Non-motoring > Languages for Business Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Ambo Replies: 13

 Languages for Business - Ambo
This is ancillary to the Referendum forum and arises from an observation by another poster, when he noted that French negotiators refused to use English even though they were fluent in it. (I found the same problem when dealing with staff in student exchanges.)

Businesspeople do not like the idea that they must also be linguists but that that is one way into good rapprochement with awkward foreigners; certainly, the French often seem to melt when we try out even our school-level mastery of their language. Linguistic skills are in fact valuable international marketing tools (and international political tools, for that matter).

When I canvassed employers about training for this, the response was mostly on the lines that a given language could be picked up via a one-month “total immersion” course, whereas it takes years to develop the mastery shown, for example, by Germans dealing with us in English. Would they pay extra to an employee achieving a high level of proficiency? No way!

So, if you are sent abroad on such missions, what is your organisation’s attitude to this?
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 22 Jul 16 at 12:49
 Languages for Business - sooty123
So, if you are sent abroad on such missions, what is your organisation’s attitude to this ?

When abroad and in there's a fair few of us (nearly always) we get given someone who can speak English and translate for us. Quite often more than one translater.

As to extra pay, yes I believe you can at my organisation. I can't remember how much.
 Languages for Business - Runfer D'Hills
I'm a native English speaker, although some would say my Scots accent limits that ! But I also speak German well, French and Italian adequately, and can get by in Spanish and Portugese.

I've found it invaluable in my working life to be able to communicate with others in their own languages and on occasion couldn't have achieved my business or personal objectives without it. Sadly though, no employer has ever paid me more for those language skills.




 Languages for Business - zippy
Our contracts with customers around the world were in English. We used bi-lingual agents to accompany us in several countries but didn't need them in Germany or the Netherlands where most companies seemed to have someone that spoke English to an acceptable level.
 Languages for Business - Slidingpillar
Not really relevant to my career with the BBC, but one Frenchman who wrote a letter in French to the BBC did get a reply in that language. Not something that was normally done, but the query was uncomplicated, and I was in a position to reply.
 Languages for Business - Dutchie
Well done Runfer .German,French Italian is no mean feat besides English (Scots).

Donkeys years ago when I just got married Scottish lady in Rotterdam spoke perfect Dutch.My Dutch was rubbish compared to hers>:) Groninger accent.Only kidding.

I have always been fascinated by Italian it sounds so logical to me.Can't speak it but if I put my mind to it I think would pick it up quick.
 Languages for Business - Cliff Pope
It's interesting the way the international language of the day has changed down the centuries.
Up until the 18th century Latin was the common language, with French.
French took over, and remained so in diplomatic use into the 29th century. I read that the last formal communication ever sent in old diplomatic French was the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia in 1914.
Evelyn Waugh found a common language in Yugoslavia during the war, able to talk in school Latin to a catholic priest. Historically the Chinese used Latin a lot in communication because of the legacy of the Jesuit influence, and there was, perhaps still is, a respected scientific publication in Latin.
 Languages for Business - Dutchie
Maybe I am wrong Cliff but the English language is used by so may in the western world.

Shipping and aircraft communication is English.Of course America has a lot to do with it that is the language they chose.
 Languages for Business - henry k
>> Maybe I am wrong Cliff but the English language is used by so many in the western world.
>>
>> Shipping and aircraft communication is English.
>>Of course America has a lot to do with it that is the language they chose.
>>
Airlines ground communications ( all sorts of messages re passengers and airport operations ) are usually in English.
Airlines computer systems are generally in English.
( one exception was a good airline application ( in the old sense) written in Italian but it just did not sell as customers wanted an English version ( both coding comments and support documents)
 Languages for Business - Mapmaker
I work for a company that does business in continental Europe. I am not aware that anybody here who would be involved in negotiations in these jurisdictions speaks those languages. I am fairly sure we get shafted. Regularly.

I am equally certain that nobody has tried to rectify this shafting.

On the other hand, I recall with particular amusement one colleague who had returned from a closing meeting in France. Around the table were our lawyers, the other side’s lawyers, our agents, their agents and the other side. He said, in possibly the worst example of jingoistic racism that I have ever heard “And then they all start talking in French. I don’t trust them. I’m sure they are all in it together and all know each other and conspire against us for their own financial gain.” Intriguingly he was a second-generation Indian immigrant. I am absolutely certain that our advisers were not conspiring against us!

I happened to be the mug sent for a similar deal the following year. Now, I don’t claim fluency in French. However… I do speak some. And then at the point where the lawyers were having a fight and the entire deal was about to collapse, I was in a position to bring some calm to the meeting – in French. Does anybody here even care? No….
 Languages for Business - sherlock47
My spoken french is pretty poor, but I have a reasonable understanding of what is going on when aware of the context. Our company language was officially english, but sometimes a meeting with the French country organisation would relapse into french. The technique that I used was to wait for someting that was possibly contentious ,( and that I understood), in the french conversation and drop in a clarifying question in english. The conversation would then revert to english. They then never knew how much (or little) that I had understood - but it kept them on their toes.
 Languages for Business - BrianByPass
>> Intriguingly he was a second-generation Indian immigrant. >>
>>

Intriguing that the person's immigration status is of intrigue.

When does the intrigue start? First generation?

When does the intrigue finish? Tenth generation?
 Languages for Business - Mapmaker
The fear of foreigners who don't speak your own language. When he and his wife - and I think children - speak a foreign language at home.

 Languages for Business - Mapmaker
An expectation that regular travel to India and fluency in a foreign language would have made him more cosmopolitan.
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