Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One: Online Version
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CHAPTER 6
LANGUAGES AND THE BUSINESS WORLD
HEARTS AND MINDS
Although Nick Reilly’s training in the Korean language might be a story in itself, the important question is: why did the company choose to have Reilly address the Korean public in Korean? From a purely utilitarian standpoint, this wasn’t necessary—and certainly not efficient. Nick Reilly could have appeared in the commercial speaking English, and they could have dubbed a voiceover by a native Korean-speaker. Subtitles could have been used. For that matter, the company could have allowed one of their Korean executives to appear in the commercial, thereby avoiding any tinge of “foreignness.”
Nick Reilly appeared in the commercial because a British CEO who speaks Korean symbolized the company’s commitment to the Korean market more effectively than Korean subtitles, voiceovers, or a Korean-born representative. As is often the case where language is concerned, it was much more than a simple matter of translation.
Foreign language skills allow you to identify more closely with others. The link between language and identity continues to be strong, even in the globalized 21st century. Polls in Russia indicate that businesspersons resent foreigners who want to do business in Russia but refuse to learn the language. (In Chapter 8, we read about a young American who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance when it was delivered in a language other than English.) Two of the world’s main religions--Judaism and Islam---maintain a strong link between their faith and specific languages (Hebrew and Arabic, respectively).
While a language does not guarantee personal rapport, it can often be the first step to identifying with your audience. When we Americans meet a person abroad who speaks our language, we often assume that they have a knowledge of and appreciation for the United States. When we go to the trouble of learning another language, non-English-speakers give us the same benefit of the doubt.
Copyright 2005 Beechmont Crest Publishing
