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I can see the main difference in the fact that business learners are usually sent by their companies to train their language skills in order to accomplish more successfully their every-day work at the company or in order to be ready to accomplish extra-tasks like comunicating with the clients. So their motivation may be connected to the goals of their company and may be in some cases by the profits in terms of salary or their position that business learners can get after successffully attending a language course. So it should not be taken for hranted that a business student has a special interest in learning a language besides a practical one. And as soon as this type of students don’t have much time for studying (especially for studying at home) the course should be well-organised and structured so that a student could get as much as possible durinng the lesson.
In terms of motivation, business learners are often driven by practical and professional goals. They see language learning as a means to enhance their career prospects, improve their communication skills in a globalized business environment, and expand their networks. Their motivation is typically more outcome-oriented..
Related to the time they allocate on learning a language, business learners frequently face time constraints due to their demanding work schedules and professional commitments. They may have limited time to dedicate to language learning compared to learners in other contexts. Consequently, business learners often seek efficient and effective language learning methods that can fit into their busy routines, such as online courses, language apps, or targeted language training.
Lastly, regarding their interest in language learning, while business learners recognize the importance of language skills, their primary interest lies in acquiring language proficiency for specific business purposes. They may prioritize learning business-specific vocabulary, industry terminology, negotiation skills, or presentation techniques. Their focus is often on developing language skills directly applicable to their professional contexts rather than pursuing broader language proficiency.
The way business learners differ from “regular” or non-business learners when it comes to motivation and time is that the business learners will utilize their time much more effectively in order to progress as fast and efficiently as possible.
Compared to a non-business learner, a business learner might have less time to invest in learning a new language. Therefore, they will work as hard as they can to learn it. Assuming they are learning a new language to help them with their job or to advance in their field, they will actively pursue mastering the language as fast as possible, as the quicker results may result in them working their way up in their company or expanding their realm of business.
Time wise, seeing as many business learners are more busy than children or students or “regular” working class people, the business learner will likely focus more and attempt to advance quicker, seeing as their schedules tend to be more full.
With keeping the learners’ needs in mind, it might be better to focus their mastering of the TL on business related vocabulary and terminology, in order to directly help them with what they need.I do not have much experience teaching business learners, nevertheless, I believe their motivation in learning or improving a new language is evidently different from other learners due to the impact that it may have in their workplaces or their job position, so these learners tend to have less time rather than others, consequently, they take advantage of each lesson to rich their goals in a shorter term. Another important point to consider is that sometimes business learners want to improve a specific skill, I mean their focus could be speaking because the usage of the language is mainly oral or because they have to give a conference or have an interview with others. In this way, the teachers must know their aims very well in order to offer them way they are looking for or need.
Business learners differ from general English learners in many ways. Firstly, their motivation tends to be external, as they need specific language skills for career needs. Some learners may choose to do pre-experience courses before they start a career, while others learn Business English at some point in their career. Here we can see differences connected with time and duration of such courses.
Pre-experience courses may not have tough deadlines and can be done at comfortable pace. The classes that are taken by working people have a definite duration, focus on immediate needs, and are often in-house. They can be organized early in the morning or in the late afternoon to accommodate working individuals.
Business learners are mostly interested in language as a tool that helps them be efficient in business communication. That is why Business English courses deal with necessary real life skills: writing emails, reports, telephoning, making presentations, negotiation, talking about facts, figures, graphs and diagrams.Distinguishing business learners from others involves several key aspects. Firstly, business learners have specific objectives tied to their professional roles. Often, they must acquire a new language to meet job requirements, which can fuel their motivation as it enhances their qualifications and opens up opportunities for better positions. Conversely, the pressure from superiors to comply with language demands may also demotivate them, leading to a mere desire to complete the course for compliance, presenting a double-edged situation.
These factors naturally bring us to the topic of time. Company-sponsored courses for business individuals mean they have limited time slots available for attending classes. Coordinating schedules for group sessions can be challenging, as not all participants share the same availability despite enrolling with their preferred schedules. While having access to a platform like my.lab may offer flexibility, it’s an exception rather than the norm, further contributing to the motivation problem. As trainers, our responsibility lies in finding effective ways to inspire and engage business learners, encouraging them to invest in improving their language skills.
In contrast, one-to-one business learners encounter fewer of these issues, as they often pursue language courses for personal development. Despite their busy schedules, their intrinsic motivation keeps them dedicated, making time for their self-improvement journey.
Business learners generally are the most motivated of learners. Their motivation being the importance of having a job or even changing positions or awaiting a promotion. The learners are focused and determined which can relax the trainer and make lessons flow at their optimum.
The time needed to digest the language for the business learner should be shorter as you would assume to get their job in the first place their is some basic knowledge of language words already know whether it be general vocabulary or business related language. This knowledge coupled with the motivation and determination will speed learning along as the learner will retain information quicker.
Interest in the language should be at its highest when it comes to business learners and again this should make the learning process easier for the reasons I have mentioned before.
I say should be at it’s highest because you assume the learner has taken the job knowing about the language involved and wants to better themselves and do the job well.I believe that every adult learner that takes up learning a language out of their own will starts off their language journey highly motivated. The reasons supporting their motivation may vary, but the excitement is the same. Whether that be someone learning English for work, for a career change, for university admission or other reason, all learners believe they can improve by investing a good amount of time and money in it. Equally, pressure to improve fast may also be comparable.
Nevertheless, we can assume that business learners have an immediate interest in putting their newly acquired knowledge into practice, and may even have frequent chances to practice the language outside of the classroom. Moreover, they will want to focus on the language that is required of them in the business or corporate world, on top of mundane, everyday language useful in social events. Time pressure can also be an aspect to factor in, especially for courses organised by the employer for the acquisition of specific language, which have a clear start date and end date.Many students that I’ve taught are learning strictly for the sake of learning. They either have a passion for languages, or a drive to further themselves in some way, be it academically, intellectually, or in the pursuit of building stronger or more interesting relationships. This, however, isn’t always the case when it comes to those studying business English. Often, they do so for the sake of personal gain, like employment opportunities, a sought after promotion, or due to recent immigration. This doesn’t necessarily dampen the learning experience; although their reasoning is different, they are often wonderful students because they are highly self motivated, and may still have some interest in languages although their goals are different. Studying business English doesn’t necessarily pigeonhole them into being this kind of student. I know somebody currently studying business English that is given X amount of money a year by their company to spend on any kind of post-secondary continued education, no strings attached. This student has used those funds on computer courses, nutrition courses, and now on English lessons. Although she studies business English, her learning is self-driven and passionate, and classes with her feel more like those studying for passion.
The relationship between a student studying this specific kind of English and time, just as before, isn’t necessarily always the same. Although many students in this scenario are studying and working at the same time, creating scheduling conflicts and limiting time to do homework outside of class, many of them are learning in order to find a job, and would gladly spend much of their free time on improving while at home.
Business english language learners have specific goals and motivations for learning english, or any other language. Compared to children and teenagers, they tend to be older and also have schedules that they need to work around. Language learning may be a hobby or may be part of the organization they work for. The learners organization may provide or recommend a language learning institution that they approve of in order for the learner to work with. Business learners may take shorter classes and less frequently, while setting aside time in their schedule for independent practice.
Business learners also have intrinsic motivations compared to younger learners, who have external motivators and also are mostly likely learning in a school setting where it is part of their curriculum and not an extra thing.
Business learners would be learning similar language as younger learners, however, they may also need professional communication and presentation skills included in their language lesson. Business learners will need to know how to speak fluently with clients and other co-workers. The may need to write a business proposal or report. Business learners may also be travelling and need to know how to communicate with others in a professional way.Business learners are more goal-oriented and may have time restraints but they can relate to young learners as well.Business learners are very different from the rest of the learners, they have three main points which are completely different from the rest:
Motivation
Time
Interest in LanguageMotivation: This is a key factor to motivate these learners, having the opportunity to learn another language without the cost that is involved in it can be very appealing to them. These learners are also motivated by the fact that they could be moving up in the career ladder but they need to be fluent in the target language to secure deals or to explain the aim of the company they are working for.
Time: Time is a factor that can have its pros and cons when teaching business to adults. They probably want to make the most of the time they spend in the classroom so they need to have a well-established lesson plan and practical examples they can use in their day-to-day for them to see the practical side of learning another language.
Something important is to ask the learners what their goals are in relation to their learning experience so as trainers we can keep that in mind when preparing for the lessons.
Last but not least is the degree of interest that the learners may have in the target language. Some of them already have basic knowledge of the language hence we can determine how much practice we can bring into the classroom when eliciting specific sentence patterns that might have been well taught or practised in the past.
The interest of the target language: This is a great tool which as trainers we can use because they already have the motivation without anyone telling them to study the target language. We could ask the learners why they like the target language and how they would like to use this knowledge outside of their workplace, that would help them to see that they can use the target language in different ways not just at work, giving them a sense of achievement that will go outside the office walls.
Something worth mentioning is the fact that as trainers we need to research a variety of factors that affect our learner’s learning: prior knowledge, context, social factors, and environment. Clearly, if these are not considered in any way, there is no reason to believe most students will achieve, much less excel, in the classroom and beyond.
If a company is paying for the lessons for our learners, we could do well in researching the company, checking what kind of work they do, what kind of clients they have and where are they from, this would help us when encouraging our learners to apply specific points during our lessons that can contribute to enhancing the motivation they have.
In conclusion, training adults can have its advantages especially when we talk about motivation and interest in the target language, but this can also pose a challenge for the trainer, which is to keep the interest in the lesson and the practical side on high to engage the learners.Business learners differ from other learners in a few key ways when it comes to learning languages.
Motivation:
Business learners have a distinct motivation compared to other learners. They are driven by specific goals linked to their careers and lives. Learning the language directly impacts their professional success. This motivation tends to be stronger because their language skills are vital for their work. In contrast, other learners might have different reasons for learning a language, which could be more diverse and personal.Time:
Time is another factor that sets business learners apart. These learners often have limited time due to their work commitments. They need to make quick progress in a short period. This makes efficient learning crucial. Other learners might have more flexible schedules, allowing them to dedicate more time to language learning.Interest in Languages:
Business learners’ interest in languages is often tied to their profession. They see language skills as tools to enhance their job performance and career growth. This can make their interest more focused and practical. On the other hand, other learners might be motivated by different interests, such as cultural exploration or personal enrichment.While these differences highlight the unique aspects of business learners, it’s important to note that individuality plays a big role in language learning. Motivations, time availability, and interests can vary greatly within both business and non-business learners. Each person brings their own background and goals to the learning process.
In general, business learners have a strong drive to improve their language skills due to their career needs. They often have limited time, requiring focused and efficient lessons. Their interest in languages is linked to practical application in their professional lives. However, it’s important to approach each learner as an individual with their own motivations and circumstances. This personalized approach can help create effective and engaging learning experiences for everyone, regardless of their background or goals.
Business learners tend to have a different perspective from other learner. Their approah to learn a new language is based on their profession or the future development oh their carreer therefore their focus will be mostly on topics related to their actual profession. Business learner could be more focus on the new languages because it´s a possible way to get boost on their carrer or a future promotion so is really important to learn the language as quickly as possible; but; regardless their time and interest in the language could be somehow limited because of their dayly resposabilities which could consume most of their time and energy causing a more distraction on the learning process.
They have a specific goal in mind and learning the language plays a very important part in their career and life. Theo usually have a limited time and need to improve their language in a short period, their interest in the language is mainly related to their profession
Business learners of a language often differ from other language learners, such as those studying for academic purposes or personal interest, in several key ways, particularly in terms of their motivation and interest in languages. Let’s compare these two types of learners based on these factors:
1. Motivation:
Business Learners: Business learners are typically motivated by practical and professional reasons. They may need to learn a specific language to communicate with clients, colleagues, or partners in international business settings. Their primary motivation is often related to career advancement, enhancing job prospects, or conducting international business transactions.
Other Learners: Learners studying for academic purposes or personal interest may have motivations that are more diverse. Some may learn a language for academic requirements or personal enrichment, such as travel, cultural appreciation, or connecting with family heritage.
2. Interest in Languages:
Business Learners: While business learners may have a strong practical interest in the language they are learning, their interest in languages as a subject of study may be limited. They often prioritize mastering specific business-related vocabulary and communication skills over broader language proficiency.
Other Learners: Learners studying languages for personal interest may have a more holistic fascination with languages, including their history, culture, and literature. They may engage in language learning as a hobby and take a broader approach to language acquisition, exploring various aspects of the language.
3. Focus on Communication:
Business Learners: Business learners tend to place a strong emphasis on effective communication in professional contexts. They often prioritize skills such as negotiation, presentation, and correspondence in the target language. Their language learning goals are closely tied to practical communication needs in the business world.
Other Learners: Learners studying for personal interest or academic purposes may have a broader range of language learning goals. They might focus on reading literature, understanding cultural nuances, or achieving proficiency in the language for academic research.
4. Time Constraints:
Business Learners: Business learners often face time constraints due to their professional commitments. They may need to achieve a certain level of language proficiency within a relatively short timeframe to meet the demands of their jobs.
Other Learners: Learners pursuing language learning for academic or personal interest reasons may have more flexibility in terms of their study pace and time commitment.
5. Language Variants:
Business Learners: Depending on their specific business needs, these learners may focus on a particular variant of the language, such as business English or legal French. Their language learning is often specialized to suit their industry or profession.
Other Learners: Learners studying for academic or personal interest purposes may have a broader interest in the standard or regional variants of the language. They may explore different dialects or regional accents for cultural or linguistic diversity.
6. Assessment and Certification:
Business Learners: Business learners may seek language certifications that are recognized in their industry, such as the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or language exams specific to their field. These certifications can be valuable for career advancement.
Other Learners: Learners studying for academic purposes may need to meet language proficiency requirements for university admissions or academic research but may not necessarily pursue industry-specific certifications.
In summary, business learners of a language often have distinct motivations and interests compared to other types of language learners. They are driven by practical, career-related goals and prioritize effective communication in professional settings. Other learners, on the other hand, may have a broader and more varied range of motivations and interests, which can include academic pursuits, cultural exploration, and personal enrichment. These differences influence their approaches to language learning and the specific skills and knowledge they prioritize.
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