Aug 03

Business English – A Fleeting Phenomenon?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training 2 Comments »

Well-respected linguist and author Nicholas Ostler argued in an interview once that Business English is a fleeting phenomenon that will one day die out: “At the moment, English-speaking groups are very much in their ascendancy, but there is only one way to go from ascendancy”. Even English as a language in general is likely to follow the path of Latin, he suggests, marking its place in linguistic history before seeping into the ether. However, this remains a distinctly long-term view.

Meeting Neustockimages i Business English – A Fleeting Phenomenon?

© istockphoto.com/Neustockimages

While languages such as Mandarin, Arabic and Portuguese are becoming increasingly more powerful, English continues to hold centre stage in international business and has a long way to go before it fades out. Despite this, there are many current challenges to English, and consequently the lingua franca of Business English, which may add weight to the view that English will not remain in its superior position forever?

“Half the world’s languages have fewer than 10,000 speakers”

Recently, there appears to have been greater encouragement from leaders to reaffirm indigenous languages. This comes after years of leaders trying to push for more reliance on internationally important languages such as English. Ostler, who also runs the Foundation for Endangered Languages, points out that half of the world’s languages have fewer than 10,000 speakers and that these populations are continuing to decrease.

There is a fear that some languages will be lost altogether and with that, a part of culture and dignity. Self-determination, pride and practicality motivate such moves and as such, there is a big effort in many regions of the world to transfer these dying languages from one generation to another.

Efforts like these emphasise a fundamental difference between lingua franca languages, such as Business English, and native, mother-tongue languages. Business English, or Globish, is a relatively young language which responds to a global requirement to maximise communication and comprehension in international settings. However, regional languages, including English for native speakers, have much deeper roots.

Regional languages are learnt and absorbed intuitively from birth, whereas lingua francas, like Business English, are learnt consciously at a later stage for a specific purpose. This presents a challenge to Business English because it significantly reduces its chances of survival. Once the need for Business English dies out, so too could the language itself.

“English is spoken by less than 20% of the world’s people, but 68% of the internet’s websites are in English”

How then is English as a mother-tongue affected? A UNESCO study determined that children learn better in their native language than they do in a foreign language. Countries such as Uganda and Madagascar have since returned to educating their children in their mother tongue, not in English or French. With the removal of this initial reliance on English, it’s possible that African and Asian countries might start doing more internal business in their mother tongue, which could reduce the importance of other languages such as English.

UNESCO promotes the view that native languages are important and should be valued and preserved. One clear example in their report highlights a shocking contrast within English language dominance: “English is spoken by less than 20% of the world’s people, but 68% of the internet’s web-pages are in English”.

It seems that after years of colonial rule, countries are reasserting their independent identities. The choice of language used in a setting can, ironically, make statements that speak louder than words. Choosing to embrace native languages over dominant international languages such as Business English can send a message to the world that says ‘we can function without you’.

“80% of the world’s people do not speak English”

For this very reason, native English speakers should not get too comfortable with the idea that their language is spoken by everyone. As Ostler noted, around 80% of the world’s people do not speak English. It is common to go abroad and find locals who do not have a grasp of the language, and nor, necessarily, should they. Although native English speakers may appear to have an advantage in the business world, they are also at risk. In negotiations, for example, a group of foreign colleagues can switch easily into their native language, putting their native English counterparts very much in the dark about what is being discussed.

English is being further challenged by the variations that are taking hold in many parts of the world. Variations, such as Globish, often sound very different from the standard form of English and could possibly become languages in their own right. As language is in a state of constant change there has been a natural evolution away from the Standard English left behind during colonial times.

In Nigeria, there are about 50 million speakers of Nigerian Pidgin English, a language consisting of English words interspersed with phrases from Nigeria’s other 500 languages. Although it is the de facto lingua franca, it holds no official status in the country. Other examples of new vernaculars are Singalese in Singapore and Taglish spoken in the Philippines.

In tomorrow’s world we might see a new language prosper and English might become the language of the past. However, the current dominance of English in social and business environments around the world is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. For the moment, it appears that the world has found a solution to global communication and Business English thrives. Taking a Business English course can improve your performance in the international business arena and help individuals from all nationalities to learn the specific English that is truly relevant to the professional world.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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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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Nov 30

What Are the Alternatives to Business English?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Financial English Training Courses, Language Training Courses 2 Comments »

It is generally presumed that if you are a professional person and you are on an English language training course, you are going to be following a Business English course. Does this mean that the term Business English includes all aspects of English that are not ‘general’? Is there really only one alternative to Business English?

Meeting Business Meeting 2 nyul i What Are the Alternatives to Business English?

© istockphoto.com/ Nyul

The obvious main alternative to Business English is ‘General English’. On a General English course, the delegate would be offered the choice of themes, which might be of interest to anybody outside the world of work (the environment, transportation, sports and leisure, the media, travel, etc). The functions of the language are presented and practiced in a ‘general’ way. So, for example, making suggestions might be presented in the context of a group of friends discussing what they might do that evening: ‘Shall we go to the cinema?’, ‘How about seeing the new Harry Potter film?’ Why don’t we go ice skating instead?

The term ‘Business English’ has come to mean the kind of English that professional people require in order to able to work effectively in their companies. Business English is therefore the umbrella term under which the language that is used in all the departments in a company is included. However, the language specific to different departments is generally only touched upon lightly as the main focus of a business English course is the skills required at work: telephoning, writing emails, making presentations, participating in meetings, etc. If the delegate wishes to specialize in the English required for a specific profession he/she needs to choose a specific strand of Business English as an alternative. It is therefore possible to say that alternatives to ‘Business English’ are: Human Resources English, Financial English, IT English, Marketing English, Pharmaceutical English and Technical English, etc.

In addition, there also exist exam preparation courses which are not necessarily solely concerned with Business English. All of these exam preparation courses focus on the skills that are needed to perform well in the exam. Therefore, tactics, tips and exam question practice make up an essential part of the course. Some of these exams might be more general (The Cambridge general English PET, FCE, CAE, CPE tests, for example) or professional, but not specifically business (the TOEIC). Others are more specialized, such as the International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE) and the International Legal English Certificate (ILEC); both from Cambridge.

Academic English is another alternative type of course in which the content focuses more on preparing students for studies in a university, college or school where English is the medium of study. Such a course is therefore more skills-focused as the content of the academic studies varies from student to student. Listening and note-taking skills are highly important for reaping the benefits from lectures, essay writing and presenting information are both important production skills.

Most business English courses mix in ‘social’ English so that the business person feels able to cope in travel and social situations. Therefore, the following themes might be included on the course: how to deal with different situations at the airport, how to get by in a hotel, how to feel at ease in a restaurant with Anglophone business partners, how to small talk, etc. Even though this mix of social and professional language may exist on a business English course, a true combination of business and general English does exist as a veritable alternative to a Business English course. Delegates could choose to divide the course in half, alternating business lessons with general ones. One week, the delegate might be practising the language needed to lead a meeting, the next week he/she could be discussing global warming and climatic changes. This type of course is popular as variety generally increases motivation and people also feel the need to address their personal culture. Increasingly, business is about socializing: being able to participate in general discussions and express one’s opinion confidently.

The final alternative I would like to mention is cultural awareness training for English speakers. Courses are available which enable you as an individual to understand better people from different cultural backgrounds. This type of course looks beyond language and focuses on such aspects as paralanguage and social behavior.

In conclusion, the answer to the question I asked in the introduction: ‘Is there really only one alternative to Business English?’ is ‘no’. There is a wide choice of English courses and as more and more courses are created to respond to the specific needs people have, the number of alternatives to ‘Business English’ will continue to grow.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Oct 29

The Influence of Sport on Business English

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

Have you ever heard expressions such as “curveball”, “home run” or “big hitter”? If you are a baseball fan you will be  very familiar with them. But have you ever heard these in an everyday or business conversation? Let’s play ball!

Football Adam Kazmierski i The Influence of Sport on Business English

© istockphoto.com/ Adam Kazmierski

According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the importance of sport is growing in modern society. But sport is more than a mere practice; it is a sub-culture with its own code and vocabulary that now permeates through to everyday social and business culture.

A quick glance at the list below will show some typical sporting terms used in both American and British English. Be sure to ask for a review on these when undertaking a business English course.

Word Sport Meaning Usage
Batting 1000 Baseball Getting everything in a series of item right American English
Catbird seat Baseball An advantagous position American English
Cleanup hitter Baseball Someone who come in to solve a problem American English
Curveball Baseball A surprise American English
Home run Baseball A complete success American English
Play ball Baseball To start American English
Right off the bat Baseball Immediately American English
Full-court press Basketball An all-out effort to exert pressure American English
End run US football An evasive tactic American English
To Knock Out Boxing To put out of comission British English
Below the belt Boxing An unfair tactic British English
A contender Boxing A challenger British English
To score Various To succeed British English
A game plan Various A strategy British English
Locker talk Various Gossip, rumour British English

As you can see, sport terminology is now widely used in business situations. But while these expressions are easy to understand for native speakers, it is not necessarily the case for non-native English speakers who might struggle and be confused by hearing sport vocabulary in another context.

If you want to avoid misunderstanding with your foreign colleagues, it is advisable to follow a business English course. It will offer you the opportunity to go the distance and tackle language issues. If you don’t want to throw in the towel when dealing with foreign heavyweight clients or suppliers, it is crucial to master basic and more advanced business vocabulary.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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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 06

Backhands and Backslang – English Slang in Tennis and the Business World

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training No Comments »

Professional tennis players face different cultures and languages more often than any other athletes in the world. The professional tennis calendar is a traveler’s dream, as players trek every few weeks around the globe competing in different tournaments from Brisbane to Chennai and from Doha to Melbourne… and that only in one month! For them it is important to earn as many points as possible in order to get a direct entry to the Four Big Tournaments – the Grand Slams.

Tennis players usually try to learn English as it is the Lingua Franca of the sport and makes it easier for them to carry out interviews and interact with fans. It also makes them more attractive to sponsors to carry out promotional campaigns. Players like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova are sponsor’s magnets, their image and association with brands make themselves and companies millions.

Tennis Galina Barskaya i1 Backhands and Backslang – English Slang in Tennis and the Business World

© istockphoto.com/ Galina Barskaya

With the fluency of foreign players in English plus their native languages, it should be easy for everyone to communicate in the locker room. But recently, young British hopes Laura Robson and Heather Watson admitted they speak in ‘backslang’, a coded language they use to disguise their conversations from other players. As English speakers, they find it frustrating that everyone can understand their conversations but they can’t understand other players when they speak their native tongues.

This idea is, of course, nothing new. Language variations have been around for ages and depend on location, social class, ethnicity, age, etc. Whenever a group of people make use of their own particular slang, subcultures are formed and the idea of us against them and of group identity becomes strong. Robson even admitted to be teaching some American players how to speak in backslang, which demonstrates how the English-speaking players are somehow grouping together to ‘fight back’ their perceived disadvantage of being understood by everyone else.

This is similar to slang used by young people as a way of making their conversations incomprehensible for adults or any other authority figure, giving them a sense of empowerment they may feel is lacking in other aspects of their life. Street gangs or any other delinquent group also use coded language in order to avoid detection from the authorities.

Whatever the reason for slang or language variation usage, everyone should be aware of the challenges that may arise from these and be prepared to deal with them accordingly, be it at work or in everyday life. If you are not a lawyer but are required to deal with lawyers at work, it is vital that you understand legal English as legal terminology can look like a completely different language. If you are a language trainer and need to train business professionals, it is necessary for you to be fluent in business English as this is the terminology your clients need, as opposed to learning about names of animals or fruits.

Communicaid offers specialist language courses that are tailored to meet your needs. Our language trainers are experienced professionals within their field so a Legal English course trainer, for example, will bring first-hand experience and knowledge of the requirements of your industry. No matter what your sector and role, we can provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to communicate effectively.

We don’t have a ‘Backslang’ English language course yet but we can certainly develop one if Roger Federer ever calls.

© 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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