Effective international communication is crucial in the world of global commerce. In today's borderless marketplace, companies need to be linguistically flexible to be successful. For HR managers and business practitioners, comprehensive language evaluations are not just an add-on but a vital duty that can enhance your organization's success in the international market.
This guide will take you through the crucial role of language assessment in business. It will discuss why language assessment is important, how to effectively implement it, its benefits for students and business professionals, and the current tools and technologies available. By the end, you will have the knowledge to identify the significance of language assessment in your business and make informed decisions that reflect the essential role of linguistic ability in the modern global economy.
Why language assessment matters
Enhancing communication effectiveness
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful business. When diverse teams come together, be it in an office, on a shop floor, or at a virtual meeting, the ability to exchange information clearly and concisely can mean the difference between streamlined operations and costly misunderstandings. Language assessment ensures that employees possess the necessary language skills needed to communicate across teams and with clients worldwide.
Global market competitiveness
Accessing international markets hinges largely on the language capabilities of your workforce. Assessing language skills not only amplifies your organization's ability to engage with prospective clients and partners but also ensures that the customer experience is seamlessly delivered, regardless of the customer's primary language.
Talent acquisition and retention
Proper language assessments play a pivotal role in the recruitment process. They aid in identifying candidates with the language proficiencies required for specific roles, such as those involving international correspondence or multilingual customer support. By enabling a streamlined and objective measurement of language ability, your business can attract and retain talent, securing a competitive edge in a multilingual talent pool.
Types of language assessments
Proficiency tests
Proficiency tests are the benchmarks for evaluating a person’s overall language capability. This category includes tests that cover all language skills, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, like the Versant tests offered by ɫèAV. These tests provide a comprehensive analysis that helps gauge an individual's ability to function effectively in a language, both in academic settings, the workplace and everyday contexts.
Interviews
Conversational skills and the application and comprehension of language in real-world scenarios play a significant role in many job roles. Structured interviews that focus on language are a vital component of the language assessment suite. These interviews typically evaluate oral and sometimes written language skills, providing context-specific insight into how these skills might translate in a professional setting.
Role-playing scenarios
Simulations that mimic workplace interactions provide an immersive method of assessing language skills beyond language proficiency tests. Candidates engage in practical scenarios that mirror the challenges and dynamics of a business environment, which is particularly valuable for assessing their ability to manage real-time communication under pressure.
Implementing language assessment
Best practices for HR managers
When starting your language assessment program, begin with a thorough needs analysis. This involves identifying which roles require language proficiency, to what level and in which languages. Then, select or develop an assessment that aligns with these requirements. It's also important to provide clear instructions and support for candidates, ensuring that the assessment process is transparent and equitable.
Training and development strategies
Personalized learning plans can be a game-changer for employees who require language improvements. Identify the areas for development, set achievable goals, and incorporate regular assessments to measure progress. This approach ensures that training is targeted and effective, helping employees advance their language skills in a way that's both strategic and supportive.
Benefits for business professionals
Career advancement opportunities
Proficient multilingualism can open doors to international career opportunities and is a key differentiator in many sectors. A dedication to mastering a foreign language can lead to personal and professional growth, including access to leadership positions and broader responsibilities.
Cross-cultural competence
Language proficiency is closely tied to cross-cultural understanding and competence. Business professionals who possess these abilities can traverse cultural boundaries with sensitivity and insight, essential for global leadership and successful collaborations in multicultural teams.
Enhanced collaboration
Clear and expressive communication fosters an environment of trust and collaboration. By investing in the linguistic abilities and listening skills of your teams, you're not only improving the performance of individual employees but also elevating the collective capacity for innovation and problem-solving within your organization.
Tools and technologies
Language assessment software
Modern language assessment software is designed to be sophisticated yet user-friendly. It provides a platform to automate the testing process, delivering reliable and consistent evaluations while providing a positive candidate experience. Look for software that offers flexibility in test administration and the ability to measure multiple languages.
Online platforms
With the rise of remote work, online platforms for language assessments offer unparalleled convenience for job applicants. These platforms are scalable, allowing you to administer tests to candidates globally and often come with robust reporting features that provide detailed insights into test results.
Implementing Versant by ɫèAV
Versant language tests
Versant tests by ɫèAV are renowned for their accuracy, efficiency and comprehensive analysis of the four language skills tested. These tests are automated and provide objective evaluations that are crucial for making important HR decisions.
Compatibility and security
ɫèAV's Versant system ensures that your language testing process is both accessible and secure. Language assessments can be conducted remotely or at testing centers, with strict security measures in place to maintain confidentiality and integrity.
Training and support
With ɫèAV, you're not just getting a product; you're gaining a partner. Training and support services ensure that HR professionals and corporate clients are equipped to implement and make the most of their language assessment program, fostering an environment of continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Language assessment in business isn't just about evaluating a person's ability and skills; it's about building a foundation for success in the global economy. By understanding the significance of effective language assessment, and by utilizing the best tools and practices, businesses can ensure their place at the forefront of an international and multilingual world. The insights gained through comprehensive language assessments promote a diverse talent pool, foster inclusivity, and drive strategic business growth.
To truly capitalize on the benefits of language assessment, consider the impact that Versant by ɫèAV can have on your business. With its state-of-the-art assessments, it empowers organizations to make well-informed decisions that lead to a more competent workforce and a thriving business ecosystem. Investing in language assessments can be the catalyst for achieving your business goals, enabling a future where linguistic diversity is a celebrated asset, not a challenge to overcome.
Identify the specific language requirements of each role by considering the daily tasks and interactions the role entails. Factors to consider include the frequency of communication in the target language, whether the role involves written, oral, or both types of language skills, and the level of nuance and professional vocabulary required. After establishing these criteria, correlate them with standard language proficiency test levels, such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or the Global Scale of English (GSE), to define your requirements more precisely.
Yes, many language assessment providers, including Versant by ɫèAV, offer a range of customization options. This can include tailoring the content of the assessments to match industry-specific terminology or the specific linguistic challenges your employees might face. It’s also possible to adjust the difficulty level to align with the roles you're assessing for.
To make sure an educational testing service ensures fairness, it’s crucial to select or design assessments that are culturally unbiased and accessible to individuals with disabilities. Providing clear instructions in multiple languages and offering practice tests can help candidates understand what to expect and reduce test anxiety. Additionally, using automated scoring systems like those in Versant tests can help eliminate human bias from the evaluation process.
For employees who exhibit strong potential but need to improve their language proficiency, consider implementing personalized language training programs. Assess their language abilities to identify specific areas for improvement, set realistic goals and provide access to language learning resources. Use regular follow-up assessments to track progress and adjust the learning plan as needed. Remember, investing in your employees’ language development is an investment in their future and the future success of your business.
It's important to determine the frequency of language assessments based on your business needs and objectives. If you're hiring new employees, language assessments should be conducted as part of the recruitment process. For current employees, consider conducting annual or bi-annual assessments to track their progress, particularly after any training or development programs aimed at improving their language skills. Moreover, if there's a significant change in an employee's role or responsibilities that require different or higher-level language or communication skills, then a reassessment should be conducted.
The skills students will need in their future studies and careers are dramatically different from those required previously. Times are changing rapidly and educational institutions and teachers have a critical role to play in developing those skills in our young learners so that they are able to fulfill their potential and have bright futures ahead of them.
These skills are referred to as future skills. There is no common consensus on how to define these skills but, broadly speaking, they can be grouped into four categories:
1. Ways of thinking
Skills in this category include critical thinking, creativity, innovation, problem solving, metacognition and learning skills.
2. Ways of working
Here, we’re talking about the skills of communication and collaboration.
3. Tools for working
Information literacy is an important 21st-century skill, as well as ICT literacy and citizenship, both global and local.
4. Life skills
The final category covers life and career skills, and is all about personal and social responsibility.
One way you can encourage young learners to build these skills is through STEAM subjects (that’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math), which will equip them with functional skills such as organizing, planning, cognitive flexibility and self-regulation.
The four Cs
The four Cs refer to four important skills for young learners to master: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. These are essential, not just in an educational context, but in everyday life.
Falling into the first two categories of future skills (ways of thinking and ways of working), these can help children build confidence and self-esteem. They also encourage healthy emotional development.
So let’s take a closer look at the theory behind them.
1. Communication
We usually think of communication as speaking and listening, but it’s actually much broader than that. Communication encapsulates telling stories, reading, sharing ideas and experiences, body language, facial expression, eye contact and tone. Children learn to decipher the world around them by learning and practicing these skills.
Strong communication skills, developed early, are directly related to their literacy success. These skills allow children to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively, and listen to decode meaning. Students then begin to use communication for a range of purposes, and communicate effectively in diverse environments. Furthermore, developing strong patterns of verbal and non-verbal communication also fosters self-esteem and social skills.
2. Collaboration
Collaboration is how young children begin to build friendships with others. At first, young children will watch what others do and say, before moving on to playing together. As they get older, they become aware of other children’s feelings and ideas. Friendships become motivating and they learn how to make compromises and respect each other’s perspectives and skills.
Collaboration is enhanced through group work and project-based activities, sharing time with peers. Children thrive when they feel valued by the people around them, not just adults but their peers too.
English not only opens up career opportunities beyond national borders; it is a key requirement for many jobs. It’s also no longer a case of just learning English for employability, but mastering English for business – and that means an on-going commitment to learn.
My experience is consistent with this trend. If I had to estimate the value that being fluent in English has had on my career, I'd say it was my entire life’s earnings. Learning English has offered me educational options beyond the borders of my own country and enabled me to develop the skills to work for global companies that operate across national boundaries. I have been privileged to work in different countries in roles that have spanned functions, geographies and markets – and my ability to learn and evolve my English skills has been an underlying factor throughout.
Alice Pilkington qualified as a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certified teacher in October 2009. She started working in Rome before moving to Istanbul, where she’s spent the past three and a half years teaching English to “everyone from 8-year-olds to company executives; students to bored housewives”. Having taught in two very different countries to a diverse range of English learners, Alice shares with us the five lessons she’s learned:
1. Don't take things personally when you're teaching English
"I am probably not emotionally suited for this job. I take everything very personally and if a lesson goes wrong or an activity I have taken time and energy to plan doesn’t work, I feel like a complete failure. It’s a trial and error experience but when things go wrong, they can go very wrong, and it really makes you doubt your abilities as a teacher.
Having said that, the lessons that do go well can make up for these negative feelings. I shouldn’t take things personally; the majority of my colleagues don’t and it saves them a lot of sleepless nights"
2. Teaching English is incredibly rewarding
"There are very few feelings that I’ve experienced that compare to seeing a student use a word that you have taught them – it makes you feel like a proud parent. Equally, seeing a student improve over a series of months is so joyful.I have been teaching English university preparation students for the past year.
In September, they could barely say what their name was and what they did over the weekend. Nine months on and they’re capable of reading academic texts and speaking at length about marketing strategies and environmental problems. It’s a wonderful thing to observe"
3. Teach more than just English
"Turkish students love hearing about how you appreciate their food and cultural traditions. Equally, they are genuinely interested in understanding how things operate in the UK and enjoy hearing personal anecdotes.I tend to be very open with my students – even about my personal life.I think it is partly because I have striven from the very beginning of my career to be seen as their equal.
Turkish students are used to having a huge respect for teachers, and there is a hierarchical system in schools here, which I can never go along with. In my first lesson with most students, I tell them that they must call me by my first name (usually you refer to teachers here as ‘hocam’ which means ‘my teacher’ and shows respect) and this can take a long while for them to get used to."
4. Failure to prepare is to prepare for failure... or is it?
"Lessons that you spend hours preparing for generally don’t go as well as you had hoped. There were several times when I’d spend hours cutting and sticking things on pieces of card and placing pictures all over the classroom, hoping it would get some vocabulary action going, only to start the class and receive no response from the students.
Conversely, lessons where you don’t feel very motivated or have no idea what you are going to do until you get into the classroom (which I call the ‘flying by the seat of your pants’ lessons) can turn out to be the best ones. I once had a lesson in which I was, admittedly, rather hungover. On the way to the lesson, I grabbed a book called ‘Taboos and Issues’, full of discussion topics, which I used as a basis for a rather impromptu lesson on addictions, which was very successful indeed."
5. Teaching English isn't easy
"Teaching English is a love/hate profession. There are weeks when you absolutely loathe it and want to quit, but then within the space of a lesson or two, you get inspired by something completely unexpected, rediscover your joy for it and love it again."
