The new world economy uses English. If you sell internationally then this requires Chinese, Indian, Korean, or other international employees who speak English well.
English is required for international business success. How do your people do? Do they communicate well or chase customers away?
I am finishing my sixth year teaching oral English at Jianghan University in Wuhan, China. I came to one important conclusion when it comes to learning how to speak English:
WHAT to say is the student’s biggest problem!
No confidence, no sales
Students understand grammar rules, can read text, and listen well. But speaking? Sorry, a lack of confidence and practice stop conversations and, for companies, sales because international employees fail to speak English well.
Common speaking situations follow standard patterns. Many students lack familiarity with these patterns. The situations involve greetings, making friends, invitations, talking and eating, cross-cultural dealings, presentations, compliments, emotional conversations and asking and telling.
The physical aspects of communication can also cause problems. Eye contact, handshaking, voice tone and volume, and body language problems derail conversations nearly as much as poor word choice.
Two-step answer
Understanding the problem and practice solve these issues. The two-step answer is:
- Be mindful of where effort needs to be made for improvement
- Practice the proper technique
Native English speakers learn what to say in specific situations when babies. New English speakers need to acquire these skills at a much later stage. This is difficult and an hour class once a week won’t solve it.
Providing employees with model conversations, joint practice times, and compensation for improvement increase the odds that skills (and sales) improve.
My book, Seeking Balance: The ultimate guide to English-speaking excellence for the shy, foreign, or frustrated, lays out a practical improvement plan for those looking to improve.
It includes ways to improve in common speaking situations, body language techniques, model conversations, suggested activities, a personal talking improvement plan, and 366 speaking tips.
Seeking Balance is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and KOBO.
We also offer deep-discount rates for bulk purchases along with seminars on improving English speaking. Contact me personally at jrmcgory@gmail.com or visit our website for more information and speaking tips at www.americanspeechcompany.com.
Improving an international company’s bottom line takes international employees who speak English well. Giving them the tools to know what to say starts the process to a confident and talented workforce.