Do you really need advanced business English in your job?

Picture two workplace scenarios: In the first, you have an internal call with international colleagues to agree deadlines for an upcoming project. In the second, you walk a new client through your products and services using a presentation.

Which one requires advanced business English?

Many people would choose the presentation because face-to-face time with clients seems higher stakes. The reality is that you can often rely on the prepared slides.

On the other hand, internal calls are informal and spontaneous. It can be harder to follow conversations – and misunderstandings can lead to serious mistakes.

Workplace communication is actually far more effective when teams have the right proficiency level for their role and can adapt language for various situations.

So, let’s discuss how to tell when advanced English would help you bring value to your work.

Questions to determine if you actually need advanced English

Every role uses English differently so standardised tests don’t always tell you what you need to perform your best. Instead, you need a way to assess whether your language proficiency level is enough to support your specific context.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

1. Can I complete all my tasks with my current level of English? If the answer’s no, that’s a sign your tasks require a higher level of English than you currently use. It also suggests that you should make language learning a priority – communication issues are preventing you from carrying out the role you were hired to do.
2. Do language barriers regularly slow down my work or cause mistakes? Perhaps you can perform your role but not with the speed or accuracy it requires. This question helps gauge whether additional training could improve your performance in some areas.
3. Have I ever missed opportunities due to communication issues? Effective workplace communication is about discovering ways to improve outcomes as much as it’s about preventing errors or reducing inefficiencies. If you repeatedly miss opportunities, you may benefit from a more nuanced understanding of English in certain situations.
4. Can the people I work with usually understand me the first time? Language gaps might not be clear to you. Reflecting on situations when colleagues ask you to repeat yourself or mishear what you say may reveal areas where you could benefit from language training.
5. Do I ever hesitate to contribute to workplace discussions and why? A lack of participation in meetings could be caused by a lack of confidence in your abilities or in your language skills. Either way, it might prevent you from meeting your full potential.
6. How often do I feel mentally exhausted after a day of working in English? Everything may seem fine on the surface but you may be struggling with burnout. This could be due to the extra cognitive load of communicating in another language – however, if your role has recently changed or you’re in the middle of a stressful project, this is more likely to be a contributing factor.

Signs you should invest in advanced English

Aside from considering your own experience, assess whether your specific position requires advanced Business English. The following are signs your role and responsibilities call for a high level of English proficiency:

• You manage nuanced interactions: These situations require a high level of control over the language to get your meaning across. For example, you may work in HR and need to give feedback to help an employee improve without discouraging them.
• You support high-stakes decisions: What you say influences decisions that matter so people rely on you to be clear and exact. You’re likely to contribute to strategic plans concerning the budget, compliance or international expansion.
• You build relationships as part of your role: Strong connections require nuance and sensitivity, especially at the start of a working relationship when you welcome new employees to your team. These communication skills, in turn, rely on a high level of English in a multilingual workplace.
• You lead international teams: When you coordinate people across different languages and cultures, you need advanced English to manage communication. For instance, you must be able to give instructions, check for understanding and interpret feedback.
• You work with a range of stakeholders: If you collaborate with multiple departments or clients, you need to adapt how you communicate depending on the situation. For instance, operations managers often need strong English proficiency to coordinate internal processes across the company.

Signs your English level is where it should be

Not every role requires advanced Business English. A recent study suggests that communication demands often depend on the task and the people you’re working alongside.

There’s also a possibility that you’ve already achieved a sufficient level of English to perform your role. Many people tend to underestimate their language abilities, particularly if they haven’t received a formal assessment in a few years.

Here are some signs you don’t need to make learning advanced English a priority:

• You participate in a range of discussions without difficulty.
• You can focus on discussions and tasks without significant pauses to search for words.
• You rarely need to rewrite or heavily edit messages to make them clearer to recipients.
• Colleagues respond to your ideas with few requests for clarification.
• You understand feedback and instructions and act on them confidently.
• Others naturally include you in discussions, updates or decisions in English.

Putting your role first, not the language level

Advanced English is a powerful tool for some roles but unnecessary effort for others. While employees should feel free to pursue language learning opportunities, they mustn’t put themselves under any pressure if their job doesn’t require it.

The bottom line is that there isn’t a ‘right level of English’ for the workplace. It depends on your language skills and how you use them in your role.

Think you could benefit from more advanced Business English? Book a demo with British Council English Online to explore our services for corporate groups.