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 LANGUAGE BARRIERS

 

"Difficulty expressing true meaning or intention due to limitations of comprehension, articulation or expression arising from limited knowledge and/ or exposure to a second language”

 


 TEN REASONS

Why Addressing Work Place Language Barriers is Critical for Your Business

 

  • PERFORMANCE & OPERATIONAL RISK. Language competency for adults is a highly sensitive subject and a difficult process. It can also be a significant performance and operational risk
  • JOB SATISFACTION. Communication Skills have a direct impact on productivity, performance and job satisfaction.
  • WORK RELATIONS. Without clear and concise speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, employees and by default employers, are exposed to error, delay, administrative burden, operational inefficiencies and interpersonal strain.
  • OPPORTUNITY COST. According to Rush University Chicago; the "Opportunity Cost" of lost time and effort due to Language Barriers is a major cause of operational inefficiency in the health care sector in the US.
  • COGNITIVE, BEHAVIOURAL & EMOTIONAL CONSTRAINTS are, according to the University of Colorado magnified by Language Barriers between cultures, which if not addressed can have serious impacts on work quality
  • INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE UNDERPERFORMING - According to US Academic Gigi Foster (Phd) in a March 2011 report published in the Australian entitled 'Free Ride Past Language Barrier"
  • PRACTICAL PROBLEMS WITH INTEGRATION. Immigrants are projected to account for half the growth in the nation's working-age population by 2015. Non native English speakers face practical problems in Education and Employment according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • DIVERSE WORKPLACES - The Australian workplace has become highly diverse and immigrants are a major part of society. Skills shortages in industries such as Health Care, IT and Hospitality are increasingly filled by foreign nationals
  • A GREAT COMPANY NEEDS GREAT COMMUNICATORS. Communication is a complex endeavour. So many factors go into getting two people to really understand one another. Central to teamwork and synergy is communication.
  • HEALTH & SAFETY: Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Actto provide all Employees with the appropriate safety training. Safety training delivered purely in English is often insufficiently understood by migrant workers. Bridging this gap is a critical responsibility for Employers.