The world of business today is increasingly internationalised. Companies everywhere employ staff from many countries and cultures, whether it be in the one central office or in regional offices, or virtually.

1. Business English - an essential tool in today's world
The world of business today is increasingly internationalised. Companies everywhere employ staff from
many countries and cultures, whether it be in the one central office or in regional offices, or virtually. As
a result Business English has become an essential business communication tool. English has become the
lingua franca for many business dealings around the world. More and more international companies
have adopted Business English for board meetings, internal memos, emails and phone calls – even when
English is not the first language for many of the participants!
This trend is reflected in the growth of Business English courses around the world – whether they be
extensive courses taken in a local institute, or immersion English for Business Communication courses
taken in business language training centres in the UK, US, Canada or other English speaking countries.
Go to any top school and you’ll see they offer a range of business and industry-specific English courses,
designed to meet the needs of business leaders, HR professionals, sales people, pilots, engineers,
bankers, and so on.
E-learning companies like Net Languages, Global English and Rosetta Stone have also increased the
Business English content of their online programmes as students’ needs have become more career and
work-focused, and sell them aggressively to companies around the world.
Business English courses tend to cover a range of ‘general business’ topics. These include introducing
yourself and your company, sending business emails, making work-related phone calls, making company
presentations, going on business trips, and writing company reports. If you take a Business
Communication course, the language may become more technical, and focus on more advanced areas
of English, such as negotiating deals, leading international teams, recruitment issues, and describing
economic trends. Students may be older than on regular Business English courses, and may also be
higher up the organisation, typically at mid-senior management and director level.
Schools are offering increasingly customised Business English courses as well, designing companyspecific syllabi, for example, or running closed courses for groups of managers. This gives a school the
opportunity to tailor an English course to the precise needs of the course participants. This is particularly
useful for groups from quite technical backgrounds, such as doctors, oil and gas workers, lawyers, or
soldiers, for example.
A useful Business English course objective may be an exam such as Cambridge BULATS or the ETS TOEIC
test. Both tests are designed to reflect business and workplace needs, and can be used as the basis for a
strong syllabus. They are also a useful way of benchmarking business communication skills in English,
and can be used in both pre-course level testing and post-course progress assessment.
So, if you are an international company, Business English is an essential skill. If you haven’t done so yet,
it really is worth talking to an expert to see what kind of course is necessary and appropriate for your
staff. An expert will be able to conduct a business communication skills audit and make
recommendations on what kind of English course is best and how it should be delivered. Talking to the
world in a language everyone understands can only be good for both your top and bottom lines.