Especially to those of you raised bilingual.
I realised, my thoughts are very flexible in the used language. The biggest input seems to determine not only the voice in my head, but also the structure of sentences. That hasn't been my mother tongue, since I read more englisch than I talk to actual people.
Why This Thread Is Important and Should Be Read by People Interested in Better Communication
We should all be aware that what we're saying in any language will be heard in a unique way by the listener. What we say might be translated in the listeners' minds to another language. They might formulate their response in another language, translate it in their minds, and then speak it. All this goes on invisible to the other person.
Of course, even if all parties speak the same language, they hear words differently -- each word attached to a personal association or connotation.
So please, if you are explaining safety procedures to workers handling volatile gases, make sure they paraphrase their understanding back to you.