Global organizations rely on proficient English speakers – whether native or non-native – to collaborate in the workplace environment. Organizational success depends on people communicating effectively to leverage their expertise and develop relationships across cultures, often in English. Intercultural English – English used as a communication tool rather than as a national language or culture – is now an essential workplace communication skill that serves a function similar to computer literacy. English is used to facilitate essential workplace processes every day. Thus, all individuals who contribute to the success of a global organization must have adequate English language proficiency.
When employees from non-native English speaking countries travel abroad, they have the unique opportunity to rapidly and efficiently develop their English language skills through the GSL Workplace English Immersion Program.
This GSL Workplace English Development Learning System is designed for non-native English speakers who need to improve their workplace English proficiency and intercultural communication skills to influence and strengthen leadership in workplace interactions.
English proficiency requirements.
To successfully complete these courses, non-native English speakers should have a beginner-high to low-advanced cognitive English proficiency level or higher on the TOEIC® scale, or Basic User A2 and higher on the CEFR scale.
Is This Learning System Right For You?
Ask yourself these questions to know if this workplace English program is good for you:
- Is it difficult for you to express your ideas in writing?
- Do you stay silent in meetings because you are worried about your English?
- Do you feel you do not use English verbs correctly?
- Do other people ask you to repeat yourself, and still not understand your meaning?
- Do people often ignore or seem confused by your written messages?
- Is it difficult for you to interrupt and say your ideas in discussions?
- Do you have to ask others to check or edit your email before you send it?
- Would you like to develop more confidence and credibility when speaking in meetings or conference calls?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you will benefit from the GSL Intermediate or Advanced English Development course. These courses will help you strengthen long-term proficiency and improve all of your English skills: speaking, writing, listening, reading and vocabulary development, with an introduction to accent clarity and intercultural communication.
Is This Learning System Right For Your Organization?
This course is designed for native English speakers who need to improve the effectiveness of their communication in business interactions. This core level course focuses on the specific needs of the individual, addressing such issues as clear enunciation and natural thought grouping, stress and intonation in speaking. Participants identify their own communication strengths and weaknesses, and practice appropriate language usage for specific workplace interactions. By participating in analytical exercises and practicing communication strategies, participants develop more effective situational and project leadership skills, and learn to deliver clearer, more persuasive presentations.
Ask yourself these performance questions about your employees (and teams) to confirm whether this workplace English program is timely and important:
- Is it difficult for the individual to express their ideas in writing?
- Do some individuals stay silent in meetings because they may feel uncomfortable about speaking in English?
- Do you feel the individual does not correctly use English verbs or timeframes (past, present or future tenses)?
- Do other people ask them to repeat themselves, and still do not understand their intended meaning?
- Do people often ignore or seem confused by their written messages?
- Is it difficult for them to interrupt and state their ideas in discussions?
- Do they tend to ask others to check or edit their email before sending it?
- Would they benefit from developing more confidence and credibility when speaking in meetings or conference calls?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, your employee will benefit from the GSL Intermediate or Advanced English Development course. These courses help people strengthen long-term proficiency and improve all of these English skills: speaking, writing, listening, reading and vocabulary development, with an introduction to accent clarity and intercultural communication.
Is This Learning System Right For Your Consulting Practice Or School?
Could your learning programs benefit by using validated curricula to incorporate into your workplace English development processes and course offerings? Our GSL Learning Systems have been developed through over a decade of research and uniquely include a fusion of workplace English linguistics, intercultural communication, business process improvement and global HR expertise. We offer train-the-trainer programs for certification and licensing of our curricula to qualified consultants or private instructors and schools. Our learning materials are instructionally designed to maximize participant success.
Each of our learning systems are professionally designed to make your teaching experience easy and organized, including:
- Assessments. Placement assessments for you to determine the best course for individuals or groups; and course-specific pre-, mid- and post-assessments to validate progress and outcomes.
- Instructor manuals. Our instructor manuals are tools specifically designed for qualified professionals. They are comprehensive and include all resources associated with delivering the course, including alignment with viewable participant workbook pages, knowledge check questions, viewable slide snapshots, exercise adaptation for individual coaching, and chapter agenda structure (including a time-based standard for participants with intermediate high English proficiency, which can be adjusted accordingly).
- Slides for in-class instruction (either in person and online designs).
- Course-specific simulations to measure progress; these can include additional instructors, if desired.
- Participant learning tools (specialized according to individual courses).
- Access to and use of the Global 2nd Language® Online Platform™ (G2ndonline) for assigning pre-designed interactive practice exercises or activities and responding to your participant submissions. Whenever an assignment is made or completed, the platform automatically notifies participants and instructors by email (as applicable).
- Final presentations demonstrate learning achievements and specific goal setting methods complete each program to ensure continued autonomous learning.
- Participants can access the G2ndonline platform to review past submissions and instructor feedback for specified periods after completing each course (3 months included with 6-, or 12-month access plans available for a nominal fee). This feature reinforces the skill development to help participants develop intuitive improved in workplace communication habits.
For specific information about our train-the trainer programs, curricula and licensing options, please contact us to learn about how to make your workplace English teaching easier and organized while demonstrating measurable results for your clients and participants.
The GSL Workplace English Development Learning System provides essential, fundamental skill development specifically focused on strengthening global workplace interaction: speaking, writing, listening, reading and vocabulary development, as well as an introduction to accent clarity in English.
- Our instructional designs include progress assessments and ways to measure improvement, to demonstrate direct, positive return on the training investment (include alignment with company reimbursement qualifications). The course challenges participants to activate their passive knowledge of English and communicate more spontaneously, clearly and assertively in speech and writing at work.
- Through synchronous and asynchronous interactive practice, Participants consistently benefit by developing the workplace English skills they need to improve their conversation and presentation skills, increase contributions in meetings or conference calls, develop their professional relationships, and strengthen team collaboration.
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Through intensive training, practice exercises, role plays, daily fieldwork, and G2ndonline practice (beyond class sessions), participants benefit by:
- improving their listening comprehension and speaking intelligibility
- developing and presenting more effective and assertive contributions to meetings and conversations
- increasing their active vocabulary through daily readings and discussions
- refining their English written workplace communication by improving verb usage and clarity of email writing to write and edit work independently
- gaining credibility by expressing their ideas more accurately in multicultural workplace contexts, which include other non-native and native English speakers
- Flexibility to maximize results. These instructor-led courses can be delivered as individual coaching or in small groups, and may include one lead instructor with support instructors. This approach provides participants with a multi-faceted workplace-oriented English language and intercultural communication learning experience, creating more realistic opportunities to learn, practice and apply the skills.
- Optional Immersion Program Cultural Experiences. Instructors may escort participants to locales outside the classroom and help them apply what they have learned to their daily interactions away from work. This option is based upon participant interests and learning goals; examples of past activities include visiting local museums or participating in special events.
This learning system can include curricula from the GSL Intermediate English Development and GSL Advanced English Development courses, based on participant English proficiency level and communication goals.
Through immersion and skill development learned in an English-speaking environment, participants will immediately apply their new skills to daily communication.
Inclusive workplace communication. We blend workplace English proficiency development with intercultural communication skills, including culturally-neutral English to enable effective communication across native and non-native English speakers simultaneously. This approach strengthens participant’s leadership and facilitation skills, increases confidence and assertiveness in speaking or writing and fosters improved collaborative relationship development.
The Global Second Language® approach recognizes that non-native and native English speakers use English differently (generally, without realizing it). This difference has consequences in professional and workplace communication contexts when people from different countries and cultures interact.
- Our approach integrates proven GSL® strategies and proprietary workplace English communication methodologies that improve all aspects of workplace communication in virtual as well as direct settings (accent clarity, speaking, listening, writing and reading, facilitation of cultural shortcuts and nonverbal cues as well as culture-specific sensitivity).
Specialized assessments and benchmarking. All programs begin with a certified cognitive workplace English proficiency test and the comprehensive GSL Assessments. The TOEIC Speaking & Writing Test is used to confirm the level of English proficiency and identify grammar or vocabulary gaps.
- The GSL Accent Clarity Assessment measures speech clarity in English using a proprietary multifaceted approach (beyond individual vowel and consonant sounds). The GSL Focus-On-Writing Assessment measures writing effectiveness across native and non-native English speaking readers using a proprietary approach (including organization, cohesion, grammar, vocabulary, voice and tone, and others).
- Since non-native English speakers sometimes integrate culturally-based, idiomatic expression learned from native English speakers, all assessments evaluate the use of cultural references in English to identify any adverse effect on listener or reader comprehension.
Global 2nd Language® Online Platform. Our interactive Platform as a Service (PaaS) allows participants to practice 24 hours a day at their convenience. This proprietary technology is delivered through a secure platform, which functions as a means for participants to submit practice and receive instructor evaluated feedback between class sessions. This PaaS also allows instructors to add or modify exercises based upon participant submissions and progress between class sessions, which fosters accelerated learning while strengthening skill retention and direct workplace application.
G2nd Systems Support Services Team. In addition to scheduled session class time, all GSL® programs include specified support services at no additional fee. These services include: G2nd Support Team coordination support for participants and instructors, scheduling management, synchronous and asynchronous technology training and support, and implementation of course-specific processes (such as administering course-specific assessments, coordinating progress reports and assessment reviews, and other support activities).