APPENDIX B: Requests for clarification

If you don't understand a word, use the phraseology below to obtain a clarification. This will help you maintain control of your interviews.

1. Question	2. Answer (but part is unclear)	3. Request clarification	4. Clarification

WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND,

• INTERRUPT
• SAY YOUR PROBLEM
• ASK FOR HELP
• SIGNAL SATISFACTION

Practise doing each of these steps, for each interruption.

1. INTERRUPT

• excuse me...
• What was that?
• Just a moment...
• (informal) What?
  (very formal) Pardon?
• (Brit.) Sorry?
• (Brit) Hold on...
• DON'T SAY "Please..." (foreigner talk)

2. SAY YOUR PROBLEM

• I didn't get that
• I didn't understand that last part.
• You lost me.
• I'm not following you. I didn't get the last word...
• I didn't understand the word after "xxxxxx"...
  (...the word before "zzzzzzz")
• Who... What... When... Where... Why... How... Whose... What kind of...

1. Prefer specific questions:
"Who came?" "What fell?" "When is it?" "Where did you put it?"
instead of simply saying: "I didn't understand."

2. DON'T USE inversion (it's more colloquial):
You saw... who? You've already done... what? It's... when? You put it... where? You did it... why?

3. ASK FOR HELP

Could you say that again?

• Could you repeat the last part?
• How do you spell... ["xxxxx"]?
• What does that mean? Does "xxx" mean "yyy"?

4. SIGNAL SATISFACTION

• If you just remain silent, your interlocutor doesn't know if it's OK to continue .
• I see. Thanks. Please go on
• Now I understand. Please go on..
  OK, I got it. So, you were saying....?
• Thanks. And so?