Workplace English Courses

If you're managing a multilinguistic team and navigating how best to work around language differences, you may have considered offering workplace language courses.

The big picture

With English the global language of business and academia, it's no surprise that it's the most popular target language for learners around the world. In fact, it's increasingly difficult to find work in some sectors without fluency in English.

Here in the UK, demand for language skills continues to grow, with Spanish and German currently the most in demand from companies with international trade. However, for many UK employers with large migrant workforces, overcoming internal language barriers is often the key concern.

It's much more than a 'nice-to-have' add-on too.

The workplace focus

Language can be a focus in a number of strategic plans, most notably communications and/or equity, diversity and inclusion.

The top five operational triggers are:

The business is expending into overseas markets.
Internal communications among multilinguistic teams need to be improved.
Communications with clients need to be improved.
Legal requirements need to be met.
It is considered part of the corporate social responsibility.

Language ability can seem slippery to define and measure and it's rare that employers have insight into the world of language learning when commissioning courses. Consequently, things don't always go to plan and it's not uncommon to hear that future plans have been shelved.

Still, with a little background knowledge, success is possible.

What goes wrong

The most common negative experiences fall into three areas:

Staff stopped attending.
It was disruptive, or 'unfair' to other staff.
The benefits were not clear.

Sound familiar?

How to get it right

Here’s a 6-step guide to success.

1. Set goals

As well s helping to measure the ROI, a clear focus will ensure the training provider delivers the right course (we'll come back to that). Start with a sentence saying what you need to do and why. Typical goals could be:

Improve communication between team members in the processing department so workplace satisfaction scores are improved.
Ensure staff thoroughly understand health and safety procedures and find a way to document this.
Provide extra training for nurses trying to pass OET exams.
Be able to greet Chinese clients in their own language and meet cultural expectations at our annual open event.
Ensure packing staff can understand the written guidelines so errors are minimised.
Help care staff to better understand residents with diverse accents to mitigate the potential for safety errors.
Improve employees’ ability to use English outside of work socially as part of our CSR objectives.

A knowledgeable training provider will know whether the goals are realistic and be able to tell you how long they might take. With that, you'll be able to set SMART objectives. It's worth knowing that clear objectives also improve attendance rates on optional courses.

Tip:

To be realistic, it might help to know how long it takes to 'learn a language'. Of course, the first language of the learner, their starting point and whether they are working in an environment where the language is spoken (among other things) all affect this. Still, your trainer should be able to tell you.

As a guide, language ability can be described on a scale called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR. There are six levels, (A1 – C2, with the latter being the highest). For English, it takes around 300 hours of learning to move from one level to the next (of which around 160 hours might be classroom time).

Clearly, investing in outcomes that take that long isn't realistic. Still, learners at any level can be helped to meet clearly defined goals. You might be looking at as little as two sessions to comply with a specific health & safety issue. For ongoing courses, (often linked to CSR goals), consider commissioning courses in 12-week blocks which roll on if everyone is happy.

2. Consider the ‘wheres and whens’

Workplaces are busy, shift patterns may vary and not all trainers offer flexibility. Online and hybrid options may offer solutions, though don’t work in all settings.

For shift workers, try to find a trainer who can vary the course times.
Ask about local voucher schemes which enable staff to attend a language school at a time that’s convenient.
If the course is part of a health and safety induction be sure your trainer can provide it on demand.
Ask the provider what kind of space they might need at your premises.
Think about the goals of the course. If it's part of a health & safety spec, attendance may need to be compulsory (and the course will usually be very short). If attendance is not compulsory, in whose time will the employee attend the course?

Tip:

It might be worth teaming up with another employer, or finding out how others are navigating these issues. Training providers will have solutions too.

3. Choose the right trainer

In the UK, workplace language courses are offered by:

Colleges
Independent trainers
Language schools
Other training providers, often with a big digital focus
Voluntary sector organisations

The person pitching may not be an expert in language learning and may themselves be trusting that the (sometimes freelance) trainer who will be delivering the course is going to be the ‘right’ person. The trainer is key to a successful outcome.

A great workplace language trainer tends to:

speak another language themselves.
have a background in business.
have a relevant qualification in adult language teaching.

That said, one of the best trainers we know was an interpreter and trainer in intercultural skills training who branched out. Her training experience, coupled with her understanding of language learning and 25 years’ experience working with businesses gave her the tools to be successful.

Tips:

Workplace language courses are quite different to academic courses so it's important to choose a provider who understands this.

Many independent language trainers also work in colleges, at language schools and with other providers, so don't assume that big always means better.

It’s also worth knowing that an experienced trainer may have a range of bolt-on skills, for example in intercultural awareness training, translation or editing text for accessibility.

4. Commission a course and agree a date to start

Once you have agreed terms with the trainer, ask for a course outline. Bear in mind thought that it's not uncommon for course content to change to respond to the needs of the participants.

Tip:

It’s usual to have mixed ability learners on workplace courses; an experienced trainer will not be fazed by this (nor the mixed first languages of the group).

5. Run the course

Ensure employees are aware of the start date, time, place and duration of the course, as well as what to take along. On the first session, the provider will introduce the course and ensure everyone understands the objectives. If it hasn't already been done, a needs or level assessment might take place. Some managers like to drop in at the start of the course to encourage their teams.

Tip:

While the course is running, keep an eye on attendance rates and get feedback from staff. The trainer might help with this too. Do ask staff informally how things are going.

6. Evaluate

Attendance rates, attendee feedback, test results and trainer reports will help to evaluate the success of the course.

Tip:

Whether or not a workplace English course is the solution for you, it's always a good idea to foster a language-friendly workplace to promote co-operation and break down barriers. Don't forget people who use sign language too.

We’re always happy to have a chat if there’s anything else you’d like to know.