What is Language Training for Specific Purposes? And why you may need it.
Communicating in a second or third language in the work place is routine for millions of people across the world. Whether your role involves instructing, negotiating, informing, serving or clarifying, the necessity to do this in another language is now common place in small, medium and large sized companies. Organisations which rely on international trade and global partnerships have a fundamental need for multi-lingual teams and departments, and effective internal communication between employees who do not share their first language is paramount to the success of all organisations.
Why General Language Training is Not Enough
A good command of a second or third language is often not enough to generate success within certain industries that require indepth technical knowledge. The primary factor that underpins any use of a second or third language in the workplace is the context. The technical vocabulary and industry-specific lexis required to communicate successfully in a particular company, sector or area goes far beyond a conversational working command of the language that one can achieve through general language classes. Often these contexts are not only high-stakes environments where accurate communication is critical, they are environments that require an excellent command of vocabulary that is unique to the industry or sector.
Which Industries and Sectors?
Language training for specific purposes refers to language courses which deliver niche and targeted training for a particular industry or sector. The course content focuses on the technical vocabulary of the sector and the functional grammar structures most frequently used in those contexts. Industries which have very specific language that is only found within that industry most benefit from this type of training and include the following sectors: oil and gas, medicine, aviation, security and military, banking and finance, engineering, law, media, and fashion. Cactus Language Training delivers language for specific purposes courses for English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, and Japanese across all major industry sectors.
Who is it for?
Learners who have a CEFR A2 pre-intermediate or above level of the language and have the prerequisite basic foundation are able to benefit from specific purposes language training. Senior level and middle management individuals often require language training for specific purposes due to business critical communication they have both internally and externally, but also more junior members of teams, particularly those who are customer facing, also have a requirement for language training for specific purposes.
How to find out more
For a free language for specific purposes consultation, a detailed quote and more information on your language course options please call us or email us with any questions you may have.
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Cactus language offers the following types of language courses:
Evening language courses: 19 different languages in 15 UK locations
Language holidays: worldwide immersion courses in the country of the language
Private tuition: tailor-made and corporate language training solutions throughout the world
TEFL: teacher training courses for both English and other languages all over the world
Online courses: for teacher training, English and French
