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Professionalism:
This is very important factor to a business learner. It’s very important to them to learn the language in a way that makes them able to “manipulate” it in the professional world.
Time: time for business learners is very important, during the lessons everything must be done efficiently in order to meet their academic needs in the least possible time.
Socialising and networking: for business learners is essential to build on their networking skills in the new language and become as charismatic as they can be in their mother tongueBusiness language learners have different characteristics,I mentioned most o them in previous discussion board, but I am making list of them as below:
Motivation: business language learners are often motivated by career advancement, increased job opportunities, and the ability to communicate effectively in a professional setting. Their motivation is often tied to practical, real-world applications of language skills in the business context.
Recognize their motivation. Align language instruction with their professional goals to maintain high levels of engagement.
Professional Background: business language learners come from diverse professional backgrounds. They may include professionals from finance, marketing, healthcare, technology, and other industries.Then, trainer needs to tailor language content to be relevant to various industries.
Time Constraints: many business language learners have demanding work schedules, and finding time for language classes can be challenging.flexible language programs that accommodate busy professionals. Offer options such as online classes or flexible schedules to fit into their work routines.
Goal-Oriented Approach: business learners often approach language learning with specific goals in mind, such as improving communication skills for meetings, negotiations, presentations, and written correspondence, define learning objectives and align instructional content with practical, job-related language skills. Provide opportunities for learners to apply language skills in simulated business scenarios.
Desire for Practicality: business language learners value practical language skills that can be immediately applied in their work environment. They seek language instruction that is directly relevant to their professional needs. Integrate industry-specific vocabulary, business communication, and relevant scenarios into language lessons to enhance practicality.
Cultural Awareness: many business language learners operate in international or multicultural business settings. They recognize the importance of cultural awareness and effective intercultural communication. Incorporate cultural sensitivity training into language instruction.
Prioritization of Language for Specific Contexts: business language learners prioritize language skills that are directly applicable to specific contexts, such as client meetings, negotiations, or industry conferences. Customize language lessons to address their specific needs within various professional contexts.Main things to consider while teaching business language for Professionalism
Of course, it is known that those who want to learn business language are mainly adults and not children, so it is essential to teach them with purposes as if their ambitions are yours. For this reason, it would be a good idea to discuss with them at the beginning of the business language course to understand what they would realistically like to achieve in the business area.
The lessons need to concentrate on the language they need, in order to work in the business area that is called Business jargon, on the environments they encounter, and helping them improve on their weaknesses. So, in order to understand their weak areas, the trainer has to observe their ability in listening, reading, speech and understanding. In a manner of speaking the trainer has to improve their business skills such as: telephoning more effectively, writing more articulated letters, attending meetings, etc……. People are different to one another and their weaknesses may differ.Conclusion: Trainers that guide business learners must understand them, and emphasise the lessons on their necessities in business life using appropriate business language and respect.
Main things to consider while teaching business language for Cultural considerations
Trainers should explain that different countries have different cultures and it is necessary to knowledge how to address people and understand the gestures and traditions of various countries.
For instance, Chinese and Japanese people bow their heads when greeting someone for the first time, while other countries greet with handshakes. A basic expression to clarify comprehension like “Do you understand?” can be different when translated in Korean, as for them it means that their intelligence is being insulted. The sentence “Is it clear?”, on the other hand, implicates the speaker’s ability to explain something and takes responsibility away from the listener. So, in order to avoid misunderstandings and loss of business it would be appropriate to learn these cultures beforehand.Conclusion.
Understanding different cultures creates a wider perspective in interacting with people.Main things to consider while teaching business language Time
Trainers need to know that time for business learners is important as they don’t have time to waste. In other words, you can say that the spare time they have available after a long day in the office is precious and it’s important for them to improve their productivity at a fast pace. Therefore, the trainer has to take in consideration that they arrive in class after a long tiring day at work. This may cause a sort of a hold back for the learner thus the trainer not only has to help them understand the business language but has to keep them interested.
Conclusion
The lessons need to be efficient and relaxing.Three characteristics of the business language learner need or requirements are the following, socializing and networking, cultural considerations and objectives.
The objective of any business English student should be to be equipped with the necessary skills to interact with people in business situations, regardless that they are online, in-person, written or oral. It is known by individuals globally; that the most significant obstacle while socializing is the language gap, to shorten this gap English language is the tool, and it is been established as the global language. However, even with our lifetime education in school and language courses, most of business language students still struggle when interacting with native speakers. Therefore, students need to gain confidence in order to commence speaking without being afraid of making mistakes, to hear and comprehend the native pronunciation, and to learn colloquial and everyday expressions. Besides, specific language and situations related to their business field.
Another aspect that many times is not fully taken into account is the cultural differences, these must also be taught because not all cultures have the same beliefs, customs or ways of doing. Yet, language is intrinsically related to culture, therefore, it both implicitly and overtly reflects these norms and factors, because language is cultural by nature. Sayings reflecting social conventions, slang terms reflecting current trends, or even syntax reflecting cultural beliefs can all emerge in a language. These all must be taken into account while learning and teaching a language.
To sum up, the majority of business language learners have the same objectives, to understand and to be understood in a fluent manner in order to be able to socialize and make their social network grow. On the other hand and to fully accomplish their objective the cultural know how must be taken into account to respect and be respectful with peers, acquaintances and colleagues.The time issue plays in here a lot a people have to incorporate personal, professional and social life into schedule where they need to divide that into career opportunities , also have goals or objectives. People tend to have a time limit set to certain goals and achievements
Business Learners differ in their motivations, that is their objective to learn a new language. Often, their reasons to learn a language is work-related and not of private nature. Thus, Business Learners have specific needs when learning a language and are rather not interested in learning each and every aspect of a language. However, this perspective might conflict with the general view that it is impossible to learn a language without learning also about the culture that comes with it.
Finally, Business Learners might have a restricted amount of time to learn specific aspects of a new language. Therefore, I consider it fundamental to focus on their specific needs instead of the language as a whole. Nevertheless, teaching some cultural background information is mandatory, especially if the language and culture differ from the environment the Business Learner is used to.Business language learners are motivated to learn because they see the practical benefits in their jobs. They have clear goals like improving negotiation skills or writing better reports for work. Coming from different job backgrounds, they share their work experiences in class. They focus on learning how to communicate formally, using specific words related to their industries. They want to apply what they learn immediately in their jobs, making it relevant. Some learners are interested in improving communication for working with people from different countries. They appreciate flexible learning that fits into their busy work schedules and being adaptable in different professional situations. Managing stress from juggling work and language learning is also something they think about. Understanding these traits helps make language programs that suit their needs.
In my opinion, the main factors that characterize the business language learner are: time, objectives and specific needs. Language (especially English) plays a very important role in people’s careers and life, hence why learners are so motivated to learn and improve in it. Business language learners tend to have a limited time to learn the required language as it is often scheduled around a full time job therefore the teaching content should be picked selectively to target their individual and specific needs. Their interest in the language depends on their profession and the use of this language in their career so focusing on language that is related to their profession and defining their objectives will help increase their interest and motivate them to try to improve.
In my view, the three points that characterize better Business learners are time, specific needs/specific objectives and political correctness.
When teaching this kind of learners, I realized that their lack of time is something that affects directly their performance but also their will to continue. Not all of them persevere (excluding the ones that are obliged to be there). This lack of time also makes them not doing their homework most of the time.
Regarding their need and objectives, these learners have very specific needs and objectives and both need to be oriented towards their objectives. They don’t need a general knowledge of English to be able to maintain a conversation with someone about sports (unless they work in this area), what they really need is knowledge on the basic grammar rules of English and knowledge of their area of work and how to communicate when talking about this subject in a formal way.
This political correctness that this type of learners look for is one of the main things they need to know when dealing with customers as in many jobs formality is an important matter, especially when negotiating or even in a situation where these learners talk with anyone who’s on top of them in a hierarchical level within their company.Time
Talking about time when it comes to Business English learners I feel like they might have difficulties finding extra time to study English. It obviously depends on the fact whether they have to take the course because their boss made them to or because they decided by themselves. If they decided by themselves that they need a course to improve their business English I don’t think they will struggle because they are making time for it because they are motivated and want to improve. If their boss made them do it, it could lead to the learner not necessarily being motivated to learn and also not making time to study and improve.Objectives
Talking about objectives they might change for a learner who wants to improve their business English. Maybe they want to apply for a job and one of the requirements is knowing business English at a certain level and they need to take a course to achieve that objective/goal. Whereas a learner of General English might just want to improve their English in order to be more fluent when they are traveling.Time is essential for a business student, they should invest what little time they have in training which they would like to see results in a short time. It is essential to be able to practice and adapt more work in class than at home. Political and patriarchal correctness is fundamental in a capitalist society, vocabulary and grammar are fundamental in a specific sector. Cultural considerations are very relevant in this direction. The goal is often very high as by reaching and satisfying specific needs they can give professional results that will also evolve one’s career.
Socializing and networking during the course will certainly be a given, mostly considered once the course is completed.Time: Business English learners often have time constraints when learning a new language. They often have demanding job roles that require them to balance work with learning a language. Time away from work may result in the learner feeling stressed and overwhelmed, as he may have to catch up on his work due to learning English.
Professionalism: Business English is formal and needs to be professional as it is used to communicate within a professional setting. It is important that the learner learns the skills to communicate effectively and clearly in the context of a workplace.
Objectives: The objectives of Business English is effective and clear communication, presentation skills and being able to write up emails, documents, reports and proposals in a formal setting. It is also important for the learners to learn how to collaborate with their colleagues in order to solve problems, address conflicts and come up with new ideas.
All the points mentioned are of fundamental importance, but I focus on these:
Time: as already mentioned, usually this type of students don’t have much time to learn, so the trainer must be able to organize it well, trying to always be stimulating.
Political correctness: language must be precise and to the point; The student must be able to express himself correctly in different situations in a conscious way, aware of the hierarchy.
Objectives: the focus of the lessons must be clear for the learner, also because, if necessary, the trainer can implement the contents.
All the points mentioned are of fundamental importance, but I focus on these:
Time: as already mentioned, usually this type of students don’t have much time to learn, so the trainer must be able to organize it well, trying to always be stimulating.
Political correctness: language must be precise and to the point; The student must be able to express himself correctly in different situations in a conscious way, aware of the hierarchy.
Objectives: the focus of the lessons must be clear for the learner, also because, if necessary, the trainer can implement the contents.
time is a big deal for business language learners. working and learning a new language means they need efficient lessons that fit into their busy schedules. Secondly, when it comes to socializing and networking, business learners often value language skills that help them connect with people professionally. They want to be able to communicate clearly in meetings and presentations.
Being professional is another key characteristic. Business language learners aim to speak and write in a way that suits their work environment. This means they focus on clear and direct communication, using language to convey their ideas and information effectively.
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