GlobalEnglish Global Access Blog

Exciting News! GlobalEnglish Launches RPM™, a Revolutionary New Approach to Business English Learning

Lindsay Oishi — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:24:21 PDT

You may have the best learning and productivity software in the world, but it won’t be effective if your employees don’t use it. At GlobalEnglish, we have spent years developing products to improve the Business English proficiency that global companies need to thrive in a global marketplace. Many of our clients, top Fortune 500 companies, have seen remarkable outcomes as their employees improve their English, get on-the-job performance support and collaborate more efficiently. At the same time, global professionals are busier every day, and our subscribers tell us that finding the time and motivation to keep using GlobalEnglish is one of their biggest challenges—even when they know they need it!

To overcome this challenge, we have taken insights from modern learning science and behavioral psychology and built them into the core design of our products, through a new approach called RPM: Rewards, Progress and Measurement.

The first part of the approach is rewards, in the form of points and badges that will be familiar and intuitive to today’s digitally savvy workers. Although this is a well-known gamification technique, GlobalEnglish differs from casual games because we emphasize learning and productivity, not mere activity. And unlike some language learning programs, which make you work for months before you get any sense of achievement, GlobalEnglish allows individuals to earn points after a single session and feel successful right away. We also offer more significant rewards in the form of badges, which take longer to obtain but are more meaningful. This consistent, progressive system of feedback keeps engagement high over time. As a result, you see sustained, long-term gains in Business English at your organization.

In addition to feeling successful every time they log in, GlobalEnglish subscribers also gain greater understanding of their progress through the RPM approach. Instead of moving slowly through a traditional general English curriculum, subscribers study and earn badges for specific, competency-based Business and Language Skill units. With units on highly relevant topics such as “Starting a meeting,” “Making hotel reservations” and “Asking for advice,” the GlobalEnglish curriculum gives your employees control over and transparency into what they learn, and makes it easy for managers and administrators to see the value of time spent with GlobalEnglish.

We’ve all heard the catch-phrase “Big Data” of late. With RPM, Big Data becomes Meaningful Data. Measurement is the aspect of RPM that brings everything together. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, stick to a budget, or increase English proficiency, setting goals and keeping track of activity and milestones are the keys to success. Through their progress report and badge showroom, individuals can see how they are doing not only against their own goals, but also against GlobalEnglish recommendations and industry standards. Managers and administrators also have access to in-depth quantitative information about their accounts through a brand new Report Center with beautiful interactive, graphs and downloadable Excel reports. With these state-of-the art tools, you can provide the guidance and accountability that’s at the heart of any successful employee development program.

At GlobalEnglish, we are excited to bring you the RPM approach, which demonstrates our commitment to not only making the best learning and productivity software, but to making our products easy to use, motivating, and ultimately, the most effective solution for your needs. Learn more about RPM on our website.

Lindsay Oishi, Product Owner, Efficacy and Progress and Jonathan Miranda, Product Owner, Rewards and Personalization, have been working diligently to bring RPM to life at GlobalEnglish.

Consider How Business English Can Act as a Catalyst to Help Your Company Become a “Winner in the Future of Work”

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:08:34 PDT

Last year, at the 2012 World Business Forum in New York, we had the pleasure of hosting a lunch with Lynda Gratton, Professor at the London Business School, international bestseller author and a global authority on building innovative organizations ready for the future.

As you know, in today’s highly connected global economy, communication problems quickly become business problems when employees are required to communicate and collaborate with diverse colleagues, customers and partners around the world. In this environment, technology has not only transformed the global workplace, but it has also become a great enabler for bridging this communications gap and shaping the future of work.

Watch this video with Lynda Gratton to learn about:

What she calls the “hollowing of work” as jobs are replaced by technology
The critical emerging-skill area of the future: collaboration
How to develop your winning formula for the future of work

As you watch the video, consider how Business English competency can be your foundation and act as a catalyst to help your company become a “winner in the future of work.”

Just Released: The Heightened Urgency for Business English in an Increasingly Global Workforce (2013 BEI Report)

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:00:43 PDT

A look at the 2013 Business English Index & Globalization of English Research

Two recent groundbreaking studies—the 2013 Business English Index (BEI) and the Globalization of English (GOE) report—confirm the primacy of Business English as the de facto language of business.

With a growing number of companies operating in as many as 20 countries with different native tongues, the majority of the world’s business conversations now take place between non-native English speakers—in English. This standardization of English as the de facto language of business has opened up incredible opportunities, but most businesses face a huge skills gap.

The BEI allows corporate leaders to benchmark their workforce’s skills against peers and competitors, and it can help multinational companies understand Business English competency across geographies and sectors. The 2013 BEI, GlobalEnglish’s third annual release of the index, is the result of a December 2012 analysis of the Business English proficiency levels of more than 212,000 GlobalEnglish subscribers from around the world. Countries with sample sizes smaller than 50 non-native English speakers were excluded from the total, resulting in an index based on 137,000 global respondents.

As the only index focused on measuring Business English proficiency, the GlobalEnglish GOE report qualifies the situation: Based on a survey of 24,000 global knowledge workers from more than 90 countries, there continues to be a nearly universal belief among the global workforce that Business English proficiency is crucial for job performance and career advancement, yet a significant majority believe their skills are not sufficient to meet the current or future demands of their career.

Visit our BEI microsite to learn more.

Is a lack of global communication skills sabotaging workforce performance? [Free Webinar]

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:13:01 PDT

Trends in Global Business Communication and Their Implications for Global Companies

We’re excited to share the results of our third annual Business English Index (BEI)—the benchmark of Business English competency in the workplace—during a Webinar hosted by Chief Learning Officer magazine on 23 April at 9:00 a.m. PT/5:00 p.m. GMT.

These powerful findings from a survey of 137,000 global employees in 78 countries confirm that Business English proficiency is an absolute necessity in an increasingly global and connected world. Specifically, the research shows:

A widening performance gap: Industries and countries that make Business English a priority are leaving their peers behind, as only 30% of workers have an intermediate or higher level of Business English competency.
Business English adoption is inevitable: Global companies continue to embrace and invest in English, as evidenced by a 14% increase in proficiency year over year.
A global sense of urgency: English skills are viewed as essential for career advancement, as 91% of workers report that English is required or important for their job.

We invite you to explore these results during our Webinar on 23 April. The broadcast will also feature Capgemini Italy Human Resources Director Alessandra Miata and Unisys University Director of Content Development & Delivery John Heyman. Both Capgemini Italy and Unisys have deployed robust Business English development programs to equip their employees and their companies with the skills they need to succeed in today’s borderless world.

How Capgemini Italy Achieved Significant Boosts in Employee English Skills Levels With GlobalEnglish

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:00:55 PDT

Read the Capgemini Italy case study to see how using GlobalEnglish resulted in significant boosts in employee skills levels, and a productivity gain of nearly two hours per employee per week.

With 2,400 employees in thirteen locations and $220 million in sales, Capgemini Italy is a key part of the entire Capgemini system—and it feared that its employees’ Business English proficiency wasn’t robust enough for the task at hand: delivering world-class IT consulting across the globe in a market where transactions are often conducted in English. A wide-ranging assessment confirmed these suspicions, leading the company to implement the GlobalEnglish Product Suite.

Read the case study now »

Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, Eloquently Explains Why English Is Critical To Your Company

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:39:08 PDT

Englishnization: The Reasons Why

My company is based in Tokyo and the majority of the people who work for me are Japanese. Still, in order to be a fully global company, I decided our primary language of operation would be English. Everyone who works for Rakuken must communicate in English.

Read the full article online »

Originally published on LinkedIn by Hiroshi Mikitani on April 2, 2013.

GlobalEnglish In The News: Communication Confidence

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:35:35 PST

Originally published by Training Journal in January 2013.

Laura Overton explains how Arrow Electronics built the foundations for global change

Arrow Electronics provides electronic components and computing solutions around the world and, like many multinational businesses, it is having to respond quickly to increased globalisation. It is a global organisation under a single brand that offers a consistent quality experience to customers regardless of where they are in the world.

Acting as a channel partner for more than 120,000 original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers, Arrow Electronics operates through a global network of more than 15,700 staff in 390 locations in 53 countries, so this is no easy feat. Historically, business took place at a local level, with staff communicating with each other using the local language. However, as the organisation has become more global, employees now need to communicate with colleagues across countries, cultures and languages.

One Europe is Arrow Electronic’s approach to harmonising processes across EMEA so that team members can work seamlessly across country borders. Decision-making is no longer a purely local matter; it has to leverage the company’s global infrastructure.

The ongoing transition of the company to One Europe began in 2008, when a sophisticated change management programme was introduced. Both managers and employees received training in new processes and systems to support them as they made the transition to operating in a more complex world.

Read the full article online »

Learn The Secret to Driving Performance [Free Webinar]

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:25:01 PST

Attend our webinar on 7 March 4:00pm CET/7:00am PST

How tightly integrated are your learning programs with your performance management strategies? Performance is now the hottest HR component as you vie to employ the best talent and push your employees to maintain razor sharp skills and knowledge.

But when’s the last time you reevaluated your approach to performance management? In next month’s webinar, we’ll provide you the tools you need to ensure your programs integrate the key success strategies, tactics and measures that generate real results for the world’s top companies.

On 7 March 4:00pm CET/7:00am PST join us for this free, 45-minute webinar and learn:

Why formal learning (classroom, online and virtual live classroom instruction) and informal learning (expert interaction, peer feedback and multimedia learning content) are an incredibly powerful combination
Which learning components drive performance and how to better tie them to employee and corporate goals
Ways in which top companies are successfully integrating formal and informal learning into performance management
How performance management is directly tied to retention—and why that link is more important than ever

Use this link to register for the webinar. We hope that you can attend!

Guest speakers:

Claire Schooley: Senior Analyst, Forrester Research

Learn why building a stronger link between learning and performance helps employees exceed their goals—ultimately leading to company success.

Camilla Edberg: Arrow Electronics’ EMEA director, talent recruitment and management

Hear how Arrow Electronics established Business English as driver for organiztional success.

Is Your Company’s Approach to Business English Learning and Development Good Enough for Business in 2013?

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:42:39 PST

Now’s a good time to reflect on your company’s approach to Business English learning and development. Are you supporting the needs of your entire organization or just a select few? Are the programs you have in place reflective of the most modern and relevant ways adults learn?

At GlobalEnglish, we stand behind the idea that adults learn best via multiple means: Watch the slideshow by Charles Jennings, GlobalEnglish guest blogger and expert in the 70:20:10 learning framework, to see the three main ways learning happens. The good news is that by providing a mix of self-paced Business English courses, informal learning opportunities and on-the-job support tools employees are able to learn in different ways—keeping them engaged and achieving maximum results for you!

Below, you’ll find three articles that underscore how beneficial informal learning (which includes enterprise collaboration) and on-the-job productivity support tools can be to your company, as well as how they can complement formal learning solutions. In fact, in reading these blog posts you’ll learn how:

We hope these three posts, along with all of the other content on the GlobalEnglish blog, will help you understand the business-critical importance of Business English and all that it has to offer your organization.

In addition to reading posts on our blog, please subscribe to our RSS feed so you can receive instant notification of each new post.

News from Forbes.com: Growing Gap Between What Business Needs and What Education Provides

the GlobalEnglish Analyst Team — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:45:50 PST

Originally published by Josh Bersin for Forbes.com on Monday, December 10, 2012.

There are all sorts of reasons to get an education. It gives you perspective on the world, it makes you a complete person, and of course most importantly of all, it helps you build a career.

Unfortunately this link between education and jobs seems to be breaking down.

McKinsey just published a groundbreaking study of the impact of education on employment (“Education to Employment“), and it demonstrates the challenging mismatch between our educational system and the job skills employers need.

Read the full article online »