- First, let’s bring context to this discussion. Why is it important to focus on content when it comes to language training?
- Getting into the heart of the topic, what are your tips for HR professionals looking for DE&I content for their training programs? Do you have any must-haves or watch-outs?
- Your team has been working on DE&I. Can you tell us more about the available DE&I resources for employees on goFLUENT’s Corporate Language Academy?
- From your observation, are there popular DE&I activities in our inclusion and cultural awareness courses?
- Any final words about language training and DE&I resources for employees?
There are many aspects to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), and one of them is training. With relevant, accessible, and inclusive training, organizations can help open doors to opportunities for their employees.
Previously, we have given you five ways to address DE&I through language training. Now, we dig deeper into language training by spotlighting DE&I resources for employees with the help of Lavina Flores, goFLUENT Content Production Manager.
Lav is part of the content department, the team in charge of conceptualizing and producing content for online language training, instructor-led language classes, and business language assessment solution, and making sure they cover learning and teaching needs. As Content Production Manager, Lav oversees the teams responsible for developing content for all languages and for goFLUENT clients.
As we tackle DE&I resources for employees, Lav shares her expertise with us and answers some of the most common questions regarding language training content and how it contributes to designing an L&D program that covers DE&I.
First, let’s bring context to this discussion. Why is it important to focus on content when it comes to language training?
Lav: Content is a means of exposing learners to the language they hope to acquire by having them read or listen to it. This exposure is called input in our industry, and it’d be very difficult to learn a language without it. Our content exposes learners to a wide range of vocabulary that they’re likely to encounter in both their everyday and professional interactions, and equips them with the formulas they need to string those vocabularies into coherent sentences.
The wide range of topics means that learners will always find content that is relevant to them and their specific business needs. In addition, our content is used as a tool in lessons to help trainers elicit speaking and writing — also known as output — from our learners through various kinds of exercises.
Getting into the heart of the topic, what are your tips for HR professionals looking for DE&I content for their training programs? Do you have any must-haves or watch-outs?
Lav: My main tip would be: Understand your employees well before starting your search because your idea of what is inclusive might not reflect what actually makes your employees feel like they belong. Take the time to find out their individual needs and concerns, and develop a strategy for training that also reflects your company mission and vision.
That being said, a few must-haves include:
- more than content on DE&I, content that is truly and authentically diverse, containing
- phrases that help people from all walks of life understand one another; as well as
- examples demonstrating how the target skill or language is actually used in real-world situations to help the learner practice and gain confidence.
Your team has been working on DE&I. Can you tell us more about the available DE&I resources for employees on goFLUENT’s Corporate Language Academy?
Lav: Currently, we have three courses related to inclusion and cultural awareness that teach learners how to navigate interactions with diverse audiences. These courses contain activities teaching, for example, gender-neutral language and people-first language, as well as phrases for collaborating with multicultural teams. We also have a course for native English speakers that provides tips — such as improving enunciation, eliminating idioms and jargon, and using the appropriate pronouns — for successfully communicating in global contexts.
Our commitment to DE&I is still a work in progress, and we’re far from where we want to be, but every step we take is one step closer to ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity.
From your observation, are there popular DE&I activities in our inclusion and cultural awareness courses?
Lav: Definitely! We see many learners using these activities:
- Terms related to diversity and inclusion
- How to write across cultures
- How to use gender-neutral language in business communication
- How to use inclusive language in intergenerational communication
That first one is interesting because it’s essentially an introduction to diversity and inclusion, so it’s nice to see more and more people becoming interested in the topic. As for the other three activities, I believe they will always be relevant, especially as workforces become increasingly global and businesses tap younger generations for their talents and insights.
If you’d like to familiarize yourself with inclusive language and related communication techniques, I highly recommend starting with these four foundational activities.
Any final words about language training and DE&I resources for employees?
Lav: While content isn’t the only element of language learning, it’s essential in providing an almost limitless context to learn a language.
Through news articles, human-interest videos, interviews with experts, dialogues between professionals, and more, the learner is immersed in a space where meaningful communication occurs. And when all of the employees in an organization are immersed in this same space, they are given the equal opportunity to develop the communication skills they need to feel heard and to succeed in a multicultural workplace.
