Business English solutions

In the modern world of business, there is virtually no way around operating internationally. More than anything else, this means one thing: You have to know your Business English. 

In this article, you’ll learn about how to use the TOEIC turnkey solution to your businesses’ advantage. I will walk you through the process step by step, so that you’ll know how to put your workforce in the best position for international success.

1. ASSESS

The first step is to assess the English skills of your employees as they currently stand. This means conducting a preliminary round of TOEIC testing. There are many test centers where this can be done. 

To achieve the most accurate results, prepare them for the test format with a basic TOEIC workshop. 

Some test centers offer preparation workshops, some don’t. If yours doesn’t there are many online resources to help you with this. For example, you could find an English coach, who will run a workshop or you could try using apps like fluentU.

2. SET GOALS

After collecting this initial data, it is now time to set goals and devise a plan to reach them.

Think about who should reach what level of proficiency. You can do this…

…at a company-wide or departmental level

…in relation to specific needs of different jobs

…for certain individuals.

Once you’re clear about the scope of your plan, now is the time to figure out how proficient you want your employees to become. Keep in mind that learning a language is very demanding and therefore your expectations should be reasonable. 

For insight on time needed to make progress in this area, I refer you to the saegusa study 1985. It will give you a rough estimate on how long it takes the average person to reach certain milestones. 

Learning English requires a serious investment of your time. To reach the milestones as quickly as possible, you should consider if and how much of an employee’s workday should be dedicated to their studies. Take into account the amount of private time they will also need to invest.

3. CREATE LEARNING GROUPS

Now, that you’ve established your starting point and goals, it’s time to break up your workforce into learning groups. Choose appropriate courses for the groups’ specific level, goals and time needed to get there.

There are two options on how to divide the groups:

• Base them on their level. In this case, the level and time frame to reach the desired level of proficiency should be the same for all participants. This gives participants the opportunity to uplift each other during the process and learn together.
• Base them on a time frame. Here, everybody has a predetermined time frame to reach their individual goals. Because the levels are mixed, participants will discover differences in their abilities and learn to accept the differences.

4. RUN COURSES WITH AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER

While online platforms and language apps are beneficial (and should be incorporated into any TOEIC preparation course), they can’t provide the same level of support that a dedicated teacher can offer. 

Because a professional English coach offers both deep knowledge of English, while at the same time adding extra motivation to the group through their past experiences of preparing professionals for the TOEIC, this approach gives your employees the best chance of achieving their goals.

5. TEST AT REGULAR INTERVALS

Learning English doesn’t end with taking the TOEIC. Rather, it’s about continuously making progress. To that end, your employees should take retests every six to twelve months. 

This benefits everybody: You can measure the English proficiency of your company, while employees see their English level rise over time, adding further motivation. 

Should you notice a lack of improvement in your employees’ English abilities, this could have many reasons. The main thing is to distinguish between two scenarios:

• If a particular induvial is not improving, it is often simply the case of that person not being interested in learning or, for whatever personal reason, may not be able to. Perhaps they are just a naturally slow learner or have a disability. Although the teacher can’t be held accountable for this per se, they should at least have an idea of how to deal with a situation like this.
• However, if a whole group is not showing any progress, it might in fact be the case that the teacher is not well-suited to fulfill their job. Because of this, retests are a form of quality-control not only for your employees, but for the teacher you hired as well.