99% of Surveyed Employees Have Used English Within Their Function

It’s no secret that a decent grasp of English is critical in the business environment. If you had any doubts, here are the results of a survey involving more than 2,000 employees, conducted by Cadremploi.

The study shows that English is THE second language to learn if you’re a professional. In fact, more than 86% of interviewed workers indicated that they have already used a foreign language within their function; for 99% of them, this language was English.
It is apparent that taking the initiative to learn English is essential, especially considering that more than half of those surveyed claim a lack of comfort at the idea of having a verbal conversation in English. On the other hand, 67% of the participants considered themselves capable of conducting a written exchange in English. Despite this, the ability to simply write in English is often not sufficient, as explained by Julia Diallo, educational manager for adults at the British Council.

In an article published by 20 Minutes, she is quoted as saying: ​​

 “In international companies, employees have a tendency to hide behind emails in order to communicate. They avoid having to speak in English at all costs. But eventually, they are put in a position where they need to welcome English-speaking colleagues or participate in a videoconference. That’s when they find themselves backed into a corner.”

The survey also proposes that decent English skills are a must during job interviews. Half of the participants consider their English level to be a barrier to their career development. Surprisingly, 63% claim that simply seeing English as a criterion on a job posting has prevented them from applying. Moreover, more than 67% have already needed to speak in English during a job interview, but only 21% of them felt they were prepared enough for the exercise.

That divides people; this sort of situation can be a generator of stress.

A final takeaway from the study was that 60% of those interviewed considered that taking an English language course would significantly help them to find a job or to evolve in their existing companies. A poor knowledge of the English language can be a stress factor, proposes Jean-Christophe Sciberras. During an interview with Figaro he mentions that, « Language training programs are a lever in the reduction of workplace stress. During a meeting, if just one person doesn’t speak French, everybody is obligated to switch to English. If two or three people don’t understand English well, they’re unable to comment throughout the meeting and are embarrassed to admit that they don’t understand. That divides people; this sort of situation can be a generator of stress. »  ​ ​

In spite of this, 62% feel that they don’t have are not fully aware of all the opportunities available to learn English.

So, what are you waiting for? Call us today to sign up for one of our English courses!