Business: Lingua franca

With the economy being more globalized than ever and the constant need to address competition through innovation, one important aspect of education has not received enough attention: the study of foreign languages.

There are the obvious advantages of learning a foreign language, such as enhancing the appreciation of other people and cultures, finding employment in businesses and organization with international exposure, and improving travel experience and dating opportunities.

However, as to improving business climate and opportunity, learning a foreign language offers several significant advantages to individuals and businesses. It can:

Increase memory power and lengthen one’s span of attention

Demonstrate perseverance and ability to do challenging work

Enhance decision-making abilities and problem-solving skills

Demonstrate ability to tolerate risk and criticism

Enhance general communication skills

Improve self-confidence

Boost creativity

Suggestion:

To improve their pool of innovative prospective employees, ask employers to add “Two years of college-level foreign language education required” as a required qualification.

Vocational Education: Communication

Applied Communication (1988) teaches strategies and techniques for communicating in business settings and every day workplace situations. The modules cover: communicating in the workplace; gathering and using information in the workplace; using problem solving strategies; starting a new job; communicating with coworkers; participating in groups; following and giving directions; communicating with supervisors; presenting one’s point of view; communicating with clients and customers; making and responding to requests; communicating to solve interpersonal conflict; evaluating performance; upgrading, retraining, and changing jobs; and improving the quality of communication.

Applied Communication videos