Foreign language learning for business success

If you understand a language you will understand to a large extent the culture that goes with it, and if you understand the culture, you will pick up on subtleties that you otherwise would miss. In any negotiation or business relationship, the more you understand about the needs and wishes of the other party, the greater the risk of being unable to reach a favorable outcome (both sides). It is widely known but less widely taken into account, the positive impression that speaking another language gives about you, and that is what we want to treat.

In the international business world of today, the English speaker is a disadvantage in this respect, because the international language of business is English. If you are not a native English speaker it is obvious that learning the language is English, whereas if you are, and you want to learn a new language, where do you start? Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian or French are only a few in no particular order, which comes to mind.

Of course, if you want to learn a language for business purposes, the language you choose will mainly depend on how you do business. But in this era of internet, cheap flights and cheap telephone calls, it is common to establish business contacts worldwide.

It is not realistic to begin to learn several languages well, and so the interesting question is what strategies can be used to maximize the opportunity for foreign language use, in order to enhance business success in a global market?

The answer is to learn enough of a language to be polite. The potential impact of this is uncommon, but the impression you have of a visitor to your country, who do not speak a word of English? Our guess is not a great one. The thought process is often 'it is a bit rude "or" it's not hard to learn hello and goodbye'.

Exactly the same idea occurs in a business context, because first impressions count. Nevertheless, how many English speakers who are building relationships with non-English speaking countries, take the time to learn hello or goodbye in the language. Even fewer bother to learn a few compliments and use them on the phone or face to face. The person making that will stick out from the crowd and become human. It helps to build and improve a relationship.

There is no reason to be fluent in all the languages your customers speak. It is not possible and anyway English is recognized as the international language of business, but it is useful to remember, to learn enough of a language for exchanging compliments breaks through barriers and opens doors that would otherwise remain closed.

Clever use of certain words and phrases in languages other than English will improve your personal relationships with foreign customers, and language software Linguata will help.