Language training for employees is crucial to any company in today’s global business environment, whether it be technical terminology relating to your company or a foreign language for wherever you happen to be doing business.
Language training also makes better employees.
They will have higher cognitive abilities, better performance at work, and better networking skills, all to the benefit of your company.
Companies need language training as a part of their core tenants of training new and current employees, and there are many ways to accomplish this.
One of the best ways to incorporate language training for your company is by using a company like Preply Business to handle your training needs. You can tailor-make programs to your company’s needs.
Look at what languages your company needs to have, both technical and foreign, and build your program from there.
With classes of different sizes, one-on-one learning available, top-rated tutors, and flexible training schedules for your employees, you can be sure to find a way for your company to make this mission a success.
No matter what company you select to fulfill your language training needs, in this article we will do our best to give you some tips to improve the language training in your corporation.
Make Employees Aware of the Benefits of Language Learning
Studies have shown that those who learn new languages or language skills have stronger mental capabilities.
Better focus, higher ability to task switch and multitask, improved verbal skills in any language learned, and better creative thinking skills are just a few of the many benefits that can be found through language learning.
You can also tell them that approximately 1.2 billion other people are learning new languages, so why not join in on the fun and reap the benefits?
Not to mention that people who learn a second language can earn, on average, 2-15% more income than someone who does not, which can be a big draw if you make that a part of the incentives for the program.
If you are creating a fully new language learning program, you can set up an informal seminar to go over all the benefits.
Learn The Basics, Especially Body Language
Body language tends to be universal, making it a good way to start learning languages. Even as you learn a new language, you must also learn how the body language of that culture functions. Without this skill, even if you use the language, you will still be seen as an outsider. This could make business interactions a challenge, and it could even cause a major problem should an employee commit an accidental faux pas.
Make Learning a Priority
A language learning program for companies needs to have structure and dedication.
Your company needs to show that this part of the job is just as important as the rest, and they need to put just as much time into the program.
Upskilling and reskilling employees using a language learning program take time, so plan some lessons into workdays and provide opportunities for extra-curricular learning.
As higher-ups in the company, you should also be willing to take part in some of the training classes to show that you, too, are learning and willing to put in the time.
If employees see their bosses making the same effort they need to, it will encourage a sense of camaraderie.
Find a Way To Measure Progress
Have each employee in the language learning program create SMART goals that can be used as part of their training guide and reviews.
These will create milestones for the employees to work towards and keep in mind.
You can also have each employee do a short assessment at the start for a baseline, and then during reviews, you can revisit to see how they are progressing.
Providing positive and constructive feedback is highly important for the morale of employees.
Start Small and Work Up
Encourage your employees who are learning to start off by sprinkling a few words from their lessons into daily conversation.
Greetings and goodbyes are a great place to start, as are common phrases.
You should also encourage your employees to keep track of unfamiliar words that come up so that they can go back and do their best to become familiar with more and more of the language.
Remember, you cannot learn a new language overnight so have patience with yourself and your employees.
Your clients will appreciate the gesture of simply showing that your company is working on language training.
Have Conversations With Coworkers And Native Speakers
This falls into the category above just a bit, but having your employees work together to learn is a great way to keep the learning environment from stagnating.
Language learning is all about practice, so what better way than having conversations with others who are also learning?
Studies show that those who are able to practice a new language on a regular basis by having conversations with others who are learning, as well as native speakers who can give a better idea of the natural flow of the language, are far more likely to reach fluency faster.
Offer Incentives
If you want to make that last big push to get as many people on board as possible with language learning for the company, offer various incentives to the employees.
Bonuses for hitting certain fluency levels, rewards such as paid trips for the top of the class students to visit the country of the language they are learning, or gift cards of varying kinds can help create healthy competition and drive learning faster.
These are just a few tips to improve language training in your corporation, and if you start to employ these with whatever program you decide to work with, you are sure to find your employees and your company growing into the new language learning with a zeal.
We hope this article has been helpful in your journey to well-honed global business interactions.