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In many countries around the world, speaking a second language is considered normal. But for those of us who only speak our native mother tongue, it can sometimes be difficult to make the effort to bother learning a second language, especially when between work, family, and life, there are simply not enough hours in the day to read the newspaper, let along spend time learning a whole new language.

Fortunately, whatever your reason for wishing to take that step, there are many fast track methods available to help you become reasonably competent in a second language of your choice.

For many people, frequent business travel to a specific part of the world is a good reason to learn the local language. This is particularly so if your job requires you to deal with locals who are not necessarily fluent in English. If you can improve your communication skills, it will save you an awful lot of headaches and misunderstandings. Plus it will allow you to mix business with pleasure when you travel abroad.

One sure fire method of learning a second language is to hire a teacher for private lessons. One-on-one teaching will ensure fast progress in a very short time. However, this is not likely to be a cheap option.

Colleges and Universities usually offer language classes in the evenings. You can sign up for an instructor led course with a group of like-minded individuals. The only disadvantage of these classes is that they are very often geared up to holiday travel, as opposed to business travel, so it is worth checking the details before you enroll.

For those who travel frequently, an audio language course might be the answer. You can listen to the course via your iPod or MP3 player while stuck in an airport departure lounge, or on some other mode of public transport. The main disadvantage here is that you will look pretty silly when you inadvertently start repeating the phrases loudly in public.

To truly get the most from international travel, learning a foreign language is a must. Being able to communicate effectively with the locals is the best way to truly immerse yourself in another culture. You will learn so much more about a country when you can travel off the beaten track, safe in the knowledge that you will be able to communicate with reasonable competence. From vacations to business travel, learning a second language is a great advantage.

Whoever coined the phrase “global village” many moons ago, pretty much hit the nail on the head when you consider how Internet communication networks have lead to the globalization of businesses in modern times. While this has encouraged the expansion of multinational markets, and in turn created tremendous opportunities for modern international business organizations, it has also created a whole new set of unique problems.

 

As businesses grow, multinational communication becomes increasingly important, not only because of additional marketing opportunities, but because in many cases the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, both ethnically and culturally. Communication is sometimes hard enough on a day-to-day basis without having to deal with the addition of many complex layers of cultural differences.

 

Building relationships with clients from a different culture is the master key to establishing a successful international business. International communication is very much influenced by cultural differences. Many westerners rely on written communication such as emails to conduct business, whereas many Asian cultures prefer face-to-face meetings where body language and non-verbal clues are considered extremely important.

 

It is crucial to fully understand the culture you are dealing with. If a face-to-face meeting is preferable to your client, then it is something you should consider where possible. It might make the difference between a sale, or not.

 

International business communication practices are also inextricably linked to reason and emotion. Some cultures express their feelings quite openly and will routinely do so even in business meetings. Other cultures, most typically Asian cultures, are far more reserved. For example, emotional reactions are considered unacceptable in a country like Japan, whereas in countries like France and Italy, they are considered fairly normal.

 

It will always be the case that individual personality plays a significant role, but by making an effort to understand the cultural differences you may possibly have with the people you are dealing with, you can minimize the chances of inadvertently offending your clients. You might be used to communicating ideas by describing them in an emotional context, but if your client might feel uncomfortable with that, you will need to change your approach to suit them.

 

Globalization of your business is important and while there are many complex challenges in working across a multi-cultural environment, there are also many rewards. If you take the time and trouble to understand some of the differences and issues you might face, your international business will be able to prosper and grow as a result.

Social networking really took off in the 2000s with the introduction of the popular networking website, Facebook. Of course, there were many websites before this that helped consumers to interact but nothing on as large of a scale as Facebook managed.

Social Networking is a term that is used to describe the activity of networking through social sites. These sites mainly include Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and to a lesser extent, Myspace. While the term is mostly used for business development, it is also a growing trend throughout the world and the various age groups. And globalization refers to the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures become integrated by using a global network of communication and trade.

As the world is a very large place, it used to be easy to get lost in the size of the countries and the amount of people that exist, but not any longer. There are many tragedies that happen every day throughout the world but it has never hit us harder than in the age of social networking. This is because we don’t just hear it on the news, we get status updates on Twitter from Haiti about what’s happening on the ground to those who have been effected by the earthquake, for example. And we have Facebook updates from Tennessee as the flooding overtakes their counties and homes.

Social networking does not just globalize by giving a voice to pain, it also shows how very interesting the world can be. There are millions of pictures uploaded every second on Facebook and, with this, comes the example of each culture that comes with those pictures. With the ability to add and remove whomever you want on social networking sites, anyone can come into contact with things that are vastly different than what they’re used to.

When it comes to social networking: you aren’t just one in a million, you are one of the millions of people throughout the world who have been connected in this small way, with this small website. This automatically gives you a connection with anyone who uses Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Myspace, or any other large networking website.

Facebook – A website with millions of users all around the globe. Allows users to post status updates, show what interests them, commit to events, connect with friends, comment on things, and upload pictures.

Twitter – An update website where you can post what’s on your mind from anywhere in the world. Made specifically to be used with a cell phone and comes with at 140 character limit. Many celebrities use this as a medium to talk with their fans.

Linked In – A website for businesses and those looking to show where they’ve worked and what might be available for them. Offers an area for resumes, reviews, comments, and the ability to reconnect with those from your past.

Myspace – A website similar to Facebook.

In summary, social networking helps everyone to connect and it helps businesses understand which each country is really interested in by looking at the people who inhabit that area, and not just at that area in a general sense. It also helps businesses reach a much larger audience with topics and products that interest them individually instead of what interests them as a country, county, state or age group.

Welcome to the launch of our CGC Blog!  Here you will find fresh original insight into the world of international business communications and lifestyle, including a daily sprinkling of my own personal thoughts.  I do enjoy responding to comments, so please feel post your own opinions about any topic which may interest you.

The motivation for creating a message board and blog actually started in 2003, shortly after I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.  It was at the beginning of a long-term Teaching and business consulting project.  The CGC website was originally developed as a marketing tool for my new consulting business.  It soon evolved into a convienent and effective way to distribute information to my University students and multinational business clients.

Today CGC is the only place to network with businesses across cultures.

Thank you for visiting!

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”  -Sir Richard Branson