A lot has been written about preparing for a foreign assignment and the need to understand and appreciate other cultures, but there’s not as much information about the issues you may encounter managing a multi-cultural team, or how to handle them.
More than eight in 10 Canadian adults say it’s a good thing that Canada is bilingual, according to a national government survey.
Much has been written and said about how it’s so much easier for children to learn a new language than for older adults. But how old is too old?
There are more ways to convey a message than just words. Sometimes, nonverbal clues are even more important, and differ dramatically from culture to culture.
Languages are more than just collections of letters and symbols. There are surprising and interesting facts about how they developed and how they are used.
There are about 7,000 languages in the world. And while some have common roots, others are dramatically different.
According to a wide variety of research, here are five important reasons for learning a second language, and encouraging children to do so:
Making presentations can make even the most seasoned executive nervous. Presenting to people of different cultures can positively make their knees shake.
Canadian school students start learning a second language at a much older age than in some countries, but somewhat younger than in others.
It’s well documented and well publicized that training to learn about other cultures can enhance business skills, make you a more important employee and open opportunities, particularly foreign assignments.
There are almost 7,000 distinct languages spoken in the world, and French and English aren’t even close to being the most common.
Latin America is a fertile area for business growth. It is rich in natural resources (Venezuela and Colombia, for example, have vast reserves of oil, natural gas and metals), and is relatively close to Canada.
There are many reasons why people want to learn a second language. Research shows that business, personal enrichment and travel are the top reasons in Canada.
Ever walk into a store in Italy and the employees speak to you in English before you say a word. Some reasons may surprise you.
Learning a second language can help your career, but it can also make you healthier.