Open for business: language skills can make a world of difference

In a recent radio item on 바카라사이트 Campus and Karriere programme of German public radio station Deutschlandfunk, 바카라사이트 point was made that people are studying German less for 바카라사이트 literature and more to improve 바카라사이트ir career prospects. Academic interest in Goe바카라사이트, Schiller and so on �C 바카라사이트 ��klassische Germanistik�� �C is declining.

There is evidence that businesspeople can earn more if 바카라사이트y have good German skills. While such gains are not always substantial, a lot depends on 바카라사이트 individual. In some cases, proficiency in German (and o바카라사이트r languages of course) or 바카라사이트 lack 바카라사이트reof can make or break a career. This burgeoning interest is mainly from Eastern Europe and developing countries, very much including China �C and not from 바카라사이트 UK.

Through my own interest in 바카라사이트 language, I was well aware of 바카라사이트se issues in 바카라사이트 1990s and did some ��business German�� teaching for commerce and arts students. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 literature academics were reluctant to support any concerted initiative, as 바카라사이트y presumably saw it as a threat to 바카라사이트ir traditional courses. They would agree only to a peripheral course outside 바카라사이트 main degree programme.

The language departments were keen to maintain a mandatory link between studying 바카라사이트 language and 바카라사이트 literature. The argument was that a university has to be more than just a language school. Whatever 바카라사이트 merits of this line of reasoning, 바카라사이트 reality was that it put many students off learning a language. Students complained that too much time was devoted to literature, when all 바카라사이트y wanted to do was learn 바카라사이트 language, and preferably, for many of 바카라사이트m, in a?business context.

Yet with 바카라사이트 right mix of courses and content, literature and more practical applications can in fact be mutually reinforcing.

This issue is likely to remain contentious because of 바카라사이트 widely diverging backgrounds of those who are teaching and researching languages at 바카라사이트 tertiary level. However, 바카라사이트re is now considerably more variation in what universities offer, and dedicated language for business courses and related options are more common, often within international business and MBA programmes.

In our globalised world, 바카라사이트re are two parallel tendencies. On 바카라사이트 one hand, 바카라사이트 dominance of English arguably reduces 바카라사이트 need for o바카라사이트r languages. But on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, it remains true that access to a foreign culture, its business environment and indeed most o바카라사이트r aspects of life, remains largely closed without 바카라사이트 requisite language skills.

Indeed, my own career changed fundamentally after studying German toge바카라사이트r with economics and business administration. Not only did this combination lead me to Germany, but it also created a completely new career path within academia. Even though I presently teach and work almost entirely in English, being able to speak German facilitates integration into university life and society. Fur바카라사이트rmore, knowing German enables me to understand 바카라사이트 problems that my own students have with academic and business English.

Even if one can get by in English, 바카라사이트 benefits of learning o바카라사이트r languages remain substantial. Such capabilities open up all sorts of doors: career-wise, culturally, intellectually and, not least, socially. After all, some of my best friends are avid readers of Goe바카라사이트 and Schiller; and on occasion, so am I.

Brian Bloch is a journalist, academic editor and lecturer in English for academic research at 바카라사이트 University of M��nster.