Business and English

Does English language and business education in the higher education marketplace equate to world domination? Asks David Gillingham and Ioannis Soilemetzidis

The world of business and knowledge is internationalising at an ever increasing rate. Following that pathway the global education industry has been the ground of phenomenal and continuous change over the last century. No sector of that industry has been affected more by globalisation and the new reality of our digitalised society than what is called by many "Business Education". While all over the world the development and changes in that discipline were overwhelming none is as important as the domination of English language as the means of instruction. This is a direct effect of the supremacy of English in the business, academic and scientific global community. That dominance makes it a key factor for employability in a very competitive labour marker.

In this increasingly competitive environment those schools that focus on Business related education and require the acquisition and practice of foreign languages together with an understanding of non-verbal communication are likely to improve their students' ability to communicate within an international environment.  Schools that use more than one language of instruction are even more likely to ensure that their students are good international communicators especially as that second language is in most cases English.

What about the employers one could ask, what do they want? Employers are increasingly looking for employees who can deal with international markets and the impact of global forces on domestic markets. People that can estimate risk and understand local culture are those bringing added value to the organisation.  Often employers express the view that the ability to deal with internationalisation is the single most important factor that influences the employability of graduates.

Multinational and local employers, including the large consulting firms, are looking for the multilingual and multicultural aware graduate with relevant work experience.  The large business schools in North America and the UK are less well equipped to provide such graduates. That is because while their level of English is excellent the vast majority of undergraduate business students have no foreign languages skills, no cultural awareness, no international work experience and little ability to communicate within an international working environment.  The situation is better at the postgraduate level but only because British and North America business schools recruit a large number of foreign students who come with these skills and experiences. That recruitment achievement is possible because in most counties English will be the first chose if one is to learn a foreign language. As a result the increasing success of British Universities in attracting foreign students is to be expected, thus by to 2005-6 there were over 356,000 non-UK students in the UK.

Nevertheless the market for business schools is likely to become even more stratified than it is today, and given the external pressures of internationalisation it seems that the balance is shifting away from the traditional Anglo-Saxon model, but not the use of English language as a tool of promoting the globalisation of standards and syllabus in education.

Across the globe more and more institutions are introducing English as their institutional way of communication with the market, mainly for two reasons. The first is that recruitment is that much easier and the second to be part of the global academic, research and economic community. The list of countries that have introduced taught in English is endless.  The following is just a small sample: France, Finland, Korea, Turkey, China, Germany, Russia, and Poland are only a small example of this global trend that creates a new reality in the world of education. Generating for the first time in human history the means to establish a genuine global educational society, talking and thinking in the same language and hopefully recognising the same values.

Is there a threat for local culture by this development? Actually, the French grandes écoles of management that are emerging as leaders in international business education have integrated English language in their curriculum. Hence while their students enter with two foreign languages and typically they study at least part of their curriculum in English, their traditional focus on blending work experience with a theoretical education lends itself well to the new environment and to the continuing bond with local culture. Over the past 20 years these schools have been following a development path towards increasing internationalisation.  Compulsory study abroad combined with compulsory work placements gives their graduates a competitive edge in the international job market. The basic tool that enables them to do so is the knowledge of English. Consequently the French schools dominate both the recruitment drive as well as the Financial Times ranking of European Masters in Management.

It seems that the market for business graduates and postgraduate education will become segmented with different schools in different countries and continents being best placed to serve particular segments. Consequently top level managers will progressively come from the truly international business schools, those than can provide the appropriate environment to educate their graduates to operate in the multilingual and multicultural world of business. First priority in this multilingual approach in non-English speaking countries will be English.  Middle and lower level managers may come from schools that provide a good international business education in English many of them in English speaking countries.  Lower level managers and supervisors may be recruited from local or regional schools.  However, as even the smallest of companies all around the world become international, the need for international business skills, experience and languages will become even more pervasive.  The future for the monolingual 'domestic' business school may be bleak, and that may be even truer for institutions from English speaking countries.  Studies by regional development agencies have time after time shown that businesses are chronically short of graduates with language and cultural skills.

Having said that the use of English as a tool in global education will only increase as more and more countries and institutions are eager to enter the world higher education market as a way to attract foreign currency, finance their education, increase consumption, creating business for local communities and export their culture.

This will create another pressure for institutions from English speaking countries. Many students will think why not study in Russia, Cyprus, India, Germany or China, learn a second language and get a valuable international, cultural experience that will increase my qualifications and provide me with a good competitive advantage for employment? If one considers that both fee levels and the cost of life in the above mentioned countries are much more competitive that in UK these are excellent value for money choices.

Thus Business schools in the UK are facing a major challenge.  They are driven by student demand, and for years have developed their curriculum on the needs and preferences of the local market. In addition school leavers from UK are not choosing to do internationally orientated business related degrees, since typically these students have no foreign languages. As a result the likely outcome is that the majority of British schools will be squeezed into a local or regional market position.  The higher ground will be occupied by international business schools in Europe.  If British business related educational providers have an aspiration to compete at the higher level then they need to internationalise: their staff, way of thinking, student body, curriculum and focus of academic development, student activities, communications, resources, delivery, recognition, orientation, governance and integrate foreign languages as a significant part of at least their international degrees.

Only time will show what will be the overall consequences from the use of English in the global education market and the position that UK educational providers will have in the next decades.  And in an ever-changing world of international education, time is becoming rapidly a scarce commodity.

Professor David Gillingham is Co-Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society at Coventry University

Mr. Ioannis Soilemetzidis is European Development Manager and Associate Lecturer of the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society at Coventry University