Why Foreign Language Skills Matter in the Workplace

Dr, Orlando Kelm, Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics, shares why learning and appreciating languages matters

I recall a conversation from years ago when I was interviewing a Chinese engineer who worked for a German Multinational Company in Shanghai. The official language of communication at the firm was English. This engineer related a story about when he told his North American supervisor that he “wanted” a new computer. His supervisor’s response was that ‘we all want a new computer, but unfortunately, it would not be possible to get one.’ The problem was that the Chinese word, “要” (yao), can be used to express both a need as well as a desire. This engineer actually “needed” a new computer, but given his limited English, he couldn’t express that need
to his supervisor.

I often hear comments to the effect that in professional business settings, everybody speaks English. And indeed, we are extremely fortunate to say that our native English language also servesas a lingua franca in many parts of the world. However, this is not always a positive thing. For example, I have seen examples where North American business professionals may be able to speak with their international partners who occupy upper-level management positions, but they never get a chance to talk directly with the plant supervisors, or with the factory workers, or with the local suppliers. It is also the case that when our communication gets
filtered through limited proficiency conversations, or through translations and interpretation, what we lose is all the nuance, personality, and emotion that conveys most of our communication. Had the North American Chinese, he would have understood that the engineer’s request for a new computer was more than just a mere desire. Even the communication in English would have been affected by a limited ability to speak some Chinese.

Given today’s world of international business, nobody will expect that a North American executive will be able to speak all the languages that may become part of his or her professional activities. However, even a limited study of a new language will provide increased sensitivity to the difficulty of the task. It helps us to be more patient and understanding with
those who try to speak in English to us. We learn to speak a little slower, to adjust our vocabulary, to repeat phrases a bit more often, and to reinforce our communication with more written back up or other visual aids.

Ironically, I am writing these comments from South Korea. (I am here to lead a study abroad tour with some of our McCombs School of Business MBA students.) If I were in Latin America, I would be able to communicate 100% in Spanish and Portuguese. However, even though I only have survival-level Korean language skills, still I find myself being more sensitive to how I speak in English with those that receive us for professional visits. Isn’t that amazing. Who would have
thought that my proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese would affect the way that I communicate in English here in South Korea? All this confirms that yes, having foreign languageskills matter when it comes to our professional interactions outside of English-speaking environments.
I recall a conversation from years ago when I was interviewing a Chinese engineer who worked for a German Multinational Company in Shanghai. The official language of communication at the firm was English. This engineer related a story about when he told his North American supervisor that he “wanted” a new computer. His supervisor’s response was that we all want a new computer, but unfortunately it would not be possible to get one. The problem was that the Chinese word, “要” (yao), can be used to express both a need as well as a desire. This engineer actually “needed” a new computer, but given his limited English, he couldn’t express that need
to his supervisor. I often hear comments to the effect that in professional business settings, everybody speaks English. And indeed, we are extremely fortunate to say that our native English language also serves as a lingua franca in many parts of the world. However, this is not always a positive thing. For example, I have seen examples where North American business professionals may be able to speak with their international partners who occupy upper-level management positions, but they never get a chance to talk directly with the plant supervisors, or with the factory
workers, or with the local suppliers. It is also the case that when our communication gets filtered through limited proficiency conversations, or through translations and interpretation, what we lose is all the nuance, personality, and emotion that conveys most of our communication. Had the North American supervisor in Shanghai known even a little Mandarin,
Chinese, he would have understood that the engineer’s request for a new computer was more than just a mere desire. Even the communication in English would have been affected by a limited ability to speak some Chinese.

Given today’s world of international business, nobody will expect that a North American executive will be able to speak all the languages that may become part of his or her professional activities. However, even a limited study of a new language will provide increased sensitivity to the difficulty of the task. It helps us to be more patient and understanding with those who try to speak in English to us. We learn to speak a little slower, to adjust our vocabulary, to repeat phrases a bit more often, and to reinforce our communication with more written backup or other visual aids.
Ironically, I am writing these comments from South Korea. (I am here to lead a study abroad tour with some of our McCombs School of Business MBA students.) If I were in Latin America, I would be able to communicate 100% in Spanish and Portuguese. However, even though I only have survival-level Korean language skills, still I find myself being more sensitive to how I speak in English with those who receive us for professional visits. Isn’t that amazing? Who would have thought that my proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese would affect the way that I
communicate in English here in South Korea? All this confirms that yes, having foreign language skills matters when it comes to our professional interactions outside of English-speaking