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