As globalization continues, business English is being reaffirmed as an essential requirement for businesses in any country. It doesn’t matter where they are based, because there will come a time when they will be forced to deal with language barriers with their employees and customers abroad.
So much so that, in a recent study published in Reuters, it was revealed that 25% of jobs require employees to interact with people from other countries, a figure that reaches 50% in countries such as India or Saudi Arabia. And, of these jobs, two-thirds include English proficiency among the job entry requirements.
You could say that English for business is like a default tool that companies around the world agree to use.
Why English and not other languages?
One reason why English is the dominant language of business and the Internet is that it is the native language of more than 60 nations. If that wasn’t enough, let’s add that it is considered the second official language by many states. This means that companies and employees from countries of Anglo-Saxon origin have a clear, and quite significant, advantage, especially considering that only 10% of Native Americans can speak a second language, compared to 56% of European Union citizens.
More than 375 million people speak English for business and everyday life around the world. But in business it is not enough to teach the language to employees.
Business English is not just a matter of language, but has cultural nuances. These numbers give an idea of the strategic importance that English has in any company and how much it is therefore worth committing and designing a good plan, supported by a change management strategy, because English for business is necessary .
Here are some other facts that could help you embrace English with even more conviction:
- More than 90% of websites are written and created in English.80% of the data stored on computers around the world is in English.
- 36% of Internet users communicate in English.
- Two billion people will learn English by 2025 (British Council)
Today, good knowledge of the English language is among the most important requirements in many professions. It is also the most used language among speakers of foreign languages and the dominant language of diplomacy, business and science, economics, information technology and the Internet.
In Italy, our English proficiency score, according to an EF study, is moderate, far from the dominance of other countries such as the Netherlands, which leads this special ranking. Italy is in 35th place among the 112 countries monitored. Our position, however, becomes more complicated when the comparison is restricted to European countries, moving to 26th position out of 35 competitors. Will we be able to improve our command of business English?
In our small way, we at LingoYou try every day to bridge the gap between Italy and the rest of Europe in terms of language skills through well-structured English courses, designed both for managers and workers and for students looking for quality training.
Learning English for study purposes
LingoYou’s English for Students course prepares you by providing you with the skills and strategies you need to successfully transition into college preparatory courses in English and other high school majors. You will be encouraged to develop your independence in various academic tasks. You will participate in seminars and conduct classroom workshops, read and interpret various types of academic texts, take effective notes during lectures and class discussions, write essays, narratives and reports, and effectively apply various learning strategies and research skills. LingoYou’s English course for students will help you develop your ability to respond critically to printed and multimedia texts, such as news, and will allow you to experience an academic climate, in which reciprocity and exchange of knowledge are the pillars of everyday life .
Learning English for work purposes
If you’re interested in learning the language for all things business, LingoYou has you covered. Our business English courses constitute the most complete toolbox for independently carrying out any negotiation or project in English, in the most practical, intelligent and rapid way.
There are many great reasons to take a business English course. English, in fact, is the key that opens the doors to international markets; the most spoken language in the world for economic and work purposes. If you have the ambition to be a well-rounded professional and want to develop your full potential, it is essential that you acquire language and business skills.
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