Enhancing workplace communication: The new role of language assessments in business success

Andrew Khan
two business people sat together in a meeting both looking at a laptop
Reading time: 4 minutes

The integration of AI tools into workplaces around the world is starting to change the way people communicate professionally. that the use of AI to help draft documents and emails is driven not only by convenience and efficiency but also by a desire to be clear and precise in language.

While potentially useful, tools to translate, generate, or ‘correct’ written text won’t help with the effectiveness of the verbal communication that powers business relationships.

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The importance of effective communication

Whether it’s customer support calls, sales presentations, health and safety instructions or day-to-day engagement with colleagues, our personal and professional interactions in the workplace rely on our ability to understand and be understood.

Equally, clarity of communication is central to many of the ‘future skills’ that employers have identified as critical to sustained success – notably .

It can be challenging for people who have English as a first language to feel confident in these skills – and even more difficult for those who may use another language at home but are required to speak English at work.

Challenges faced by second-language English speakers

When designing assessments that measure English proficiency, we need to balance the convenience and duration that enable them to fit into a fast-paced hiring workflow with the coverage that gives businesses confidence in the results. This means focusing on the most essential elements of effective communication.

Introducing the Versant by ɫèAV English Speaking and Listening Test

With the new Versant by ɫèAV English Speaking and Listening Test, we take just seventeen minutes to give a comprehensive picture of communicative English competence. So where do we focus?

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Effective verbal communication: Balancing listening and speaking skills

As a starting point, the businesses that we heard from in our research were clear that listening is just as important a skill as speaking when it comes to making hiring decisions.

Anyone who has been through sales or customer support training in the past will likely be familiar with the phrase “you have one mouth but two ears,” meaning that, in a professional context, our ability to listen, actively and attentively, for detail and nuance, can be twice as valuable as speaking. A test that didn’t place equal weight on comprehension and productive speech when assessing communicative ability would be missing the mark.

Evolving expectations around speech

Our research also pointed to expectations around speech having shifted in recent years. The range of jobs where English is required at the point of hiring has increased in many countries – with professionals from taxi drivers to online tutors often asked to demonstrate communicative competence.

With this in mind, ɫèAV has introduced the Global Scale of English Job Profiles framework to help employers define appropriate English requirements for a variety of different positions.

Customer Support roles and communicative ability

Customer Support roles, historically the main use case for testing English in the workplace, are also evolving. Employers are placing a much greater emphasis on true communicative ability to help resolve complex problems rather than scripted or pre-prepared responses delivered with US-style accents.

Designing effective assessments

Taking this into account, we recognized a need to design a more effective way of testing both the manner of speaking and the content of that speech. Manner-of-speaking scores bring together the measurement of fluency or the fluidity and cohesion of a spoken response, pronunciation and intelligibility.

Pronunciation is different from accent – a test taker can have an Indian accent, a French accent or a Japanese accent and still pronounce English words in a way that first-language speakers will expect to hear them. Intelligibility reflects the reality that we all speak in different ways, with a voice authentic to ourselves, and looks to assess whether that voice can be easily understood by others.

Measuring communication skills

The most relevant measure of communication skills isn’t whether you sound like a fluent speaker but whether you can use your ability with language to convey meaning effectively. Our speech also needs to be relevant and appropriate, with suitable vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.

We’ve found the most successful way to measure speech content is to blend short questions with a limited set of potential responses with more open-ended items. This enables test takers to speak organically and really show what they can do with their language skills.

The value of fair and objective assessments

Whether used as a hiring tool, to diagnose employees' learning and development needs or to benchmark improvement over time, English assessments can be a great asset to businesses – but only if they’re fair, objective and laser-focused on the skills that underpin true communicative competence.

Join our webinar to learn more

Join us for an insightful webinar where we will delve deeper into the role of language assessments in enhancing workplace communication and driving business success. Sign up now to secure your spot and learn how the Versant by ɫèAV English Speaking and Listening Test can benefit your organization.

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References

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  • A group of business people chatting over some papers sat at a table in a office

    The ultimate guide to language assessment in business

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    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.