Why is language training essential for your business?

We live in a hyper-globalized world in which work, study, and social spaces are no longer separate but are intercultural meeting points. It’s already been proven that mastery of other languages is essential to success in these areas.

However, the advantages of learning other languages are not just limited to the possibility of communicating or being better qualified to apply for a job. As much scientific research shows, language training has massive benefits for the mind and for the development of a series of cognitive abilities related to what is called “soft skills.”

As you can imagine, this data is substantially relevant for people who are constantly seeking to improve their abilities and broaden their horizons, but it is also especially relevant for leaders of businesses that aspire to grow, better themselves, and achieve the highest standards of quality.

 

English as a second language

Ever since the end of World War II, English has become the predominant language in many areas throughout the world: politics, diplomacy, business, and social networks, just to name a few. Needless to say, it is the common language that even non-native English speakers use in their everyday communication in globalized social environments that operate through virtual means.

This is a powerful reason for businesses to go for training programs that allow their teams to acquire mastery of English as a second language. It doesn’t just result in benefits for the business which will have a larger, better qualified staff, but it will also contribute to a true lifestyle transformation of the people who work in it.

 

But let’s go further…

It’s proven that English can be a top priority. However, it is more and more evident to businesses that language training is essential to improve operating efficiency and collaboration on their work forces.

Even when language training means a large investment of money, time, and effort, the amount of benefits that are associated with it truly makes it worth it:

• It improves performance and productivity of different functions.
• It allows a more effective communication, favoring greater collaboration between the different sectors of the company.
• It increases levels of empathy and understanding among members of the company, reducing conflicts and stress.
• It produces more successful communication with the client or the recipient of the product.
• It generates greater employee loyalty to the company he feels he is a part of. There is a greater experience of shared success.

 

Advantages for soft skills development

Learning languages is like Crossfit for the brain. It acts like an intense training and a powerful growth stimulus even in a biological sense. Moreover, people who speak at least two languages have a brain that is more capable of adapting to different situations and switching more quickly from one activity to another. This is usually referred to as multitasking, an everyday trait, especially since the shift to working remotely and doing home office.

When a person incorporates a language, which is what we at Pensaris express in our slogan: “Don’t study English. Speak English,” he starts to think in that language. Even if it seems difficult, with set teaching strategies and immersion experiences, this is a much more achievable objective than imagined. The core principle here is that people who are capable of thinking in another language are capable of making decisions more logically, possibly because thinking in another language reduces the emotional implications and allows them to be more objective.

Language training is directly related to intercultural abilities that are essential for living in a diverse society. Work teams that have these abilities as strengths are strategic to function at a global level which requires surpassing cultural barriers. Mastering languages connects us to other cultures which in turn develops cultural sensitivity. When this is missing, it negatively impacts the work environment within the company and the possibilities of connecting with the cultural identity of potential customers.

 

The economical advantages of language training

Aside from the benefits that come with increasing cognitive abilities and the possibility to develop soft skills, there are many advantages for a business whose team consists of people who know two or more languages.

A company that can show talent and make it grow will always form bonds of greater faithfulness and commitment with its team members, aside from just improving performance in their areas of work. Happy employees who are better qualified will have a direct impact on the company’s work environment, competitiveness, image, and productivity.

But there are also much more immediate advantages for businesses. The demand for a staff with language skills is more and more evident, and it occurs in companies that function in several different areas. All of them have the common denominator of participating on an international level in which overcoming cultural barriers can be the difference between lasting or being left out. Incorporating new employees with the necessary skills turns out to be more expensive than providing consistent, quality language training to the staff they already have, not to mention avoiding losses for not having properly qualified teams.

 

Language training as a new way to be in the world

As shown in the previous paragraphs, language training should be considered a necessary investment with mid-term individual and collective results that will surely be multiplied in the long-term.

The development of human capital based on soft skills with the same relevance as hard skills is an essential venture for every company that intends to sustain itself and grow in a dynamic, competitive, and demanding environment. Technical abilities are without a doubt a main element to bear in mind, but the development of soft skills involves abilities that refer not just to knowing how to do something but also to knowing how to be something.

Everything changes at a fast pace. Everything is connected. Everything is challenging and uncertain. Language training is an essential supplement to rise to the occasion.