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I've been told by a brilliant, but non-native English speaker, that (1) is very challenging.

They think in their native language, and have to not only solve the problem you present them, but also translate their thoughts at the same time. Can you see yourself doing that?

I don't have a solution to propose. I just wanted to raise the issue.

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I agree this is an issue, and given that some of my smartest peers learnt English as a second (or third) language, I definitely don't want to make it harder.

If I realize that they are not native english-speakers, then I typically give them the option to work on the code, the stop at a breakpoint and have them explain what they did and why they did it. This seems to keep undue Stress off the applicant while still letting learn about how they think.

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