How Using a Second Language In the Workplace Can Improve Your Business

December 20, 2011

More and more studies are being conducted that show a bilingual or plurilingual business is more economically resilient and has a more productive workforce. As the International Research Foundation states in its report on the subject, the benefits of more than one language in your workplace can be as varied and far-reaching as improving new business opportunities to increasing employee satisfaction.

This article will highlight the five best reasons to promote language learning at your place of work.

1. Accessing new markets

If you’re looking to grow the reach of your business, diversifying the language proficiency of your workforce is one of the best tactics available to you. Whether you’re searching for new business opportunities in foreign countries, or simply hoping to reach new communities in your own neighborhood, bilingualism (or, even better, plurilingualism) will increase the number of opportunities open to you.

2. Cost-saving opportunities

As your business grows, it becomes more likely that you’ll do at least some work with or for foreign-language speaking clients. Translator services are extremely expensive, particularly if you’re looking for a reliable and totally trustworthy service.

Paying for or subsidizing language learning courses in your company will cost less than you imagine. The benefits will also come sooner than you might expect. Although languages can traditionally take several months if not years to perfect, there are courses, such as the pimsleur French orpimsleur German courses, that guarantee useful results within just a few weeks.

3. Improving customer relations

If you’re a successful business, you probably will have learned by now the importance of customer relations. Your client relationships aren’t just about delivering work on budget and to schedule; the more of a personal connection you can forge, the more likely you are to win approval for your product or service, win further work and earn recommendations to new clients.

The best way to improve relations is by improving communication. Being able to speak to your clients in their native tongue, even if their English is fluent, will show them you are committed to the relationship. The process of learning a language inevitably involves learning something of the culture as well, and this will enhance the effectiveness of this tactic.

4. Future-proof your business

As the marketplace becomes ever more globally competitive, having an edge over your competitors can make all the difference. For example, The National Center for Languages analyzed 2,000 European businesses and estimated “annual lost revenues due to language challenges to be on the order of tens of millions of Euros”. By knocking down those language barriers, you’re not only opening your business to new opportunities, you’re also safeguarding its competitiveness for many years to come.

5. Your employees

Lastly, your most important asset: your employees. Learning a new language improves career prospects and can help people think in new ways. For these reasons and more, adding language skills to your people will improve their performance and job satisfaction across the board.

me How Using a Second Language In the Workplace Can Improve Your Business Adria Saracino is a fashion blogger and outreach manager at a creative internet marketing agency. Follow her through her personal fashion blog or on twitter @adriasaracino.