minutes protocol Vorgehensweise (diplomatische Regeln)

selbstbewusst self-confident self-conscious unsicher

Arztrezept prescription recipe Kochrezept

Medizin16 Medical Tribune • 37. Jahrgang • Nr. 46 • 16. November 2005

Say it in styleEnglish native speakers are usually very careful not to be too direct or „bossy“ when they are making suggestions. There are different styles depending on who you are addressing.

„You should talk to your boss”, is a direct suggestion, almost a command. It is not impolite and possibly appropriate when you talk to a friend. However, it is rather inappropriate in business situations. Therefore, use it only with colleagues you know on a closer and intimate level.

„Maybe we should call a meeting to discuss these issues”, is

an appropriate sentence for many business situations, even when talking to somebody of a higher rank. It is less direct and „con-frontational“ than the first example.

„Have you thought about talking to the other colleagues?” Instead of implying that the other person has done something wrong, the suggestion is being wrapped into a neutral question. The listener is free to take the advice or not. This phrasing is ap-propriate when you don’t know the other person well or when you want to be careful.

„How about dropping in this afternoon so I can help you with your presentation?” This is a very positive and friendly phrasing which is used mainly for suggestions in an informal context. A person that begins a suggestion in this manner, expects a positive answer because he/she is trying to offer help.

„You may/might think about finishing this project first before

you start another one.” This is probably the most popular type of suggestion in business contexts. It implies that the speaker is in a position of knowing better than the listener. However, the phrasing is so indirect that it is suitable for most situations.

Grammar hints:The noun difficulty is used in the singular only in connection with the prepositions of and in:

Universities encounter difficulty in attracting top scientists.

We were confronted with the dif-ficulty of raising enough money for this project.

The plural „difficulties” is possible without a preposition: A number of difficulties arose at

the beginning of the study.

False FriendsWords or expressions which look alike or almost look alike in German and English. They may even sound similar, but differ in meaning:

Find the right termGerman words can be translated differently into English:

Resultate: Result = Ergebnis,

e.g. Preliminary results have been presented in abstract form. Finding = Fund/Entdeckung,

e.g. Their finding indicates that this drug reduces depression. Outcome = Ergebnis/Folge,

e.g. The outcome of his extensive research showed that cancer is partially preventable by increased fruit intake.

Product = Erzeugnis, e.g. Products of several companies have been marketed extensively.

Yield = Ertrag, e.g. We had an excellent yield of this project.

The language of meetingsIn most discussions and meetings interrupting is very common. How can you make it clear that you want to say or comment on something or stop somebody interrupting you? Here you find some suggesti-ons:

In most Nordic countries (including Great Britain and America), it is very impolite to interrupt somebody while he/she is talking. There-fore, never interrupt somebody in mid-sentence. The right moment for an interruption is during a pause in what the speaker is saying. This may be when the speaker hesitates or when he/she is changing from one subject to another. Then you could say: I don’t want to interrupt, but … May I interrupt you for a moment ... Sorry to interrupt/break in, but ...Tipp: In contrast, interrupting somebody in a more southern country such as Italy may be more positively received because interrupting may show the listener that you are interested in what he/she is saying.

If you would like to take the floor, you have the following options: Can/may/could I come in at this moment? I have a point to make here. If nobody objects, I’d like to say a few words about …

Many interruptions are clarifications. As soon as you have given the necessary information, you return to what you were saying by using one of these phrases: Coming back to what I was saying … As I was saying ... If I could continue …

Bringen Sie Ihre Meinung einIn einer englisch geführten Diskussion fühlt man sich oft hilflos, wenn man einen Red-ner unterbrechen bzw. die eigene Meinung einbringen möchte. In dieser vorläufig letzten Lektion unserer Se-rie „Englisch für Mediziner” bekommen Sie Tipps, wie Sie höflich, aber bestimmt den Redeschwall unterbrechen und sich wirkungsvoll ins Gespräch bringen. Diese und alle bisheri-gen Folgen finden Sie ab sofort als zusammenhängendes PDF in unserem Downloadcenter auf www.medical-tribune.at. Wir schicken Ihnen fehlende Teile aber auch gerne zu. Rufen Sie uns an: 01/54600-321

Kompetent auf internationalen Kongressen

für Mediziner mitEnglisch

German English English German

konsequent consistent consequent daraus folgend (conse-quently = folglich)

stationär in hospital, asan in-patient

stationary ortsfest,(still)stehend

prägnant succinct,concise

pregnant schwanger