Soft skills have become essential for success in the workplace. These interpersonal abilities—such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability—are especially important because they determine how we work and build relationships with others, as well as how we handle conflict and solve problems. They can also enhance our ability to use our hard skills.
Employers are now prioritizing candidates who not only possess the necessary qualifications but also demonstrate strong soft skills, as these traits foster collaboration and drive organizational success.
Amid this growing emphasis on soft skills, language learning has emerged as a powerful tool for professional development. As businesses expand globally and teams become more diverse, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures is invaluable. Language learning equips employees with the skills to engage with colleagues and clients from different backgrounds and enhances their overall interpersonal abilities.
This blog aims to explore the five essential soft skills that employees can gain through language learning. By understanding how language learning contributes to personal and professional growth, organizations can better support their multilingual workforce.
5 Soft Skills Your Employees Will Develop with Language Learning
1. Communication
Communication is one of the most important soft skills in the workplace. It helps us build positive relationships with colleagues and clients, drives smooth collaboration and productivity, and leaves us better equipped to solve workplace challenges and conflicts.
Effective communication at work has been shown to boost team morale, increase employee satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and generally contribute to a happier, healthier work environment.
At the same time, the cost of inadequate communication at work is high. One survey reports that companies lose $62.4 million per year on average due to poor communication in the workplace. In a diverse work environment, the nuances of communication become even more critical, as misunderstandings can arise from language barriers.
Language is a crucial communication tool, and learning a new language can further enhance our communication skills. First, it improves both verbal and non-verbal communication by providing employees with the vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to express their thoughts accurately. As individuals become more proficient in a new language, they also develop a heightened awareness of non-verbal signals, allowing them to interpret and respond to the cues of their colleagues more effectively.Additionally, language learning fosters greater clarity and conciseness in conveying ideas. When individuals learn a new language, they often become more mindful of their word choices and sentence structures, leading to more straightforward and impactful communication. This skill is particularly valuable in meetings, presentations, and written correspondence, where clear messaging is essential for collaboration and decision-making.
Studies have shown that being bilingual, or simply being exposed to other languages, improves non-verbal communication — another important workplace skill.
2) Problem-solving & Critical Thinking
Critical thinking and problem-solving are essential skills that enable employees to analyze situations, evaluate information, and develop effective solutions to complex challenges. Critical thinking involves the ability to think clearly and rationally, assessing arguments and identifying biases or assumptions. Problem-solving, on the other hand, is the process of finding solutions to specific issues, often requiring creativity and resourcefulness. Together, these skills are vital for making informed decisions and driving innovation within organizations.
Employees who are adept at problem-solving and critical thinking are competent decision-makers who can work independently, build effective strategies and processes, and adapt and respond to new scenarios and challenges as they arise. Ultimately, they’re an asset to any company and team!
Language learning significantly enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in several ways. First, it fosters the development of analytical skills through language comprehension. As employees learn a new language, they engage in activities that require them to interpret meanings, draw conclusions, and evaluate different expressions or phrases. This practice sharpens their ability to think critically, as they must navigate the complexities of grammar and vocabulary while also considering context and intent.
Moreover, language learning encourages innovative solutions by exposing individuals to diverse perspectives. When employees learn a new language, they also gain insights into different cultural viewpoints and problem-solving approaches. This broadened perspective allows them to think outside the box and consider alternative solutions that they may not have encountered otherwise.
3) Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, a crucial soft skill that fosters strong teamwork and effective leadership. It involves recognizing the emotional states of colleagues, appreciating their perspectives, and responding with compassion and support. In a collaborative work environment, empathy promotes trust, enhances communication, and encourages a culture of inclusivity, leading to better team dynamics and improved organizational outcomes.
Empathy is especially important in leadership, with one study by Catalyst finding that people who perceive their leaders to be empathetic feel better equipped to innovate, feel more engaged in their work, are more likely to stay with their company, and feel more able to establish a work-life balance. What’s more, 50% of respondents with empathetic leaders reported that their workplace is inclusive, compared with just 17% of those whose leaders are less empathetic.
Language learning plays a significant role in developing empathy among employees. By exposing individuals to different languages and cultures, it encourages them to consider viewpoints beyond their own. This exposure helps employees appreciate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of their colleagues, fostering a deeper understanding of how cultural contexts can shape thoughts and feelings.
As employees learn a new language, they also become more attuned to the emotional nuances embedded within that language, enhancing their ability to empathize with others. In 2015, a team of researchers at the University of Chicago found that multilingual children are better at understanding other people. They attribute this to an advanced capacity for “perspective taking”—that is, when communicating and conversing in another language, we need to consider the speaker’s perspective in order to understand the intention and meaning behind their words.
Language learning also helps build stronger relationships by enabling employees to relate to their colleagues’ experiences. When individuals can communicate in a shared language, they can engage in more meaningful conversations, share personal stories, and connect on a human level. This relational depth contributes to a more cohesive and supportive work environment, where employees feel valued and understood.
4) Adaptability & Flexibility
Adaptability in a professional context refers to the ability to adjust to new conditions, embrace change, and respond effectively to unexpected challenges. In today’s work environment, where technological advancements and market demands are constantly evolving, adaptability is a crucial soft skill. Employees who can pivot quickly and remain open to new ideas are better equipped to thrive in diverse and fast-paced settings.
Language learning significantly enhances adaptability and flexibility among employees. By exposing individuals to different ways of thinking and problem-solving, language acquisition encourages a mindset that values diversity and innovation. As employees engage with new languages, they are introduced to various cultural perspectives, which can alter their approach to challenges and broaden their understanding of potential solutions.
Additionally, language learning fosters increased comfort with change and new challenges. As individuals navigate the complexities of learning a new language, they often face obstacles that require them to step outside their comfort zones. This experience builds resilience and confidence, equipping employees to handle transitions and uncertainties in the workplace more effectively.
5) Teamwork & Collaboration
Teamwork is essential in achieving organizational goals, as it brings together diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences to drive innovation and productivity. Effective collaboration among team members fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose, enabling groups to tackle complex challenges more efficiently. In a world where projects often involve cross-functional teams and global partnerships, the ability to work collaboratively is more important than ever.
Language learning significantly enhances teamwork and collaboration in several ways. It facilitates enhanced collaboration across language barriers. When team members can communicate in a shared language, they can engage in more meaningful discussions, exchange ideas freely, and clarify misunderstandings promptly. This improved communication leads to more effective collaboration, as everyone is on the same page and can contribute their unique insights.
Moreover, language learning helps build stronger relationships through shared language experiences. When employees learn a new language, they often bond over the challenges and successes of the learning process. This shared journey fosters camaraderie and trust, which are vital components of effective teamwork. Employees who feel connected to their colleagues are more likely to collaborate openly and support one another in achieving common goals.
Why Is It So Important to Develop Soft Skills in the Workplace?
From an employee perspective, having the opportunity to learn a new language and simultaneously develop essential soft skills is a huge benefit. Both learning a second language and being able to demonstrate important soft skills have been shown to boost an individual’s employability.
There’s plenty in it for employers, too. The business value of investing in soft skills at work is manifold, impacting revenue, productivity, and employee retention.
A Deloitte study found that training and developing soft skills in the workplace could increase a company’s revenue by more than $90,000. At the same time, a study conducted by Boston College, Harvard, and the University of Michigan found that coaching employees in certain soft skills has the potential to boost productivity by 12%. That’s a big win when you multiply that across your entire workforce!
Helping your employees to strengthen their soft skills can also lighten the hiring load and boost internal mobility. According to a report by iCIMS Hiring Insights, 94% of HR professionals believe that employees with strong soft skills are more likely to be promoted than their peers who, despite being more experienced, lack important soft skills.
In general, the act of investing in your teams’ learning and development does great things for employee retention. According to a LinkedIn report, 94% of employees surveyed said that they are more likely to stay at a company that invests in their learning and development. Another LinkedIn report suggests that providing soft skills training can also mitigate the risk of a bad hire, based on 89% of recruiters who said that, when a hire doesn’t work out, it’s due to a lack of soft skills.
Now more than ever, training your employees in crucial soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and empathy is essential for making sure they’re equipped to navigate — and thrive in — the modern world of work.
Getting Started with Corporate Language Training
With corporate language training, you can equip your employees with a coveted hard skill — the ability to speak another language — while simultaneously helping them to develop key soft skills like those we outlined earlier.
Babbel for Business offers a flexible, cost-effective language learning solution for companies of all sizes. Babbel is the most popular language learning app in the world, and with the newly launched Babbel Live, your employees can learn via small online group classes with expert, certified teachers.
Babbel has been created to motivate and engage your employees in their pursuit of new language skills. You can choose from fourteen languages, and with 6,700 courses to suit all abilities and levels, you can ensure that individual learner needs are met. And, with the core content broken down into easily digestible, bite-sized chunks, it’s easy to fit language learning into and around your employees’ daily schedules.
Do you want to get started with corporate language learning?
Take your first steps to find the right learning strategy for your company with our eBook “The Ultimate Guide To Language Learning.”
