Chief Learning Officer - June 2008 - (Page 63) A Costly Skill Gap Clearly, business English proficiency has become increasingly critical to the success of the global enterprise. Yet, only 9 percent of global employees said their current English skills are sufficient to do their jobs. Seventy-eight percent expect they will need to improve their proficiency within the next year, and 36 percent believe they will need to study for at least a year before they are able to communicate effectively. Moreover, mastery of vocabulary and grammar alone is not enough. Employees preparing for international interactions must become familiar with the societal characteristics and professional etiquette of the countries in which they do business in order to be effective. Rhetorical devices such as sarcasm are difficult for non-native speakers to detect, and colloquial pronunciations that can be vital in establishing camaraderie with locals add another layer of complexity. This is a massive and expensive skills gap, and global companies are at an inflection point. The need for English-language training has never been greater, and if the problem is addressed effectively, companies stand to save millions by virtue of gained productivity. The Democratization of Learning By 2016, it’s estimated that 33 percent of the world’s population will be trying to learn English. Even now, the following trends are in play: • One hundred eighty million Chinese students are learning English as part of their formal education. • There are more people studying English in China than there are people in the United Kingdom. • There are as many ESL speakers in Asia as there are people in the United States. • Half a million ESL learners in England spend an average of 300 pounds out of pocket each year on language training. • Twenty percent of Japanese 5-year-olds attend English conversation classes. • Mexico has added English to its primary-school curriculum. Yet, while the average university graduate who is a native English speaker knows 20,000 word families, the average adult ESL speaker knows only 5,000, even after several years of study. Forward-thinking business executives, human resources professionals and learning leaders recognize both the challenge and opportunity of developing business English competence and are seeking fast and effective ways to address this critical training need. For many companies, e-learning is an ideal solution. Online training is more accessible, scalable and affordable than traditional classroom training, and participants benefit from its unique effectiveness, engagement opportunities and ease of use. Self-directed learning keeps content relevant and motivation high, and the flexible approach supports the continued development and focused practice required for advanced learners. A Healthy Investment According to a December 2007 report from Novations Group, soft-skills training is expected to increase in 2008. English communication skills should be counted as an essential soft skill for global business. Presentation, negotiation, empathy, problem solving — all depend on language and cultural proficiency. There is no doubt that global corporations will benefit from a healthy investment in English language training. Chief learning officers should ask themselves these key questions: • How frequently, for what purpose and in what language will your employees communicate with one another, suppliers and customers? • What teams and divisions will work across borders and for what purpose? What benefits will that provide? • If employees can’t communicate effectively with global customers, suppliers, partners or other employees, how will that impact operational effectiveness? • Does your next generation of leaders have the business communication skills it needs to successfully manage your organization? • How will you address the language barriers in your organization? What are the costs if you don’t? A global workforce-development plan that builds upon the answers to these questions will produce tangible, bottom-line benefits to company performance and position the organization for success in the global economy. CLO Deepak Desai is president and CEO of GlobalEnglish Corp. He can be reached at editor@clomedia.com. Chief Learning Officer • June 2008 • www.clomedia.com 63 http://www.clomedia.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.