Encourage ESL students or employees to take ESL classes to improve their communication skills. Help locate ESL programs or provide them on-site. ESL classes help people overcome language and cultural barriers.
Ask for understanding and clarification regularly when communicating with an ESL student or worker. Don't assume they understand. Always speak slow and clear, using language that is simple and easy to understand.
React to ESL barriers with patience. Be positive in your interactions with ESL persons and expect that they will need extra time and effort to communicate. Recognize the likeliness of miscommunication occurring from time to time.
Hire multilingual staff or employees. Pay for translation services, preferably professional translation services where private or sensitive communications are involved. Collect a list of names of staff or employees who are bilingual and what languages they speak so they can help translate when no one else is available.
Communicate using various methods. Follow up on an initial communication with another communication summarizing the first. For example, send an email following an in-person meeting outlining everything important. Translate printed materials. Use communication methods that are appropriate for the person's language level.
Support ESL persons by partnering with the community and by establishing relationships with ESL person's families, who are likely ESL themselves. Communicate ESL needs to community agencies and work with agencies to provide services that will help ESL persons overcome language barriers.