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There are different things that characterize a business learner such as:
TimeSocializing and networking
Cultural considerations
Political correctness
Objectives
Accountability
Specific needs
Professionalism
We are going to consider three of them:
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.
This factor can have its pros and cons why? Because the learner might try to make the most of his time while having a lesson or might see the time, he has to achieve a specific goal as a stressful point that can take away the fun factor of learning a target language.
Cultural Consideration: This is a very important point to consider because you are dealing with adults who identify with a certain culture already, so we want to use that to advance their learning experience. To do that we need to keep two factors into consideration:
Cultural identity refers to identification with or sense of belonging to, a particular group based on various cultural categories, including nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion. While we often think of food, music, holidays, and language as primary cultural examples, there are actually many more ways that culture impacts students in schools.
Additional examples of cultural identifiers include gender roles, how parents view their role in education, generational roles, religious beliefs, discipline and behavioural expectations including what respect looks like, personal space, facial expressions, tone of voice, the concept of time, notions of courtesy and manners, attitudes toward authority, and more.
We all carry culture with us every day. It’s not an option to leave it behind, and no one should have to drop their own culture or assimilate into another to succeed and achieve at work or school. It may also be easier for some of us to code-switch at work or school depending on the degree to which the culture of our school varies from our own and the degree to which a purposeful sense of inclusion and belonging is fostered, and cultural responsiveness is prioritized.
Political correctness: Political correctness (PC) is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offence or disadvantages to members of particular groups in society. Politically correct words or terms have been used to show differences between people or groups in a non-offensive way. This difference may result from race, gender, beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any difference from what is considered the norm. “Political correctness” in English can be categorized into the following types.
Political Correctness with Race
Political Correctness with Gender
Political Correctness with Sex Orientation
Political Correctness for People with Disabilities
Political Correctness for Aging and Disease
Political correctness has become a part of the modern lexicon and part of the modern mindset. The aim of political correctness is to conform to the body of liberal or radical opinions on social matters, characterized by the advocacy of approved views and the rejection of language and behaviour considered discriminatory or offensive.• Time
Business learners will have a limited amount of time to devote to language study, as they generally will be working a full-time job as well. Language instruction will need to be targeted, specific, and efficient. It will also be important that each student goes away motivated, and works outside of class on specific homework assignments in a time-limited but efficient manner. Efficient and regular dedication to learning is extremely effective. Although students may not have a lot of time, their companies are investing money in their training, so there will be expectations that will need to be met.• Professionalism
Business learners need to learn how to speak and write professionally in another language. This means learning specific more formal language structures. It takes basic language skills to a new level.• Networking
English is the only language that is used universally across the globe in business interactions. When one learns to speak professionally in English, networking possibilities are greatly expanded. Companies realize that this kind of investment is worth it.Taking the necessary TIME to develop solid and reliably PROFESSIONAL skills in English will lead to new and exciting NETWORKING possibilities, which to a given company represents growth and success. A win-win for Inlingua and companies that decide to invest in language study through Inlingua.
Business language learners stand out due to motivation, time constraints, and job-related interest. Teaching should focus on their work language needs and consider limited time availability. Cultural awareness is important to prevent misunderstandings. Meeting specific goals and using formal language enhance their communication skills.
Three important characteristics from business learners is their objectives. As the mostly learn a new language as a way to improve their carreer, the have a clear goal to waht they can achieve as learners. It is important to understand and work with these motivations as a Traine.
And because of these objectives: Accountability is easy to check as the learning program progresses. With a clear objective and a clear professional desire to learn, is easier to evaluate and take actions regarding grades and learning process; considerin this, most business learner would be open to these feedback process.
Finally time is everything; is never too late to learn and with this “professional preasure” their time would be invested in learning a new language.
These students tend to have a limited time to learn the required language so the teaching content should be picked selectively to target their individual needs, another important factors is the specific needs and objectives of the leaner based on which industry they work in and in order to improve the learner’s motivation, the target language should be in line with the language they require to use in their work place.
Business language learners often have specific goals and characteristics that distinguish them from general language learners. Here are some key characteristics that typically characterize a business language learner:
1. Specific Objectives: Business language learners typically have specific goals related to their professional needs. These goals might include improving communication with international clients, colleagues, or partners, giving presentations, negotiating deals, or writing business emails.
2. Industry Focus: They often have a particular industry or sector they are interested in, and they tailor their language learning to suit the vocabulary and terminology of that industry. For example, someone in the finance sector might focus on financial jargon, while someone in marketing might concentrate on advertising and branding terms.
3. Time Constraints: Many business language learners are working professionals who have limited time for language learning. They need efficient and effective ways to acquire language skills that are relevant to their careers.
4. Cultural Awareness: Business language learners recognize the importance of cultural awareness when conducting international business. Understanding cultural norms, etiquette, and customs can be just as important as language proficiency.
5. Networking: Building and maintaining professional relationships is often a key aspect of business language learning. This may involve attending international conferences, business events, or social gatherings where the language is spoken.
6. Practical Communication Skills: Business language learners prioritize practical communication skills over purely academic language proficiency. They want to be able to use the language effectively in real-world business situations.
7. Cross-Cultural Communication: They understand the nuances of cross-cultural communication and the impact it can have on business interactions. This includes being sensitive to different communication styles, negotiation approaches, and expectations.
8. Adaptability: Business language learners often need to adapt to various communication channels, such as face-to-face meetings, video conferences, phone calls, and written communication. They may also need to switch between formal and informal language.
9. Continuous Learning: Business environments are dynamic, and business language learners recognize the need for continuous learning to stay updated with industry trends and changes in language usage.
10. Resourcefulness: They are resourceful in seeking out materials and resources tailored to their language learning goals, such as business textbooks, podcasts, online courses, and language tutors with business expertise.
11. Confidence and Professionalism: Business language learners aim to speak and write with confidence and professionalism. They often work on perfecting their pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar to convey a polished image in the workplace.
12. Measurable Outcomes: Business language learners may measure their progress based on specific outcomes, such as achieving a certain level of fluency, passing language proficiency exams, or successfully closing business deals in the target language.
In summary, business language learners are driven by their professional needs and prioritize acquiring language skills that will help them excel in their careers. They often have a clear focus on practical communication and are willing to adapt and invest in their language learning journey to achieve their goals.1. Time: Business language learners typically have demanding work schedules. Therefore, it’s essential to offer language learning programs that are flexible and time-efficient. Lessons should be structured to make the most of their limited time, allowing them to balance their work responsibilities with language acquisition.
2. Objectives: Business language learners often have specific professional goals. These can range from improving their ability to deliver effective presentations, negotiate deals, or write persuasive reports. Language instruction should be tailored to address these objectives, focusing on the skills and vocabulary relevant to their specific roles and industries.
3. Cultural Considerations: In today’s globalised business environment, learners may come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and they might interact with colleagues, clients, or partners from various cultures. To succeed in international business, it’s crucial to understand and respect these cultural differences. Language programs should incorporate intercultural communication training, helping learners deal with potential cultural misunderstandings and build positive relationships in the business context. This includes teaching them about cultural norms, etiquettes, and communication styles that can vary widely across different regions and industries.
The three points I would like to discuss are time, cultural considerations, and political correctness/professionalism.
When it comes to time, business learners are people who are usually extremely busy. It means that they are more or less under a constant stress of meeting deadlines and fit a lot into a limited frame of time. Such learners come to class willing immediately to start acquiring knowledge. It is not always easy to convince them that each activity has 3 basic elements, lead-in phase, elicit/feed/practice, and post-activity phase (PPP). Business learners should be explained that studying a language is like doing business, you prepare for a deal, make the deal and then there are specific actions after concluding the bill (corresponding to the PPP in language learning). Business learners are concerned about time more than common learners and need to feel in control of almost everything. The trainer should keep it in mind and give such learners greater freedom when it comes to choosing certain elements of the lesson. The trainer can easily ‘trick’ them into believing they are in control when, in fact, it is the trainer who is the one to guide the learning process.
Cultural considerations are of extreme importance for business learners. Often, they do business with a company from a specific country and keep in mind the business specifics of the company and certain specifics of the country. Although they might be quite knowledgeable about the business particularities of their clients, sometimes they forget that business particularities are simply a reflection of the local cultural traditions and beliefs. A business learner might not always have the time to study the psychological and cultural side of his/her business partners. Consequently, if the trainer knows about the countries their learners do business with, the trainer could help the business learner acquire more useful knowledge about the business partners. In business a small misunderstanding can lead to very unpleasant consequences which means that the more a business learner knows about their foreign partners, the more successful and pleasant doing business with them would be. Even in business, people are not money-making robots, but humans with their specifics and peculiarities that need to be considered and respected.
The last point is political correctness and professionalism. It is not very easy to be 100% politically correct as the very idea of political correctness varies from person to person. In order to be politically correct, a business learner must be always up-to-date in various spheres – geopolitics, literature, history, new discoveries, latest news, etc. It is quite demanding to be always up-to-date about everything. Therefore, I put political correctness and professionalism together. Sometimes, politically correct language can change in a single day but high professionalism can be achieved through extensive work and guarantee a desirable outcome of a business encounter without the risk of political incorrectness.Here are the topics of my discussion. For each topic I am developing a personal comment based on analysis and evaluation:
– Socializing and networking: When we think about a learner we cannot forget his/her inevitable need of socializing. Learning a language is a great vehicle to drive social experiences. Learning a language gives them a sharper tool to navigate a wide variety of situation. When teaching business language learners we have the opportunity to provide them the right scaffolding they need to expand their linguistic abilities. The lessons should be targeted towards the goal of expanding vocabulary related to their job and to adjacent jobs, as well. Networking is very important in the job industry. Having strategic knowledge of adjacent sectors can help build a good network.
– Political correctness: It is important to have a good awareness of political correctness, both for the learner and the instructor. A learner may feel nervous or self-conscious when using a foreign language in a professional setting. There can be a fear of saying something that is not well received from the audience. Ideally there should be a good plan in place to make sure that political awareness is taken into consideration when moving through the designed curriculum.
– Specific needs: Learners of business English may have different goals and therefore different needs. It is pivotal for the instructor to understand what those needs are and plan the cycle of lessons accordingly. The instructor should make sure to ask questions to the student.
Socializing and networking
I mentioned this in a previous post as a strength, and I continue to believe it is so. Companies have prefabricated cohesion which makes the job of getting group participation even easier for the teacher. They also have coworkers to study with and learn with. A difficulty may present itself, however, when students appear ignorant or vulnerable during lessons they do not understand. They may hold back their confusion or their questions to avoid looking bad in front of their peers and friends.
Cultural considerations
Companies inherently have a shared culture. They have company values that they instill within their employees. This makes the lesson preparation of the instructor even more streamlined, if they know the company culture. If they do not, it will become evident within a few lessons and future lessons will be more adept at incorporating the company values.
Professionalism
It can be expected that most companies requesting Business English teaching have a certain degree of professionalism. After all, professionalism seems implied when talking about white collar jobs – professional relationships and interactions between employees is a given. This means that the instructor can expect students to be more respectful, polite, and dutiful in their duties as students compared to students outside of these jobs.Cultural considerations
There are two aspects to cultural differences which need to be addressed when giving business English training.
The first is to fully understand the link between different languages and different cultures. Being able to communicate in a foreign language is not limited to understanding vocabulary and phrases. If a company, a workforce and its customers are international, the employees will also need to grasp cultural differences and communications styles. They need to be aware that feedback is given differently in India and in Israel, that the word “yes” and “no” can have different meanings in Vietnam and in Germany, and that time is not perceived the same around the world. Mastering all these cultural aspects is extremely important.
In addition, understanding cultural differences strengthens relationships and improves communication. While improving their business English skills, learners should also be culturally aware. To be able to improve their relationships with management, work colleagues, clients. Improving ability to communicate goes alongside learning how people communicate in other cultures and encourages building rapport with partners and clients.
Cultural awareness, or cultural sensitivity, is being aware that cultural differences and similarities exist, while not judging people based on that. A non-judgemental mindset lets you observe cultural differences without labelling them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or ‘right or wrong’.
Being willing to be open-minded and to ask questions to get more information will initiate cultural awareness. Actively trying to understand other cultures lets people have more meaningful interactions with those around them, building respect and empathy for other people, and being conscious of differences as well as similarities.
As outlined at the beginning of this topic there are two considerations concerning culture within business English language learning. The first is that learners need to be fully aware that these cultural differences exist. They need to exercise prudence when conversing. They need to be ever conscious that differences exist and to reinforce understanding by establishing common ground. Once a person is aware that a comment could be misinterpreted by another person, they have the tools to make amends by explaining fully what they mean.
It is advisable for a teacher to explain when there is a cultural difference within their language and provide the learners with the correct vocabulary for that situation.
Where it is not possible to explain all the cultural differences which a learner would need if he was fluent, the learner should be made aware that there is the possibility of problems arising from misinterpretation and that they should ultimately try to avoid this, but evidently would need to resolve it by apologising and reiterating in an alternative way exactly what they meant.
The second point relating to this is that a trainer should be completely aware of cultural differences and act accordingly in a class situation. A trainer should always be neutral and respectful by not imposing his social, political or religious opinions, or by expressing a view which is not acceptable to a learner.
A trainer should also be aware of communicational differences in different cultures and make themselves aware of the cultures of their learners.Objectives
Being able to communicate in English effectively has become essential in the international business community. Each business has specific needs in language, whether their business is in manufacturing, entertainment, social media, politics etc. English communication is vital. While the industry of language learning is not new, it may now be reaching historical peaks of popularity. For many organizations, providing English training to their employees is becoming less optional and more of a must for their business success.
One objective of learning English is to improve their productivity. English communication is critical in many professions. Understanding verbal and nonverbal cues from colleagues, managers, and customers is closely related to job performance. If employees understand the requirements and scope of a project or issue, they will be able to do their jobs more efficiently.
People are often attracted to work for international companies where training is provided. A position which includes language training makes it more appealing. People whose English is not as good as their technical skills are motivated to improve their business English.
Personal accomplishment is a principal objective for many learners. Satisfaction is very important. Self-improvement is underlying in the learning of English. Learners put their emphasis on improving their grasp of English and this provides a level of accomplishment which is fundamental to them. This personal satisfaction significantly improves self-confidence and self-assurance.
Another objective for learning business English is when applying for a new position. Having a good level of English allow candidates to stand out among other applicants who do not speak the language, but it has even become an essential requirement for managerial and leadership positions.
A major objective when learning business English is to get better opportunities. Learning English opens many doors on a professional level. It is the key to obtaining unique and high-value job opportunities.
Another objective for learning English is for those who wish to start their own business or expand an existing one. For learners who are business owners and for example want to expand beyond national borders they need a good level of English. Regardless of which country they want to do business transactions with, English is essential.
A real objective for business English learners is being able to improve the relationship with customers and suppliers. Having the ability to speak English fluently, learners are more confident when communicating with partners, customers, and suppliers from all over the world.
An objective which is also relevant is gaining access to new cultures. As we have previously seen, language and culture are closely related, and often learning a language help us to learn about other cultures and vis-versa.
Overall people have many objectives when learning business English which are related to their motivation and to the longevity of their learning experience. All these objectives encourage them to participate in lesser or greater degrees.Time
Time is of huge importance to the business learner. Time is the most precious commodity anyone has. Time is important because we only have a set amount of it, which is why it is critical to use time wisely.
However, we can think of time in terms of opportunity cost. That is, the value of time is what we give up when we choose to spend it on one activity instead of another. For example, if a learner spends an hour doing an English lesson, they have given up the opportunity to use that hour to work or read, or spend time with friends and family.
It is also important to be aware of the opportunity cost of our time people wish to be sure they are spending time in ways that are truly valuable. If a learner spends time in an English lesson, this will help them with future opportunities and therefore there is a great value to it if they look at the long term.
For most people it is important to make the most of our time and not waste a single moment of this valuable resource. Depending on motivation a learner could see the time within a lesson as a valuable way to spend their time. They are taking in knowledge which will help them in their career or future career. It will help them communicate with other members of staff, management and clients or potential clients.
Most learners have busy lives with never-ending daily tasks and it can be a challenge to find time to fit in an English lesson.
One way to do this is to schedule time wisely. By setting aside specific times for lessons and homework learners can ensure that they succeed.
How we spend our time ultimately determines how successful we will be in life.
If learners are motivated to achieve their goals, they should be intentional with time, using it wisely and efficiently.
Putting time aside for English lessons depends on a learner’s priorities, it depends whether the learner is focused on the language learning objective. Sometimes learners are distracted by their busy work schedule and find it a challenge to prioritise the English lesson within their time framework.
How people manage time is a reflection of their character, values, and self-discipline. Effectively managing time shows ability to set and stick to boundaries, efficiency, and organisation. This structured attitude helps learners to be sure that they make the time to be present for their lessons and to do their homework.
On the other hand, poor time management skills can indicate that the learner is disorganised, or that they lack motivation.
The result is sometimes that the learner does not turn up for a lesson, which is disruptive for them and the other learners in a group situation.
No matter how well time is managed, everyone eventually runs out of time. The trainer needs to be considerate and understanding of different learners situation in regard to this.Socializing and networking: For business learners it’s important to learn English also because they have to socialize and network with people all around the world. So it’s important for them to learn to communicate properly more than for any other learner who does for personal interest.
Cultural considerations: It’s good to expose the learners to wider view, by choosing subjects of general culture, instead of personal things. Maybe you could focus a lesson on an article of a news paper “what did you do in the weekend”.
Time: probably business learners need to learn as much as possible in a certain amount of time so it’s important to try and respect their goals and get them to reach that aim.
I think that a business language learner is essentially characterized by three main aspects:
1. Time: a business learner has to achieve proficiency in Business English within a specific timespan. This means that both his/her own efforts and the teacher’s must be concentrated on the period of time assigned.
2. Needs: a business learner needs to cover certain topics, like marketing and sales vocabulary and expressions because he/she is going to relocate abroad.
3. Objectives: a business learner’s objective is to master Business English in speaking, writing, listening and reading (C2) so as to be able to operate in a professional environment confidently and independently, becoming more productive and competitive day by day.
What characterizes the business language learner?
Cultural considerations:I reckon the class and programme content is a fundamental aspect of the teaching process, and not just focusing on the target language itself, but also te ba able to commnicate how to prepare business related content in accordance to specific cultures. It is as important to stress out this area as the others during the teaching, and feed them with culture related teaching materials using the target language for a particluar scenaio on how and when to make use the right wording usage.
Specific needs: This apsect is rather important as the students vocabulary has to be spefically targeted and related to their trade field. One cannot teach them on simply gists that are unrelated to their language learning objective. Students seek to be able to exert the technicallity and mastering of the language according to their area of expertise , because that is the main purpose behind the course.
Professionalism: I consider to be this point extremely paramount, as professionalism is the corner stone of most jobs since it represents the main front or cover of a professional´s image and success. Key vocabulary, and strictly business-related will ultimately give learners the ability to properly structure the right and accurate expressions and sentences with a full-fledged and fully developed vocabulary. The aim here is to give them the exact and precise tools so that students increase their level of confidence and communicate the message in a way that their audience will understand what they intend to expose in a clear and fluid manner. The outcome therefore should be translated is successfull deal-landing, promotions, a larger worldwide networking business and growth and among many more points which will generate great impact as a result.
The most important factors to take into account when teaching business learners are time and motivation. Business learners can be very different from other learners. Their motivation differs from many other learners because they often have very specific language goals and a short time to achieve these goals. They are highly motivated learners because advancement in their careers may depend significantly on their language skills.
Business learners often have time constraints on learning the language. They often want to learn/improve their language skills with a specific date in mind e.g. a job interview/promotion opportunity, they may have been moved abroad for work.
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