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.

Why people fail to learn English

Lack of self-study

Many people try to learn languages using a similar approach to that of a school student who only attends classes and doesn’t study outside of the classroom. Although this can be effective for ‘beating the system’ or ‘beating an exam’, it is not an effective approach to language learning. A certain level of immersion is necessary to master a foreign language, this does not have to be in a native-speaking country …although this is extremely beneficial. It can also be in the form of reading a book or blog in the target language, watching TV or YouTube videos.

 

Self-study but no conversation

Some people are very comfortable with self-study, perhaps as a result of spending several years in higher education. However, without sufficient ‘in-field’ practice (that is to say, conversation with native speakers) they will not be able to fully apply what they have learned. This often results in a gap between reading/writing ability and speaking/listening ability. You don’t have to be at any specific level before you put yourself out there and try to converse. You just need a willingness to learn. Spend just as much time listening as you do speaking.

 

Failure to learn from/take correction

It is so important to feel free and comfortable when learning a language. A child-like ability to take correction positively will go a long way. You should expect to get a lot of things wrong and you should expect to feel uncomfortable with some of the phonetics, especially if your native tongue is not from Germanic roots. This is actually a positive sign that you are being challenged with new information as opposed to trying to make it fit into the phonetics that you are accustomed to in your native language.

 

Lack of Focus/unclear goals.

You may have a clear goal, but if you lack focus or try to take on too much, you will likely become overwhelmed or frustrated and fall short of it. Break you larger goal up into ‘bite-size’ chunks that you can work on daily or even weekly. This way, you can experience regular and measurable success. Limit yourself to no more than 2 or 3 smaller goals at any time. A good example would be a set amount of reading time each day or a certain number of vocabulary words that you practice using in sentences. Make sure your goals are realistic based on the amount of free time you have and your ability to absorb new information. Don’t try to learn fifty new words each day for example if you struggle to remember things.

 

Poor motivation/discipline

Often in life, we have competing issues vying for our focus or unexpected circumstances beyond our control force us to change our focus. Life happens. There are also times when we allow ourselves to be distracted by less significant issues. Regardless of the cause, success in learning a language requires discipline and dedication, the fuel of which is motivation. If you have strong enough reasons, you can accomplish anything you desire. Significant success demands passion. Your desire will sustain you when the challenges and obstacles come your way.

 

Low Energy

Most of us have to work to support ourselves, maybe even to support other family members too. Our jobs and the mental stress they create can be very taxing on our energy and leave us feeling drained at the end of the day. Getting quality rest time and eating healthy foods that support the brain and cell recovery is vital. Here is an obvious, but somewhat neglected fact; if you don’t take care of your mind and body, it will not perform to its potential.

 

Procrastination

We can sometimes delay our own progress by over-analyzing our situation. We want to make sure we have thought of everything first. However, no matter how long and hard you prepare, you will never have all the answers to the questions you ask. Studies show that the best time to take action on a decision is when it first occurs to us, and that every moment after that, the will to execute on it diminishes. If you don’t get started, you’ll never achieve your goal. One of the most dangerous phrases is “I’ll do it later.”

What to do

So, here is an easy-to-follow summary of how to avoid the most common pitfalls…

• Keep your goals simple 
• Set realistic, measurable targets
• Be resilient
• Take action!

At Speakeasy, you receive personalized classes from native-speaking teachers who work with you to achieve your goals and stay motivated. Learn from the comfort of your own home with a native speaking teacher who makes you feel relaxed and confident. Take lessons from your office at lunch time or even while travelling abroad. 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 www.speakeasy121.com

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.