Immerse yourself, Student Accountant, October 2010
In a competitive recruitment market, foreign language skills can boost your employability. Iwona Tokc-Wilde looks at the language tools available and considers whether classroom based learning or language baths can help improve your language know-how
Becoming proficient in another language takes time and commitment. However, when dealing with a foreign client, even basic knowledge of their native tongue goes a long way towards fostering good client relationships. But, is it really worth the effort and what are the options available to those who want to know their Zdravstvujte from their Guten Tag?
In what is now a truly global marketplace, most employers recognise the added value their bi-lingual or, even, multi-lingual employees bring. A specialist language recruiter, Euro London Appointments, has recently surveyed 228 employers of whom 86% felt that languages were an important skill set. The majority of respondents (74%) cited the western European languages of French, German, Spanish and Italian as the most useful, with over a third (37%) anticipating that more exotic languages such as Mandarin and Arabic would grow in demand in the future – particularly in areas such as the financial services sector.
Whereas many larger companies are prepared to invest in the language training for their employees, those employed by smaller organisations may have to gain the skills at their own cost. The good news is, there is a lot of choice out there for those who want to add this unique selling point to their professional CV.
Virtual classroom or language bath?
Classroom-based courses work well for those who need the discipline of set class times and deadlines for homework assignments. These days, however, you do not need to leave the comfort of your home or office. ‘Many people are put off by the time constraints and inflexibility of evening classes,’ says Sylke Riester, European Managing Director of Rosetta Stone, provider of interactive online language learning software. ‘Online software allows anywhere, anytime learning and it can also be highly interactive,’ she says.
Some e-learning course providers even offer one-to-one tuition online. ‘You can “meet” your teacher by webcam,’ says Shira Rubin, founder and managing director of learn2lingo, a cross-cultural web community of teachers and learners.
Still, some insist there is no better way to learn than by taking a course in the target language country, such as in the UK for those who want to improve their English. ‘We have students from Europe, the Middle East, China, Russia and South America. The only continent we haven’t welcomed someone from is Antarctica!’ says Laura Hooper, Senior Teacher at ETC International College in Bournemouth, UK. ‘We plunge our students into the “English language bath”: after the structured environment of a classroom, they go into town and back to their English host families and apply what they’ve learnt to everyday situations,’ she says.
Learning for work and study
What about learning a language specifically for use in a business or financial environment? If you favour a one-to-one experience, you need to find a teacher who has the right expertise, says Rubin: ‘They’ll then prepare and tailor lessons to your individual level and needs.’
Many students, who are otherwise in full employment, gain a formal business language qualification after attending a course during their holidays. ‘Some also come to our college whilst on a sabbatical from work,’ says Hooper.
And, for those taking their ACCA exams outside the UK and wanting to improve their accounting and finance English language skills, there is the International Certificate in Financial English qualification, jointly run by the ACCA and the University of Cambridge. You can take a preparation course and the exam in one of the 163 authorised exam centres all over the world.
Have fun
Learning a language does not have to mean tedious grammar tests and memorising vocabulary. ‘We teach learners in the same way they learnt their first language: by linking new words with real-world objects and events, in real-life scenarios. This immersion method also includes voice recognition technology and an immediate feedback mechanism, so learners can improve their pronunciation and check that their accent is correct,’ says Riester.
Those who choose more traditional evening classes also have a multitude of online tools and resources available to them, and many are free and fun to use. ‘Online dictionaries, as long as you use reliable ones, are a great resource,’ says Anna Proudfoot, Head of Italian at The Open University. Some of these are “talking” dictionaries, which will help you with pronunciation.
Also, it is easy to pick up new words and phrases watching foreign TV and reading foreign news websites. And the more we understand, the more it motivates us to progress to the next level. Or, find a learning buddy, encourages Riester: ‘If you challenge a colleague or friend to learn at the same time, you may find you both pick up the new language faster.’
For an extra dose of fun and to take a break from studying for a business or financial language qualification, Hooper recommends reading children’s or comic books in your target language.
How to stay motivated
Riester says that the answer is to choose a learning method that fits well with our lifestyle and work commitments. She also insists anyone can learn a language: ‘Many people say they’re just not “wired” to learn languages, but we all speak at least one language fluently – our mother tongue - and we all retain the innate ability to acquire a new language in the same way.’
The fact that some people do seem to be better at languages than others is down to hard work and confidence. You need to ‘practice, practice, practice,’ says Rubin, and ‘be able to just give it a go and not worry if you make a mistake.’Starting small can also help. ‘Set aside 20 minutes each day to learn five new words and practice those you already know,’ recommends Proudfoot.
Knowing that many foreign words look and mean much the same as in your native tongue is also a great motivator: the word ‘cat’ is ‘chat’ in French, ‘gato’ in Spanish and ‘gatto’ in Italian. And, as a reward at the end of this learning journey, you will be able to ask for ‘money’ in the language of your preferred employer’s choice...
THE END
Becoming proficient in another language takes time and commitment. However, when dealing with a foreign client, even basic knowledge of their native tongue goes a long way towards fostering good client relationships. But, is it really worth the effort and what are the options available to those who want to know their Zdravstvujte from their Guten Tag?
In what is now a truly global marketplace, most employers recognise the added value their bi-lingual or, even, multi-lingual employees bring. A specialist language recruiter, Euro London Appointments, has recently surveyed 228 employers of whom 86% felt that languages were an important skill set. The majority of respondents (74%) cited the western European languages of French, German, Spanish and Italian as the most useful, with over a third (37%) anticipating that more exotic languages such as Mandarin and Arabic would grow in demand in the future – particularly in areas such as the financial services sector.
Whereas many larger companies are prepared to invest in the language training for their employees, those employed by smaller organisations may have to gain the skills at their own cost. The good news is, there is a lot of choice out there for those who want to add this unique selling point to their professional CV.
Virtual classroom or language bath?
Classroom-based courses work well for those who need the discipline of set class times and deadlines for homework assignments. These days, however, you do not need to leave the comfort of your home or office. ‘Many people are put off by the time constraints and inflexibility of evening classes,’ says Sylke Riester, European Managing Director of Rosetta Stone, provider of interactive online language learning software. ‘Online software allows anywhere, anytime learning and it can also be highly interactive,’ she says.
Some e-learning course providers even offer one-to-one tuition online. ‘You can “meet” your teacher by webcam,’ says Shira Rubin, founder and managing director of learn2lingo, a cross-cultural web community of teachers and learners.
Still, some insist there is no better way to learn than by taking a course in the target language country, such as in the UK for those who want to improve their English. ‘We have students from Europe, the Middle East, China, Russia and South America. The only continent we haven’t welcomed someone from is Antarctica!’ says Laura Hooper, Senior Teacher at ETC International College in Bournemouth, UK. ‘We plunge our students into the “English language bath”: after the structured environment of a classroom, they go into town and back to their English host families and apply what they’ve learnt to everyday situations,’ she says.
Learning for work and study
What about learning a language specifically for use in a business or financial environment? If you favour a one-to-one experience, you need to find a teacher who has the right expertise, says Rubin: ‘They’ll then prepare and tailor lessons to your individual level and needs.’
Many students, who are otherwise in full employment, gain a formal business language qualification after attending a course during their holidays. ‘Some also come to our college whilst on a sabbatical from work,’ says Hooper.
And, for those taking their ACCA exams outside the UK and wanting to improve their accounting and finance English language skills, there is the International Certificate in Financial English qualification, jointly run by the ACCA and the University of Cambridge. You can take a preparation course and the exam in one of the 163 authorised exam centres all over the world.
Have fun
Learning a language does not have to mean tedious grammar tests and memorising vocabulary. ‘We teach learners in the same way they learnt their first language: by linking new words with real-world objects and events, in real-life scenarios. This immersion method also includes voice recognition technology and an immediate feedback mechanism, so learners can improve their pronunciation and check that their accent is correct,’ says Riester.
Those who choose more traditional evening classes also have a multitude of online tools and resources available to them, and many are free and fun to use. ‘Online dictionaries, as long as you use reliable ones, are a great resource,’ says Anna Proudfoot, Head of Italian at The Open University. Some of these are “talking” dictionaries, which will help you with pronunciation.
Also, it is easy to pick up new words and phrases watching foreign TV and reading foreign news websites. And the more we understand, the more it motivates us to progress to the next level. Or, find a learning buddy, encourages Riester: ‘If you challenge a colleague or friend to learn at the same time, you may find you both pick up the new language faster.’
For an extra dose of fun and to take a break from studying for a business or financial language qualification, Hooper recommends reading children’s or comic books in your target language.
How to stay motivated
Riester says that the answer is to choose a learning method that fits well with our lifestyle and work commitments. She also insists anyone can learn a language: ‘Many people say they’re just not “wired” to learn languages, but we all speak at least one language fluently – our mother tongue - and we all retain the innate ability to acquire a new language in the same way.’
The fact that some people do seem to be better at languages than others is down to hard work and confidence. You need to ‘practice, practice, practice,’ says Rubin, and ‘be able to just give it a go and not worry if you make a mistake.’Starting small can also help. ‘Set aside 20 minutes each day to learn five new words and practice those you already know,’ recommends Proudfoot.
Knowing that many foreign words look and mean much the same as in your native tongue is also a great motivator: the word ‘cat’ is ‘chat’ in French, ‘gato’ in Spanish and ‘gatto’ in Italian. And, as a reward at the end of this learning journey, you will be able to ask for ‘money’ in the language of your preferred employer’s choice...
THE END
© Iwona Tokc-Wilde