The Advantage of English in the Workplace

Over the last decade, the importance of a second language in the global employment market has gained prominence. Many multinational companies have implemented English as their official language, some even if it is not entirely necessary. Many companies use English as a determinant of who to promote because the hire up the ladder you move, the more likely you are to need to communicate in English. The public awareness of this fact makes acquiring competency in English all the more necessary as more and more ambitious workers seek a competitive advantage.


Former Microsoft Japan president Makoto Naruke, claimed that only 10% of the Japanese workers that learn English actually need to speak it, but 100% of those with ambitions to excel in the corporate world will need to speak English. It is often given priority over skills that are more directly related to the profession. The reason for this is that multinational companies recognise that English is firmly the language of business and is a powerful tool when trying to compete in the global market; be it for market share or for the best employees.


The reality today is that it is impossible to progress through to the management ranks in most large organisations without a good command of the English language. Furthermore, as employees develop fluency, they gain more confidence and will feel more secure about the value they offer in the employment market. They may be able to take on more tasks and responsibilities for their existing employer, or apply for posts in other companies offering more competitive salaries for their skills. A limited skill level in English will in turn limit an employee’s prospects leaving them stuck in entry-level positions.


A global study by the British Council found that professionals proficient in English earned 25% more wages than those who were not. According to the annual JobStreet.com survey, many graduates lose out on good job opportunities because of their poor language skills, which can prove to be instrumental in breaking certain professional barriers such as communication and presentation.


Based on Bloomberg’s ranking system, Mandarin is the second most useful language for business after English, with 845 million speakers. However, Mandarin is also one of the hardest languages in the world to learn and is not the most computer friendly either. It is also reported that up to 400 million people in China do not speak Mandarin. Despite being the official language of 20 countries and being spoken by more than 329 million people worldwide, Spanish is ranked as low as fourth. French and Arabic follow Mandarin in third and fourth places respectively.  Russian, Japanese, German and Korean are also notably further down the list, despite boasting several market leading firms – almost all of which have adopted English as their official language.


A desire to improve your English is a great thing. Develop the essential practical skills that will give you greater advantage in the workplace. At Speakeasy, you receive personalized classes from native-speaking teachers who work with you to achieve your goals and stay motivated. You can benefit from teachers with real world experience of working in the business world, from the financial sector to NGOs. As long as you have a Skype account and internet access, you can attend classes and study in an environment most convenient for you.


Visit our website for more information on our one-to-one courses. Visit our video tutorial course on Udemy to learn more about the most commonly used idioms in English-speaking countries, as well as tips for business English.