As an executive for a large international corporation, I had the opportunity to live and work in a few very different countries: Germany, France, the U.S., China and Korea.
Growing up in Germany in the post WWII era, I spoke German and had learned Latin and some Greek in school. I had had French classes but was far from fluent when I finished high school.
My first experience in really learning a language was after applying for an internship in France during college. I had boldly stated on my application that I was fluent in French. Nobody challenged me until I tried to mumble a few words on my first day in the Paris office of an import-export company... I realized that learning to communicate would be a steep learning curve!
What I learned from working with the French was that learning their language was essential for functioning in a business environment. French people are very proud of their language, culture and heritage. They expect foreigners to speak at least some French. Unfortunately, French is quite difficult to master and French people are not very forgiving when you make mistakes.
American business people are more generous when it comes to speaking English. They do expect foreigners to speak English, but not to speak it perfectly. When I accepted an assignment in the U.S. in 1990, I was well beyond the high school age and started learning English pretty much from scratch. It took me about six months to be functional. This investment opened the doors for me to later pursue international assignments in Asia.
Moving to take on a management job in China, I already knew how critical it would be to acquire at least a "survival" level of Chinese for me to be successful. Although English is accepted as the international business language, knowing some Chinese made a huge difference. After a few months, I was able to grasp the gist of what was said in negotiations instead of solely relying on translators. Without a minimum of listening comprehension on my part, they would likely "interpret" what our counterparts said and try to soften some of the statements, or make them sound "politically correct."
Being able to say a few things in their language also showed Chinese business partners my respect for their country. They much appreciated my effort. I became able to communicate in basic matters, which made the day-to-day dealings with my colleagues effective and pleasant.
Most foreign assignments are given to professionals with many years of business experience who, for the most part, don't have a whole lot of experience learning new languages. Since they are expected to carry out business duties upon their arrival, the time allotted to learn the language is very limited. The vocabulary covered should be tailored to the individual needs of the assignment, e.g. business communication, technical language, legalese, etc. and using a highly effective learning methodology becomes a matter of success or failure.
On a personal note, knowing some Chinese provided me with vital access to Chinese culture, traditions and business etiquette - another big plus when it came to enjoying my time there. My wife took learning Chinese very seriously and committed herself to becoming fluent. Her dedication turned out to be an incredible asset for us, as it allowed us to independently travel in China, to meet many fascinating people and to make Chinese friends. We ended up spending six years in China and loving the country and its people. This would not have been possible without us both diving into the arduous task of learning to communicate in Chinese.
I would like to close with an encouraging note to all the students out there who are considering foreign assignments: learn the local language, it's worth it!
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Sunday, October 05, 2008 View other articles written by Nathalie Fairbanks(126)
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