http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110605/Education/ed16.

html

Education
Importance of English in the workplace
"English is without a doubt the actual universal
language" said Carlos Carrion Torres of Brazil. While
English is not an official language in most countries, it
is the language most often taught as a second language.
English is most widely used in communicating around
the world. The information that the researchers
gathered about communication and English made them
realize that the two terminologies must be always
together. Good communication creates a good
ambience and relationship between everyone in every
organization especially if it is inside a business while
English is now required in every company.
Language is now considered a skill, in fact, big
companies both in Sri Lanka and abroad look for. The
importance of the English language in the workplace
continues to be a top concern among employers in Sri
Lanka, a study reveals.
To every business entity, productivity is of utmost
importance. A landslide majority of 95% of employers
believed that better English would improve the
productivity of employees, as opposed to the 5% who
don't. It was not surprising then to find that 66% of
employers have turned down applicants due to a bad
command of English while a further 26% would do so if
necessary.
But how do employers screen through new hires on
their command of the English language? Screening via
phone interviews and resume slips come in at 36% and
53% respectively. The most popular method by far
however is to screen a new hire's English through a
face-to-face interview (84%).
Why learning English is important
Around the world, there is an estimated 1 Billion
people learning English. Many factors point to the
reason why learning English has seen exponential
growth in recent years, but it all boils down to the
English language being the "global language" of
business, politics, international relations, culture, and
entertainment for so many countries worldwide. And
that is just an understatement as in fact, while English
is not an official language in many countries
worldwide, it is the language most often taught as a
foreign or second language.
Curious to see where you stand among your peers in
English? Or if you are wondering how you improve
your language skills, then enrol today with PATHE
Academy who deliver the City and Guilds,UK
programme, with a well industry experienced lecture
panel. For further clarifications and details on the City
& Guilds English programmes please feel free to talk to
our professional team of counsellors at Liberty Plaza,
No:250 2/1, R.A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo-3 or on 011
4642600 or visit our website www.patheacademy.org