Empowering employee success: establishing a learning culture

Samantha Ball
Business people in a group smiiling with their hands up in air

In the fast-paced world of business, there is one undeniable fact that holds true: employees are the key to success. Their commitment and expertise propel organizations towards their objectives, which is why investing in a learning culture is essential. The advantages are numerous and include improved staff retention, increased productivity and the goal of higher employee engagement.

How learning cultures can help your business thrive
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Developing a culture of learning in an organization requires a thorough understanding of its skill gaps and the range of skills that employees want to improve, including both hard and soft skills. A recent of 4,000 employees in the UK, US, India and Brazil found that employees expect equal emphasis on both interpersonal (soft) and technical (hard) skills.

Organizations are investing more in fostering interpersonal skills. Leaders and HR professionals are realizing the importance of soft skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration and adaptability. These skills not only contribute to effective management but also help in problem-solving and project management. This shift is crucial, particularly in addressing the decline of social skills within the workforce due to the pandemic.

Why is a learning culture important, particularly language learning?

Language skills stand out as pivotal in developing interpersonal business skills. English language learning, in particular, serves as a catalyst for improved communication, bolstering employee confidence, engagement and networking, as well as personal and professional growth. Learning a new language can improve cognitive function, enhancing multitasking skills and creativity, making for a more skilled workforce.

Elevating English proficiency across an organization opens the door to international markets, yielding substantial bottom-line benefits. Clearer communication leads to smoother operations, minimized errors and enhanced productivity. One of our identifies some of these skills, such as communication, as a highly prized workforce skill, so it's easy to see the importance of learning in a workplace setting.

So, how can you or your organization help to address and encourage a learning culture?

Communication is key

It's about keeping the dialogue open. Celebrating successes and reflecting on progress during year-end performance management and appraisals while understanding employees' learning ambitions for the year ahead fosters collective buy-in and a sense of belonging. The outcomes of these discussions form the basis of a robust learning and development roadmap for future years.

Lead by example

Active leadership involvement is essential in promoting language learning within an organization. By participating in language classes or demonstrating the value of language skills through their interactions, leaders and managers can set an example for their employees. Their involvement can encourage others to follow suit, thereby emphasizing the organization's commitment to learning and development.

Measurable goals

Establishing measurable learning milestones not only bolsters the learning culture but also fuels employee motivation and continuous development, aiding leadership in producing management reports that showcase organizational progress.

Offer Incentives

Create incentives for employees to learn languages by offering rewards, recognition or certifications upon reaching proficiency milestones. Tie language learning to career advancement opportunities or salary increases to incentivize continuous growth.

Make it fun and accessible

For a thriving learning culture, make workplace learning accessible, enjoyable and interactive. Leveraging emerging technologies like AI and reshapes learning experiences, necessitating user-friendly tech-based learning methods over outdated training methodologies. If learning is easy to access, staff are much more likely to participate; no one likes operating an awkward, long-winded or old-fashioned system. It can take the fun and motivation out of learning.

Cultivating a culture of learning necessitates a proactive approach starting from the top. Offering a blend of hard and soft skills, including language learning, is pivotal for a successful learning culture, elevated employee engagement and fostering sustainable business growth.

Remember, the journey towards a thriving culture of learning is not just an investment in your employees; it's an investment in the future success of your business.

You may also be interested in our blog post 'Improving employee engagement: The crucial role of language learning in business'

Check out Mondly by ÃÛÌÒapp Workplace English to build those crucial soft skills alongside language learning.?

Mondly by ÃÛÌÒapp Workplace English

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  • A Parent reading to his two children from a book with all three of them laying on the floor

    How can teachers encourage parents to get kids reading at home?

    By Donatella Fitzgerald MBE

    ¡°Sharing a story with your child is one of the most incredible things you can do for them.¡± ¨C .

    Research shows that getting kids reading at home can increase their reading ability at school ¨C and improve their overall well-being. Parents and guardians can make a big difference. But how can teachers encourage parents to get their children to read more at home? We explore some strategies you can use.

    Tell parents about the benefits

    Reading can give children a break from technology-centered activities. It can help them to relax and unwind; reading a book can make children laugh and feel happier! Through hearing stories, children are also exposed to a rich and broad vocabulary.

    ¡°It is important for teachers to establish contact with parents as much as possible and give very clear guidelines on the benefits of reading, and how they can create a reading routine and help their children read at home,¡± says Kasia Janitz-De La Rue, Product Development Director at ÃÛÌÒapp.

    So, encourage parents to find time for a reading routine. Just before bedtime is a great time, as .

    Give parents practical ideas for reading strategies

    Encourage parents to read with and not to their child. It doesn¡¯t matter how long they set aside to read ¨C just 10 minutes of quality reading time can make a big difference.

    Here are a few tips concrete reading tips for teachers to share with parents:

    • Ask children lots of questions while reading.
    • Use encouragement and praise to keep children engaged. Saying things like ¡°what fantastic ideas¡± or ¡°you thought so carefully about that, what might happen now?"?will keep their minds working.
    • Use their past experiences to talk about what¡¯s being read. Things like ¡°have you learnt about¡­at school?¡± or ¡°do you remember when we watched¡­and found out about¡­?¡± are good conversation starters.
    • Tune in and listen to children, and be curious about their interests. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew so much about¡­¡± or ¡°I love reading stories about¡­with you,¡± are good phrases to keep in mind.

    It¡¯s also a great idea to share online resources with parents. You can also suggest that parents look up read-aloud YouTube videos featuring authors, teachers or librarians reading their favorite stories. This way, children can watch and listen as often as they like.

    Recommend graded readers

    Graded readers are books that use language in line with a child¡®s learning level. They can help children build confidence, and help slowly expose them to authentic reading levels.

    Encourage parents to identify what genre their child is interested in and show them the readers available. Each time parents see their children move up a level, they¡¯re sure to see their children¡¯s love for reading grow.

    Suggest before, during, and after reading activities

    Before reading

    Parents can take turns with their children to predict what the story is about ¨C or what will happen next. Here is an activity teachers may suggest they try:

    ¡°Start with the cover of the book and the blurb on the back cover. Reveal the cover slowly to ask the child what they can see. Ask them to guess what is on the cover. Once they have seen the cover, ask them questions about the images on the cover ¨C who, what, why, where and how?¡±

    While reading

    Remind parents to focus on their children¡¯s reading comprehension by using strategies like prediction, questioning, clarifying, and summarising. Teachers can ask parents to:

    • check ideas and understanding as the child reads: ¡®So, you think that¡­.¡¯ ¡®Did you expect¡­to happen?¡¯ ¡®Why do you think that happened?¡¯
    • use the pictures in the book to help with comprehension
    • describe what is happening and talk about the characters.

    After reading

    Don¡¯t forget: parents can continue to explore the book¡¯s topic once reading time is done! A few ideas to share with parents include:

    • organising a puppet show for family members and siblings after making puppets of the characters in the book
    • having children draw a picture of their favorite character or their favorite page in the story
    • encouraging children to express their opinion on the book.