Sheffield Businesses Break the Language Barrier with Total Linguistics

4th September 2013

When Gareth Bale was unveiled in front of thousands of Real Madrid fans this week, he put his Spanish skills to the test, explaining it was -a dream to be here in Madrid.

Although it is undoubtedly his football skills that are of interest to fans, his efforts to communicate in Spanish certainly helped him to receive such a warm welcome. It is this same notion that is being adopted by many local exporters. Ensuring they have staff to communicate in key foreign languages is helping to open doors to international trade and form relationships with potential clients overseas. Across Sheffield, business men and women are once a week making the most of their lunch hour by attending open language classes with Total Linguistics. -Not only are the classes a great way to learn a new language, but they are also the perfect opportunity to network with other local businesses. Attending the classes during a lunch hour or straight after work is an excellent way to fit them into your day. Explains Michelle Daniel, Director at Total Linguistics Ltd. It's not just the local manufacturers who are ensuring their staff are expanding their language skills. -We've had a high level of interest in the classes from the service sector. Legal and professional services firms are increasingly keen to develop their staff's foreign language skills to ensure they don't get left behind their competition. Adds Eleanor Bagust, Director at Total Linguistics Ltd. Just in case you haven't already got the bug to engage in foreign languages, here are a few incentives: It is estimated that having a 'language management strategy' (e.g. having multilingual staff & obtaining professional translations) can increase sales turnover by a minimum of 16% in three out of four companies. English is only used by 27% of internet users worldwide. Consumers purchase products first and foremost in their own languages. Research suggests that having at least one foreign language can add 15% onto your potential earnings. Learning a foreign language is thought to increase creativity and brain growth. It is also reported to help to prevent Alzheimer's. So now you are convinced to learn a new language, which are the key languages to learn? French: Traditionally a firm favourite among British language learners, French continues to be a sought after skill. Not only is France our closest neighbour and the French language spoken on five different continents, but France remains home to many of the world's leading companies. Spanish: Spoken by approximately 500 million people worldwide, Spanish is one of the most powerful language skills to obtain. It opens the door to one of the UK's largest trading partners, Spain, as well as the gateway to Mexico and much of Central and South America. Not forgetting it's also very handy when ordering 'dos cervezas por favor!' German: The fact that Germany remains the UK's largest European export market is probably as good a reason as any to learn the native language of one of our nearest neighbours. Chinese (Mandarin): The most spoken language in the world. Although slightly more difficult to master than some of our closer European languages, granting access to one of the most powerful nations in the world is enough reward for grasping this lucrative language. Portuguese: Brazil is now one of the largest economies in the world. With the forthcoming World Cup and Olympic Games, Portuguese is not a language to be ignored. Russian: Russia is the largest country in the world and the UK's fastest growing export market. It is also the second most used language on the internet, which is a compelling reason to learn this prominent language. Speaking Russian is essential for any budding astronauts too! Total Linguistics are specialist providers of language tuition, translations and interpreting to businesses and individuals throughout Sheffield and the rest of the UK. They have range of open language classes starting this September, and FREE taster sessions so you can ensure it's the right class for you. Total Linguistics also provide in-house language tuition tailored to your company's specific requirements. For more information about upcoming classes or any other language requirements contact: ask@total-linguistics.com 0114 213 4646 www.total-linguistics.com