Does learning a second language translate into business success?

It is said to be the universal language of business, but there are pros and cons for teaching MBAs in English.

English is said to be the universal language of business so there is little incentive for UK managers to learn a foreign tongue. But in emerging economies such as Russia, China and South America, English is not widely spoken and Western managers who can communicate with the locals in these countries will have an edge.

So, should students learn a second language on their MBA programme so they can offer a well-rounded set of management skills?

At Cranfield School of Management, in Bedfordshire, a working knowledge of a second language is compulsory for all MBA students.

Sean Rickard, director of the full-time MBA programme, says: “We made it a requirement because we believe that in an increasingly global world we should encourage our students to communicate in at least one language other than their own.”

However, he points out that with 72 per cent of Cranfield’s students coming from abroad, many already have a second language: English.

“These aren’t obliged to attend the classes, but they’re encouraged if they want to learn a further language.”

However, Bob Berry, director of MBA programmes at Nottingham University Business School, has reservations about insisting on a second language as part of the MBA.

“Ideally for those who can only speak their native language, it would be useful to acquire another one, but there are time constraints on fitting language classes into a crowded curriculum. Language skills can be acquired in other ways,” he says.

Some European business schools assume that their students are proficient in English even if it is not their first language. Monaco is a trilingual principality and at its business school, IUM, all classes are in English although it is not the native tongue for most of the students.

IUM’s Professor of Economics, Dr Ingo Böbel, says: “We find that students coming from new EU countries wish to become fluent in French or Italian so they can relocate to Europe after graduation, so we offer free courses in these languages.”

German Belyave, a student from Moscow, is improving his French at IUM. “I speak Englishbut even though lots of people in Eastern Europe speak Russian, this opens up further opportunities for me.”

ESC Lille’s MBA has been taught fully in English since it was launched in 2002, attracting students from 17 countries, and SDA Bocconi in Italy will be switching to all-English classes for the next programme, while ICN Business School, in Nancy, delivers 80 per cent of courses in English and has a rigorous requirement of knowledge of the language.

Dr Krista Finstad-Million, ICN’s director of executive programmes, says: “The French condone the poor results of their education system in mastering English and some even claim that as a nation they have no gift for foreign languages.

“But ICN considers that language skill-building is crucial for senior managers, who have to pass a recruitment interview in English and write case studies, analysis and presentations in English.”

So, which languages are most important for tomorrow’s global manager? English first, then it depends on where you plan to work, says Rickard.

“Spanish is the most popular at Cranfield and is valuable for most of South America; German or French is useful for Europe or – if you are very brave – you could tackle Mandarin.”

Chris Wert, the dean for accreditation at INT School of Management (Evry, near Paris), has firm views about the choice of languages: “I would encourage students to learn Mandarin or Hindi, or a rare exotic language such as Estonian or an African dialect. It will give them a niche advantage in the job market. It’s important, however, that they learn a language that interests them.”

Cass Business School offers beginners courses in Mandarin, Spanish and Japanese, and opens language courses to students’ partners.

Rickard says: “Twelve years ago Japanese was a popular option at Cranfield, while 20 years ago, when oil prices quadrupled, there was a craze to learn Arabic, which demonstrates the danger of anticipating a future business language.”

Rather than trying to predict what tomorrow’s business world will be speaking, you might be better off just picking a language relevant to your plans – or at least useful for holidays.

Foreign students see the benefit of lifting language barrier

“It's quite common for Germans to have a good knowledge of English,” says Thomas Richter, a student from Frankfurt. “But I felt it was a weakness to speak just two languages and wanted to expand my language knowledge.”

When he discovered that he could learn Spanish during his MBA programme at Lancaster University Management School, Richter grabbed the opportunity.

“The language class is very specific to business needs and, although I don’t expect to be able to negotiate in Spanish, it will help me get around and do business in a Spanish-speaking country.

“My advice to MBA students when considering another language is to choose one which is widely used around the world.”

Ferenc Csoke, meanwhile, is fluent in English and German, thanks to the education system in his native Hungary where pupils start learning these languages at the age of six. Now he spends six hours every weekend studying Mandarin with 14 other students at Cass Business School in London.

Their first opportunity to use their new-found skills will be when they visit Shanghai next month to learn about the Chinese stock market.

About 60 per cent of Cass MBA graduates will either work in China or for Chinese companies.

Csoke admits that the language is very challenging. “I can have a basic conversation and it’s always beneficial in business to be able to communicate, however simply, in the other person’s language.”

However, he does not think learning a language while doing an MBA should be compulsory. “I spend every Saturday studying Mandarin, but that’s my choice. But everyone should at least be given the opportunity to learn another language during their studies.”