Considering learning English to land a better job? Have you ever wondered what the best time to learn English for employees like you is?
The short answer to that question is “now.” The best time to learn English for employees is today. As we all know, English is the go-to language for anyone aiming to connect with other people from different cultures, regions, and nations. By default, the English language has become the most commonly used language in the corporate world. Being able to speak such has been one of the most crucial employability skills workers could learn.
First language or not, knowledge of the English language has now arguably become an essential tool for any working people. It especially applies to people going overseas. Communication skills are needed for one to grow professionally. The ability to express oneself properly in both written and oral forms of language is an undeniable part of one’s professional growth. That being said, no other language could connect you better at a wider scale than the modern English language.
Still unconvinced? Read on as we try out best to answer the question: “what is the best time to learn English for employees?”
The Best Time to Learn English for Employees is NOW
To determine the best time to learn English for employees is to learn the importance of the language first. Nowadays, more and more people are willingly dedicating significant hours of their daily lives to studying English as their second language. Whether you are planning to travel the world at your own pace or looking for a new job outside your comfort zone, learning the English language can undoubtedly help you progress in life, both professionally and personally.
Being the global language as it is, English can help you connect with other people around the world. It can increase your chances of landing a better job. Many international corporations conduct their respective meetings in English. On top of that, it tops all other languages today on the internet in the number of users. It is undoubtedly the go-to language for everything technology-related.
To impart some facts about the English language, over 1.5 billion people worldwide speak English. Of this figure, about 375 million are native speakers. This means that more than a billion people around the world speak English as their second language, with some probably learning to speak and write it by the time they were already adults and prime to work for a living. Needless to say, if you don’t know how to speak English, chances are you’d struggle to communicate effectively with other people. It cannot be more true especially when going outside your native country.
Why Learning English as a Working Adult Is a Good Idea
1. It enables you to communicate with the online world seamlessly
As mentioned above, English is the most-used language on the internet today. Perhaps, it will be so for the next several years. Furthermore, most internet users, use the particular language to talk with others online. Whether you live in English-speaking countries or not, you have to adjust because most websites are programmed in English.
That being said, being fluent in English makes it much easier to develop new professional and personal connections all over the world. It also enables you to basically get information about almost anything using such as well.
2. It exposes you to new employment opportunities
This, perhaps, is the principal reason why working people try their best to learn the English language. It doesn’t matter even if they are already full-grown adults –they need it. English, without a doubt, has been a necessary language skill for several international companies. Furthermore, all jobs in English-speaking nations require fluent English communication skills. The more you can communicate in English effectively, the higher chance of getting a high-paying job.
3. It allows you to get to speed with the latest developments in your field of work
Almost every professional network on social media generally utilize English as their main language. In addition, most media sites and scholarly articles found on the internet today are written in English. Latest developments on different industries and field of work are also written or spoken in the English language.
4. It gives you the chance to travel
Whether for business or personal purposes, learning English enables you to travel freely to virtually every part of the world. Suppose you have always dreamed of traveling the world for work or being employed by an international company. In that case, English is the most likely language that will help you communicate with strangers. It can be distressing or embarrassing when no one understands what you are trying to say. Learning English ensures that you’d never be in that kind of situation.
What Corporations Expect Today from Prospective Workers
Most job recruiters today consider the ability of applicants to write and orally communicate in English. They want people who can read and understand written words in the form of memos, reports, instructions, and the like. More often that not, they prioritize someone who can do so as fluently as possible.
Almost every prospective employer nowadays require the skill to convey formal oral and written communication. They firmly believe that mastery over the English language helps a particular person conduct his business and responsibilities more efficiently. Moreover, they also consider it a necessary skill for someone to move the organizational hierarchy upward. The higher the position of an employee, the better he or she should be at presenting and convening meetings. And, most likely than not, English would be the language that facilitates all that.
Employers encountering a candidate who has surpassed their desired technical expertise, only to find out that they have poor English communicational skills, are happening more often than one realizes. While their technical skills may prove outstanding, the fact that they won’t be able to communicate effectively right off the bat may discourage employers from giving them an offer.
On the other hand, employers would be more than happy to interview and eventually recruit someone who has passable technical skills but more than adequate communication skills in English. This is because it lessens the company’s burden of giving too much orientation training at the time when the candidate steps on the job he or she landed.
Why Good English is Essential for Business
1. It promotes better teamwork and collaboration among colleagues
Working a corporate job would force you to interact with your co-workers on a daily basis. Remember, an effective working space is where collaboration and teamwork are at their best. And that will be impossible to achieve if you don’t speak the language your colleagues speak very well. In worst cases, failing to communicate well may even compromise your current position down the line.
Learning how to speak English fluently ultimately helps you better represent and express yourself in front of other people. For instance, you are looking for a promotion. You need to impress your boss, of course. In such instances, English not only helps you develop your language skills. It t also improves your interpersonal abilities. It is an essential part someone aiming to climb the corporate ladder should learn.
2. It is the main driving force for an effective speech or presentation
Delivering an effective speech or presentation in front of your peers or in a board meeting is now arguably impossible without being able to speak the English language at least adequately. What sense would it be to present something the best that you can via your native tongue if no one else in the room but yourself understands what you are actually speaking?
English is so widely used worldwide that it is now effectively-recognized as the general “common tongue,” and that is precisely what you need to translate your brilliant ideas and thoughts into clear and logical sentences that everyone may easily respond to. Having a great idea in your head is useless if you, yourself, cannot translate it into words that others may comprehensively understand.
3. It shows the employee’s willingness to go beyond the basic corporate standards
While learning English as it is may already be appreciated by several companies to which you may pursue and apply, possessing excellent English communication skills will take you much further than you could imagine. Long gone are the days when learning English was a brand of sophistication and superior knowledge. Nowadays, learning how to speak the language – regardless of your upbringing and background – is but expected by employers from you. Like it or not, knowing how to communicate using the English language is no longer an added skill but an expectation.
This means that to get ahead of the curve and make yourself stand out from the rest is to show that you are competent and extremely fluent in both writing and speaking in English. It may take a lot of effort and commitment to reach such levels, but succeeding in doing so shows your willingness to go beyond the basic corporate standards. And that is something anyone could undoubtedly appreciate.
How You May Learn or Practice English While Working
Time is a luxury not anyone can afford. As unfair as it may sound, several of us have to dedicate most of our day working just to get by, while others are earning substantial amounts of money as they sleep in their beds. How could someone, working the whole day at an office or anywhere else, find the time to learn the language or, at the very least, hone it the best they can? While it may take a whole lot of dedication and effort, it is possible. Here are some of the ways how a working man may learn or practice English while working.
Listening to English Language podcasts while traveling
Whether you take the bus or drive your faithful car to work every day, chances are you’d have some down time that you may wisely use to learn English more. Before commuting or traveling for work, select an English-language podcast to listen to. If you are taking the bus or train to work, put on your trusty headphones and listen to them while traveling. Likewise, if you have a car, play the podcast you selected, or any other English language tutorial material, on your vehicle’s audio system.
Utilize available applications that would help you manage your time and learn better
Today’s day and age have made it quite apparent that people can no longer live their respective lives without the presence of mobile phones or any electronic device. And since we tend to have our phones with us virtually all the time, why not make it so that it also helps you hone your English skills, right? today, many mobile video games or any entertainment applications, time management and learning flashcard apps are available. That said, instead of dedicating your precious time to games, take advantage of the available online applications that may help your English language learning much easier and more efficiently.
Make use of multimedia learning materials on your off days
At home after work or in your off days, dedicate an hour or two listening, reading, speaking, or writing English. There are tons of multimedia learning materials dedicated to the subject available online. Better yet, make it a habit to play at least one English educational YouTube video every day. Listen intently and subsequently practice whenever you get the chance. These small things and seemingly miniscule efforts to learn the English language would add up sooner than you think. Without realizing it, you’d master several English skills with this method in a short span of time.
Bring an English notebook with you at all times
Spare a small portion of your budget to purchase a pocket notebook that you can always carry with you. Treat it like a diary, but fill it with the English lessons you are currently learning. Whenever you hear an English word or term you don’t understand yet or are perhaps curious to know more about, do not hesitate to write it down in your English notebook. Remember to look it up at a later time.
Say that you aren’t a fan of carrying a notebook everywhere you go. You may also use your phone for this. Just remember, pausing mid-sentence to suddenly type something into your mobile device does not look as professional as writing in a pocket notebook. Worst case scenario, your co-workers may think that you are rude whenever you do just that. Notably, most companies prohibit excessive use of mobile devices at work, so stick to notebooks if you may.
Converse with your colleagues using English; do not be afraid to be corrected
Much like any other skill a person may learn, the best way to learn English is to practice speaking it any chance you get. And since you are at work making a living for yourself, why not just use the language to communicate with your colleagues. Better yet, talk with your co-workers in English, even outside of work itself. Sooner or later, they would become familiar with your particular accent and speaking manner, leading to better communication and understanding amongst everyone in the workplace.
Since you are in the process of learning the English language, chances are you’d fumble some words or misuse terms that your colleagues may promptly correct. When this happens, please do not take offense. Instead, treat it as something constructive that could ultimately help you become a more fluent English speaker or writer. Do not be afraid to say “I don’t understand” and ask for help. It is much better that way than pretending.
Key Takeaways: The Best Time to Learn English for Employees
The best time to learn English for employees is none other than now. In the corporate world, making yourself proficient in the English language is basically equipping yourself with a skill that most corporations today tend to put in a higher category. There is a reason why most of the top brass are fluent in the language. More than you realize it, becoming an excellent English speaker or writer would take you far.
Develop a learning habit. Set learning goals and identify the experiences in your field of work that may effectively facilitate your learning of the English language. As much as it can propel you to the top of the corporate ladder, the knowledge of the English language is something that no one could ever take away from you.