While Foreign Workers Continue to Move into the U.S. Job Market, Few Companies Are Effectively Dealing with Language Limitations

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A lack of English proficiency can also limit promotion opportunities. Companies that provide English language training report that 25 percent of their immigrant workforce have English language skills that would limit their promotion opportunities.

Company Profiles

The Conference Board report looks at how two companies are dealing with this issue. At a large manufacturer with more than $5 billion in annual sales and approximately 30,000 employees, language programs have been part of its training options for over a decade. The current language-training program runs for nine weeks, and improves not only language proficiency but interpersonal communications as well. Executives from the company believe the program has a positive impact on the bottom line through increased productivity, safety and enhanced employee satisfaction.

At Ernst & Young, a global professional services firm with 130,000 people in 140 countries, the focus of language training is for two groups. For their operations in English speaking countries, employees seeking language assistance are generally looking for accent reduction, cultural assimilation or increased business vocabulary. In non-English speaking countries, becoming proficient in English opens up opportunities for more rapid advancement and assignment to more prestigious and complex projects.

Source: Speaking with Authority: The Case for Teaching English Language Proficiency on the Job, Executive Action No. 270, The Conference Board