ITALIAN FOR BUSINESS: ADVANTAGE OR PREREQUISITE FOR EMPLOYEES?

It is very likely that at some point your company will start to internationalise. And when that happens, which languages do you need to master? The first language you usually think of is English. But what if you want to trade with specific countries, such as Italy? Today we explain whether Italian for business is an advantage or an essential requirement for employees.

Why learn a language other than English?

When your company is about to start doing business with foreign countries, you probably think that English is the most versatile language. Of course, English is incredibly useful, but perhaps in the country where you are doing business it is not so highly valued. This may be the case in Italy. In Italy, Italian is preferred for business for a number of reasons:

• Comfort: Italians are infinitely more comfortable speaking Italian, they prefer their language. In this sense, it will be easier to do business with Italians, who will be more predisposed.
• You will be better seen: if you or your company’s employees learn Italian for business and are able to communicate correctly in the language, you will be seen as someone who shows interest in the country and its culture.
• Italian is not as popular: let’s face it, Italian is not as popular as French or German, let alone English. This is actually a competitive advantage, as there will be fewer speakers of the language. You and your employees will stand out if you learn Italian with in-company Italian courses.

Is Italian for business really the right language?

There are many advantages to learning another language, but if you trade with Italy, mastering their language will be hugely beneficial to your bottom line. In any context, learning Italian is an added bonus on your CV. But introducing it into your company, if you do business with Italy, can be more than just an advantage. Take a look at the following points to assess whether Italian for business will really be useful to you.

Geographical criteria

When you think about learning a language, whether for work or study, you generally have to take into account significant criteria by which you can decide whether to implement the language or not.

One such criterion is geographical proximity. In other words, the closer one country is to another, the more possibilities there are to travel and cross borders. In the case of Spain, this is a particularly important point: Italy being a trading partner for most Spanish companies and being so close, employees learning Italian as a foreign language with good Italian courses is a point to be taken very seriously.

Number of speakers

Another of the most important points when learning a language is the number of speakers. If you are thinking of introducing languages for business, you have probably thought of the most popular languages because they are spoken by so many people.

However, if your goal is to do business with the transalpine country, it is worth thinking about it: there are over 70 billion Italian speakers in the world, which is a remarkable number. You will certainly be able to exploit the power of the language. However, if you want to introduce language courses in your company, think about the cultural aspect as well as the linguistic one: in Italy there are certain traditions in business that you should not overlook if you want to get the most out of your negotiations.

Learning Italian for business for economic interest

One of the last criteria for studying a language is economic interest. Consider, of course, whether this investment will bring you benefits in the medium and long term. Bearing in mind that Italy is one of Spain’s most important trading partners, it is interesting to have a good command of Italian in order to get clients who can bring you good profits.

Italian for business: advantageous and indispensable

In today’s world, internationalising a business and trying to contact foreign clients is a serious growth opportunity. In the case of Spanish companies, it is even more attractive to trade with Italy, due to the proximity and ease of doing business with them. However, if you want to do business with Italians, it will be interesting to learn the rules of their game. A good command of Italian is an advantage if you do it infrequently or only need it for travelling. In any case, speaking Italian will help you understand the true essence of the country.

But if you really want to do business with Italian firms, it is essential that your employees are fluent in business Italian. This way you will be able to close interesting deals, as well as make your Italian partners feel more comfortable. Considering all this, offering customised language courses is a prerequisite for doing business with Italy – contact us and we will help you to implement the tailor-made training you need!