How to Improve ROI with Corporate Language Training

There was a time when language learning was considered a purely leisure activity. But if a company wants to expand internationally, there is no way around paying close attention to language training.

If you want to increase your own profitability through language training, you must first convey to important stakeholders that neglecting this topic can deprive a company of the opportunity to gain a foothold in world markets. Then there is a risk of being outdone by competitors.

To be internationally successful, you need to know foreign markets and be able to communicate with teams and potential customers or business partners from all over the world in a comprehensible way. In addition, language courses do not only improve the perception of your employees, but as a positive side effect also their decision-making ability and their memory

The benefits of language training can be viewed from two aspects: how efficiently tasks can be completed and how relationships with customers and colleagues around the globe can be improved.

When it comes to the extent to which in-house language training can increase profitability, a few points should be particularly emphasized:

Higher employee performance

Language skills have never been as important to your employees as they are in today’s globalized world.

If employees have a command of the English business language and the technical vocabulary relevant to the respective industry, they are also able to answer all questions addressed to them and always select the appropriate reference material for inquiries.

Language training in the company is a great opportunity for employers to expand their talent pool and promote their employees’ enthusiasm for foreign language training in a professional context.

Improved communication

When working in an international context, it is essential to ensure effective communication and also to prevent communication difficulties from leading to misunderstandings within teams.

Colleagues who have relevant language skills are generally highly regarded in teams scattered all over the world. Thanks to them, communication works faster and smoother, so that miscommunications are less common. 

Language skills also allow your employees to work more precisely and are more likely to understand the instructions given to them. By promoting foreign language skills within a team, employees have the opportunity to build efficient and productive relationships with customers and colleagues. 

International perspective

To broaden their perspective, employees should be willing to learn a new language. It is not only about acquiring the necessary vocabulary, but also about developing an understanding of the way of thinking and the behavior of members of another culture.

The employees then become global citizens who are excellently prepared for an increasingly multicultural working environment. In addition, there is a certain awareness of language learning, which means that employees express themselves more simply and clearly in their mother tongue and speak more slowly when dealing with foreign interlocutors.

Heightened awareness and better decision-making ability

Fascinatingly, people who make decisions in a foreign language usually think more logically and intensely about the question before they start expressing their opinions.

In this way, employees can make their assessments with greater care and filter out impulsive and preconceived opinions before speaking, or- at least mitigate them. This makes their feedback even more valuable to the company.

When your employees have to use a different language, they react less spontaneously and think more actively about the effect of their words. This prevents unpleasant incidents in the workplace.

Success in world markets

Last but not least, when considering how to increase profitability through in-house language courses, it is also important to bear in mind that language skills play a crucial role in building more robust relationships with international clients. Therefore, these should be seen as an essential part of an international marketing strategy. 

When implementing a strategic marketing program, it is extremely helpful to be able to rely on a confident team whose members have a good command of the local language.

When employees recognise the value of language learning and are able to think outside the box of their own language and culture, this represents a tremendous commercial advantage in world markets.

At Busuu, we believe that language training plays a crucial role in establishing businesses in global markets. With more than 120 million members, we are one of the international market leaders in online language teaching. Find out how we can help your company build on its strengths by helping your employees improve their language skills.

With our short questionnaire, you can find out which language learning solution is best suited for your company.

Written for OEB Global 2022 by the team at BUSUU