Using a foreign language when working: sociology research

For a large number of workers around the world, speaking a foreign language at work is a daily reality. Some academic fields, including business studies, communication management, professional language instruction, psychology, and sociolinguistics, cover this crucial element of workplace communication.

Both businesses and individuals should be aware of how difficult it might be to conduct business in a foreign language.

The following are the main coping mechanisms that assist workers in overcoming the initial difficulties of working in a foreign language and moving forward along the continuum towards the state of "linguistic well-being" in the lingua franca or increasing their proficiency in a different foreign language while working:

1) On-the-job training.

2) enrolling in language courses. Numerous language schools provide language training for business. Take the website (https://livexp.com/corporate-language-training) as an illustration. The highest assessment criteria can be used to designate a teacher for a group of employees, and convenient times can be selected for their sessions. According to each student's individual demands and the firm's unique requirements, the correct teacher can assist staff members in learning the language in a short amount of time.

3) gaining knowledge from peers.

4) utilizing written communication only.

Language anxiety and proficiency levels may affect one's sense of self-assurance, audibility, and professionalism in the eyes of others. This factor becomes even more critical when a person serves as a professional in their own right and as a company representative to clients or partners outside the organization.

According to interview data, having a strong "educational basis," such as Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, is necessary to be entirely at ease when working in a foreign language (CALP). This may affect how languages are taught and learned, emphasizing the necessity to learn content through the target language and the target language itself.

Over time, employees who use a lingua franca build up the essential professional vocabulary and develop a certain level of comfort speaking a foreign language.

The study examined the difficulties encountered when working in a foreign language to comprehend the experience better. The most significant perceived problems were connected to the strain of learning on the job, the requirement for extra focus and effort to prevent misunderstandings, and anxiety related to language and performance. Also, it's critical to remember that a person starting a job in a foreign language must socialize in their new professional and linguistic environments. Understanding these issues can benefit both individuals and the businesses that hire them. Raising awareness of this issue could be valuable to the staff and HR training. It could be incorporated into courses that support company culture or intercultural communication skills.