Tips for Language Learners

My Blog for Language Learners
Synlexis
https://synlexis.wordpress.com/

Are any of these situations familiar to you?

• You want to take the next step on your career ladder. What you need is sales experience abroad, and a subsidiary in Spain offers the perfect opportunity. Do you speak Spanish?

• A French corporation has just taken over your company. Significant changes in the company’s management and culture are imminent, and French will become the new management language. Are you able to keep pace?

• Your company has just taken over a new subsidiary in Germany, but you just cannot understand what your new colleagues are saying, or even how they think…

• Or maybe you just want to be able to speak “the language” when you go on vacation?

You are at the right place for helping you realize your language learning goals!

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See my post in: Synlexis.com

Issues of Global Corporate English - Part V

Part V - "Migrate the Environment"

In the course of such a program as presented in Part IV, the employee’s / team’s environment should be migrated to an English work environment.

It may be helpful to think of such a corporate migration as similar to the roll-out of new hardware or software.

Such environment migrations are also executed in phases or stages in accordance with need or priority of a particular organization, group or team.

Change the Environment - in stages
Software programs that future English communicators use should be migrated – in stages – to English language versions (Office applications, Email, SAP, etc.)

• Glossaries can be provided with native language equivalents to ease the transition.

Corporate newsletters and other communications received should be the English version. These communication means can be supplemented with English / native language glossaries.

Presentations to teams / team meetings can also be migrated –

• Initially with an English slide presentation accompanied by native language oral presentation and discussion, to
• English test and oral presentation, until...
• An exclusively English language affair.

Option: Combination Intensive - Weekly
At intervals, training participants could be sent on intensive trainings in order to bump them into a higher-level training group.

• Participants for this could be identified on the basis of the organization’s need for his/her skills, and/or
• To reduce the number of training groups (which are based on competence level), thus,
• Reducing time “overhead” and making better use of group member  synergies.

DO
The best approach here would be to schedule such intensive ("crash") courses shortly before the participants are expected to confront a significant increase in English language communication.For example, 1 -2 weeks before:

• business travel to an English language venue
• participation in an important meeting / conference in which English will be dominant
• taking over a new position or role in which English play a larger role in daily work

DON'T
Do not schedule such courses without a plan. Intensive language weeks are great, but their effectivity decreases with time.

I know of people who have taken such courses and returned to work with some well-deserved confidence. However, many were not required by their jobs to USE their English for weeks or months afterwards.

If you don't use it, you will use it!


First Steps
A pilot program would make sense here.

• An organization / team / group should be identified for training
• It would be advantageous for said group to contain a supportive leader and at least one member with good – very good English 

MOST IMPORTANT - 
A company / corporation needs to decide on a real plan for supporting its international communication strategy.

English (or any language) will not become a productive means of global communication by accident.

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Well, and that is essentially it for this series!
I will be happy to answer any questions.
Cheers and thank you for your attention,
Duane March, Ph.D.

Issues of Global Corporate English - Part IV

Part IV: One Specific Approach to Weekly Training

This approach is based on the principle, as mentioned in Part III, that…
In order to be effective AND productive, learning materials should be based on actual, current organizational issues.

It is also designed for team members that need to attain English productivity in ca. nine months.
That is to say – a high priority!

It includes the option of one to two, 5-day intensive training weeks.

Therefore, the presence of a trainer consultant and and/or facilitator – familiar with an organization’s job functions and issues – would help to organize and customize training.

• The trainer consultant sets up and establishes the method and weekly agenda. He also provides support to...

• The training facilitator (potentially a member of the subject organization) is trained by the trainer / consultant. He moderates training sessions in combination with his other duties.

The Trainer Consultant (TC) goes into a subject organization / team, and

• determines what the English skills of each participating employee is...
• …in order to group employees into more than one skill group, if necessary;
• determines what the main duties of the organization and of each participant employee are;
• determines what current issues in the organization are as well as any new information;
• gathers documentation relevant to the issues and information for use as training material.

The Trainer Consultant (TC) then prepares relevant documentation as training material.
He also works together with the organization‘s designated Training Facilitator (TF) in order to train him to take over his responsibilities in the future.

• He creates vocabulary / phrase list based on the each week‘s subject document(s).
• He identifies / creates necessary grammar training material.
• He also identifies / facilitates the creation of additional training material (e.g. audio CDs, etc.) if desired.

Sample Program for Weekly Training
The following program is just one possible example.
Monday

• Training group meeting (1-2 hours): first look at training document for the week.
• TC / (later, TF) identifies those words and phrases that need to be trained.
• TC identifies and introduces grammar topic as needed.
• TC assigns 7 words / phrases to be learned by the next day.
• TC coaches participants regarding the assigned words / phrases / grammar topic as needed and individually in the course of the day.
• TC provides further support to the organization (writing emails, composing other docs, etc.) for the rest of the day.

Tuesday – Thursday (optional for groups where the need for progress is more urgent)

• Brief training group meeting: review of / quiz on learning material from previous day
• TC assigns 14 words / phrases to be learned by the next day’s session.
• TC coaches participants regarding the assigned words / phrases / grammar topic as needed and individually in the course of the day.
• TC provides further support to the organization (writing emails, composing other docs, etc.) for the rest of the day.

Friday

• Brief training group meeting: review of / quiz on learning material from previous day
• TC conducts final review of total 49 words / phrases.
• TC reviews grammar lesson as needed.
• TC provides further support to the organization (writing emails, composing other docs, etc.) for the rest of the day.
• Together with the TF (Training Facilitator), TC identifies new document for following week’s instruction

Weekly program: Results

• 49 words / phrases per week – easily learned because they are set in context.
• = 196 words / phrases per month = (10 months) almost 2,000 per year
• 2,000 words / phrases a year guarantees intermediate ability for beginners and advanced ability to intermediate learners.
• Learning words / phrases is facilitated by creating flash cards for them: learners can use them during breaks, on their way to lunch, at their desk and learn step-by-step.

The Training Facilitator (TF), ideally an internal member of the subject organization, is able to take over most daily duties.
The TC prepares and coaches him for this role. He also remains to provide support as needed.

• The TF identifies weekly training document.
• He leads Monday session towards identifying 49 words / phrases to be learned.
• He creates flash cards.
• Supported by the TC, he identifies / introduces / moderates grammar topics.

Result: in about 1-3 months, the TF could take over most training responsibilities, thus:

• reducing costs incurred by TC, and / or
• freeing the TC to initiate other training groups and/ or provide additional consultation;
• enabling him in turn to advise other TFs or create successor TF in his own team / group / organization.

In Part V, I will make some general comments as to "Migrating" a non-English to an English communication environment.

Issues of Global Corporate English - Part III

Part III: General Approach towards making English a practical and effective means of corporate communication

Two basic approaches should be considered:

Intensive training

• Good training has its price
• Best for those who need to become effective within 1-6 months

Gradual yet constant daily / weekly language training

• Less price intensive and more easily “budgetable”
• Slower progress: best for those with targets of 6-18 months

Functional Assessment and Prioritization
In any case, employees, teams and organizations first need to be assessed and prioritized.
Such a prioritization takes into account how important English productivity is for each team, organization or job function assessed.
One would imagine the following functional areas to have a high priority (English productivity in 9-12 months):

• Corporate Communications
• Advertising and Marketing
• User Support (IT) for international teams
• Human Resources
• Finance

… among others.

Just as when a company migrates an IT landscape from one state to another, rolling out a new English “landscape” should be organized, controlled and executed in stages and phases.

Stages in a corporation’s “English Migration”

In the case of the high priority group above, an intensified program of weekly trainings (3-4 hours / week) – possibly combined with one or two 5-day intensive courses.

Other employees who will need English productivity in 1 to 2 years – i.e., they are in a lower priority group – can be offered “conventional” weekly training (1.5 to 2 hours a week), with one difference from most conventional training offered:

Training should be based directly on current issue, initiatives, presentations relevant to the organization‘s daily work (more about this later).

At some time during the second year, the lower priority groups could be migrated to the high priority program.

Personnel Assessment and Program Development

All personnel who are expected at some point to become productive in English should be assessed for their current English competency.

An English learning / improvement program should then be designed based on a combination of each employee’s needs and of his job function as prioritized for English (above).

As mentioned in the prior post, language development should be treated – promoted and tracked – as seriously as all other required job skills.

Learning, improving, using English effectively must be treated as an important part of an employee‘s job.

Intensive Training – for crucial personnel
Scenario:

• An automobile manufacturer wants a leading engineer to provide consulting in America.
• The engineer has some English skills, but cannot truly communicate effectively.
• Understanding between German and American is slow and marked by frequent difficulties.
• Intensive Training can take someone from “intermediate” skills to comfortable communication within 1-6 months.

What kind of intensive training?
There are several methodologies for ensuring rapid English improvement.

• The best training can adapt materials to a person’s work vocabulary (but should not ignore conversational skills).
• In contrast with daily training, intensive training should mostly take part away from the work environment.
• Intensive training also requires a relaxed state of mind and distance from daily work issues.

Daily / Weekly Training – on the job / part of the job
This offers slower progress, but it:

• is easier to budget and
• allows participants to remain on the job

However, the aforementioned issue must be kept in mind.

• Participants must sense that the training is an important part of their job – it is a corporate priority.
• Yet training should hamper “real work” as little as possible.

In order to be effective AND productive, learning materials should be based on actual, current organizational issues.

In Part IV I will present an example of a program incorporating weekly training as its essential component.

Issues of Global Corporate English - Part II

Part II 

Typical measures taken by corporations to address English language training 

In order to introduce English and to train up their personnel, most companies adopt a similar approach.

Conventional English classes are offered.

Conventional instruction is often not very effective, since:

•      they often have no direct relevance to on-the-jobs issues

•      many people simply do not function well in a “class room” environment

•      Instruction takes place too infrequently: typically 1.5 to 4.5 hours a week

External providers are sought and chosen very often on the basis of cost and convenience.

The low-cost provider is often not the best provider.

•      Low cost providers hire low cost trainers.

•      Low cost providers either provide only standard instruction.

•      Tailoring English training to a employee‘s or organization‘s needs takes time and money.

•      Effective trainers need to have at least some sense for the business issues affecting their students. Such trainers are not always easily found.

HR / Personnel is made responsible for foreign language training

HR is often lacks the skills or knowledge for effectively guiding a foreign language training program

- Foreign language training is unlike any other kind of learning

HR has many other priorities.

HR – or whatever other organization is responsible

– fails to provide an effective plan for developing those resources who most need to improve their language skills.

– does not effectively or consistently measure the progress or efficacy of language training.

Language instruction is a low schedule priority

•      It is somehow something “extra” that should in no way take the employee away from his job for „too long“.

If foreign language skill is not a truly corporate priority, why introduce English at all?

•      The low priority of language training is communicated to employees.

•      Employees do not treat the training as part of their job.

•      Language training is something “extra” that the company provides out of the good of its heart

Prerequisites for making English a practical and effective means of corporate communication

A corporation must decide whether it is serious about what it states.

Is making English the effective corporate language really a corporate priority?

•      There are obvious reasons for answering “yes”.

Then a corporation should “put its money where its mouth is”.

•      Learning, improving, using English effectively must be treated as an important part of an employee‘s job.

A corporation must, in effect, first “talk the talk”, e.g.

All newsletters and other country-wide / corporate wide communication should be composed in English.

•      A vocabulary / phrase list providing native language translation can transform such communications into an English learning tool.

All internal assessment documents, tools, office software versions should be in English.

•      Tutorials can be offered explaining, e.g., that “Save as…” means (e.g. in German) “Speichern unter…”

Other measures can be taken in the short term.

The important thing is communicating that:

•      the company is serious about this, and

•      that English is an important part of the job.

After “talking the talk”, a corporation must then “walk the walk”.

Provide effective, practical English training that is geared to the needs of each team, department and organization.

•      Training should be based directly on current issue, initiatives, presentations relevant to the organization‘s daily work (more about this later).

•      Training should be effectively integrated into an organization‘s work day.

Make the demonstration of English skills part of an employee‘s performance review process.

•      Tie performance bonuses and promotions to an employee‘s English communication abilities.

•      Provide intensive training (40-50 / week) to employees who need be effective abroad within a short time (e.g., engineers).

•      This costs money, yes... but if someone is needed abroad, the cost should be worth it.

I will say more about intensive training in Part III

Issues of Global Corporate English - Part I

PART I 

"English is the international language of this corporation." 

"English proficiency is a strategic priority."

Such statements regarding corporate strategy and English language proficiency are common -- and can strike both managers and employees with consternation.

The mission sounds a lot easier than it is -- and global corporations have been struggling with it for decades.  

• Why are most global corporations still having problems making their employees into productive English communicators?  

• Why do many employees spend years in various English classes and seminars and are still unable to apply English with confidence and competence in their international communication? 

This is the first part of an attempt to address issues affecting Corporate English training and productivity.

THE ISSUE (much of this will appear obvious to you)

International companies desire to use English as the standard corporate language:

– in order to communicate effectively between the various country locations

– because English is the most widely used language in international business

– because – in contrast with Middle and Far Eastern languages – English uses the internationally standard character set (Roman letters).  

Difficulties and Obstacles

Rendering English – or any foreign language – into a truly effective language is not easy.

– People will struggle to use English on the job, but

– They will always prefer their native language when English is not necessary.

– Constant and frequent practice is, however, vital for communicating in a language - at a productive level and - within a foreseeable time frame.

– People using English often need it to communicate with other non-native English speakers.

– Other non-native English speakers also often have difficulty expressing themselves clearly.

– English communication...
   - especially live (face-to-face, telephone) or
   - near live (email)
   ...can therefore lead to misunderstanding and frustration.

– Clear communication can be vital to company initiatives – its absence can be potentially very damaging.

Due to lacking English skills,

– documentation must often exist in both native language and English versions.

– Translations are, however, often not completely precise, and

– there is a lot of time-consuming duplication of effort.

– Costs are also associated (professional translation).

In Part II, we will look at the typical measures that corporations take in order to address these issues.