WHY IS LEARNING LANGUAGES IMPORTANT IN BUSINESS?
Technology erased all traditional cultural borders. That means that in this globalised world, being able to speak at least more than one language is a must if you want to be part of something bigger than yourself. Therefore, the importance of business language training comes as the protagonist of this era.
If you want to expand your business into international markets, then you’ll need the teams inside your company to manage the different languages those markets speak. That’s why you need to make sure your employees rise to the occasion.
To make sure about that, many companies demand potential candidates to manage a certain level of English or other languages, but that approach is not necessarily the best. Every time more companies are taking it upon themselves to train their employees in languages.
Content table:
- Which in-company language courses should you offer to your employees?
- What are the most important business languages?
- What are the best in-company language courses like?
- What is the best methodology to train employees in business languages?
Which in-company language courses should you offer to your employees?
When considering language training for companies, the most popular language course that comes to mind is English. But even when taking English training for companies is crucial for business employees, there are many other languages that are usually forgotten.
English is by far the most spoken language in the world. And in business, it’s the language of excellence. This means it’s extremely important that your employees speak English. But it also means that your workforce managing a high level of English is no longer an advantage over your competitors.
As you read above, technology has erased any barriers that were left between countries and most cultures. That’s why learning languages is important in business. It’s also essential to start working towards being able to speak other extremely important market region’s languages, such as Chinese, French, German or Italian.
Each language learning need will depend on many factors, such as the company industry (automotive, fashion, agriculture, etc.). Additionally, it will be fundamental to consider where your main market is located and future plans for expansion.
What are the most important business languages?
English training for companies: of course, it’s crucial for your employees to speak English. After all, it’s still the universal language and it helps you overcome almost any language barriers between non-English speaking countries.
French language courses: it’s almost never considered among the most important languages in business, but French training for companies is crucial since it’s a language spoken in all five continents and it’s the mother tongue in many of the most significant markets.
Italian training for companies: Italian is also often overlooked when considering language training for companies. But as with everything, the language your employees need to learn will depend on the industry your company’s in. The fashion and automotive sectors are two great examples of industries where learning Italian might be crucial.
German Language Courses: being Germany a great European power, taking German training for companies might be a good choice if your market is located within the European Union.
What are the best in-company language courses like?
The best in-company language courses are those that are employee-centered. Not so long ago, it took too much for people to take language lessons. Either they had to assist to a specific location, spending time and money in the process, or take numerous classes and hope to keep up to the rhythm.
But these days things are different. As you know, 2020 was a turning point in everything related to work and education. The best language training for companies is that one centered on the employee and their needs.
That’s why virtual classes are the best way to take language training for companies. Because they’re customized, individual or group classes, and always based on the employees’ needs and opportunities for development.
Using the right methodology is crucial for language online training for companies to be successful.
What is the best methodology to train employees in business languages?
Online training for companies has proved to be the best way to achieve the most effective learning. That’s why in Classgap for Enterprise we’ve developed a comprehensive methodology that takes language training to the next level.
- Audits: making an audit will help you develop a customized plan for your online training for companies, based on the organisation’s and the employee’s needs.
- Training plan: after a comprehensive audit, the next step is developing a personalized, effective training plan that will help your teams develop language or any other skills.
- Virtual classroom: where employees will find their classes and other useful resources. Having everything centered in just one place makes it easier and increases their learning potential.
- Training monitoring panel: thanks to this dashboard, the Human Resources department will be able to assign trainings, monitor attendance, and measure the impact of the online training for companies in the organisation and the team’s performance.
- If you want to know more about how language training for companies can increase the possibility of market growth in other countries, check out these case studies where you can find interesting first-person experiences.