Jul 18

Bilingualism and Pluralingualism in Global Corporations: How Business English Training can Improve your Competitive Edge

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Language Training Courses No Comments »

As the presence of global corporations grows around the world, so too does the importance of language training. Companies are increasingly recognising the link between language proficiency and business performance and many are actively seeking to assess and improve the Business English language skills of their employees.

Business Meeting 12LajosRepasi i1 Bilingualism and Pluralingualism in Global Corporations: How Business English Training can Improve your Competitive Edge

© istockphoto.com/LajosRepasi

Although it can be a long-term investment, acknowledging and embracing bilingualism and pluralingualism in global corporations is an opportunity cost and a means of gaining competitive advantage. The baseline is simple: without language proficiency, communication is hindered; without effective communication, business performance suffers. Business English Courses can equip multinational organisations with the communication tools they need for global success.

The ROI of Language Training

The International Research Foundation’s study on the impact of pluralingualism and bilingualism in global corporations suggests that there is a real and measurable economic return when investing in language and Business English training for employees. Given the cost of training, this should be an encouraging finding for multinational companies. The study also found that ineffective communication in the corporate environment puts organisations at a significant disadvantage. All in all, good language skills are a must in global corporations and investing in the development of these skills is profitable.

Languages, often classified under the social sciences, may appear to have a ‘soft’ exterior but their impact can be extremely hard-edged. This hits the right chord with global corporations who desire impact and value. In this respect, the challenge of language learning becomes multifaceted. While companies understand the importance of language training, they also seek evidence that it adds real value.

The International Research Foundation indicates two main areas of loss and four main areas of gain around language competencies in global corporations. Studies have shown that a loss of revenue and decreased productivity are the main adverse effects of poor language proficiency. For example, this could be in the form of language barriers causing frustration for customers, thereby potentially losing their long-term loyalty. Likewise, a discrepancy in the understood goals of a company expansion might make the process much more drawn out than necessary.

Benefits of Language Training Outweigh the Cost

Although language and Business English training can be costly initially, this is outweighed by the potential for an increased revenue stream and better productivity. In other respects, employees are likely to feel less pressure when communicating with colleagues and stakeholders if they are equipped with the right language tools. As a result, language competency will provide a greater sense of work satisfaction and increase talent retention. Employees will also be able to manage day-to-day communication better by responding more quickly and accurately to emails and conversations.

Financially, language and Business English courses make sense. How else then can companies make this investment really worthwhile? Businesses are beginning to realise that a ‘one-English for all’ strategy is no longer the answer to effective communication in the corporate world. Rather, language training should be more focused and function-specific. HR professionals need to learn language relevant to HR while financial professionals should learn language relevant to their field, and so on.

Learning the right language, therefore, is a must. Mehrabian says that communication comprises 55% body language, 38% voice and 7% words. Although we can use body language and tone of voice to convey more meaning in communication, words form the very basis of communication in business. Language, the carrier of words, is vital to the communication process.

Ineffective communication can result from using the wrong words in the wrong contexts. This can lead to delayed or misinterpreted messages and action in the business environment. Consider investing in a series of Business English or Legal English training courses depending on your context to help maximise your employees’ potential and improve your organisation’s performance and long-term bottom line.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011
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Feb 10

Business English as a Lingua Franca or Globish?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training 2 Comments »

For many professionals using Business English, this language is purely an efficient means of communication in order to get the job done. This new lingua franca might consequently become known under a different name to ‘English’. Both BELF (Business English Lingua Franca) and ‘Globish’ are terms currently used.

Globes Mike Bentley i Business English as a Lingua Franca or Globish?

© istockphoto.com/ Mike Bentley

The French former IBM executive Jean-Paul Nerrière coined this version of English ‘Globish’. He observed in the Far East how non-native speakers of English were more able to communicate and hence do business with their Korean or Japanese counterparts than their native English speaking rivals from America and Britain by using this dialect. Globish has a basic ‘utilitarian’ vocabulary of about 1500 words and is devoid of all the complications of English. In the author Robert McCrum’s view, Globish benefits from having broken free from the cultural associations with Britain and the United States. This would obviously make it more attractive to potential speakers in countries where Western life is not always looked upon positively.

Globish therefore evolves in its own way, both grammatically and lexically. Will Globish become the new lingua franca? In the opinion of New Yorker writer, Isaac Chotiner, Globish may just be a worldwide pidgin which does not satisfy everybody’s linguistic needs – what people really want to learn is English. In the same vein, Nicholas Ostler writes that Globish in his opinion will not survive long as it ‘it is not being picked up as a mother tongue’, something which is essential for the long-term survival of a language.

So, what of the future of English as a lingua franca for business? Nicholas Ostler believes that even though English is the lingua franca of business at the current time, the situation will definitely change and English will go into inevitable decline. Why inevitable? In his view, English will follow the same trend as other great lingua franca of the past. Persian dominated Western Asia for centuries but finally lost this position following foreign invasions of peoples speaking other languages and went into permanent decline. The same was true of Latin, which became the lingua franca under the Romans.

Even if these predictions are backed by solid arguments, we clearly do not know what will happen and when – after all, the reign of Latin lasted for more than a thousand years. In the meantime, while we wait for a new dominant culture to appear, there is no denying the requirement for non-native speakers of English to acquire the language of Shakespeare and Dickens. English courses such as Business English or Legal English will allow you to work effectively in an international context.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Feb 04

English as the Lingua Franca for Business

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training 1 Comment »

First of all let us consider what a lingua franca is. In the words of the linguist Nicholas Ostler, a lingua franca is ‘a language that you learn because you need, because you want to.’ In contrast, Ostler defines a mother tongue as ‘… a language that you learn because you can’t help it’.

Globe Kasia i English as the Lingua Franca for Business

© istockphoto.com/ Kasia

How did English become today’s lingua franca for business? The spread of English can be traced back to the settlement of North America when the British took over areas of land from native populations and established English as the language that subsequent immigrants would speak. English was also taken to India and other countries around the globe as part of 19th Century imperialism. After the Second World War, English became increasingly popular as it was associated with the new world order. The cultural and economic clout of the countries where English was spoken encouraged and obliged many political elites and companies to adopt this language.

What is the current situation? The Financial Times published an article in 2007 entitled ‘Whose English?’ This article estimated that the number of native speakers of English was 400 million whereas one quarter of the world’s population can communicate in this language. About 80% of all interactions in English take place between non-native speakers. The globalisation of business operations and communication technology has helped bring about this situation.

Currently business English’s position as a lingua franca is upheld by the economic might of the United States and Britain. However, the influence of the two economic powers has recently been shaken by the banking crisis and the consequent economic downturn. This situation shows how things can change. Maybe in the future Chinese companies will be in a position to oblige ‘foreign’ companies to use Chinese to do business with them? It is also worth considering that the number of Americans who have Spanish as their mother tongue is increasing rapidly.

But before this situation occurs, international businessmen or entrepreneurs will still need to use English during their international meetings or business negotiations. Consequently, professionals working internationally can benefit immensely from business English training courses which will allow them to communicate effectively with their foreign counterparts.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Oct 25

Why do Certain European Countries Speak English Better than Others? A Closer Look at the Spanish

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Language Training Courses No Comments »

Spain is a country renowned for its weather, beautiful beaches, friendly people and laid-back attitude. It is also one of the top destinations for Britons going on holiday thanks to its proximity to the UK and lower cost of living. But one of the difficulties for Britons, or in fact any other visitor – be it for holidays or for living and working in Spain – is the apparent difficulty Spaniards seem to have when speaking English.

Meeting Business Meeting 2 nyul i Why do Certain European Countries Speak English Better than Others? A Closer Look at the Spanish

© istockphoto.com/ Nyul

Compared to other Western European countries such as Portugal, the Netherlands, or Germany, Spain seems to lag behind them in terms of English language proficiency. This is particularly interesting as its neighbour, Portugal, with a shared common history, similar culture and language, seems to exhibit greater prowess when it comes to speaking the language of Shakespeare.

The problem lies, of course, not with the Spaniards themselves but with a number of reasons that impact their ability to learn and speak the English language with the ease of, say, the Dutch. To start with, Spanish is a language with only five vowel sounds, and the stress and intonation differ widely from those of English.

This appears to restrict native Spanish speakers’ ability to easily adopt English sounds. Also, Spaniards’ access to English language material is very limited. Spain is one of only a handful of ‘dubbing’ countries in Western Europe, the others being France, Italy and Germany. This means that almost all of their movies and TV shows are dubbed into Spanish as opposed to having subtitles with the original soundtrack. The dubbing industry is so developed in Spain that some dubbing actors have achieved personal fame, being assigned to dub the same Hollywood actors exclusively throughout their careers.

While there is nothing wrong with this tradition, the problem that this represents for Spaniards willing to learn English is significant. They often struggle as they only ever get to hear English if they go out of their way by visiting cinemas showing original version, acquiring pay TV, or taking Business English courses, but these are all very limited environments. On the other hand, the Dutch receive lots of foreign content, even on national TV. Dutch children watch German and American TV programmes and, without realising it, they entertain themselves while simultaneously familiarising themselves with foreign languages from a very early age.

It is well known that the best way to learn or improve a foreign language is by being immersed in the culture of the desired language, being able to practice it and hear it constantly and on a daily basis. The lessons learned in the classroom can thus be put into practice straight away, making learning the language a necessity, vital to interacting successfully with others, as well as relevant to daily situations. Tailored English courses such as Business English courses can help you to develop your language skills, regardless of your level or linguistic background and offer you the relevant tools to use English proficiently.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 14

What is Financial English?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Financial English Training Courses 1 Comment »

English is the international language of business and used increasingly around the world, especially within the finance sector. So how did English become the language of international finance?

British colonialism led to the spread of the English language throughout Asia and Africa where it became the language of education and governance. As the British colonies became independent, English remained the language of trade between the 54 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. English continued to become more widespread as the United States’ economic influence increased during the Second World War. English remained the most commonly spoken language and quickly became the de facto lingua franca of business as American companies such as IBM and GM grew and became truly multinational.

Business and financial services such as banking and accountancy around the world use English as the primary language of communication. International standards for finance such as the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting (IFRS) are all recorded in English while many terms and expressions related to banking and accounting have been coined in English.

Business Meeting 13 track5 i1 What is Financial English?

© istockphoto.com/ Track 5

In addition to the many international standards in English, important international bodies have also been set up and use English as the language for communication. One of these is ACCA(The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), one of the largest and fastest-growing global professional accountancy bodies with 296,000 students and 115,000 members in 170 countries. Its aim is to enable people to become highly qualified so that they can pursue their international careers in accountancy, finance and management.

Anyone who wants to understand the financial standards and regulations or participate in these important international bodies must ‘possess first-rate English language skills and the ability to converse with other accounting and finance professionals’ (University of Cambridge). Being able to communicate with finance professionals in today’s international business environment requires not only excellent skills in business English but the ability to use Financial English.

Someone with excellent Financial English skills will understand the many terms and abbreviations used in the financial sector. Some examples include: ROI (return on investment), EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) and GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles).

There are also a number of themes which professionals working in finance need to understand such as financial reporting, insurance, investment banking, ethics and professionalism, accounting software, assets and company valuations, and acquisitions and mergers. All of these areas contain lexical fields that need to be mastered by any professional in a finance role.

In addition to these lexical fields, Financial English also encompasses the language required to perform everyday financial tasks. Financial professionals need to possess the linguistic skills to:

  • Prepare and deliver presentations
  • Take part in discussions
  • Participate in and conduct meetings
  • Give their opinions and suggest alternatives
  • Present an argument and handle questions
  • Write financial reports and formal letters

The ability to speak Financial English is no longer a nice to have but it’s a must have for any finance professional working in today’s global world. Whether it’s understanding the specific terminology or international standards, taking part in important financial discussions or writing vital financial reports, finance professionals must have an excellent level of Financial English to succeed in a domain where precision is fundamental. Click here to find out what the content of a Financial English course contains.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jun 22

What is Business English?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training No Comments »

English became the predominant language of business during the second half of the Twentieth Century for various reasons. The USA became the world’s most important economic power and was also one of the ‘victors’, alongside Britain, of the Second World War. The increasingly international nature of business made moving towards a ‘common’ language a necessity. English was a perfect candidate as it was already spoken as a first or second language by many people around the globe (partially as a result of British colonialism). It is now spoken by over 500 million people in a vast number of territories, including Britain, Canada, the United States of America, Australia, India and Southern Africa and has truly become a ‘global’ language. Business English is therefore considered as being essential for all people who wish to work in any area of business, aviation, computing, etc. As the economy becomes increasingly global, the importance of Business English continues to grow.

Definition Business samdiesel i What is Business English?

© istockphoto.com/ Samdiesel

‘Business English’ is the wide-embracing term that is used to describe the type of English that is used by people to do business. ‘English for Business focuses on the English language skills necessary to communicate in an increasingly global business environment.’ The range of different subject areas included under the umbrella term ‘Business English’ is wide. The Oxford Business English Dictionary includes the following areas : accounting, commerce, e-commerce, economics, finance, HR, insurance, IT, law, manufacturing, marketing, production, property, the stock exchange, (international) trade, transport. Does this mean that everything which is not considered to be General English is in fact Business English? The answer is no. There is a wider term for English which is not considered to be general: ESP (English for Specific Purposes). This acronym includes all the different areas of ‘Business English’ and more (English for hotels and catering, English for Science, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), etc).

What is generally associated with a ‘Business English’ course are the skills that most people need to be able to do their jobs well: writing e-mails and reports, making presentations, doing negotiations, using the telephone, attending and participating actively in meetings or telephone conferences, receiving visitors, etc The big difference, therefore, is that Business English focuses on the delegate’s job whereas the aim of General English is to improve all the four skills, regardless of the language content.

Consequently, Business English courses need to be carefully planned. The delegate or delegates (if the course is not one-to-one) should initially have their needs and objectives, as well as their language level, analysed before the specific training programme is drawn up. A delegate usually does not want to waste valuable course time learning skills or practising language which are not relevant to his/her professional requirements. Business English training courses are normally paid for by companies and the delegates are therefore in some way accountable for what is achieved. As a result, some sort of agreement needs to be established between the training organisation and the delegate’s company before the training course begins Answers to questions such as: ‘how many hours of training will the delegate require in order to achieve his/her stated objectives?’ or ‘What can the delegate expect to be capable of doing at the end of this course of X number of hours?’ need to be taken into consideration

Company English language training budgets are spent almost entirely on Business English courses. It is therefore imperative that language training organisations fine-tune their service and put themselves in a position from which they can respond rapidly and effectively to this ever-increasing demand.

© Communicaid Group Ltd.2010

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Jun 15

Benefits of a Business English Course

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Financial English Training Courses, Insurance English Training Courses, Legal English Training Courses 1 Comment »

English language training is becoming increasingly specialised as companies and delegates demand that programmes are developed to respond specifically to their needs. As these needs are predominately professional, Business English courses have been developed. What are the benefits of following a Business English course?

Business English courses focus on the language a learner needs to be able to carry out professional tasks efficiently. They are therefore the logical choice for anybody who is looking for a job, wanting to perform better at work or changing jobs. As Business English courses have this as their focus, their content covers such essential work-related area as: understanding and writing e-mails, making presentations, negotiating, participating in or running meetings, telephoning and welcoming visitors.

Having sufficient language skills in any of these areas provides enormous benefits to companies who work with other companies located outside their country. In a recent BBC article a Business English trainer commented ’…. as a business English trainer, I constantly meet business people who have realised the immense advantages they have, being able to sell and negotiate in their potential customers’ own language ‘

The themes or topics included in a General English programme are not as important as those on a Business English course because the ‘general’ objective of the former kind of course is to develop the delegate’s ability in the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Whether this is through studying such themes as the environment or cinema is not so important. In Business English, however, ‘two elements are axiomatic – the sense of purpose and the sense of vocation’, Keith Harding, English for Specific Purposes, Oxford, 2007.

Happy meeting Neustockimages i Benefits of a Business English Course

© istockphoto.com/ Neustockimages

In order to establish what this ‘purpose’ and ‘vocation’ are, each delegate is invited to undergo a diagnostic consultancy with Communicaid in order to define a programme specifically focused on his/her needs. The themes included in this programme are only those chosen by the delegate. The language items included depends only on the themes chosen (the passive voice for describing manufacturing processes or the second conditional for negotiating, for example). As a result, it is more probable that a Business English training course enables the delegate to achieve his/her goals in a more efficient way.

In addition to choosing from some of the main business themes listed above, the delegate also has the opportunity to specialise in an area of business relevant to his/her field of work: marketing, human resources, accounting, logistics, etc. These Business themes will thus have a more specialised language content. For a delegate wishing to train in logistics and telephone skills, for example, a role-play activity might be making a phone call to a forwarder.

Business English delegates are not taught, they are trained. Training is generally considered in the EFL profession as the reserve of the more experienced teachers. This is obviously beneficial to the Business English delegate as the quality of the training courses should be high. It is often the case that the training organisation will guarantee that its Business Trainers have had previous experience in the business world. A marketing manager could therefore be trained by a trainer who has worked in marketing him/herself. This very much depends on the training organisation and should be checked by the delegate or company when looking for a course.

Marketing Director Declan Mulkeen of Culture and Communication Skills Consultancy Communicaid based in London suggests: ‘You will benefit from access to some of Europe’s most experienced and effective Business English trainers, all of whom have considerable training expertise as well as practical experience in international business, law, finance and diplomacy.’

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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