The Power of Language Learning in Global Business Success

In today’s interconnected world, the ability to communicate across cultures is more than just a valuable skill—it’s a crucial asset for business success. Learning a foreign language goes beyond mere translation; it opens doors to new markets, fosters deeper relationships with international partners, and provides invaluable cultural insights. In this blog post we explore the importance of language learning for business professionals aiming to thrive in the global marketplace.

The Cultural Competence Advantage

Cultural competence—the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures—is at the heart of successful international business. Language is the key that unlocks this competence. When you learn a new language, you’re not just memorising words and grammar; you’re gaining insight into the values, beliefs, and customs of another culture.

A study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that 47% of companies surveyed “do not offer enough training to hone their employees’ language and communication skills, and 40% believe there is not enough emphasis placed on recruiting or selecting people who are suited to cross-cultural environments.” Respondents also reported that “differences in cultural traditions” (51%) and “different workplace norms” (49%) were “the greatest threats to the smooth functioning of cross-border relationships.”

Enhancing Business Prospects Through Language

Learning a new language can significantly boost your business prospects:

  1. Building trust: speaking a client’s language shows respect and commitment, fostering stronger business relationships.
  2. Negotiating effectively: understanding cultural nuances can give you an edge in negotiations.
  3. Expanding market reach: language skills allow you to tap into new markets more efficiently.
  4. Improving decision-making: multilingual individuals often demonstrate enhanced cognitive abilities, including better decision-making skills.

Success Stories: Companies Benefiting from Localisation and Multilingualism

With an increasing shift towards personalisation in marketing, understanding a local market and the values, aspirations and language of its customers has become key to improving customer experience and expanding globally.

  • Airbnb: by supporting over 60 languages on their platform, and encouraging hosts to be multilingual, Airbnb has successfully expanded into multiple international markets.
  • Coca-Cola: the company’s “Think Local, Act Local” strategy, which includes adapting marketing and product names to local languages, has helped maintain its global market leadership.
  • HSBC: after a costly mistranslation of its “Assume Nothing” campaign, HSBC invested heavily in cultural and linguistic training, leading to more successful international operations.

Strategies for Incorporating Language Learning into Business Development

  1. Encourage employee language learning: offer incentives or discounts for in-house or external language courses.
  2. Create language exchange programs: partner with international branches or clients for mutual language learning.
  3. Use language learning apps: incorporate daily practice with apps like Duolingo into your routine.
  4. Immerse yourself: attend international conferences or arrange business trips to countries where the target language is spoken.

Language Courses at City

At City, we understand the language needs of business professionals. Run by our experienced language coordinator, Agnes Shepherd, our courses include:

  • Chinese Mandarin: spoken by over 900 million, Chinese Mandarin is the most widely used language in the world.
  • Arabic: there’s a rising demand for Arabic speakers throughout western countries.
  • German: one of the most important languages in the European Union, used by large numbers of businesses and organisations.
  • Spanish: the official language of 20 countries.

Each course focuses not just on language skills, but also on the customs and etiquette of the target culture. Our flexible schedules and online options make it easy to fit language learning into your busy professional life.

Taught by experienced native tutors and delivered in small, interactive groups, City’s language courses will immerse you in your chosen language with a fully interactive programme of teaching designed to get you speaking, reading and writing in a foreign language.

Interested? Join us on Wednesday 4 September, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm for a special taster evening on campus. Discover our language courses, available both online and in the classroom, and meet our tutors and staff while learning something new.You’ll get a chance to try out a free 40-minute language course in anything from Arabic to Japanese.

Or register for our free online open evening on Wednesday 11th September 6pm to 7.30pm, where you’ll get a chance to try out one of our many languages on offer in our taster sessions. Full information and details are available HERE.