combined with telephone tutoring won a great success

The European day of languages was held, today in Paris under the aegis of the French Presidency of the European Union. Ministers and other personalities, intellectuals and actors in the business world will successively take the floor in the Auditorium of the Sorbonne at the States General of multilingualism. This event focuses on the movement of the works in Europe as well as the creativity and innovation for plurilingual education is also an opportunity to consider the impact of language on competitiveness and social cohesion companies.

Languages the first in which the English indeed hold a growing place in the daily life of the French employees. Over half a million used the work but, at the same time, many of them feel discomfort. Global competition requires, however, many are also aware of the necessity to convince in a language other than their own to get valuable market share.

"It's true, people exercise their profession in discomfort," recognizes Etienne Davignon, President of the Working Group on multilingualism and member of the boards of Directors of the largest Belgian companies. "Prisoners of their inability to introduce nuances into a language that they speak, they say in the end they can, not what they want." And, in the highly competitive business environment, not properly able to speak with the form of trust and familiarity without which it is impossible to convince, it is to take the risk of losing contracts and to lay the groundwork for a competitive disadvantage. It is also undermine social cohesion of an international group shortly able to apply to all its employees in a unifying language.

Familiar with the country

"So many reason why, after ten years in an international group, I have to create a motivating and sufficiently flexible to meet the language needs of employees and companies", justifies Eric Brandt, founder of MyCow.eu. A platform that offers a wide range of resources, including of dictations, articles and a discussion forum. "There is a little less than two years, data compiled by Eurobarometer showed that more than 85 of Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Editor's note Northern Europeans were able to hold a conversation in English and more than 55 of the Belgians and Germans." "In contrast, the French to do so were 36 and 29 Italians", describes Eric Brandt, which aims to extend its activity in Italy and Spain.

However, learning a foreign language goes beyond grammar efforts and a professional vocabulary learning. "He must also know all there is behind the language: the people, customs, forms of thought, literature, history", said Jérôme Bédier, Chairman of the Medef Europe commission and President of the Federation of the trade and distribution companies. "Know three German poems or the history of the Russia may also be of great assistance in the life of affairs," continued. However, it appears that 11 of SMEs have already lost a contract or language skills. Over three years, losses would be higher in some 325 000 euros per company, according to a survey conducted in 2006 by the European Commission.

Control at least a foreign language is therefore a need for the higher and intermediate coaching as well as for certain jobs. At the time, more and more, companies seek to better understand the levels of foreign language of their employees (as written oral expression). "Ten years, the TOEIC test is much more requested than TOEFL," noted Alain Daumas, ETS Europe boss, interviewed by France 2 Wednesday morning. The TOEIC test is experienced as an employability, unlike the more academic TOEFL test. This Sesame is appreciated by companies, who tend to set acceptable score a minimum of 800 points to 990. In short, internal training must be strengthened, be it in a framework of formal training or of the individual right to training.

The tailor-made

"There is a shift to collective classroom courses;" "employees and companies preferring customized programs," notes Guillaume de Menthon in GoFluent, specialist training in English by phone. Result: online learning platforms (exercises, blogs, newspaper articles, etc.) combined with telephone tutoring won a great success. "Better, a coach online is available to employees to help them", he says.

Course on measurement, using custom pronunciation, platforms online, language immersion abroad, is to advance levels. In this year 2008, proclaimed International Year of languages by the General Assembly of the United Nations, some prefer advocate a French offensive, able to shine in the world by its creations, rather than shrivel or engage in counterproductive defences. Seek to master foreign languages for some trade with the world is indeed not inconsistent with the desire to keep the taste of the beautiful language of Molière.