5 Tips For Nurturing Your Linguistically Diverse Employees.

In a ‘war for talent’, forward-thinking employers realise that non-native, English-speaking employees may mix up a subject-verb agreement, but their cultural and social intelligence is high. In fact, it’s likely these multi-lingual individuals:

• have a good memory
• can solve problems
• are critical thinkers
• concentrate well
• can multitask
• listen well
• are internationally minded
• are flexible thinkers
• have a better-than-average work ethic.

Typically, non-native English speakers set themselves demanding goals, hoping to master English accuracy and fluency. Not surprisingly, employers, too, want their employees to have good English language skills. But how are employers supporting this group? Further, as English is a prerequisite for success, how do we ensure equal opportunities for advancement are available to this minority group?

Here are five tips for nurturing your linguistically diverse employees.

• Remind people of the benefits of always using plain English and plain grammar.
• Organise writing buddies or peer-editing groups.
• Provide templates, proformas, text examples and even helpful sentence starters.
• Prior to meetings, especially Zoom meetings, send the agenda so that bi-lingual speakers can familiarise themselves with words and concepts.
• Invest in quality language training to help English learners shoulder their extra burden.

WriteBusiness has been supporting writers in the private and public sectors for 18 years. Training with Sandra Hogan and Kerrie Petersen means your employees walk away with an explicit, practical set of skills that they have already begun to apply in the workshop.
In other words, participants do not get a book of instructions to learn later; they learn in the room!

WriteBusiness can provide specific English as a Second Language support to employees who are mastering English and will help you implement the structures required to improve all writers’ success.

Kerrie Petersen