What is the most common international business language?
What is the most common international business language?Conducting business internationally often involves individuals from different countries having to communicate with each other. In many instances their native languages may be different. In cases like this the best idea is to choose a common international business language. This is a better choice than trying to learn the language of each individual you do business with. If 6 different people are dealing with each other, all speaking a different language, the matter of languages can get complicated with people having to learn 4 or 5 different languages. Having one common international business language means having to learn only one additional language. The most common language spoken in international business today is the English language. In addition, you may find more information about how to write a business letter by visiting our site.
Why is English the most common international business language in use?
There wasn’t a vote taken by all international business people to determine which language would be chosen to use when conducting international business. English became the international business language of choice in large part due to the following:
- English is spoken at a useful level by around 1.75 billion people world wide
- It is estimated that 565 million people use English on the internet
- Economic strength of English speaking countries like the United States, England and Australia
The choice of English as the international business language essentially happened due to the large number of people who can speak English and the fact that these English speakers are spread out around the world and not concentrated in one area. English is by no means the only language used to conduct international business. Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish are also often used in international business. Mandarin Chinese is the second most commonly used language in international business and has over 1 billion people speaking it.
Improving your business language skills
Improving the business language skills of managers and workers can be extremely beneficial to a company and help it in remaining competitive. The following tips can help in improving your business language skills:
- Improve vocabulary – Use training software that focuses on business language. Research on the internet for business related terminology in your field.
- Read business related material – Reading as much material as possible in your field will help improve your skills. Pay attention to the business terminology and its usage.
- Watch business programs – Business programs are a good way to see how business terminology is used in speaking.
- Practice – Practice using the terminology you have learned both in speaking, and in letter and document writing. Regular usage will greatly improve your skills.
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