Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) give us an open perspective on the world around us. A culture of DEI strengthens the workplace by bringing together different ideas, points of view and experiences. Companies that promote a diverse and inclusive workforce benefit from higher profits, greater employee satisfaction, optimized decision processes and strong customer relationships.
A workplace with a multicultural and diverse community reinforces a sense of belonging, drives innovation forward, and attracts new talent. One way companies can reinforce a sense of belonging is through language learning.
Learning a new language can strengthen a communicative work culture and establish a safe place where employees feel heard and get the support they need. It also allows companies to improve listening skills, showcase their brand values and raise cultural awareness across teams.
Embracing Other Cultures
The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition defines culture as “The shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and effective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.”
The culture in which we are raised influences so much of how we view the world around us. It shapes our biases, thoughts, and behaviors and affects how we treat and relate to others, both in our personal and professional lives.
The relationship between culture and language is complex. When you learn another language, you aren’t only studying vocabulary, sentence structure and grammatical principles; you’re also learning the cognitive processes of the people who speak that language, as well as the cultural norms and social systems they follow, such as the types of foods they eat, the values they focus on and even the social activities they engage in on the weekends.
By learning the language of the employees on your team, you discover nuances of that language that provide deeper explanations to the way someone acts or works on the job. It can be easier to redirect your focus and find ways that better complement their workload or way of working.
When you’re learning about a different culture or a co-worker’s background, you demonstrate that you’re open to new ideas and care to understand where they are coming from. This gives everyone more space to talk freely and respect each other’s opinions — especially if conflict arises in projects or between team members.
That connection between language and culture goes beyond the professional realm. You can also gain a better understanding of someone and can find new ways to relate to them on a personal level. The workplace then feels like a more open and inclusive environment for workers where they can be their true selves and bring their best foot forward every day.
We become more understanding and sensitive to different cultures when we learn another language. This can lead us to build better connections with others, regardless of their background, and help the workplace become more inclusive.
Building Trust and Respect on Teams
Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” When you learn — and then speak — the language of a co-worker, you are building a stronger connection with them than what you talk about at work.
Speaking an employee’s native language can help them feel more relaxed and satisfied at work. You are connecting more to the person than to the work that they do. This is especially useful for managers who want to build trust with their team members.
By learning the native language of your team, you inherently build trust with them — it shows that you’re trying to include the employees in conversations and decisions and are doing the best you can to make it a comfortable work environment.
Being able to communicate with team members in their native language will also demonstrate how much you respect them. When you speak to someone in their native language, they tend to show different personality traits compared to when you’re speaking with them in their second language. They’ll become much more confident and comfortable at work and can embrace their true selves when communicating with others, leading to improved relationships across the teams as well.
One of our partners reports the changes he’s seen in his team after implementing a language learning program among employees. “It’s priceless,” reports John Shin, director of risk management at Monarch Landscape Companies. “You’re able to speak with your crew in Spanish, and it builds camaraderie and trust. Our people enjoy it. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback.”
Creating Engagement and Cultural Exchange
When you offer language learning lessons to international employees to learn the company’s primary language, it can help them work more efficiently and feel more engaged at work. It can also help them integrate more seamlessly into the local culture, which can lead to higher employee retention. Likewise, when others at the company learn to speak a co-worker’s language, international employees can feel more appreciated and valued by their new team and find it much easier to settle into their new role and country.
Learning in the workplace goes beyond professional development. It’s a way for companies to embrace DEI efforts and create an open and accepting work culture and provide improved employee satisfaction across teams. With language learning, companies can have a direct impact on the way employees feel satisfied at work and create new opportunities for growth and change.
