What is English language training for employees?

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So you hired a new developer based on their experience, CV and a great interview performance. A few weeks into the job, however, they’re struggling to collaborate with their colleagues. You run a performance review, which reveals they lack the specific English needed to read the highly technical reports they’re receiving.

As a result, things are being missed, the project is experiencing delays and your client is getting frustrated.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s easy for someone to have great English in everyday situations, but struggle with very niche topics. Fortunately, English language training for employees can help resolve the issue and get your employees working effectively again.

Let’s take a look at what it involves – and how it benefits your business.

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What is English language training for employees?

English language training for employees is provided by companies to improve employees’ communication skills in professional situations.

Unlike general English for everyday purposes, English training for employees focuses on workplace-specific language and tasks. For example, writing emails, giving presentations, negotiating contracts and handling client calls.

Today, corporate language training is more important than ever. With the rise of remote and hybrid work, your employees can now be anywhere in the world. So they need a common language to communicate, which tends to be English.

Expansion into new countries and markets may also require teams to have good English. Even at a national level, many client-facing roles in non-English-speaking markets require English these days.

Whatever the reason, English language training for employees helps them overcome communication barriers, collaborate across borders and compete at international level. It also builds their confidence and prevents costly misunderstandings.

Workplace English vs. business English: what’s the difference?

The terms ‘workplace English’ and ‘business English’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.

Workplace English is a general term for English used to do a job, in any role or sector. It focuses on everyday workplace communication, from collaborating with colleagues to internal communications. While professional, it’s usually less formal than business English.

Business English fits within workplace English but is usually more advanced, formal and corporate. It focuses on specific situations and goals, like negotiations, strategy, presentations and meetings. For this reason, it’s most appropriate for senior team members or leaders, especially in industries like finance, banking or international trade. However, it’s not usually role-specific and may not meet the needs of employees who need specific language for their jobs.

Workplace English

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Business English

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Role-specific English

When providing English training for employees, many companies choose business English for corporate communication. It’s formal and neutral, so it avoids the potential misunderstandings that can come with everyday conversational English and slang. And, of course, it’s easier for HR departments to provide one-size-fits-all training for everyone than tailored programs for every department or role.

However, advanced business English may not be necessary for all employees. In some cases, they may already have reached the level of English necessary to do their job. If you’re unsure about this, see Do you really need advanced business English in your job?

Also, a single approach doesn’t always work for everyone. Unless all learners are from the same department, it’s unlikely the whole course will be relevant for all of them. Business English may not provide the specific vocabulary and skills needed for certain roles. For example, customer service representatives need language and skills for conflict resolution and empathy. By contrast, a supply chain manager needs to understand logistics terminology.

When team members lack the right, specific vocabulary and skills, it can lead to inefficiencies, misunderstandings and missed opportunities.

That’s where English for Specific Purposes (ESP) comes in.

What is English for Specific Purposes (ESP)?

English for Specific Purposes is a methodology, not a course. It’s all about understanding role-specific learner needs and providing language training tailored to their job and everyday reality.

Rather than broadly focusing on ‘business’ in general, ESP teaches the specific vocabulary and skills needed in fields like medicine, engineering or tourism. This can be quite different from general or business English in terms of applications.

For instance, training in technical writing lets professionals draft clear, concise reports, proposals and internal communications. Others may need to improve their verbal and written communication to build strong relationships with customers and partners. This means English training programmes reflect business objectives and employees are better equipped to help achieve them.

As well as empowering employees to do their job better, this targeted approach boosts learners’ confidence and is more relevant and, therefore, motivating for them.

For all these reasons, many companies are shifting away from generic corporate language training towards English for Specific Purposes (ESP).

What does an ESP approach involve?

While ESP programmes may differ in terms of course material, they all have a few things in common:

  • Needs-based, not generic: The first step is to run a needs analysis. This tells you why your employees need English and which skills and vocabulary they need for specific professional situations. Unlike general English, ESP classes may not necessarily cover all four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking equally. Instead, they focus on what’s most relevant.
  • Built around real workplace tasks and authentic materials: ESP programmes incorporate tasks and activities that reflect real-world, industry-specific challenges. For example, hotel employees will need to learn language for check-ins and handling customer complaints. Wherever possible, materials should be from authentic real-life sources. For example, they’ll benefit more from practising filling in niche-specific customer complaint forms than generic examples.
  • Outcome-focused: Rather than just focusing on grammar and fluency, ESP assessments should evaluate whether students have learned the vocabulary and skills they need to do their job. That means that assessment tasks should mirror real workplace scenarios rather than standardised language tests.

Role-specific English training

Here are some examples of what ESP looks like in practice:

How to know if your team needs role-specific training

Is your team frequently making mistakes or struggling with industry-specific materials or terminology? It may not be lack of skill, but lack of language needed for their role. If you’re seeing miscommunications with international clients or partners, it’s time to take a closer look. Running an English language proficiency audit for your team will help you get a better understanding of the problem.

Once you know what’s missing, look for a provider who specialises in ESP. You want someone who understands the specific demands of each role and can provide the training needed, instead of offering a general course for everyone.

When you introduce this to your team, reassure them that this is focused on smoothing out parts of the job where specialised language is needed. They’ll get the tools needed to feel more confident and effective in their work – so everyone wins.

English for Specific Purposes: Give your team what they need to succeed

In a global market, your clients and partners could be anywhere in the world. While general or business English is a great start, it often doesn’t go far enough toward helping specialised professionals get the skills they need to do their job.

English for specific purposes is a targeted approach that focuses on role-specific learning to make sure everyone can collaborate and compete effectively with others in their field. Whether it’s talking to patients or launching your new app, ESP provides the language and skills to succeed.

Give your team a competitive advantage. Contact us to learn more about English for Specific Purposes training for your team.

 

Frequently asked questions about English language training for employees

What is the difference between general English and ESP?

General English is useful for everyday purposes, like socialising or holidays. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is role-specific workplace English. For example, the language and skills a software engineer needs to do their job.

Is Business English the same as workplace English?

Business English is not the same as workplace English, which is more general. Workplace English tends to focus on everyday workplace communication, like collaborating with colleagues or internal communications.

Business English is usually more formal than workplace English and focuses on advanced language for presentations, negotiations or international meetings.

How do you assess what level of English training employees need?

Run a needs analysis to understand how they use English and in which situations. For example, if it’s for breakroom chats, general workplace English is enough. If they need industry-specific technical language to collaborate, then they need English for Specific Purposes.

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