How Can We Encourage Employees to Speak More English at Work? Seeking Activity Ideas

Hello,

I am Neha, working as an HR associate in a midsize software company. I need to know how I can improve English speaking skills among the employees. The employees have a habit of speaking their regional language, even if they know English; they prefer the regional language only for conversation. Please suggest some activities that can be carried out in the office to improve the communication skills of the employees.

Dear Neha Kaushik,

Please provide them with some soft skills training sessions or materials that explain corporate culture and professional etiquette. Additionally, if there is a team, consider making it a multi-regional team or a group to reduce the dominance of regional languages to some extent.

Consider implementing a light-hearted rule where employees seen conversing in their regional language must treat their whole team to juice or dairy milk. While some employees may initially resist, this approach can still be effective to a certain degree.

To encourage adherence to corporate culture, consider rewarding employees with movie tickets, food coupons, etc.

Best regards,
Mahesh

Hi!

It's up to you only. Try to work on their psychology. Normally, it happens when you try to de-stress or make yourself comfortable with others. You can try to do this in a casual way, for example, dedicating a day or a week to a specific language, etc.

Sincerely,
$aaket
09764449988

Hi,

Bring in some people to your team who cannot speak the regional language but can speak English. By starting to communicate a little in English initially, they can understand the importance of English in their career. It is crucial to emphasize what may happen if they do not improve their English skills.

Stenal Jeet Singh