In an increasingly globalised world, being able to communicate effectively across borders is essential to maintain your company afloat. If left unchecked, language barriers can lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings and serious losses in profit. For example, in a survey by Forbes and Rosetta Stone, two in three executives (65%) said there were significant language barriers between them and other employees in diverse workforces. 

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of corporate language training for any business aiming for success.

5 Benefits of Corporate Language Training for Employees

1. Fosters Career Advancement Opportunities

Employees with broader language skills will find that many more doors will open, bringing about possibilities of promotion, assignments abroad, and leadership roles. Being able to communicate in more than one language can make employees seem more versatile and valuable, increasing their job prospects and fostering career advancement opportunities.

2. Boosts Their Confidence

It has been proven that learning a new language makes you happier and more self-confident. Giving your employees the opportunity to expand their knowledge by investing in corporate language training will boost their confidence and levels of happiness. For instance, they might feel better prepared to give presentations or have meetings in another language. Happy employees feel motivated and productive, leading to better results overall.

3. Enhances Global Communication

Being able to communicate with customers and clients in a common language can make a huge difference in the level of service provided. If your staff can interact with them effectively, customers will feel valued and understood, resulting in higher satisfaction and loyalty. Effective communication is also crucial with overseas staff, in order to build stronger teamwork, avoid misunderstandings, and facilitate negotiations. 

4. Broadens Professional Networks

Speaking another language gives employees access to a wider range of professionals. This can provide them with new opportunities for collaboration, networking and career growth. For example, if an employee is sent to a congress overseas, the potential new contacts they might make could result in new commercial relationships and more robust connections with other markets.

5. Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

Not only does language training involve learning to speak, but it also includes valuable lessons on cultural norms and practices, which helps employees to better understand and deal with cultural differences. In today’s globalised world, where working with people overseas is increasingly common, being able to respectfully interact with different cultures is crucial to maintain successful relationships among staff.

3 Corporate Benefits from Employee Language Training

Now that we have discussed the benefits of language training for your employees, let’s discuss 3 corporate benefits of providing language training in-company.

1. Expands Your Company’s Market Reach

When your employees are able to do business in another language, this greatly increases your company’s market reach. Expanding into other territories is essential to make your business thrive. Not only will your company be prepared to enter a new market, but also to tailor its products and services to foreign customers, and cater to different needs in overseas regions. 

2. Increases Cost Efficiency and Lowers Risks

Even though language training needs an initial investment, it may result in important long-term cost savings. Language barriers are a contributing factor in many job-related accidents. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), language barriers are a contributing factor in approximately 25% of job-related accidents. By minimising errors, improving communication and making processes more efficient, your company can avoid costly mistakes and ensure everything runs smoothly. 

3. Boosts Productivity, Employee Engagement and Retention

If your company offers language training, it shows that you care about your employees’ personal and professional growth. As mentioned before, being able to communicate in another language can boost employees’ confidence in themselves, and improve their perception of your company. This can lead to increased levels of job satisfaction and loyalty, which bring about lower employee turnover rates, saving time and money in recruitment.

Leaving these benefits aside, how do companies decide which is the best language training to provide to their employees? Of course, English is considered the biggest lingua franca, but it is not the only possibility. Let’s have a look at the necessary steps to decide on a language training course in-company.

Corporate Language Training: How to Decide Which is the Best Language to Train Employees in

Assess Business Goals and Market Needs

To begin with, it is necessary to determine which countries or regions your company operates in or would like to expand into. The languages spoken in these areas can be used as a guide to choose the correct training. It is also important to take into account the languages your major clients, partners and suppliers speak.

Analyse Employee Roles and Functions

Another key aspect of your choice in language training is the analysis of your employees’ roles and functions. For instance, employees in customer service, sales, or support should be trained in the languages of the customers they interact with. Finally, for executives or managers that deal with international staff, it might be necessary to include advanced language skills, such as business communication and negotiation.

Conduct a Needs Assessment

The best way to do this is by surveying employees, which will provide information about their  current language skills, their needs and interests. It is also a good idea to look into areas where miscommunication or misunderstanding are common due to language barriers. Managers and team leaders should also be consulted about their teams’ specific needs. With all this data, you can determine which is the best language to offer.

Evaluate the Level of Proficiency Required

According to their roles and how often they interact with foreign language speakers, the different levels of proficiency can be evaluated. For roles that only occasionally interact with foreigners, basic conversational skills might be enough. On the other hand, employees who negotiate, give presentations or write in another language will need more advanced language skills. If your employees specialise in legal or technical roles, you should include more specific training.

Allocate Available Resources and Budget

Language training requires an investment, so it is essential to determine which resources are at the disposal of your company. Nowadays, there are many methods to teach, including in-person classes, online courses, and language apps. Consider your budget and your employees’ learning preferences to choose one. You should also weigh the cost of language training against the potential benefits we mentioned before.

After following these steps, it is a good idea to give the language training course a “test drive”, using a small group of employees to assess its results and gather feedback before offering it to the whole company. Constant feedback from participants is crucial to keep improving and provide the most beneficial experience.

Conclusion

Even though offering corporate language training courses requires plenty of effort and resources, its benefits vastly outweigh any disadvantages. Taking into account the far-reaching effects of globalisation, any company hoping for success should consider training their employees in English or any other language, in order to increase their market reach, reduce miscommunication and foster cultural sensitivity. Knowledge is indeed power, and making your employees feel valued and empowered through language learning will prove to be the best investment you have ever made.

Ready to take the next step? Explore Text Inspector’s tools for producing language proficiency assessment materials and personalised training solutions. Let us help you empower your employees and drive your business forward.

References

• Forbes. “Reducing the Impact of Language Barriers.” Forbes, July 2011, https://images.forbes.com/forbesinsights/StudyPDFs/Rosetta_Stone_Report.pdf.
  Accessed 3 August 2024.
• Lyons, Dylan. “5 Ways Learning A Language Can Make You Happier.” Babbel, 1 November 2017
  https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/5-ways-learning-language-makes-you-happier.
  Accessed 3 August 2024.
• N., Sophie. “6 Key Benefits of Language Training for Your Employees.” Preply, https://preply.com/en/blog/b2b-benefits-of-language-learning/. Accessed 2 August 2024.

Contributed by Victoria Martínez Mutri

Victoria is a CELTA-certified English as a Foreign Language teacher with a background in Translation from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fascinated by language since an early age, she’s particularly interested in the fields of Applied Linguistics and Sociolinguistics. She’s been researching and writing about gender-inclusive language since 2018. After graduating, she would like to obtain a Master’s Degree in Linguistics at a foreign university.