Having a multilingual workforce is suitable for all kinds of businesses. It means better communication and problem-solving skills, more creativity, more confidence, and more chances to form alliances and build a solid customer base. Our clients often ask us how to get their employees to learn a new language to keep them motivated and build loyalty.
In today’s global economy, foreign language skills are essential. If your company has global operations or plans to, this is an ability you should invest in. As a business owner, you can help your employees learn a new language, which will open new business opportunities and help them become more confident, dedicated, and loyal.
Corporate language learning is on the rise globally, and you can make your employees excited about learning a new language with ELAM as a training partner!
There are many ways you can keep your team excited and make the learning experience fun and profitable for everyone. Here are four tips you can’t do without that will help your employees learn more languages:
1. Find a Program That Fits the Company
Every business is different. Every company has its strengths and weaknesses, which means it has other wants and needs. Because of that, you need to find a language training program that meets your company’s needs while also meeting the needs of your employees (and availability).
Today, there are many different ways to teach, materials, and programs to choose from. To make the right decision, you need to think about the needs of your company and your team and their different learning styles. As a rule, the more personalized the training program is, the better it is in the end.
At ELAM, we offer several virtual language training programs to best suit:
- the language learning objectives of your employees
- the weekly time they are willing to devote to this goal
- the allocated training budgets
- The type of work your employees perform
2. Make Sure Your Employees Have the Necessary Time
You might be disappointed if you expect your employees to work hard all week and still find time and energy to learn a new language. It’s best to give them the time to study.
Now and then, motivation can be hindered by time. Thus, it is vital to make sure that new learning activities are added to the work schedule so that everyone can handle them. It might be challenging, but there are many things you can try, like cutting down on the typical corporate hour-long meetings or taking advantage of times when business is slow.
That’s not all. Make sure your employees are excited about the program and its goals by going over it in detail. A lot of excitement will not come if people don’t know how the language training will help them or what kind of resources they can use.
3. Enjoy it and Have Fun!
It can be hard to keep your employees excited and motivated to learn a new language, but there are many ways you can help them. This is one of the most common ways to get them to play. Make learning a new language the most exciting thing you look forward to each week with this method!
In this case, you could have small competitions between teams, or you could even make a “Language Learner of the Month” award. The winner could get a restaurant voucher, a discount card, or even a spot on the company’s “Wall of Fame.” Each business has its own unique culture and values, so be creative and ensure that your awards show these things off.
4. Appreciate your Employees’ Hard Work
No matter how old they are, employees work harder and get better results when they feel supported. Positive feedback and verbal encouragement are essential to staying on track.
To be a good manager, you need to show your employees how much they are appreciated. This is also an excellent way to make your team excited about learning a new skill. A bonus or award isn’t the only way to show your appreciation. Small daily gestures, like a thank-you email or extra office perks, will help everyone’s morale. Whenever your employees reach a certain point in the program, reward them with a virtual language themed activity like:
- English Teatime
- French Coffee Break
- Spanish Salsa Class
The most significant benefit of language training is that it gives employees the chance to work and interact with people who speak other languages. But learning a new language also has a lot of other benefits that will help the whole company, from a better sense of loyalty and satisfaction to better management and negotiation skills, so it’s worth it.
Over the years, ELAM has helped businesses of all types and sizes become more profitable, globalized, and multilingual. We think yours should be the same way.
Contact us to set up a corporate language training plan!
