Boosting employee retention: Benefits of language learning in the workplace

Claire Chettiar
Coworkers sat at a desk with their laptops, smiling and talking to eachother

In the era of the Great Resignation, there are lots of factors that influence whether or not someone chooses to stay with their company or decides to accept a job offer from a new employer.

Whilst fair pay remains a constant in this, feeling included, valued, and cared about by colleagues plays a significant role in the decision on whether to stay or go.

The power of language learning in the workplace
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In the (2022), international consultancy firm PwC identified the top five predictors for employee turnover as:

  • Not finding their job to be fulfilling
  • Not being able to be their true self at work
  • Not being fairly rewarded financially
  • Not having a team that cares about them
  • Not being listened to by their manager.

It is clear from this that communication, empathy and listening skills are all critical in both attracting and retaining employees.

There are many ways in which companies can address these points, including embracing language learning for employees at all levels in their organization.

Language learning development can have an impact on three key areas, each of which speak to the important points that employees look for that PwC identified.

Effective communication

Language barriers can hinder effective communication and collaboration among team members. By investing in language learning programs, organizations can bridge these gaps and facilitate sharing ideas, exchanging knowledge, and building stronger relationships.

Listening skills to understand all points of view

One of the most important language skills is listening. Even if you are a native speaker in the language of your company, there is often a lot to learn and practice to get it right, but it has one of the most significant impacts on employees who want to be heard by their manager and understood by their teams.

Cultural awareness

As employees learn new languages, they gain firsthand experience of different cultures, breaking down stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions. This exposure to diverse languages and cultures encourages individuals to view their colleagues beyond their cultural backgrounds, fostering an environment that is open, inclusive, and free from prejudice.

Collectively, strong language skills allow all employees to express their true selves at work, whilst being respected and listened to in an inclusive environment.

Not only does this create a culture in which teams are more connected and effective in what they need to deliver, but it fosters an environment where employees feel valued and want to stay.

Building in opportunities to develop language skills as part of employees' development plans, whether through formal courses or informal self-paced learning, will deliver significant value not just to the individual but to the organization as a whole.

Read more in our post 'Ways to boost employee retention with language learning'.

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  • A couple sat on a sofa one with a laptop the other with a book; they are both laughing

    How English conversation works

    By Richard Cleeve

    English language teachers everywhere spend time and energy helping students practice their conversation skills. Some may ask whether conversation in English can actually be taught. And – if it can – what the rules might be.

    To explore these questions, we spoke to world-renowned . He is an Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Bangor and has written more than 120 books on the subject.

    What makes a good conversation?

    “It’s very important that we put this everyday use of language under the microscope,” he says. He highlights three critical facets of conservation that we should bring into focus:

    • Fluency
    • Intelligibility
    • Appropriateness

    But all in all, he says that people should walk away from a conversation feeling like they’ve had a good chat.

    “For the most part, people want that kind of mutual respect, mutual opportunity, and have some sort of shared topic about which they feel comfortable – and these are the basics I think.”

    The rules of conversation

    There are plenty of ways you can teach learners to engage in a successful conversation – including how to speak informally, use intonation, and provide feedback. So let’s take a look at some of the key areas to focus on:

    1) Appropriateness

    Fluency and intelligibility are commonly covered in English language classes. But appropriateness can be more complicated to teach. When preparing to teach conversational appropriateness, we can look at it through two different lenses: subject matter and style:

    2) Subject matter

    “What subject matter is appropriate to use to get a conversation off the ground? There are cultural differences here,” he says. The weather is often a good icebreaker, since everyone is affected by it. The key is to find a common topic that all participants can understand and engage with.

    3) Style

    Teachers can also teach students about conversational style, focusing on how to make conversations more relaxed in English.

    There are “several areas of vocabulary and grammar – and pronunciation too, intonation for example – as well as body language, in which the informality of a conversation is expressed through quite traditional means,” says David. One example he offers is teaching students how to use contracted verb forms.

    4) Simultaneous feedback

    This is what makes a conversation tick. When we talk with someone, we let them know we’re listening by giving them feedback. We say things like “really” or “huh” and use body language like facial expressions and gestures.

    Of course, these feedback noises and expressions can be taught. But they won’t necessarily be new to students. English learners do the same when speaking their own language, anyway.

    Keep in mind though, that when it comes to speaking online on video conferencing platforms, it’s not easy to give this type of simultaneous feedback. People’s microphones might be on mute or there might be a delay, which makes reacting in conversations awkward. So, says David, this means online conversations become much more like monologues.

    5) Uptalk and accents

    Uptalk is when a person declares something in a sentence, but raises their intonation at the end. For English learners, it might sound like someone is asking a question.

    Here’s an example:

    • “I live in Holyhead” said in a flat tone – this is a statement.
    • “I live in Holyhead” said using uptalk – you are stating you live here, but recognize that someone else might not know where it is.

    Now, should teachers teach uptalk? David says yes. For one, it’s fashionable to speak this way – and it can be confusing for English learners if they don’t understand why it’s being used in a conversation.

    “The other thing is that we are dealing here with a genuine change in the language. One of the biggest problems for all language teachers is to keep up to date with language changes. And language change can be very fast and is at the moment,” he says.

    When it comes to accents, David is a fan. “It’s like being in a garden of flowers. Enjoy all the linguistic flowers,” he says, “That’s the beauty of language, its diversity”.