Speak the language of success: why investing in language training for employees is a game changer

The world has become a global marketplace; companies must adapt to the growing need to communicate in foreign languages. That’s why investing in language training for employees is no longer optional. Now, it is a must – especially if the company envisions an international expansion strategy.

Investing in employee language training can increase business opportunities and market share. It also contributes to improving employee performance, and nurtures loyalty to the company by investing in their professional development.

In this article, we’ll examine why investing in language training for your employees can be the ultimate game changer for your business.

We live in a global economy, where speaking more than one language is the key that unlocks potential for growth. So, let’s explore the benefits of investing in language training for your employees.

Poor language skills can inadvertently lead to misunderstandings; they can hinder employee performance and result in missed opportunities, unwitting mistakes, and conflict between international team members.

Although there are many ways to overcome miscommunication caused by a lack of language skills – such as using online translation tools – one of the most effective is providing language training for employees.

This will phase out the language barriers and eventually lead to more efficient and detailed communication between international team members, departments, and customers.

Building employee language skills can help your company gain a competitive advantage in new markets. By investing in language training for your employees, you will ensure that your representatives can effectively communicate with potential partners, suppliers, and customers across the globe.

In addition, having multilingual employees will help you better understand the needs and preferences of global customers and navigate international regulations and laws more effectively. As a result, you’ll be able to tailor your products and services to your international customers’ needs and outsmart your competitors.

Closing communication gaps

Building strong rapport with the decision-makers of international companies is directly related to how well you, or your representatives, can communicate with them. The best way to close any communication gaps that may negatively impact these relationships is by providing language training to your employees.

This can help you seize more international business opportunities as it will enable your employees to understand cultural differences and navigate relationships with international partners more skilfully.

For example, if you were a company looking to expand its business in the UK, you’d be able to foster better relationships with UK partners if your employees could speak English fluently and understand British business practices.

Overcoming the challenges of implementing language training

Having employees that speak multiple languages is like having a master key that opens multiple doors at once. It helps you enter new markets, connect with new audiences, and build stronger relationships with partners and customers around the world.

However, investing in language training doesn’t come without challenges. Here are the issues you may face and how to overcome them.

Language learning needs vary greatly from company to company, so it’s crucial to find a partner who understands your business needs and provides the right training modules to meet them. The ideal language training provider for you will fit within your company’s culture and be able to form connections with the training participants. At Berlitz, we understand this. That’s why we offer customised solutions to meet our clients’ needs, ranging from online language courses, e-learning, total immersion experiences, language workshops, soft skills workshops, and more.

One of the challenges of investing in language training is finding a practical way to integrate it into your employees’ already busy schedules.

That’s why learning modules such as online language courses, microlearning, and immersion experiences are gaining popularity. These modules easily adapt to employee schedules, making it more convenient for them to learn.

Overcoming employee resistance or lack of interest

Companies often notice that their employees are reluctant to participate in language training. That’s because some employees may not fully recognise the benefits of learning a new language or may not feel motivated to dedicate their time to it in addition to their regular work responsibilities. This can be addressed by creating a compelling case for the value of language learning in their careers and personal lives. Another way to overcome this challenge is to offer incentives for participation, or else to gamify the experience to motivate employees to attend the training.

Investing in employee language training can help fuel your international expansion strategy, create stronger relationships with international partners and customers, and improve communication within your global organisation.

But with so many different language training methods, it can be hard to know where to start. So, let’s take a look at the most effective language training modules for employees. Many companies use online platforms as the primary tool for language learning. These platforms offer a convenient and flexible approach, allowing employees to participate without needing to take time away from their workday. The main benefit of this solution is that it is self-paced, which means that employees can complete them in their spare time. All they need is a couple of minutes per day.

Microlearning

For those who prefer more hands-on learning experiences, microlearning modules offer bite-sized chunks of information that cover just one concept at a time. These short lessons are perfect for busy professionals who want to learn on the go.

Research shows that immersion experiences are one of the most effective ways to learn a new language. This training module is becoming increasingly popular among companies who want their employees to improve their language skills quickly.

Berlitz provides a range of immersion experiences that consist of several language lessons per day for the duration of your choice. This intensive training ensures that employees acquire proficiency in their target language in a really short span of time.

Investing in language training will improve communication and collaboration among international teams, increase your competitive advantage, and allow you to seize more international business opportunities. So, while the investment may be costly, it’ll result in long-term business success.

At Berlitz, we offer a variety of language training modules. From self-paced online courses to immersion experiences, we’ve got a program to suit every need. With us, you can be sure your employees will receive the practical language training they need to succeed in the workplace.