Read the text
Read through the article, part two once more. Try to summarize in a sentence what each paragraph 1-9 is about
Decision-making styles
Before you read the article, take a few minutes to think and say what the word ‘brand’ means. Give examples of your own
Write down 10 words and expressions from the first part of the text, which you think are the most suitable to speak about personal branding
Communicating your brand vision and values
Навигация
Read the text
English in business
66495
знаков
1
таблица
0
изображений
2 Read the text
COMPANIES SHOULD INVEST MORE IN FOREIGN-LANGUAGE SKILLS
Following the ELAN report, Leonard Orban, the EU Commissioner for Multilingualism, set up the "Business Forum for Multilingualism" to make recommendations for improving language skills in EU companies Orban speaks about the role of foreign languages in business.
1) Why is multilingualism so important for the EU?
The EU already has 23 official languages, more than 60 regional and minority languages and hundreds of other languages spoken by people originally from outside the EU. We now want to make full use of this linguistic diversity. We want to show that, rather than being a burden, it is an asset for the EU — for cultural, educational and professional reasons. Also, EU companies can gain a competitive advantage through foreign language skills. But one of the main ideas from the Business Forum for Multilingualism is that English is not enough. English is more and more necessary for international business, but less and less sufficient.
2) So, how good are the language skills of EU citizens?
We are still a long way from our goal of every citizen learning at least two foreign languages. Only 28 per cent of European citizens are able to speak at least two foreign languages. And nearly half of European citizens can speak only their mother tongue.
3) What role should companies play here?
Companies should invest more in developing the abilities of their workers to deal with different languages. I think especially at the level of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) there is not enough awareness of the importance of languages other than English and of the importance of implementing strategies for developing their employees' language skills. So we have made a number of recommendations in the report on ways to help firms. Of course, increased financial support should be considered — at the EU level, but also at national, regional and local levels. But we also propose a new European internet platform for collecting and disseminating best practices on language strategies.
4) But are language skills only the companies' responsibility?
No, it's a shared responsibility. The European institutions also have a contribution to make, but so do the member states through improvements in their education systems. And so do individuals themselves.
5) Latin is still one of the most common foreign languages taught in educational institutions. Shouldn't this time and effort be spent more usefully on modern foreign languages?
Our task in the European Commission is to defend andpromote the linguistic diversity in Europe. That means targeting mainly the official languages of the EU. So, we look less at languages like Latin or ancient Greek. But these languages, even though they are no longer tools of communication, can be useful in terms of personal development. So we are not against these languages. But we would encourage people to learn a large variety of European languages. There are so many languages — for example, those of neighbouring countries in the EU, or of non-EU countries — and people should choose whatever languages they want.
6) When you say people should learn two foreign languages, do you mean two EU languages?
No, Europeans should also learn the languages of non-EU countries. For example, there are more and more Chinese people who are learning European languages. But Europeans should also learn Mandarin, Russian, Urdu, Japanese and so on. This will help not only individuals but also our companies, and so help the Union to become more competitive.
7) But, surely, learning better English is still the priority for many EU employees.
Of course, we acknowledge that English is more or less a lingua franca for communication between companies. And we are talking about the need for good English, because very often people speak bad English. But when you are addressing consumers, it is a completely different story. English is not enough. You need to master the language of your consumers. For example, it has been shown that many people in Germany don't understand advertising slogans that are in English. And we are not only talking about language skills; we're talking about intercultural skills. Teaching a language doesn't mean just teaching grammar, pronunciation etc. It means teaching a culture, literature and so on. It means having access to the behaviour and attitudes of others. We need to understand that others may think in a different way. These are the sorts of skills that are needed to do business in other places. So, while English will continue to be important, companies should add other languages, and other abilities, in order to become more competitive.
8) Which, then, are the most important foreign languages for EU workers to learn apart from English?
That's not for us to say. It's up to every company to decide which language skills they need, according to their activities and plans. For example, some companies may target Mandarin as a priority. Others may target Hindi. We don't want to tell the companies what to do. We just want to tell them that languages are an important part of their performance, and that they should consider this seriously.
9) Don't firms solve their language needs pragmatically by, for example, hiring people from other countries who speak two other languages as well as their native tongue?
Yes, in many cases, companies do meet their language needs by finding the right people to employ. On the other hand, as politicians, we have to think about all European citizens and give them the chance to become more competitive and to find better jobs. It is also to the advantage of EU companies if they can find people in their own countries with the necessary language skills. And, as we say in our report, one of the main challenges facing multinational companies in the EU — and society more generally — is to integrate employees from different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds into their workforces. And this means that the training of existing employees could be the best option.
3 Match each sentence 1-10 to the sentence a-j that should logically follow it.
1 EU companies can gain…
2 Only 28% of European citizens are able
3 Companies should invest more in
4 We propose a new European internet platform for
5 Our task in the European Community is
6 We acknowledge that English is more or less a
7 Teaching a language doesn’t mean
8 While English will continue to be important,
9 It’s up to every company to decide which language
10 One of the main challenges facing multinational companies in EU is
a) collecting and disseminating best practices on language strategies
b) lingua franca for communication between companies
c) a competitive advantage through foreign language skills
d) integrate employees from different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds
e) companies should add other languages and other abilities in order to become more competitive
f) to speak at least two foreign languages
g) to promote the linguistic diversity
h) skills they need, according to their activities and plans
i) just teaching grammar and pronunciation, but also a culture, literature and so on
j) developing the abilities of their workers to deal with different languages
Похожие работы
... by cable, 1000 tons of ore. The Sellers have sold and the Buyers have bought on the terms and conditions set forth and subject to General Conditions on Sale endorsed… Exclusive – it’s important in contracts. English is vast and its usage creates difficulties in many cases. Exclusivity as a term means that somebody is bored from dealing with another one in a specified area. In the lexicon of ...
... , Conclusion and Appendix. Kazakh State University of International Relations and World Languages named after Abylay Khan Chair of LexicologyE. Gadyukova Group 406 English Teaching DepartmentThe Linguistic Background of Business Correspondence(Diploma Paper)Scientific Supervisor Associated Professor Bulatova S. M.Almaty, 2001 Part I The Basic Forms Of Communication As David Glass is well aware, ...
... like that: what kinds of animals eat grass?» The boy brightened up. «Animals!» he exclaimed, «I thought you said admirals.» Unit 9 Grammar: 1. Passive Voice. 2. Пассивные конструкции характерные для английского языка. 3. Формы инфинитива. I. Language Practice 1. Practise the fluent reading and correct intonation: — Helölo, Tom! — Helølo, Nick ö. Here you ø are at ...
... was the first writer in Europe to formulate communist principals as a bases of society. The Renaisense in England. The prideses of Shakespeare. The most brilliant period of English literature was in the second half of the 16’th and begining of 17’th centure.Sometimes it’s called “Elizabethen age” after quen Elizabeth 5. England had become a geat world ...
0 комментариев