Speaking to ESL audiences
When speaking to an audience that includes people who speak English as a second language, you may notice that some people keep whispering to the person sitting next to them.
They're probably not being rude or inattentive.
Indeed, the whispering may be a compliment: it is likely that the whisperer is translating for the person next to him or her.
When several people start whispering at once, it's your cue to rephrase whatever you just said.
-- Resli Costabell(Resli@Costabell.com)