Business English Training: keys to success
We all know why modern business in the non English-speaking world needs the international language. The market for staff English training in many countries, especially those Asia and South America, is growing at a blistering rate, fueled by the rise of globalization and a realization among managers that a certain level of competency in their staff’s English is a must, if their business is going to compete. Of course where the market appears, so do the companies set up to capitalise. Deciding on a language training provider can be daunting, and the unregulated nature of the training industry in most countries can mean huge variation in the quality of the training, and therefore huge variation in the return on investment for the companies’ management. So, what is it that makes some training effective, while other programmes are a waste of time? How can companies minimize the risk of investing in lame-duck language training?
The first piece of advice is to make informed decisions on language training providers based on information from reliable sources. Websites, brochures, marketing emails and fliers can hold a great deal of information, but the reliable most reliable source is a person who has attended or been involved in training elsewhere. One must be careful though, as the ‘famous’ providers - those with strong brand recognition - may be well-known as a result of an over-emphasis on marketing, and not necessarily on quality. ‘Big’ is not always ‘better’ when it comes to training providers; larger establishments usually struggle to find enough good teachers, and compromises are sometimes made. Moreover, while smaller schools tend to be run or heavily influenced by the most important people, the teachers, larger training centres inevitably move towards being driven solely by the bottom line. This is not to say that one should shy away from providers with strong marketing; we’re looking for providers who like to show off their benefits, after all. Be wary of those who aren’t willing to talk about their benefits.
Let’s stop talking about marketing. We are discussing education, and in reality the quality of education comes down to two things; the quality of the teachers and the quality of the courses. Quality of customer service and organisation and coordination by the provider also play a part in your satisfaction, but in terms of return on investment it’s the teachers and the courses that are going to deliver.
Ask about the teachers. Many companies put blind faith in the training provider that they will provide the right people for the job, inevitably causing disappointment when the wonderful teacher promised in the sales pitch to turns out to be useless. Ask to see their resume, ask to meet them. A good training provider will be proud of their teachers and willing to show them off on demand. When you see the resume, bear in mind that experience isn’t everything. While you don’t want a brand new teacher with little experience, many teachers with decades of experience can seem ‘burned out’, as if they have lost the passion for their profession. Look out for teacher training qualifications, and look for their own educational background and work experience. How can someone who never went to university or never worked in a business environment be expected to teach your staff about contemporary business communication? Personality is important, so choose teachers you actually like, choose teachers who your staff will look forward to spending time with, choose teachers who have passion and commitment to their job written all over their face.
Ask about the courses. More to the point, demand courses which are designed to fit your exact needs. Many training providers use generic ‘business English’ courses which are, on the whole, euro-centric, non-specific, and rapidly out of date. The English your sales team needs is very different from the type of language required by your management team, or customer service team. Demand courses designed for your industry; if you’re involved in shipping, make sure that topics are related to shipping, or you could find your staff learning language they will never be able to use. Decide what aspects of your staff’s English to focus on; are they regularly emailing, meeting clients, giving presentations, writing reports or proposals, or using the telephone? Demand that your staff learn the right skills and language. But also gauge the provider’s ability to provide enjoyable programs. Endless photocopied handouts are plain boring. Are the providers going to use communicative, interactive activities? Are the providers going to use modern business technology to teach modern business techniques? What are they going to do to motivate your staff? These are questions to bear in mind when perusing websites and meeting the sales people from the schools. A final tip for effective language training: training is more effective if classes are small, and trainees are divided based on their level of English and specific job responsibilities. Ask the provider how they will assess your staff, and how they plan to organize the trainees into groups. Steer clear of anyone willing to mix abilities and compromise quality by filling classes with dozens of trainees who each have their own learning objectives.
Make sure you clearly define your objectives, and choose the provider who shows you, just as clearly, how they are going to meet your objectives through enjoyable, professional, communicative training delivered by happy, qualified, devoted teachers. In Jakarta, Indonesia, one professional training provider is leading the way in language programmes for businesses. Take a look at www.aimjakarta.com to see how it’s done.
Business English Training in Jakarta
