ESL – Page 2

Beyond the LOLs and Hashtags: English Is the Language of Online Business

British colonialism, world wars, Hollywood blockbusters—for reasons that stretch back for generations, English dominates the world scene, particularly when it comes to business. As the world shrinks and communications diversify, global professionals have come to rely on the Internet for fast, reliable, and shareable online business exchanges. In this system of global online communication, English has trumped other languages on the Internet as the one most commonly shared between international parties. For those who speak little or no English, online translation services like Google Translate offer some help, though not nearly enough.

Although Google Translate has made leaps and bounds in improving its accuracy and information base (you can still get a laugh from Translate’s less-than-perfect days, as seen in this endlessly entertaining video), it hardly serves as a reliable (or realistic) means of viewing all potential business-relevant websites in your native language. Online professionals are finding that a sturdy knowledge of English is the best way to get the most out of an online business experience.

Forbes Magazine discussed the English language’s international transition from being a “marker of the elite” to serving as a basic necessity for those entering the workforce. Much more than just a trend, evidence of this progression can be seen in Japan’s major clothing retail store Uniqlo, the Nissan Motor Company, Finnish telecom company Nokia, and German airline Lufthansa, which are just a few examples of the many international companies that have adopted English as their official language of business. The British Council predicts that two billion people will be studying English a mere five years from now.

As explained by linguist Kachru, the use of English across the globe is divided into countries where it is the mother tongue (e.g., the United Kingdom), those where it is an official second language (e.g., Singapore), and those where it is a prominently used foreign language (e.g., China). The latter categories are of particular interest, as these countries (many of which, such as Japan, Korea, China, and India, are major economic drivers) actually use English as the go-to common language or, as stated in The Japan News, a “social resource.” Whether meeting the needs of a social network, a large conglomerate, or a small online business, English is fast becoming the language of commerce worldwide.

An agency from Argentina may do business with companies in Japan and Saudi Arabia, but more than likely the language they use to speak to each other is English. English also distinguishes local businesses from those with international targets. Walking into a hair salon off the street in Taiwan, you’ll probably be greeted by a Mandarin Chinese–speaking clerk; however, if that same business has shops across Taiwan and a few in Korea, you’re more than likely to find its website in English. This is where the importance of knowing English comes into play to be profitable online.

A 2013 study reports that Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese are growing at faster rates online than English, but English is still the most commonly used language. As pointed out by Business Insider, the only language that has some real possibility to challenge English’s online reign is Mandarin. Yet because the Mandarin language is “one of the world’s most difficult to master, and least computer-friendly,” a successful coup is unlikely. Sure, Mark Zuckerberg made some news by holding a Q&A session at Beijing’s Qinghua University entirely in Mandarin (which is hilarious, for Facebook is still blocked from online users in China), but English still runs at an impressive lead over other languages on online platforms. In 2013, 55.5% of websites used English as their main content language, with German occupying the second-place slot at a lowly 6%. Mandarin, in contrast, was the language of choice of only 2.8% of websites, despite the fact that Chinese speakers made up the second largest body of Internet users worldwide (English speakers being the first, with over 800 million users, and the Chinese not far behind, with 650 million users).

As business enterprises encompass our ever-shrinking globe, one thing is for certain: English won’t be retreating any time soon. For online business professionals and others, knowledge of English is no longer merely a plus on a resume; it’s the backbone of communications and online profitability. Fortunately, the Internet is also a giving beast. With online courses,anyone can initiate his or her own English-learning experience and kick-start a more profitable relationship with the online business world.

Five Obstacles Businesspeople Face When Learning English (and Why You Can’t Afford to Let These Obstacles Defeat You)

English is indisputably the language of business around the world. It’s no longer just an asset for businesspeople to become fluent—it’s a necessity.

But behind this trend toward using English in business (regardless of citizenship or native language) are millions of individuals devoting time and patience to becoming fluent and able to compete in such a market.

Yet businesspeople who are learning English face many obstacles. According to a 2013 study by KnowledgeAdvisors about the use of English in business, these obstacles could be thwarting the attempts of many businesspeople to learn the language.

According to the GlobalEnglish white paper in which this study’s results were published, despite the need to be able to interact in English, “companies around the world find themselves ill-prepared. Only 7% of global workers feel their English is good enough to do their jobs, and only 13% of university graduates in emerging countries are hirable in multinational companies due to their poor English skills.”

So what’s holding non–English-speaking businesspeople back from gaining these coveted skills? Certainly, learning a new language is no small task, but the rewards for adapting to the demands of the business world are many. The GlobalEnglish white paper says that “one in four CEOs say they are missing market opportunities because of talent challenges.” If you can expand your skill set to fill this need, your value as an employee is almost certain to increase.

The following are five obstacles businesspeople face when learning English. Don’t allow these obstacles to hold you back.

1. Lack of time

Let’s start with the most obvious hurdle to learning any language: not having enough time. Businesspeople in particular always seem to be on the go, juggling work responsibilities and project ideas, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, caring for families, and keeping up with friendships.

How on earth can anyone find the time to learn a whole new language on top of all that?

The key here is prioritization and consistency. Let’s face it: certain things, such as family, just have to be more important than learning a language.

To overcome this obstacle, you’ll need a combination of willpower and cunning. If you’re serious about learning English, you must commit to practicing the language consistently. Then, even if you can’t spend as much time learning the rules as you’d like, try supplementing this by finding a buddy to practice with during downtime, such as on your lunch break.

This brings us to our next obstacle . . .

2. Isolation

No one—or very few people—can learn in isolation. We need teachers, peers, and learning tools to support us in the learning process. This is particularly true when learning a language; language is all about communication, which requires the involvement of more than one person.

Instead of burying yourself under a pile of dictionaries and language books, try seeking out people to have conversations with in English or courses that offer engaging language training with clearly defined learning outcomes.

The Internet can be a great place to practice interacting in English, and finding coworkers who are also seeking to learn is a great way to supplement this because you can encourage one another throughout the learning process. Whichever route you take, be intentional about finding support and accountability.

3. Simply not enjoying or liking the language

Finding time to learn something you’re interested in is enough of a struggle—this obstacle can become insurmountable when coupled with a genuine abhorrence of the material you’re learning.

Perhaps you don’t enjoy learning any language, or perhaps you just can’t take to the sounds and rules of English in particular. Whatever the case, the key will be using methods of learning that you do enjoy. Try reading online English articles about a topic that does interest you or watching some of your favorite television shows in English or with English subtitles.

Hopefully, these methods will help get you to a place in the learning process where you can begin to enjoy the language itself; if not, at least they get the job done.

4. Fear of losing cultural identity

Despite the pressure to learn English in business, some people are hesitant to get on the bandwagon for fear that it will weaken their own cultural identities.

Because language and culture are so closely related to each other, one can see why such fears are legitimate. The solution to this obstacle is less straightforward than the solutions to previous obstacles. As a native English speaker, I am certainly not in a position to pronounce such fears as unfounded. However, in the interest of helping people overcome obstacles to learning English, I do present the humble suggestion that learning English could actually strengthen cultural identity, allowing people to discuss their own values, backgrounds, and cultures with a greater number of individuals from differing circumstances.

Also, even though practicing a language as much as possible while learning it is beneficial, if the loss of cultural identity is a fear of yours, try to keep your use of the English language specific to your situation. For instance, use English when speaking to international clients and colleagues, and use your native language at home and with friends.

5. Discouragement

Embarrassment and discouragement when learning English are bound to affect the learning process. According to Tsedal Neely in an article in Forbes, “Incredibly competent employees who are experts in their various areas of work . . . say they feel ‘childlike’ when they have to switch to the working language.”

In the professional world, people are judged by the quality of their ideas, and because language is the medium through which these ideas are communicated, not being able to communicate effectively is particularly frustrating.

Overcoming this obstacle must be a joint effort between native (or fluent) English speakers and learners of the language. Those who are already proficient in English should be patient and respectful of English learners, and they should also alter the way they speak by using shorter and more widely known words.

Not only is this a kind thing to do, but it will also allow for more productive communication. To overcome discouragement, English learners need to be patient with themselves and remember that learning a language is a difficult task that takes time—years, even—to accomplish.

It seems trite to say, but remember that no matter your level of proficiency, you are working to accomplish a very difficult task that requires tremendous effort.

Try to avoid becoming too disheartened; if you can persevere, you will eventually get to a place where you’re confident in your English-language ability.

Conclusion

Apparently, the global use of English in business is here to stay, at least for a while. Although this means that businesspeople who do not speak English must now learn the language, the stability of English in the business world also means that those who expend the time and effort in learning the language—be it through practice with peers, an online training course, or a combination of both—will surely reap the rewards.

If businesspeople who are learning English can overcome the obstacles to the learning process, they can be the ones to fill the talent gap that is affecting so many companies.

Don’t give up!

18 Ways to Say “Hello” in English

What is a greeting?

Hola! Shalom! Czesc! Marhaba! Salut! Hallo!

Well, hi there! Now that you’ve been thoroughly greeted, let’s get down to business and talk about using different greetings in English. According to Merriam-Webster, a greeting is a salutation upon meeting someone, or an expression of good wishes. More simply, to greet someone is to say “hello” or to extend a polite word of welcome.

Each country or culture has its own way of greeting others, and these greetings are a part of every conversation. Think about how you greet new people in your native country. Do you have different ways to say “hello” when you meet someone in a store, at a job interview, at school, or at your own house? Just as there are different ways to say “hello” in your native language, there are different conventions to follow in English. It is important to know the common greetings and how to use them properly and confidently. They say that first impressions are everything, but I say that a first impression is nothing without the proper greeting.

Why are proper greetings important?

You may be wondering why you need to learn about greetings. Maybe you’re more comfortable using your native greeting, whether that be Hola, Kon’nichiwa, Ciao, or something else entirely. After all, you may think everyone will know what you mean. And you may be right. In a world that is quickly becoming one gigantic global village, the most common ways to say “hello” in different countries are becoming increasingly commonplace all across the world. No matter which English-speaking country you find yourself in, you’ll probably be able to get away with using non-English greetings. But, you know . . . when in Rome (or Toronto, Canada; or maybe London, England; or, heck, maybe even Sydney, Australia) . . .

You’re probably already aware of a few ways to say “hello” to someone in English, but there are actually dozens of greetings to use—in fact, too many to list here. Why does one silly language need so many different greetings, anyway? For one thing, English speakers like to avoid repetition. We would much rather create countless ways to convey one single message than face the possibility of having to repeat something someone else has already said. If one person says “Hello,” the other person will likely want to respond with another phrase. More important than this dread of redundancy, however, is that different circumstances call for different levels of formality. You would not greet a prospective employer in the same manner or tone that you would use for a classmate or friend (that is, not if you really want the job that employer has to offer.)

It may seem overwhelming at first, but over time you’ll learn which greetings to use in which situations. To help you get started, here are a few common English greetings (and examples of exchanges) that you can use in formal, informal, or casual situations.

Formal greetings: “How do you do?”

The phrase featured in the heading above is formal, a bit outdated, and not often used today. However, certain greetings are appropriate for use in more formal situations or when respect and courtesy are called for. These instances include business meetings, formal classroom or workplace presentations, or meeting a friend’s parents. You may encounter such greetings when doing business in restaurants and shops. There are many other options, but here are six of the most common formal ways to say “hello”:

1. “Hello!”

2. “Good morning.”

3. “Good afternoon.”

4. “Good evening.”

5. “It’s nice to meet you.”

6. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” (These last two only work when you are meeting someone for the first time.)

Let’s take a look at how these phrases might be used:

Mr. Piper (arriving at his client’s office): “Good morning, Mr. Drummer. How are you today?”

Mr. Drummer: “Hello, Mr. Piper. I’m very well, thank you! Please come in and we can review that contract.”

Dr. Feelwell (addressing a group of colleagues at a seminar): “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I would like to present the results of my study on ‘Healthy Fast Food Options.'”

Mary: “John, I’d like you to meet my father.”

John (shifting from one foot to the other): “Er . . . ah . . . It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wolverine, sir.” (This exchange is sometimes accompanied by a polite handshake. However, if—like poor John here—you are indeed meeting Mr. Wolverine, you should be sure that the claws have not already appeared. If they have, it is perfectly acceptable to skip the handshake . . . perhaps you should just run!)

Informal general greetings

These greetings can be used in most informal situations when you are saying hello to a colleague or to someone you meet on the street.

7. “Hi!” (Probably the most commonly used greeting in English)

8. “Morning!” (A more casual way of saying “Good morning”)

9. “How are things (with you)?”

10. “What’s new?”

11. “It’s good to see you.” (Used when you haven’t seen someone in a while)

12. “G’day!” (Short for “Good day”)

13. “Howdy!” (Often used in the southern regions of the United States)

Even though some of these expressions look like questions, the “greetee” is not always meant to answer them. In fact, confusing as it may seem, sometimes a question is answered with a question. And sometimes these greetings can be used in combination:

Jane: “Hi, Jake. What’s new?”

Jake: “G’day, Jane. How are things?” or “Morning, Jane. It’s good to see you!”

Casual informal greetings

These ways to say “hello” are used in very casual, friendly, and familiar contexts. They can be used in spoken English, text messages, voicemail messages, or emails with people that you know well. While they’re not exactly rude to use with strangers, they aren’t exactly polite, either. Using these greetings with people you don’t know well might cause confusion, and these greetings are not considered appropriate in certain contexts. You shouldn’t use these casual greetings in formal situations, as doing so might make the person you’re talking to think you aren’t taking that formal situation as seriously as you should be. For example, it would be wildly inappropriate to say “What’s happening?” to someone you were greeting at a funeral, and I would strongly advise against using “Yo!” when meeting a prospective employer at a job interview.

14. “Hey” or “Hey there.”

15. “What’s up?” (Sometimes expressed as “‘Sup?”)

16. “How’s it going?”

17. “What’s happening” or “What’s happenin’?”

18. “Yo!”

These words and phrases are mostly used by young people to greet their friends when they arrive somewhere like a party, an exam, or a class. Again, although some of these greetings look like questions, no answers are expected.

Biff (as he approaches his classmates): “Yo! What’s happenin’?”

The Gang: “Hey. ‘Sup?” (Then they all mumble to each other for a bit, agree to skip English class, and head to the Sugar Shack for maple-bacon poutine. Welcome to my idealized version of 1950s Canada.)

This collection of ways to say “hello” is just the tip of the iceberg. The expressions are easy enough to learn; the tricky part is learning to use them appropriately. Try to use a different greeting every time you meet someone new, get together with your friends, or purchase something at the mall. You’ll be a master of English greetings in no time flat!