Improving Your English for Business
Nowadays, instant communication around the world is an everyday occurrence and along with this, English has become the language of international businesses. With this change in global economics, it’s becoming more and more important for businesses to invest in learning English.
English Around The World
Over the past 10-20 years, English has become the main language in the word of trade and commerce. For both small and large businesses around the world, English is used as the main medium of communication. With how small the world is becoming, English is also the language for many business partners from different countries.
Let’s look at some data. According to the 2019 Ethnologue, English has the most number of speakers in the world, with over 2 billion people who can speak English. Of that number, it’s estimated that the number of people who speak English as a second language range from at least 470 million to up to 2 billion. In fact, British linguist and researcher David Crystal calculated that, as of 2003, non-native speakers outnumbered native speakers 3 to 1.
The Science Citation Index, which publishes the world’s leading journals on science and technology, reported in 1997 that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries.
English is currently the most often taught foreign language. It is the official language for aeronautical and maritime communications. It’s almost a requirement for careers as airline pilots and naval officers to have knowledge of English. It’s an official language of the U.N. and many other international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. It’s also one of the official languages for astronauts on board the International Space Station.
According to Unicode.org, people living in English speaking countries account for around 30% of the world’s GDP. This shows that a lot of business potential and purchasing power can be found within the language and within the countries using it.
With all this, it’s no wonder that English is now often referred to as a “world language.”
Why Business Should Invest in Learning Business English
Knowing English can do much for companies and individuals in business settings. According to Harvard Business Review, it’s also been found that countries with better English have better economies. Having knowledge of business English strengthens career prospects for working professionals and is vital for company growth and business prospects. More and more, knowing English for business is becoming tied in with success.
Every year, more and more people look for classes to improve their Business English in the hopes that they can find better paying jobs or expand their business. With improved English, people can communicate better with international coworkers, deliver presentations and speeches, be qualified for higher level and higher paying positions, and be able to travel for business. Most importantly, people can express themselves and explain themselves in a way that everyone can understand.
For job-seekers, LASC offers English for Job Hunting, where students will spend time writing a CV that is custom-tailored to their specific business field of interest. By collaborating with LASC instructors and classmates, students build progressively on the language and business skills they have practiced by identifying and solving problems that exist in business settings.
It’s not uncommon now for large corporations to have offices all over the world or work with manufacturers, distributors and partners from other countries. With that, online video and phone meetings involving people from all over the world are an everyday occurrence. Those who can’t speak English well can find it hard to keep up with meetings or have a hard time being eligible for higher positions if they can’t communicate effectively.
However, it’s not only meetings that require proficient knowledge of English in the highly competitive corporate world. English can be involved in everyday communication in everything from emails, corporate documents, handbooks, and manuals to sales, marketing, public releases, print and electronic media. Proficiency in English, both written and spoken, is vital in many parts of corporate and business life. It’s necessary for communicating with clients and securing business partnerships all over the world. TAKEN FROM
