Found yourself asking for help to translate what is being said during meetings conducted in English? When it happens too often, you may feel terrible inconveniencing your fellow colleagues at times. As a result, this makes you feel unprepared and nervous whenever your opinion is required. If you have been struggling at work, you may realise the areas you are falling short in as your limited English skills are holding you back from your full potential. Especially since English is a widely used language beyond business communication in Singapore, it is increasingly becoming essential for foreigners to master it as a second language.
If you are wondering whether it’s time to work on your English skills, we have highlighted 5 work-related benefits that come with getting better at English.
5 Benefits of improving your Business English skills
1. Understand meetings
If you are attending a meeting, it is important to first comprehend the topics discussed before contributing ideas. You can first familiarise yourself with the key English phrases and expressions used in this context before expanding your vocabulary. There may also be times where you have questions or clarifications to point out during meetings and as you start to equip yourself with the necessary English skills, you will notice yourself slowly participating and speaking up more confidently.
2. Be understood
On the other hand, if you are the one leading a meeting, you will want your colleagues to understand what you are presenting in order to proceed without any doubts. For meetings where you are presenting to a client, having good business English can be your first step to making a good impression. At the end of the day, you will feel pleased when the outcome of the meeting is as desired.
3. Communicate better with your colleagues
If your work is project-based and involves constant teamwork, you may be interacting with your colleagues and other teams on a daily basis. And with limited English skills, one scenario that’s unavoidable is when miscommunication occurs, which can potentially delay the completion of project deliverables. By improving your English capabilities, it will enable you to better understand your team members and reiterate accurate information to others. You will ultimately be on the same page as everyone else, playing a part in ensuring the success of your project.
4. Negotiate effectively
Negotiating with ongoing clients can be a challenging task, more so if you are unable to communicate well with them in English. With proper pronunciation and sufficient English skills, you will be able to convey your thoughts in business settings and negotiate effectively with clients. This also applies for jobs which requires you to win over potential clients. To connect with them better, you can gradually learn to adapt your communication style and speak their lingo as you become more fluent in English.
5. Applies to other areas of work
Beyond speaking and listening, having English skills will contribute to other areas of your work as well. For example, you will be able to draft emails more efficiently and generally express yourself better in any business-related setting. Mastering English will also play a part in strengthening your networking skills, which can be crucial to your professional success in Singapore.
Additionally, whether you are learning English yourself or through business English courses, your ability to speak English on top of your native language will also make you more noticeable to future employers and open doors to more opportunities.
Beyond work
Apart from professional purposes, learning English will reflect on other aspects of your life and can bring countless benefits. For example, you won’t hesitate to talk to native English speakers in Singapore and instead, feel more comfortable conversing with them. If you are planning to apply for business English classes, kickstart your learning journey with ULC’s Corporate English Classes today.
