The Foreign Language Needs of U.S.-Based Corporations

Abstract

This article summarizes the results of 32 interviews conducted in nine companies of varying type and size. The purpose was to help identify the foreign language needs of U.S.-based corporations. These needs seem to depend in part on a company's type of product or service, its corporate culture, its geographical areas of involvement, and its size. Different types of positions will require different types and levels of foreign language skills. In general, while cross-cultural understanding was frequently viewed as important for doing business in a global economy, foreign language skills rarely were considered an essential part of this. Language problems were largely viewed as mechanical and manageable problems that could be solved individually—primarily by hiring foreign nationals or interpreters or translators. Smaller companies trying to enter the global market often seemed more sensitive to the value of foreign languages than larger companies did. They do not have access to the same resources as their larger counterparts, and they are dealing in a worldwide community of smaller companies, where English is less likely to be the lingua franca.

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