| You may be surprised to learn how many | | | | professionals in the industry, and also allows you |
| business deals have gone awry, or just never got | | | | to learn at home at your own pace. |
| off the ground due to misunderstandings during | | | | While there are hundreds of languages in the |
| negotiations. Deals are reached when each party | | | | world, there's no doubt that English continues to |
| can clearly understand what the other wants and | | | | be the most common medium for international |
| expects, and they are able to establish a meeting | | | | communication. If you want to get a great piece |
| of the minds. This can be very complicated if | | | | of written work to as many people as possible, |
| there is a language barrier. | | | | chances are you'll have to translate it into English |
| Would you trust your entire deal to your | | | | to reach the widest possible audience. |
| translator? Sometimes translators are not able to | | | | When translating into English for an international |
| convey a message in the way that was intended | | | | crowd, it pays to bear in mind that your piece will |
| because there is simply no direct translation | | | | be read by non-native speakers, many of whom |
| between languages. Learning English can help you | | | | may not understand the nuances that someone |
| to better understand the expectations and desires | | | | well-versed in it may take for granted. Whether |
| on the other side of the table in a business | | | | you use a language translation software to |
| meeting, and also to convey your own needs and | | | | generate a first draft or write it out manually, |
| positions. | | | | keeping a few simple things in mind can help |
| Learning English will help reduce unnecessary time | | | | make your version the valuable piece of work it |
| between contract re-writes and re-negotiations | | | | deserves to be. |
| due to misunderstandings that can take place in a | | | | Write Clearly |
| meeting. You might be surprised at how often this | | | | More than having spotless grammar and a |
| happens during international business dealings. | | | | vocabulary that will make your high school English |
| Learning English will help you to reduce or even | | | | teacher blush, your writing needs to be clear. Drill |
| eliminate these awkward situations, and will also | | | | down words, phrases and ideas to the their |
| enable you to improve your business practices in | | | | simplest form to allow everyone to get a good |
| general. | | | | grasp of the text. Use basic constructions to |
| You should also be aware that once you have | | | | avoid confusing readers. Always ask yourself if |
| mastered English, you will be able open up your | | | | there is a way to make each sentence clearer. If |
| business to entirely new, untapped markets; | | | | the answer is "yes," don't hesitate to change it. |
| markets that you would have never been able to | | | | Cultural Differences |
| reach had you not learned the language. There is | | | | If you're hoping that your piece will be read by a |
| a great deal of money to be made in many | | | | large number of people, it pays to take into |
| English-speaking countries, no matter what the | | | | account that many of them will have widely |
| industry. | | | | different beliefs, behaviors and practices |
| Learning English using software may be the best | | | | compared to you. As such, avoid generalizations - |
| way to jump headfirst into the language. Using | | | | nothing can turn a readers faster than writers |
| software gives you the opportunity to learn the | | | | who make assumptions about a culture they |
| language from the most qualified experts and | | | | clearly know little about. |