6 Tips for Delivering English Language Training to Your Global Workforce

A business is no longer just one workforce in one place. With the growth of online presence, international business dealings, and companies expanding into multiple regions for new locations, the need for quality corporate English language training has become more widespread. Companies need to be able to ensure that all of their employees across the globe can communicate clearly and effectively in English, as English is the lingua franca of the business world at this time. The question that many companies have is “How do I best accomplish this?” That is where we are here to help today.

A highly effective way to deliver English language training to your global workforce is by using a corporate English training online company. Many of these companies allow you to tailor the training to fit your business’s needs, whether that be fully online courses or in-person, one on one training or group classes, and so much more. Companies like Preply Business make corporate English courses fun and effective, with highly trained tutors, and you can learn more about them here. Today, we will be going over six big tips to help you achieve this global workforce English language training.

 

1. Make employees aware of the benefits.

A great way to get the ball rolling on incorporating a company-wide English training program is by hyping up the benefits that the employees will gain on a personal level.

• Increased mental capabilities: Your employees will see a boost in their ability to focus, recall details, problem-solve, multitask, and just have overall better functionality in the workplace.
• Learning a new language also increases their ability to advance their career and increase their potential pay.
• Higher levels of confidence and job satisfaction are a common result of language training. Studies show a 64% increase in employee engagement and an 80% increase in job satisfaction after employees complete a language training course.

 

2. Know what level you need to start with.

With global English language training, you may find yourself needing to train people who are at varying current levels of English, so you will need to get an idea of where you will need to start. You may be working with a group that has a basic English language understanding but needs to learn more advanced levels and business-specific terminology. You may find yourself training a group of employees with little to no English language skills and have to start from scratch to develop their knowledge. Knowing where to start with each group and being able to proceed from that point will be a key component of a successful global workforce training program.

 

3. Speak clearly and use plain language.

When training groups of non-English speakers, the best thing you can do is speak clearly and use simple language. You need to be able to enunciate and separate your words while speaking at a normal volume and tone (raising your voice does nothing to enhance comprehension). By enunciating and separating your words, you will help avoid confusion that can come when words run together. You will want to make sure you do not over-enunciate or speak super slowly, as that does not help and can actually be counterintuitive. Using plain language will save time having to explain figures of speech, slang terms, contractions, etc. Remember, keep it clear and simple for the best comprehension of your students.

 

4. Invite participation in the class.

Studies show that when a student actively participates in their learning, their brain is better able to retain the information they are being taught. You can incorporate practical exercises like mock conversations that they may find themselves having in an everyday work situation. Giving them an opportunity to speak with a native English speaker can also help, depending on their level of learning, as they can hear and start to understand the natural flow of the language. You will also want to encourage them to practice outside of class by speaking in English with coworkers to develop their skills together as a team.

 

5. Make the learning process a priority.

If this corporate English training is being implemented for the benefit of the company, then it should be given the respect and time that it deserves. Your employees should be given time during work to do this training, and since you can accomplish language learning effectively with just a few hours each week this should be able to be done without affecting your company’s work. You should also celebrate their learning wins, whether that be through words of affirmation or little rewards. Incentives go a long way to encourage learning.

 

6. Measure the progress.

With any kind of training, but especially English language training, having a set way to measure the progress of your workforce in their learning endeavors is key to keeping track of where the company is and if anything needs to be adjusted. You should start the process for your learners with a simple assessment to see where the starting point is, so you know how the classes need to be set up. As you go, more assessments can be done along the way to measure how far along the employees have come. These assessments can be in any form: verbal, multiple-choice, written, or games. Make it something engaging and be sure it follows along with the class’s structure.

Each company will have different needs when it comes to delivering English language training to its global workforce. There will be different comprehension levels you will find yourself working with, different cultures to be mindful of while teaching your employees English language skills, and so much more to consider. These tips we have provided here are just a starting point to get the process going. Finding the right corporate English course for your company’s needs is essential, so decide what you need from your training and start researching based on those needs. We hope this article has been helpful, and we hope you come back with any other questions!