Languages connect people. Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal language that all people understand. Some argue that a handful of main languages are used to communicate to conduct business globally. Nevertheless, miscommunication tends to erupt when conducting business overseas due to a lack of language skills. That’s why in-company English classes are a helpful way to reduce miscommunication at work and around the world.
In-company English Classes Help People Connect at Work
You’d think that by taking online business English classes you’re only helping yourself. That’s not necessarily true. Since not every culture acts the same in the workplace, speaking one language at work—in this case, English—helps people discuss cultural differences at work. Being able to communicate how different cultures act in the workplace can help reduce miscommunication involving tight deadlines, creative projects, or how long is reasonable to take your lunch break.
Additionally, speaking English allows you to get more things done in less time. You’ll be able to make more meaningful connections to solve problems at work. In turn, you’ll save time and hopefully money. Take safety procedures, for example. Explaining safety rules in one language allows your team to review incident reduction techniques just once. This decreases redundancy and raises productivity.
In-company English Classes Help People Connect Globally Too
When companies seek global expansion, language barriers will eventually come up. It’s great to know that many companies abroad have hopped on the online English training bandwagon. Speaking the same language helps tasks get completed faster and promotes deals getting closed quicker. In a constantly changing world, speaking the same language is critical for growth.
Outside of Work
It isn’t always about closing negotiation deals and making a pretty profit. Travel enthusiasts will take advantage of their in-company English classes too. Backpacking, for instance, usually involves staying at hostels where you must share a room. You’ll quickly realize that English is one of the main languages spoken when traveling the world—among others as Arabic, Russian, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. So take advantage of your online business English classes to make some new friends abroad!
Some Problems With Only Focusing on English
As mentioned by World Economic Forum, “Language is an essential component of competitiveness and the results above explain (in part) why London and New York are the world’s two premier cities. Likewise, Hong Kong and Singapore, with their English infrastructure, rather than monolingual Tokyo, are Asia’s financial capitals. Indeed, it is no coincidence that eight of the 10 global financial centres are English-speaking/proficient cities.
The strength of English has both positive and negative effects. Its status helps facilitate international communication in a globalized world. But conversely, ‘Englishisation’ – the creep of English into other languages and its displacement of rivals – threatens the survival of lesser languages and the integrity of others. France, for instance, has taken steps to block the encroachment of English into French.”
Just because English is used globally does not mean it’s superior to other languages. At English Services, we also provide language training in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian.
Other Ways to Reduce Miscommunication at Work
At English Services, our main focus is to alleviate miscommunication by providing optimal services. Some services we provide that help reduce miscommunication at work include:
- In-company English classes
- Interpretation
- Translation
- Pre-employment tests
- Expat services
- Language tourism
Click here to see more about our other services.
