Overcoming Language Barriers in the Workplace

Overcoming Language Barriers to Achieve Full Potential

Challenging phone conversations; brilliant employees, strong foreign accents; blank stares at idiomatic expressions such as, “this will put us on the map”; employees not achieving their full potential; issues with retention, time lost, lack of productivity and safety problems; no small talk at the water cooler or a segregated cafeteria, thereby affecting your corporate culture (and making for interesting corporate gatherings)…

Kim Andersen, Capital Region Language Center (formerly Las Mariposas) will address a myriad of obstacles related to language barriers.   With the Saratoga Racetrack and the strong tourism industry, language differences are commonplace.  However, with the influx of foreign nationals in the past few years there is a new awareness of our local diversity, but limited information about how language diversity affects the workplace. Insight about foreign nationals, their significant others, and the language barriers which may prevent them from being fully successful in our region, will be discussed. A key part of the discussion will be about English as a Second Language.