Talking up business

In this age of global communications, many businesses are being let down by the simplest of tools - the language they speak.

English is no longer the universal language of business it once was.

But while in the rest of Europe more than half of the population speaks more than one language, in the UK the figure is just over one-third.

And there is evidence that that is costing British businesses money, with companies losing one in eight deals because of communication problems.

Some firms have already taken steps to help them compete for overseas business.

Engineering success

AES Engineering is based in Rotherham but sells its mechanical seals around the world.

It has a policy of recruiting linguists to work in the sales department - languages include Russian, Italian and Swedish - and it's helping to increase business.

"In Holland you normally never find a person who doesn't speak good English," says managing director Chris Rea.

"But frequently in Italy, France and Germany - and especially with the smaller organisations that we tend to deal with - people can speak English reasonably well but have a lot of difficulty writing or translating.

"It definitely makes it a lot easier for our customers to do business with us."

In September 2001 AES was named as one of the winners in the Language for Export Awards scheme.

It's run by Trade Partners UK, the government's export promotion service.

A rewarding experience

The awards recognise achievements in overcoming language and cultural barriers.

"We still think everyone wants to speak English to us and we are lulled by holidays in places like Ibiza where people all speak English," says Professor Stephen Hagen of Warwick University, who helped set up the awards in 1995.

"Some people would come out of an unsuccessful meeting thinking the problem was with the product whereas it was actually a communications problem.

"We needed to show how successful companies use languages to their advantage," explains Professor Hagen.

It's not just about learning languages, but about bringing in strategies - employing linguists, sending staff on overseas placements or offering translations on company websites.

But if you do want to improve language skills, how can your business get training?

Getting involved

Although courses are not widespread, more universities and colleges are realising the importance of offering help.

"We have been involved in this area since 1998 and we've identified through our own local research that lack of language skills is a practical obstacle to doing international business," says Eamonn Keenan of Luton University.

He heads a Language and Culture for Business project that has so far provided training to more than 1,500 businesses.

The main languages are French, German and Spanish, which research has shown to be the most useful for businesses. The courses also advise on making websites more welcoming to non-English speakers.

The University of Teesside also runs courses, catering for those with an interest in, or smattering of, a language who want to learn how to use it in business.

The year-long Languages at Work modules teach French and German at evening classes, and there's a certificate at the end.

There's a growing demand for bi-lingual PAs and secretaries, with specialist agencies set up to find them work. And many graduates are seeing the benefit of combining language studies with their degree course.

Speaking another tongue won't necessarily earn you more money to start with, but it can give you an edge at job interviews and should certainly open up more interesting career prospects.

What can I do?

Whether you're an employee or an employer there are various ways to improve language skills.

Try your local college or university to see if they run courses.

The Export Communications Review is a government-run body which offers to examine a company's foreign language needs. It can be contacted on 02476 694554.

The Centre for International Briefing runs training for businesses - call 01252 721194.

The Languages National Training Organisation can give free advice on various aspects of language and culture as well as helping to find translators.

Trade Partners (020 7215 4857) has guides and CD-Roms to help with language and cultural issues.

And if you get in touch with one of the UK's Export Development Councils, you might find there are vouchers available to offset the cost of training.

For web addresses see the links on the right of this page.