UK language deficit

 The language deficit in the UK is shocking, according to the Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC reckons that if businesses don’t start taking language learning seriously, they are in deep trouble. On the plus side, any enterprise that does invest in language skills will be able to give British competitors a run for their money in the global marketplace. Most UK employees do not speak a foreign language well enough to conduct business in the buyer’s tongue, according to the BCC. The problem is most acute for the fastest-growing markets. The BCC’s 2013 international trade business survey found that up to 70% of respondents had no foreign language ability for the markets they served. UK exporters often don’t have any foreign language skills, and some think they don’t need them, but they could be key to export success. As organisations become multinational, they need to be able to speak the language of their best clients or sales territories. There is little sign of UK businesses enhancing their foreign language skills. Despite promising statistics showing that 43% of business owners speak some German, 36% speak some Spanish and 24% speak some Italian, a closer look at these figures reveals that only around 5% are claiming to be actually fluent in these languages. Speaking and understanding a language poorly may be worse than speaking nothing at all. If you speak very poorly, you’re more likely to get the wrong information across or confuse or frustrate the customer. Business leaders who think they do not have time to train employees in a language will lose out. Some employees don’t even dare to pick up the telephone when the call is coming from another country in case they embarrass themselves. At the very least, this causes frustration and delays and it is likely to lead to lost orders as potential clients turn to providers they can talk to. In the recent Speexx Exchange Survey, involving 230 organisations from five continents and representing more than 1.6 million employees, 54% of respondents considered their organisations to be multinational and multilingual. A further 89% believed that business communication and foreign language skills were critical for success. With the rise of the internet, very few organisations now operate only locally; nearly all have the opportunity to work with customers, partners or staff members in more than one country or language. It is not just first-time exporters who are hitting the language barrier; businesses with offices and employees in a number of countries need to be able to communicate quickly, clearly and efficiently to avoid errors, misunderstandings and delays. Yet a lack of foreign language skills was cited as main issue hampering international communication in businesses by 33% of respondents to the survey. Learning a new language is not a doddle and employees whose schooldays are a distant memory may not relish the thought of all that study. There are ways of making it less painful. A blend of methods can keep it interesting. Use self-paced online study combined with live training in the virtual classroom, via telephone or face-to-face. This prepares learners for real business situations and is a flexible solution, especially for those who travel frequently. Several solutions can be designed to be fun and interactive nowadays and they give learners immediate feedback. Effective communication is more than just language skills, however. Language training should also build in a cultural appreciation that will aid understanding alongside simple translation skills. The process of learning a language can boost brainpower as well as enable the person to speak another language. Learning a language is said to grow the brain and even prevent dementia. If employees need any more convincing that time spent learning a language is time well spent, remind them that foreign languages are a highly sought-after skill and their new-found ability could lead to promotion and new opportunities to travel. Language learning is life changing. Fluency in a new language opens up the possibility of living abroad, meeting new people and understanding their culture better, and even in future the ability to raise bilingual children who again will have better grades in foreign languages at school and better career prospects. Addressing the gaps in commercial exporting skills, including language skills, must be a priority, according to the Chambers of Commerce. Businesses that have mainly English as a mother tongue may believe they start from a strong position in the global marketplace, but they will soon fall behind their multilingual rivals if they do not invest in learning a new language.

Thanks to Mehdi Tounsi

Learning a new language? Develop sustainable habits.

Developing habits is a great way of getting stuff done, of reaching your goals. Being extremely motivated for a short period of time can drain your batteries, after which you’ll have to take a break and relax. We’re all super excited when we start learning a new language. The problem is that when this flow of motivation comes to a stop, and the tide reverses, we’re in for some disappointment.

How can I develop good language learning habits?

1. Form goals: Be “S.M.A.R.T.”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Once you have such a specific goal, developing habits and getting into a routine will be much easier and might even come naturally.
2. Physically assign a place for studying: It may help you to associate a certain room or place with your language. Don’t limit yourself to a room. It can be the subway/bus, the library, the park, a coffee shop. Make sure to choose a place that will allow you to focus and avoid major distractions.
3. Pace yourself: Once you have a place to study, you need to decide how much time to put into studying. Go slowly, especially in the early stages of learning a language: no more than 30 minutes a day to avoid burning yourself out. Figure out what pace works for you, and stick with it.
4. Make use of dead time: To continue your habit, look for periods of “dead time” in your day and take advantage of them.
5. Take on a 30-day challenge: Commit to building a small positive habit when learning a language and do it every day for 30 days. After, either stick with it or change to another habit. Examples could include simple changes like reading the news in your target language instead of your native language or listening to podcasts while commuting/walking/shopping.
6. Improve your self-control: You can train yourself to have better self-control and stop procrastinating. Self-control is a mental muscle that can be trained and reinforced with exercises. Remind yourself of all the negative consequences that your loss of self-control might incur. If you start procrastinating on your studies of a foreign language and you deviate from your habits, make a conscious effort to remind yourself of all the beautiful opportunities you will miss by not speaking the language fluently.
7. Know yourself: We all learn differently. Get to know your learning style by trying different approaches to language learning. Books, grammar, online programs, movies, music, language exchange partners, the list is endless. Find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Get into the habit of trying different approaches, especially at different stages of your learning journey, and you’ll most likely save yourself a lot of frustration and avoid getting stuck in a rut.

Thanks to Transparent Language