Business English training increases your credibility if you speak English as your non-native language. It is a powerful personal development tool if you are doing international business. The majority of international business negotiations are conducted in English, so having excellent Business English skills are essential. Here is an interesting article and interview with international businessman Oliver Dowson, who shares his opinions on the value of excellent business English skills. Read here.
Please don’t believe we don’t value individuals who don’t speak English as their native tongue. On the contrary, these employees are highly skilled and valued people within organisations. Acquiring professional Business English skills means they can truly shine and make an impact in business meetings.
So why is excellent Business English an essential skill for any international business person? International business is conducted in English; part of the whole process of building business relationships, negotiating and trust is conducted in English. Even if there are translators for the business leaders, the majority of the business communication work is in English. Here is information on International or Business English.
Working in International Businesses or Multi-National businesses. Whilst there are local variations, where the local language is often used with local suppliers, multi-national organisations are looking for employees who speak good Business English. If you wish to be employed at a multi-national company; and have the opportunity to work overseas, developing your credibility through good Business English is ESSENTIAL. And speaking English fluently, which is straight forward for others to understand is a must. If this is your ambition, you must consider this training.
Surely it is just about being able to speak English; why is Business English so important? Of course being able to speak English is important. You have a huge advantage if you are already confident speaking in English. But the vocabulary and conversation situations that you learn at school: watching English Language TV programmes are unlikely to prepare you for doing business. In my case, I speak French and Italian: (I studied opera in Italian!) but whilst I have a good knowledge of both languages, if I am honest, I wouldn’t be able to conduct business conversations. And one of my clients is French; but he moved to UK when he was a child. His French vocabulary was childlike (his words not mine!) so had to conduct business conversations in English with French clients! The style of French he spoke wasn’t appropriate for the business situation. Also, I am sure you want people to really engage with you when you speak, rather than struggle to understand you due to your accent and the way you speak.
Why can’t I learn English from watching TV programmes? Of course you can learn English this way, and we have met many clients who are speaking English confidently. Which is brilliant! BUT, we have found that there are lots of ways to improve their English to a completely different, professional level. This could be everything from increasing the knowledge of business vocabulary; pronunciation: making it as easy as possible for others to understand you, to role play of meetings and business conversations.What is the difference between TEFL courses and Business English Training? People often ask me if the Business English training we deliver is the same as TEFL. No it isn’t; TEFL provides fabulous basic linguistic training; it empowers students to speak English with confidence, to be able to communicate in everyday life, like travelling, shopping. However it does not prepare students for working in international businesses or organisations: even the advanced courses. We often work with clients who have already studied English with TEFL. They are great students, and already confident. We empower them to speak even more clearly, with a clearer English accent, with pauses and emphasis on specific words and increasing the vocabulary needed for business conversations.
Why does Business English provide invaluable skills for professionals wishing to work internationally? We live in a busy world, with so many messages from social media, as well as spoken conversations, emails, text messages; the list goes on. Colleagues, bosses, teams zone out when they have to work hard to understand what someone is saying. If you speak English with a very strong accent, no pauses or emphasis on specific words, it is more difficult for others to understand you. Learning the tricks of speaking Business English clearly – and concisely is an invaluable skill for professionals at all levels.
How is it possible to do training to raise my credibility when speaking Business English? We offer a range of face to face and virtual training for individuals and teams. Our webinars are CPD accredited and perfect if you are wanting to train a team. We do face to face workshops. We also have one to one virtual sessions, and a 5 session virtual course which is CPD accredited.
The art of conversation