The Use of English in German and Japanese Companies - Essay Example

The use of English in German and Japanese companies Name Course Lecturer Date Abstract Most countries around the world are adopting the use of English and progressively it is becoming a multinational language. Tourists, businessmen, and people in general require one common language which they can use regardless of the race, religion, or age. English has become one unifying language that has brought many people around the world together (Bisen, 2009); it has provided easy communication and understanding between people of different races, ages, and religions. In the business world, trade is only possible if communication is effective. International trade is not possible if people do not understand one another and they do not agree on the terms of trade; one of the factors influencing foreign trade is effective communication. The use of English as one common language among companies is important as it allows easy communication among the employees and the customers from different language backgrounds (Stewart, 1978). Since the language is growing to be a global language at a fast rate, it will ease international trade. Companies can easily associate with other countries and increase their market scope. In countries such as Japan and German, companies have stated that employees are required to know how to speak English. Denmark made it official through amendments to its company laws, cases regarding business issues will be handled in English while Japans largest online retailer shop selected English as the official language for internal credentials. Thesis How do companies use English? What strategies do they use to implement it? How does it influence the human resource? What are its impacts in the companies? What is its importance? What are its pros and cons? These are questions that will be answered and discusses in the essay. The new Danish companies act, ‘If any company’s Article of Association uses Norwegian, Swedish or English there is no need for translation’. This act was implemented in 1st March 2010 accordingly; any general meeting that did not use English required that interpretation would be compulsory. As a way to incorporate the use of English in the country special courts have been set up that will require the use of English. The business community in Germany has encouraged the use of English so as to attract international companies paving way for easy business and trade (Payne, 2002). Many large companies in German use English as their internal language; new employees are required to know English and use it in the workplace. Currently most people are fluent in the language as they are being taught in school and through part time foreign language classes. Plenty of English speakers have taken the chance to set up businesses in German (Payne, 2002); they range from small companies such as schools, Irish bars, and English bookshops. In the past many people found it difficult to invest in Germany due to the language barrier, but due to the development and the easy language of communication, people are now attracted and are investing more in the country. For the countries tourism companies, its employees find it easier to communicate with its clients since they are able to understand one another. Education institutions of all levels have also initiated the use of English in their curriculum so as to ensure that the language grows making it easier for the children as they grow up, to be able to communicate with other people from different cultures. Many German job advertisement posters rate English as a very good additional requirement when it comes to looking for a job; it is considered as a significant asset. Companies use various ways to incorporate the use of English in the organization. The management ensures that the employees that join the company are fluent in the use of the language placing it as a qualification to join the company (Krishna, 2009). Through this recruitment strategy German companies have managed to employ the use of English in the organization. Advantage of this strategy is to enable the incorporation of English in the organization much easier and to allow efficient communication between employees and the customers regardless of the cultural or racial background of the individual. It is also a unifying factor that brings employees of different background together and giving them a comfortable environment to work in. The other business strategy that most management companies implement involves the training of employees through part time classes that involve learning English. This acts as a source of motivation to the employees as they feel appreciated and part of the company as well as it gives them the opportunity to learn as they work. These are some of the strategies that Danish companies implement so as to use English in their organizations. The use of one common language among the employees has lead to improved human relations between the employees (Cid, 2005). It has enabled the workers to do things harmoniously because they now understand one another; communication as stated earlier is important for easy understanding and it is significant in building human relationships. It has influenced the culture of the employees; most people prefer to speak in their mother tongue but with the need for a multinational language they have to drop that culture and adopt the use of English. This could be a negative influence as it progressively leads to the fading away of the peoples’ culture and language. It has influenced the number of employees a company can recruit. Since many companies especially the big ones have adopted the use of English, they have been forced to hire employees who are fluent in speaking English. This has been both an advantage and a disadvantage; as an advantage the company is able to employ people from different backgrounds hence building the company’s rapport and increasing its efficiency in international business. But to many companies disadvantage, they have a low variety of employees to choose from since not many are qualified; because they do not speak English (Boove, 2000). The use of English as one common language among companies is important as it allows easy communication among the employees and the customers from different language backgrounds. Since the language is growing to be a global language at a fast rate, it will ease international trade. Companies can easily associate with other countries and increase their market scope. Through the use of English in German companies, it has attracted businesses in the west and other countries because there is one common form of communication between them (Sinclair, 2004). In Japan many companies are seeking to employ the use of English in business as way to increase their market. The Financial Times states that Rakuten has become the first Japanese online retailer company to declare English as its official business language (Mikitani, 2013). Many companies in Tokyo have followed pursuit as they are trying to increase their market share abroad which has forced them to incorporate the use of English. The retail company has all its employees speaking fluent English. Other huge companies such as Toyota and Nissan motors have also implemented the use of English in their daily business transactions and in the workplace. Japanese companies believe that the use of English will be a powerful tool in expanding business globally. As companies recruit more employees, they are required to have knowledge and should be able to speak English fluently; else no jobs. Experts say that with the dwindling local market it will soon become a necessity for the companies to adopt use of English. The use of English in the country has lead to a range of reactions according a research that was done; many young people are against it regardless to the early exposure to the language in school and in college. To other company’s language barrier has never been an issue to Japan in relation to marketing and international trade for they believe the quality of the goods could speak for themselves. But fact remains that, Japan’s current GDP comes from service industry; it is therefore becomes a necessity for the country people to learn how to speak English if they are to go global (Peacock, 2001). One of the service industries which require one common language would be the tourism industry. Tourists come from all over the world, people of different racial and cultural background. For easy communication the use of English has been adopted in the tourism industry, interpreters know English so as to guide the tourists. However, due to different accents it is easier to talk to Japanese through writing; this way they are able to fully understand what you are saying. The use of English is also evident in the transport sector in general, most signs are written in both Japanese and English making it easier for non residents to find their way through the streets. Rakuten company strategy to incorporate the use of English in the business involves the training of employees and giving them tests so as to measure their competence level. Employees join the company after they have excelled in their exams and if not so they are not allowed to join the company. The other strategy which companies are using is the recruiting of new employees who have met the qualifications; which includes speaking in English fluently. Before English was taught in school, people learned it through television programs that translated the English words into Japanese words hence enabling them know the meaning. Some companies employed this strategy but with time schools came up and scrapped out that form of learning. These are some of the business strategies being employed in company managements to incorporate the use of English as a way to expand its market. English has influenced the lives of Japanese employees; through loss of culture, less job opportunities, and adapting to it as a second language (Lewis, 1911). The use of English in Japanese companies has lead to the diminishing of culture in the country. Since most companies have made it a necessity, students are required to give less attention to their language and give more attention to English which makes their mother tongue fade or course inter language issues (Selinker, 1992). People looking forward to joining companies are usually disregarded due to the lack of fluency in speaking English. This reduces job opportunities for Japanese people. From another angle, current employees are being easily replaced by those that speak English leading to loss of employment. Many employees are finding it difficult to adapt to the use of English in their daily activities (Guffey, 1999). In Rakuten online retailer company, employees felt pressurized as they were forced to take classes and to use a language they were not quite familiar with. This may affect the reputation of the company and may also lower the performance of the employees. The use of English as one common language among companies is important as it allows easy communication among the employees and the customers from different language backgrounds. Since the language is growing to be a global language at a fast rate, it will ease international trade. Companies can easily associate with other countries and increase their market scope (Guffey, 2010). But to many companies disadvantage, they have a low variety of employees to choose from since not many are qualified; because they do not speak English. Through the use of English in Japanese companies, it has attracted businesses in the west and other countries because there is one common form of communication between them. In general companies face certain challenges especially when it comes to the adoption of new language in the company. Employees may take a long time to adapt to the new conditions and this may reduce the performance of the company. On average Japanese students perform worst compared to other Asian countries when it comes to English (Flowerdew, 2001). This becomes a huge challenge for the new employees who hope to join the companies. Cases of inter-language would be common; since fluency and competency in communication is important in communication, inter language would lead to breaking in communication and may at times lead to errors which would be pose as threats to the company. Companies incur extra cost which is required to train the employees. Employees also incur costs as they enrol to schools which may be an inconvenience to some of the people since they may not afford classes. But to many companies it is an added advantage as it allows international communication and easy foreign trade between companies. This increases the market share for companies since they can broaden their scope for business throughout the world and also they are able to reach out to customers from different backgrounds. It provides a comfortable working environment and it attracts foreign investors to start up businesses in the region increasing chances of economic boost and allows foreign exchange into the country. Having one common language acts as a unifying factor for everyone in the company and it provides a harmonious environment for the people and it acts as a source of motivation hence increasing the performance of the employees. In addition, it reduces discrimination and racism in the working place as it holds and brings people together. For companies such as Rukaten their trade levels have increased and their employees are fully fluent in the language; by the year 2050 English will be the second language in both Japan and German. The use of English has grown progressively in Japan and Germany over the years and companies are embracing it more and more. Companies that are advertising for job vacancies, recommend that employees be fluent in English and that it should be included in the curriculum vitae. Company management are setting up strategies on how to increase its use in their companies; from the discussion above we can identify several strategies that have been employed so as employ the use of the language in their firms. Despite minor opposition, the larger percentage of the opposition is still using it and to most countries it will soon be a second language. It is important as a potential employee aspiring to join a company in Japan or in Germany to learn English and be fluent in it; it increases the chance to get a position in the target firm. The main objective which is providing quality goods and services to the customers is only achievable only through effective communication. Through this, companies in Germany and Japan achieve their objectives both locally and internationally. Customers from within and out of Germany and Japan trade peacefully and have their needs and wants satisfied. English will soon be more than just a second language for many countries but will also be a business language. References Mikitani, H. (2013). Marketplace 3.0: rewriting the rules of borderless business. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Payne, J. (2002). Takeovers in English and German law. Oxford: Hart. Payne, J. (2002). Takeovers in English and German law: ed. by Jennifer Payne.. Oxford (GB): Hart publishers. Flowerdew, J. (2001). Research perspectives on English for academic purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Peacock, M. (2001). Research perspectives on English for academic purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sinclair, J., & Jones, S. (2004). English collocation studies the OSTI report. London: Continuum. Cid, M. I., Montes, E., Schier, H., Walter, M., & McQuade, S. (2005). Business English. New York: Living Language. Guffey, M. E. 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