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Languages for Business? The applicability of European language measures – a
Flemish case study
‘If I am selling to you, then I speak your
language, aber wenn du mir etwas verkaufst,
dann muβt du Deutsch sprechen’.
- Willy Brandt
30-5-2016 3
The European backdrop
945,000 European SMEs fail to engage in
commercial transactions because of a lack of
language skills.
The average loss over a three-year period is
€325,000 per company.
Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language
Skills in Enterprise (ELAN) (2006)
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Language strategy:
“the planned adoption of a range of techniques
to facilitate effective communication with clients
and suppliers abroad”
E.g.: recruiting native speakers, specific
language training, etc.
Promoting, Implementing, Mapping Language and Intercultural
Communication Strategies (PIMLICO) (2011)
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• Aim?
• Applicability at a regional level?
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• Concretisation and adaptation of language
measures
• Target group
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Languages for Business?
• Needs and expectations of Flemish SMEs
with regard to language measures
• Survey and interviews (qualitative)
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The survey - Methodology
• Qualtrics
• Dutch
• (C)ELAN questionnaire
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• Ten questions; close-ended
• Distribution
• Extras
• Small and medium-sized companies
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The survey - Research questions
1. To what extent are Flemish SMEs aware of
the importance of foreign language skills?
2. To what extent do they act on this
awareness?
3. Which European language measures do
Flemish SMEs consider to be useful?
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The survey - Results
• 162 respondents
• Gradual dropout
• 47 complete questionnaires
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1. Awareness of the importance of
foreign language skills
“Knowledge of foreign languages is important in
my company for our functioning / competition on
the market.”
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Fully agree62%
Agree23%
Neutral9%
Disagree6%
Has your company already missed an export
deal due to a lack of … ?
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Foreign language
knowledge13% Intercultural
competences4%
Both11%
None72%
In which specific business activities is
knowledge of foreign languages required in
your company?
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57
6062
6668
INTRODUCING THE COMPANY,
PRODUCTS, SERVICES
SOCIAL INTERACTION W ITH
CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS
ATTENDING MEETINGS
NEGOTIATING ATTENDING TO CUSTOMER
SERVICE
2. To what extent do they act on this
awareness?
• Fourteen language measures (PIMLICO)
• Five are used by at least 50% of respondents
• Importance of external services
• 51% of respondents employ formalizedlanguage measures
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3. Which language measures do
Flemish SMEs consider to be
useful?
• Fourteen language measures (PIMLICO)
• Twelve are considered useful by at least
50% of respondents
growth potential ‘independently’
applicable measures
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The survey - Conclusion
• Awareness of:
- importance of foreign language skills
- specific business activities
• Interest in large array of measures
Translate into practice?
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Implications for future research
Support
enable language audit
remedy weaknesses
Online tool
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Language audit Action plan
- Putting language technologies such as online dictionaries at the personnel’s disposal
- Employing personnel with specific competences in certain languages and developing a policy with regard to the testing of language competences when selecting and recruiting employees.
- Offering specific language training to personnel.
- Keeping an overview of language competences present in the company.
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• Higher Education institutions
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The interviews
Refine results of the survey
Suggested ‘solution’: online tool
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The interviews - Research questions
1. To what extent are the respondents aware of the
importance of foreign language skills?
2. To what extent do they act on this awareness?
3. Which European language measures do the
respondents consider to be useful?
4. What is the possible usefulness of a tool allowing
to perform a language audit and to remedy the
shortcomings identified in the audit?
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The interviews - Methodology
• 10 interviews on the company premises
• CEOs, HR managers or Management Assistants
• Throughout Flanders
• Different sectors
• ELAN, Talking Sense, LfB
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The interviews - Final results
The importance of languages
• Languages > culture
• Unanimity: language of the customer
problems: personnel doesn’t master this
language
oral and written communication:
poor quality
English as a lingua franca
consequences customer relationship30-5-2016 27
• Paradoxically:
‘war for talent’: talent > languages
language not a main concern when
deciding to export
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Language measures
• Mostly not formalised
- Interest in and use of four language measuresidentified in the survey:
1) Putting language technologies such asonline dictionaries at the personnel’sdisposal
Personnel uses technologiesindependently, without ‘meddling’ ofmanagement
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2) Employing personnel with specificcompetences in certain languages anddeveloping a policy with regard to thetesting of language competences whenselecting and recruiting employees.
Commonly used measure, but ‘gut feeling’ is not always reliable Need for guidance
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3) Offering specific language training to
personnel.
Commonly used measure, but
dissatisfaction with current offer
(durability learning outcomes)
‘Perfect formula’ yet to be found
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4) Keeping an overview of language
competences present in the company.
In small companies, this is not deemed
necessary: common knowledge
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The tool
• Interest is high
especially for language measures 2 and
3
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Next steps
• Further intensify contacts with the work field
• Next research project: development of the
tool
• Management assistant
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Questions?
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S. Hagen, et al., “Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise (ELAN Study) An analysis of the use of languages and the effect of linguistic deficiencies in European exporting businesses in 29 countries,” European Commission, Brussels, and National Centre for Languages (CILT), London, Final Rep., 2006.
S. Hagen, “Report on Language Management Strategies and Best Practice in European SMEs: The PIMLICO Project,” European Commission, Brussels, Final Rep., 2011.
S. Hagen, The Language Guide for European Business, Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2011.
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http://www.celan-platform.eu/
http://www.eurocatering.org/
http://ec.europa.eu/languages/languagesmeanbusiness/index_en.htm
http://www.proflang.org/cef-professional-website-handboo/
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