Experienced English teachers and authors Zanne Gaynor and Kathryn Alevizos are passionate about effective communication in a multilingual and neurodiverse world and have made it their mission to “sow seeds that will forever change the way you communicate”.
Friends Zanne and Kathryn have a long and successful background in teaching English to international clients in the UK and abroad and have worked extensively with international examination boards and publishing houses. They saw a major gap in educational resources for effective inclusive intercultural and neurodiverse communication material and set about changing this.
“We first met co-authoring a course book for Pearson Education, and we soon discovered our shared passion for language and communication,” said Zanne.
“We both spent many years teaching English to non-native speakers of English and were very aware that the onus was always on the non-native speakers to improve their English skills. We wanted to flip the narrative and show that native English speakers could also help communication by adapting their own use of language,” said Kathryn.
Kathryn recalled: “We had this idea that we could put together some good concise tips and strategies to assist native English speakers to communicate more effectively in international settings. We got together for a pub lunch, did a mind map on a piece of paper about what we wanted to include in the book, and then went away and worked on a chapter each, editing together as we went.”
Once the first draft was completed, the manuscript was sent to several people including a University Dean for Internationalisation. When the Dean responded to say it was the book he had always been looking for, they knew they had something worth publishing.
They decided to self-publish the book ‘Is That Clear? Effective communication in a multilingual world’ and founded their company Acrobat Global. The book was met with critical acclaim and in 2020 it was shortlisted for a Business Book Award and featured in the Financial Times. It offers practical tips and strategies on how native English speakers can, and should, adapt their language when working with international colleagues.
The compact book, which is intentionally small, contains lots of easy-to-follow tips for adapting your English.
Following its success, Zanne and Kathryn, together with autism consultant Joe Butler, co-authored another book: ‘Is That Clear? Effective communication in a neurodiverse world’, which is filled with autism-inspired tips for allistic (non-autistic) people.
“Our aim was to create really accessible books for people who do not necessarily want to read,” said Zanne.
Seeing the response to the books, Zanne and Kathryn busied themselves in lockdown designing a course on inclusive intercultural communication skills with the aim of bringing clarity and empathy to communication in culturally diverse teams.
“We have been overwhelmed with the reaction to our books and training courses,” said Zanne.
“We have been asked to talk to a wide range of groups and organisations, including universities and the NHS, and everywhere we go we are so well-received.”
Zanne and Kathryn were key speakers at AFPP Roadshow events in 2024 and received extremely positive feedback at all events.
“Really enjoyed this talk, with a growing workplace of multicultural healthcare professionals. I feel that this should be included in many healthcare facilities mandatory training programmes,” said one attendee.
Another attendee commented: “Related to this well, will be applying this to daily practice and will improve my communication with everyone.”
The duo is running an AfPP live workshop ‘Inclusive Intercultural Communication Skills for Healthcare Professionals, on February 5th, 2025, which will dive into the challenges of communicating in a culturally diverse team and offer practical tips to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. The workshop is for native English and non-native English speakers.
“With close to one in five NHS staff members reporting a non-British nationality, it is so important that clear and inclusive communication is used,” said Kathryn, adding: “It helps with team collaboration and individual wellbeing, and is essential for patient safety and care quality.”
Some strategies that Zanne and Kathryn recommend for health professionals to help foster a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment, include slowing down speech and incorporating pauses.
They recommend keeping questions short and direct to minimise any misinterpretation.
Avoid figurative speech, for example phrases such as “spend a penny” and “beat around the bush” – these can be highly confusing for non-native speakers who may take them literally. When you note there are approximately 25,000 idioms in the English language, it’s easy to see why there may be confusion and why it is good to be cautious when using them.
“It’s important to use clear, literal language as this can prevent misunderstandings and ensure that any critical information is shared and understood accurately,” said Zanne.
You should also be mindful when using acronyms that people may not be familiar with. Saying the term in full after using an acronym can help international colleagues. Be aware that an extra issue can be that certain letters in acronyms can be difficult to distinguish; ‘OD’ for example could sound the same as ‘OB’ or ‘OT’.
Small talk too can be an issue, as it often includes humour and sarcasm that some international recruits will not understand and could easily misinterpret.
“Communication is a shared responsibility,” said Kathryn, adding: “Whether English is your first or your second language, everyone can be more aware of the language they use and the effect it has on others; this is particularly true when working in a culturally diverse team.”
“Our passion for communication stems from the many years we spent teaching English, and this gave us real insight and empathy for the plight of international members of staff. There is so much talk about kindness and civility in the workplace, and communication underpins everything.”
Zanne commented: “We have seen first-hand how through implementing simple strategies a more supportive and inclusive working environment can be created, where international recruits feel valued and supported.”
The duo is looking to author further books and are excited for what the future holds.
“We love what we do and get a real sense of deep satisfaction in seeing how clear communication can transform individuals, teams, workplaces, and, ultimately, outcomes,” said Zanne.
You can find out more about Zanne and Kathryn at https://www.acrobat-global.com/
Sign up to their upcoming AfPP live workshop ‘Inclusive Intercultural Communication Skills for Healthcare Professionals here: https://www.afpp.org.uk/events/online-workshops/
Picture shows Zanne and Kathryn.
