The joy Of International Business

The world is getting smaller, and there is an increasing demand for language translation services. We often take for granted that English is becoming the common tongue of international business, and lose sight of the fact that it is not spoken everywhere.

English is the second most spoken language in the world, behind Mandarin Chinese. However, most Mandarin speakers are native speakers. This is not the case with English. Of the world’s estimated 700,000,000 English speakers, less than half are native. Among non native speakers, their may feel that their skills are not strong enough for them to confidently conduct business in English. The challenge of international business is to get to these people.

If you are interested in getting translation services, which markets are most important?

The Growing Market of China

The Chinese market will have a major impact on the business world of the future. Although many Chinese study English, and there is a growing need for English in Chinese society, it is still a part of the world where most people do business in Mandarin.

China actually has several different languages which are referred to as “Chinese.” These are dialects that are so different, they are mutually unintelligible. Mandarin is the tongue of the capital and the industrial north.

Mandarin is not only important for the Chinese, but for all of Asia. Mandarin has become common among business people in the developing economies of Southeast Asia, where many different languages are spoken.

Indonesian is also important and widely spoken in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is one of the most populous countries of Asia, and it is also spoken in Malaysia. Being able to speak Japanese is also beneficial. Japan still has the strongest economy in the region, although Japanese it is not spoken beyond the island country.

Europe – A Multi-Lingual Region Read the rest of this entry »

UK companies must break down any workplace language barrier in order to improve employee performance.

Research by the London School of English has revealed that British businesses might be miscalculating the potential impact that language barriers can have on employee performance.

The overwhelming majority of human resources directors have dismissed any notion of a possible language barrier within the workplace because they believe that their non-native English speaking employees can communicate clearly and effectively.

This argument might be weakened by the fact that these directors have not examined the effect that specialised vocabulary and foreign accents may have when non-native English speaking employees communicate with colleagues and customers.

It is important that non-native English speaking employees are properly trained in how to communicate specific vocabulary, phrases and jargon that might be required in specialist industries.

The right training can help an employee get to grips with the numerous complexities and nuances that are found in the English language and this education is also likely to improve their morale and overall performance as a result.

Customer-facing employees that cannot communicate effectively risk damaging the reputation and performance of their business by providing misleading or inaccurate information.

Some British businesses have relocated their contact centres back to the United Kingdom from India after complaints from customers relating to communication issues brought about by language barriers.

On the other hand, British organisations may also want to invest in foreign language training for their English speaking employees in order to take advantage of international business opportunities. Read the rest of this entry »