Breaking the Language Barrier

An employee is preparing to move to another country. Lets think about their check list of concerns: packing and shipping their belongings, selling or renting their residence, buying or renting another residence at the destination, new schools for their children, jobs for their traveling spouse, a family pet to transfer, immigration paperwork, tax issues and the list goes on.

Many Human Resource professionals have confronted this problem by drafting relocation strategies that include measures to help prepare employees and their families for the challenges of learning a new language. "Most companies we work with provide language lessons within their relocation policies,” said Kathryn Cassidy, Managing Director, Global Mobility Services, Crown Relocations. “It is recognized that the ability to communicate in new locations vastly improves the chances of assimilation.”

More companies understand that if their employees know the predominant native language of their destination country it is extremely advantageous. Kirk Fruge elaborates: “One of the reasons companies invest in sending people on international assignments is so the employees can get a better understanding of how to do business in the global arena. Understanding the language can only enhance their development in diverse social and business environments.”

Perhaps the most daunting aspect in the effort to break the language barrier is “time” – when will an employee or family member have time to learn the nuances of another language? “Language training for the spouse and children can be planned around their busy schedules before departure and then continued after the family has arrived at their new destination,” explained Kirk. “Many busy employees are also using virtual classrooms as an option.”

With time being such an overwhelming factor relocation firms are also digging deep to find methods that offer the flexibility and positive results. “Some expats -- especially if the new language is viewed as "difficult" -- do not take up the option of learning a new language, even if it is offered to them, said Kathryn Cassidy. “This is why it is particularly important to be able to offer a variety of learning solutions. The ability to combine traditional class room sessions with online learning has certainly increased the take-up of language lessons.”

Virtual training has become more prevalent and the alternative to “face-to-face” training. With employees being transferred around the globe, language instruction companies are creating more efficient methods to help them learn a new language regardless of their location. “In our virtual classrooms, the same teaching methods and standards are employed and each session is recordable, so the participant can re-watch the course,” said Kirk Fruge. “It is important to constantly provide relevant solutions to our clients, so language acquisition is less of a challenge.”

With the global marketplace becoming more fiercely competitive, every opportunity to gain an advantage must be considered. Employees who can speak the native language on some level are able to better communicate in a business and social environment. That could be the difference between an efficient worker and a worker barely able to keep afloat.