The business landscape of the 21st Century looks very different from what we were used to a couple of decades ago. The digital revolution has had a huge impact on what day to day professional activities look like. Even on how companies communicate with their customer base, advertise for new ones and seek to develop the skills of employees. Though many things have changed dramatically, some things have stayed the same.
One thing that is just as important in business as it’s ever been is the value of foreign language skills. Luckily, it’s become far easier for employees to attain these skills than ever before. Instead of companies having to rely on local language schools, there are now a wide range of alternatives online. Their offering of digital courses will allow employees to become proficient in new languages. Online language training is a must for twenty first century companies.
But why?
#1. Online Language Training opens up new opportunities
There’s no doubt that the internet has made the world seem smaller. It’s never been possible to communicate with the other side of the world as quickly as it is now. As a result of this many businesses are seeing new possibilities in doing business with overseas markets.
The more language skills a company has at it’s disposal, the easier it will find to successfully launch itself into these new markets.
#2. It cuts costs
Working in foreign markets without the relevant language skills can be expensive. Freelance translators can be expensive to work with, especially regularly over time. Sending work back and forth to them can be a big drain on time and administrative resources. Investing in digital language courses for employees across all departments of the company can avoid the added expense of translators.
Digital training courses also have the benefit of being generally more budget friendly than face to face language courses.
#3. It helps to avoid embarrassing slip ups
Some companies have tried to communicate with overseas markets without investing in either online language training or translators. Though digital tools such as Google Translate have made this easier than ever before, it’s generally not a wise choice to rely on this! Computer translation lacks human warmth or knowledge and can result in embarrassing mistakes and slip ups. The best online training providers seek to ensure their digital language courses include additional cultural knowledge that’s vital for business communications to be truly successful: which digital tools just don’t have.
#4. It’s a much better fit for modern employees
Online language training tends to be more popular with employees than more traditional face to face training courses simply because it’s a much better fit for modern lives. Learners can access digital language courses from wherever they are, whatever time of day is most convenient for them. There’s no need for them to spend time travelling to a language school, or to have to restrict their course choice based on geography. Online training providers accept learners for digital language courses from anywhere in the world.
#5. It’s more measurable
Many businesses are keen to measure the return on investment for employee development costs. This is far easier for businesses who invest in online language training. This is because online training providers are able to offer a far greater amount of data and evaluation than traditional language course providers. Employers are able to access metrics, including how their employees are performing and how much they have completed.
#6. It’s likely to be more successful
There are many suggestions that online language training is actually more effective than other types of language learning. This is because learners can work their way through learning materials at their own pace, returning to revise information as many times as they feel they need to. They are also able to access resources far more regularly than they’d be able to in a classroom setting.
The added benefit of digital language courses lies in the availability of speaking and listening practice. This is absolutely vital for all language learners, and yet it’s not always readily available. Some online training providers (including Dexway) understand the importance of this and have sought to find ways to ensure speaking and listening practice is readily available. In this type of online language training, it’s possible to access learning conversations online whenever the learner chooses to.
If you’re currently researching online training providers, why try a free consultation to find out what Dexway can offer you? Dexway education solutions include effective methodology, eight languages and levels from A1 to C2 (CEFR), as well as full support in implementation.