Start-up guide: Language training for your business

Samantha Ball
A business woman stood in front of a board of sticky notes, with others looking at the sticky notes.
Reading time: 4 minutes

As HR professionals, you understand the importance of equipping your workforce with the skills they need to thrive. One such critical skill is proficiency in business English. Implementing a corporate language training program can seem daunting, but with the right resources and a clear plan, you can set your organization on a path to success. Here’s a methodical guide to help you get started with resources to help you along the way.

Start-up guide: Language training for your business
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree ÃÛÌÒapp can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Step 1: Assess your needs

Before diving into language training, it’s essential to understand your organization’s specific needs. Consider the following:

  • Identify roles and skills: Determine which roles require strong English proficiency. Use tools like the GSE Job Profiles to map English skills to over 1300 roles.
  • Evaluate current proficiency: Use automated English language tests like Versant by ÃÛÌÒapp to assess the current proficiency levels of your employees. This will help you identify gaps and tailor your training programs accordingly.

Step 2: Choose the right training solutions

Selecting the appropriate training solutions is crucial for the success of your language program. ÃÛÌÒapp offers a variety of options to suit different needs:

  • Digital Language Tutor: For scalable, remote learning, consider Mondly by ÃÛÌÒapp and its Digital Language Tutor. This platform uses AI-powered Conversation Partners to simulate corporate scenarios, enhancing listening and speaking skills in relevant business contexts.
  • Instructor-led courses: For more personalized learning, explore courses like Business Partner and Step Up. These programs focus on developing business English and soft skills through authentic business situations and teamwork exercises.

Step 3: Develop a comprehensive plan

A well-structured plan ensures that your language training program is effective and sustainable. Here’s how to get started:

  • Set clear objectives: Define what you aim to achieve with your language training program. Whether it’s improving customer service, enhancing internal communication, or supporting international business expansion, having clear goals will guide your efforts.
  • Create a curriculum: Use tools like the to create job-specific language profiles and design a curriculum that aligns with your objectives.
  • Integrate assessments: Regularly assess your employees’ progress using tools like Versant by ÃÛÌÒapp. This will help you measure the effectiveness of your training and make necessary adjustments.

Step 4: Secure stakeholder buy-in

Gaining support from key stakeholders is critical for the success of your language training program. Here’s how to build a compelling case:

  • Highlight the Benefits: Use data to demonstrate the tangible benefits of language training, such as improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue, and enhanced employee engagement. Refer to resources like the Global English Proficiency Report for insights.
  • Calculate ROI: Use our business case template to calculate the potential return on investment (ROI) of your language training program. This will help you present a well-rounded argument to decision-makers.

Step 5: Implement and monitor

Once you have your plan and stakeholder support, it’s time to implement your language training program:

  • Launch the program: Roll out the training program across your organization. Ensure that employees understand the objectives and benefits of the training.
  • Monitor progress: Regularly track the progress of your employees using assessments and feedback. Use this data to make necessary adjustments and ensure continuous improvement.

Explore further

For additional insights, watch the webinar series 'The Power of Language Training and Assessment for Businesses.' This series is designed for HR innovators, talent acquisition and development professionals, people managers, and business leaders. It covers how integrating English language training and assessments into your talent strategy can power business success. The webinars feature exclusive product demos, real case studies, and the latest data and research, making them a must-watch to set your workforce up for success.

For more resources, explore our comprehensive collection of articles, reports and tools:

By following these steps and leveraging ÃÛÌÒapp’s innovative solutions, you can empower your workforce with the language skills they need to excel in today’s global business environment. Start your corporate language training journey today and unlock the full potential of your organization.

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • A teacher sat at a table with students helping them work

    GSE Teacher Toolkit: Teaching mixed ability classes

    By Sara Davila
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    One of the biggest challenges for language teachers is teaching a mixed ability class. Students with different levels and abilities will always be present in our classrooms. So, how can we use the to improve mixed ability teaching? Let’s find out.Ìý

    How to teach mixed-ability classes

    Differentiated instruction is the best way to address the challenges of mixed ability classrooms. This is a method that helps teachers adjust aspects of the curriculum to match the different levels ofÌýstudents.*ÌýThis practice ensures that all learners are meeting course outcomes, even though their learning experience may be varied andÌýdifferent.

    In order to differentiate instruction and support students with different needs, teachers can change:Ìý

    • the content being taughtÌýÌý
    • the process used to teachÌýÌý
    • the product students createÌýÌý
    • the environment where learning takes place

    Adjusting the content tends to be the most obvious way to support learners. So, teachers who want to engage with differentiated instruction in mixed ability classrooms often find themselves producing a lot of content. This is greatÌýas a way toÌýsupport learners. However, creating new content or leveling existing content is time-consuming, and it can become a real challenge for teachers.ÌýÌý

    Content vs process

    Instead of adjusting your content, you can use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to adjust your process. When you’re not creating lots of new content, you’ve got more time to consider how to teach new language to your students and how they can show what they’ve learned.ÌýThe GSE Teacher Toolkit helps teachers to focus on the process and language production of learners, rather than the content you are teaching.Ìý

    This means less work for you, and more engagement from your students, no matter what their level is. And the GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you understand the skills we can expect students to demonstrate. So how does this work in practice? Let’sÌýtake a look.Ìý

  • Teacher stood at the front of the class writing on a interactive whiteboard

    GSE Teacher Toolkit: Planning a communicative grammar lesson

    By Sara Davila
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Planning grammar lessons with the GSE Teacher Toolkit

    Grammar is one of the core areas of language teaching. Often, new teachers are nervous about teaching it, but sooner or later, all English teachers will have to get to grips with it. Whether you love or hate teaching grammar to your students, the makes planning a successful grammar lesson easier than ever.Ìý

    When it comes to planning a grammar-focused lesson, there are two main strategies to choose from: a communicative approach or a focus-on-form approach. The communicative approach is more commonly used.Ìý

    So, let’s have a look at how the GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you plan a communicative grammar lesson that is effective and engaging for your students.Ìý

    Teaching communicative grammar

    When you’re planning a grammar lesson, you want to be sure there is a reason for students to use the grammar point that you’re going to teach. That way, your students will be more motivated to learn the form and practise using it correctly.Ìý

    Using and applying grammar generally requires producing something. That’s why grammar, as an enabling skill, is often aligned to speaking and writing, the productive skills. When you want your students to use or produce a particular grammar form, you can begin by looking for the associated skills in speaking and writing.Ìý

    Choosing a skill to teach

    Imagine that you have a class that is learning at an A2 level (35 - 40 on the GSE range). You’ll want to help them work towards A2+/B1. So, it’s a good idea to plan lessons around skills that are in your target GSE range to push their progress.Ìý

    In order to plan an A2+ range speaking class, you can filter the GSE Teacher Toolkit to look in your target learning range for specific skills to teach:Ìý

  • Students sat at a desk looking at a textbook together, with a teacher pointing to it

    Real-world English: How GSE Job Profiles bridge learning and work

    By Sara Davila
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Did you know that improving your English proficiency can increase earning potential by up to 50% and safeguard your career against AI? Recent research by ÃÛÌÒapp highlights that English is not just a skill but a career-defining advantage in today’s globalized workplace. For millions of adult learners, the journey from the classroom to the workplace requires more than general conversational abilities—it’s about gaining targeted, job-ready skills as quickly as possible. For English language educators, understanding what “j´Ç²ú-°ù±ð²¹»å²â†English is and how to identify “j´Ç²ú-°ù±ð²¹»å²â†skills can provide a significant advantage in ensuring learners are prepared to communicate effectively and collaborate with their future coworkers.

    That’s where the Global Scale of English (GSE) Job Profiles comes in. For educators and program developers, it offers a bridge between real-world job skills and the English learners need to perform them. Whether you’re creating programs for nursing assistants, hospitality workers, or IT professionals, this tool ensures that learners build the precise English skills they need to thrive in their roles.

    Let’s walk through how to create a GSE Job Profile and explore its practical use for building programs that align with today’s professional realities.