Most corporate language programs gradually disappear. This is how it works — and how to design one your employees will show up for.

The engagement problem

You sent a language learning platform to your company. You sent the welcome email. You shared the login credentials. And then… nothing. Sound familiar?

One of the most popular questions people ask when beginning a new language is: “How long do I need to become fluent?” The truth is language learning does not come with a timetable. Progress depends on a few factors, including the learner’s starting level, consistency in studying and the opportunity to use the language in everyday life.

By 2026, hybrid work isn’t just a theoretical concept — it’s the way we conduct operations. Workers divide their time between home and office, work across time zones, and rely heavily on digital communication. This change will take more than updated policies for HR leaders. It will demand rethinking how professional development — language training in this case — is handled and evaluated. At ELAM, every day we work with corporate teams confronting this evolution of the new normal. One thing is crystal clear: hybrid work has changed employees’ learning of languages, and what they want to achieve from it, creating entirely different processes for both sides of training and development at the same time.
Since the adoption of Law 96, many organizations have been asking practical questions. What does this actually mean for us? How do we meet the requirements? How do we support our teams? And most importantly, how do we approach this in a smart, strategic way?