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| November 2008 | français|
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November 2008 Newsletter Language
Skills Propel Canadians Up Corporate Ladder: Multilingual Canadians
enjoy more career options, accelerated promotion and salary increases
Searching for a way to climb further and faster up the corporate ladder? Try learning another language. Bilingual and multilingual Canadians enjoy a greater range of career options, build stronger relationships with colleagues and clients, and benefit from accelerated promotions and salary increases compared to their unilingual counterparts, according to a recent poll commissioned by Berlitz Canada and conducted by Harris/Decima. Bilingual and multilingual Canadians noted numerous career benefits to speaking another language, including stronger relationships with colleagues and clients (77 per cent), a greater range of career options (72 per cent), a greater range of job options within their field (66 per cent), and flexibility in geographical location (62 per cent). Nearly half of bilingual and multilingual Canadians agreed that speaking an additional language enabled or accelerated promotion (48 per cent), while 44 per cent said speaking another language enabled or accelerated salary increases. Survey respondents with higher household incomes were slightly more likely to agree that language skills positively affected promotion or raises. For example, 50 per cent of Canadians with an income level of $100,000 or more found that speaking another language enabled or accelerated promotion (versus 48 per cent of all Canadians who speak a second language). And 52 per cent of Canadians in the same income bracket concurred that speaking an additional language enabled or accelerated salary increases (compared to 44 per cent of all Canadians who speak a second language). “In our increasingly global society, speaking an additional language has never been more vital for a successful career trajectory,” said Darryl Simsovic, President of Berlitz Canada. “Language has become more of a ‘hard’ skill, truly a necessary expertise, comparable to leadership and management skills. And as we’re seeing with this poll, Canadians who speak multiple languages enjoy numerous career benefits, including financial ones.” Overall, 38 per cent of unilingual Canadians agreed that by not speaking a second language, they had fewer career options. And regionally, Torontonians felt a stronger impact compared to the rest of Ontario, as 42 per cent of unilingual Toronto residents agreed that without additional language capability, they had fewer career choices. Nearly three in four (70 per cent) of Canadians whose company did not offer language instruction would be interested in the training, if it were significantly subsidized. Interest was highest among females (75 per cent) and those under 35 years old (86 per cent). Key Languages in Canada Of unilingual English respondents, 55 per cent indicated French was most important, while for unilingual French respondents, 88 per cent indicated English was the most important language. After the two official languages, both unilingual and multilingual Canadians identified Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese as being the most beneficial for career advancement. Bilingual and multilingual Canadians placed more importance overall on having command of additional languages compared to unilingual Canadians, with 36 per cent indicating Spanish would aid in their careers, followed by Mandarin (15 per cent) and Cantonese (9 per cent). Compared to any other region, Quebecers placed the most importance on learning Spanish as an additional language, with 49 per cent indicating that knowing Spanish would positively affect their careers (compared with 38 per cent of all bilingual or multilingual Canadians). “There’s no doubt that with the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, as well as deepening trade ties throughout East Asia, languages like Mandarin and Cantonese are top of mind and will only grow in popularity in the Canadian market. And given our proximity and close relationship with Mexico and the northern Latin American countries, Spanish will continue to be a critical “third” language for Canadians to master,” added Simsovic. Language inspiration In comparing unilingual and multilingual respondents, noticeable differences emerged as to what would inspire Canadians to learn a second or additional language, as indicated in the table below:
“Overall, we’ve found that bilingual and multilingual Canadians are substantially more interested than their unilingual counterparts in learning another language, most likely because multilingual Canadians have already seen and reaped the tangible benefits, and from a practicality standpoint, they know they are actually able to learn another language,” explained Simsovic. When asked why they haven’t learned a second language, 26 per cent of unilingual Canadians believed it would be too difficult. And 38 per cent would like to learn another language, but could not find time. “At Berlitz, we often run up against these two specific ‘language barriers’ – time and difficulty, but our clients know we have two successful solutions,” explained Simsovic. “First, our unique Berlitz Method® of instruction helps adults learn additional languages exactly as they learned their first – through ‘active listening’ and conversational approach—with no memorization or verb conjugation. And with our Executive Total Immersion® program, busy executives can experience intensive language instruction, with a focus on industry and job-specific language, to quickly gain the skills they need in a minimal amount of time.” About
Berlitz Canada Berlitz Canada is part of Berlitz International, which boasts 130 years of history and innovation. The global organization is recognized as the gold standard of language instruction, with 500 locations in 70 countries. Last year alone, Berlitz delivered 5 million hours of lessons to clients worldwide. About
the Poll |