{"id":10059,"date":"2022-11-10T21:54:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T21:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.aupairusa.org\/host-families\/?p=10059"},"modified":"2022-11-10T23:18:38","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T23:18:38","slug":"what-not-to-say-to-your-au-pair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aupairusa.org\/host-families\/advice\/what-not-to-say-to-your-au-pair\/","title":{"rendered":"What NOT to Say to Your Au Pair!"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

At Au Pair USA<\/a>, we\u2019re constantly working on ways to prepare you for a successful au pair placement. We give you tips on interviewing au pairs. We provide you with resources to welcome your au pair. We check in with you upon arrival to ensure the relationship is blossoming and meet with you shortly after to answer your questions and share information. But we don\u2019t often tell you what NOT to say when hosting an au pair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most au pairs are non-native English speakers. This means they are still learning how the English language works. They might be translating everything that you say to them into their native language. If that is the case, their brains must process, translate, and decode what they\u2019re hearing to ensure comprehension. In fact, even au pairs from English-speaking countries may struggle with particular sayings and idioms we use casually and effortlessly in our daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication tips for you and your au pair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some prime examples of what NOT to say to your au pair so you\u2019re not met with a “deer in headlights” look or some major miscommunication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. \u201cLet\u2019s play it by ear\u201d<\/strong> This could go wrong in many ways. Your au pair, being around kids most of the time, may think you\u2019re introducing a new game to play, \u201cIt by Ear.\u201d There could be tons of confusion here, especially if you\u2019re discussing schedule-related topics and then throw this idiomatic expression into the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended replacement: \u201cLet\u2019s decide on that later.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Although \u201cIt by Ear” might be a cute game for some host kids! Image courtesy of Pexels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. \u201cReach out to\u2026\u201d<\/strong> Think about how complicated it could become if you were translating something like this. Reach out? Put my arm out? What if we\u2019re not near each other? What does this mean?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended replacement: \u201cCall\/text\/email\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \u201cSpill the beans\/tea\u201d<\/strong> Unless you want a mess all over your floor, I\u2019d stay away from this one. Again, this could cause serious confusion for your au pair in a conversation. They might wonder why you were talking about one topic, and suddenly, you want them to make a mess?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended replacement: \u201cTell ___ about ___.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. \u201cTouch base\u201d<\/strong> Such a commonly used expression that can cause so much confusion. From an au pair perspective, they might be scratching their head, thinking, \u201cBase? Like baseball? What do they mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended replacement: \u201cText each other,\u201d \u201cCall each other,\u201d or \u201cGive an update.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. \u201cHow come?\u201d<\/strong> You may never think this simple expression could be something that could totally halt a conversation. Au pairs will be trying to translate this, which will likely make no sense to them. You\u2019ll be waiting for an answer to this seemingly simple question, and they\u2019ll probably be quiet because they have no idea you even asked them something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended replacement: \u201cWhy\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
With these tips in mind, you’ll be communicating with your au pair like a pro! Image courtesy of Pexels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn more idioms that non-native English speakers struggle with? A quick search for \u201cEnglish idioms\u201d will show you that we use hundreds daily. Keep these challenging phrases in mind as you share information with your au pair so everyone can \u201cbe on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Au Pair USA, we\u2019re constantly working on ways to prepare you for a successful au pair placement. We give you tips on interviewing…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":10063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[32,35,63,53,26],"class_list":["post-10059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","tag-au-pair","tag-au-pairs","tag-communication","tag-host-family","tag-language-learning"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat NOT to Say to Your Au Pair! Tips for clear communication.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Communicating with a non-native English speaking au pair can be difficult. 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