HOW BUSINESS STRENGTHENS EMPLOYEE’S ENGLISH SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

КАК БИЗНЕС УКРЕПЛЯЕТ НАВЫКИ ВЛАДЕНИЯ АНГЛИЙСКИМ ЯЗЫКОМ У СОТРУДНИКОВ НА РАБОЧЕМ МЕСТЕ

Подоляко Анастасия Алексеевна

студент 3 курса, Логистика и управление цепями поставок, Государственный университет управления,

РФ, г. Москва

Черникова Анна Николаевна

студент 3 курса, Логистика и управление цепями поставок, Государственный университет управления,

РФ, г. Москва

Сухарева Наталья Александровна

научный руководитель, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков, Государственный университет управления,

РФ, г. Москва

ABSTRACT

This article explores the topic of corporate English language training in an organisation. The benefits of developing employees' language skills for international relations and business are highlighted with examples of effective practices. The importance of English language skills for employees in their business and career development is also justified.

Keywords: business English; business; skills; abilities; employees; development.

In today's global business world, knowing English is already a requirement. English is less seen as an additional foreign language skill and is now seen as a basic skill. However, to succeed in business, a good level of English is not enough. The business field specific vocabulary is also required.

A branch of English that focuses on a particular area and allows you to communicate fluently in a business environment is called business English. It is also necessary for understanding all the mechanisms of the industry, business etiquette, documentation. It allows you to master the rhetoric, self-presentation, and product presentation skills of a company. Knowledge of business English helps companies enter international markets, implement successful strategies and ideas from overseas, and enhance the skills of employees.

Nowadays, international relations are becoming stronger in the context of globalisation. New branches and representative offices in other countries are opening, negotiations with foreign partners cause the necessity to develop verbal skills and abilities for communication. Employees need English in order to communicate with foreign colleagues, deal with contracts, read the news and attend international fairs. Companies are increasingly looking for staff who not only meet the qualification requirements, but also have a good command of English.

Why should a company invest time and money in developing the English language skills of their staff when they can hire a qualified interpreter? The whole cost of his services would be cheaper than training the whole staff. The answer to this question comprises several components:

1. The interpreter is not always aware of the intricacies of the transaction as he is an outside expert. Only the firm's employees know all the details, so important aspects of the negotiations can be overlooked or misinterpreted.
2. Employees who speak English will not be constantly dependent on the interpreter's schedule and workload. This will increase staff productivity.
3. For the successful development of any business, top management must be able to speak business English themselves in order to make the right managerial decisions. After all, business English enables direct communication and exchange of knowledge and experience with professionals from all over the world, getting first-hand information.
4. Practice proves that an educated workforce is a less expensive and more effective solution for business purposes.

Often, however, employees have poor language skills. Then organisations turn to corporate language training. The following best practices can be considered for such training.

Linking English to business objectives

English language training programmes are far more effective when they are directly linked to an employee's job function, and employees are far more motivated to improve their skills. You need to understand what professional terms you may need to communicate, and how to design training that suits the person's profession. For a company, this means effectively investing in the knowledge and skills of its staff, as progress in learning English can be linked to performance appraisal or career advancement opportunities for employees.

Sector specific training

Setting up general courses for company staff is certainly easier from an organisational and cost point of view. Group language training is more effective, as people learn from the mistakes of others and better develop their speaking skills. However, when enrolling groups of employees in a general English course it is important to take into account the different skill levels of employees. For the sales department and the IT department the vocabulary used in business will be quite different. It is therefore worth considering the specifics of a company's particular sector for more productive group sessions.

Business correspondence in English

An organisation may translate all internal documents (strategic and tactical plans, memos, instructions etc.) into English. Work emails are problematic to avoid. Every time an employee needs to write an email and is struggling, it reminds him or her of the need to study.

This way of learning is quite radical, but it forces people to tighten their skills. At YouScan, which monitors social networks, after translating internal documentation into English, all 35 employees started speaking English with confidence within two years, says company spokeswoman Elena Vinokurtseva. [1]

Hire a teacher or pay for courses for employees

The easiest way to learn English in a company is to hire a teacher or pay for courses for the company's employees. The quality of corporate training depends not only on the diligence of the employees, but also on the organisation of the classes. The teacher should take into consideration the specifics of the company and its field of work as well as the goals the manager sets for the team.

Most companies resort to outsourcing. The firm does not need to spend time finding and selecting qualified teachers and thinking about methodological support for the teacher on its own. There is no need to set up a department or open a position for a person who would supervise, answer and evaluate the teacher's activities.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the most productive and popular way to train staff in a foreign language is individual sessions of staff members with a teacher. This is due to the fact that individual lessons help to improve the language level of the employee most quickly, due to the maximum responsibility of the employee to the teacher. Also, the teacher builds a personal training programme, eradicating gaps in knowledge. The programme is built on the specifics of the employee's work, which makes it more practical.

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