Business French for Professionals: Essential Phrases & Cultural Tips

American colleagues grab coffee and dive straight into work talk. French colleagues need the proper greeting first, then small talk, then business. American meetings move fast and end with action items. French meetings involve thorough debate, and decisions happen outside the room.

To do business in French, you need the right vocabulary. But you also need to understand the culture beyond the language. That means understanding why vous matters, why you can’t skip bonjour and why your French colleague takes two-hour lunches without guilt. This guide covers the essential phrases you’ll need across some common workplace situations—along with the cultural context that makes them work.

A Note on Tu vs. Vous

Before going any deeper with using French for business, you need to understand the language’ two words for “you.” Tu is informal, used with friends, family and close colleagues. Vous is formal, used with strangers, superiors, clients and anyone you’ve just met in a professional context.

Use vous until the other person explicitly invites you to use tu. Using tu too soon can genuinely offend. In younger companies and startups, tu may be standard from Day 1, but in traditional corporate environments, some colleagues use vous for years.

The phrases below use vous forms because they’re the safest option. You’ll see tu forms in the more casual workplace phrases (coffee breaks, chatting with close colleagues).

Greetings & Small Talk

If you’re the kind of person who always says hi to others when you get to work, then you have a head start on learning how to communicate with French colleagues. Saying bonjour to everyone when you arrive at the office is considered basic respect. If you skip it, colleagues may decide that you’re rude or dismissive. The French take these small courtesies very seriously.

Common French Greetings to Use at Work

Salut / Ça va?

/sa.ly/ /sa va/

Hey, how’s it going?

“Ça va” is used morning until night. The response is also “Ça va. “Think of the exchange as: Ça va? (It’s going?) → Ça va. (It’ s going.) “Salut” is informal and doubles as “Bye!”

Ouais, ça va comme un lundi.

/wɛ/ /sa va/ /kɔm/ /œ̃/ /lœ̃.di/

Yeah, as good as a Monday can be.

A wry response to “Ça va?”(usable only on Mondays, of course).

Comment était ton week-end?

/kɔ.mɑ̃/ /e.tɛ/ /tɔ̃/ /wi.kɛnd/

How was your weekend?

This is an example of one of many English borrowings in modern French.

Bonne journée. / Bonne soirée.

/bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/ /bɔn swa.ʁe/

Have a good day. / Have a good evening.

À bientôt.

/a bjɛ̃.to/

See you soon.

Bonne continuation.

/bɔn kɔ̃.ti.ny.a.sjɔ̃/

All the best (going forward).

Wishing someone well with their ongoing work is a professional way to end an interaction.

On reste en contact.

/ɔ̃ ʁɛst ɑ̃ kɔ̃.takt/

Let’s stay in touch.

Professional Introductions

Business introductions in France are—you guessed it— formal. When you introduce yourself to a French speaker, use your first and last name, maintain eye contact and offer a light, brief handshake. Address others as Monsieur or Madame followed by their last name, unless they clearly invite you to use first names.

Never use Mademoiselle in business settings. It references marital status and is considered outdated and inappropriate.

Common French Phrases Used in Introductions

Je me présente, je suis…

/ʒə mə pʁe.zɑ̃t, ʒə sɥi/

Let me introduce myself, I am…

Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.

/ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te də fɛʁ vɔtʁ kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃s/

Pleased to meet you.

If you’ve been introduced to someone via email or another form of written communication, use Enchanté if you’re male, Enchantée if you’re female. But you don’t have to worry about this in conversation: The words are pronounced the same way.

Je travaille chez…

/ʒə tʁa.vaj ʃe/

I work at…

Je suis responsable de…

/ʒə sɥi ʁɛs.pɔ̃.sabl də/

I’m in charge of…

Voici ma carte de visite.

/vwa.si ma kaʁt də vi.zit/

Here’s my business card.

Present and receive business cards respectfully—take a moment to look at the card before putting it away. Want to be extra thoughtful? Have one side translated into French.

French Meetings & Presentations

French meetings tend to follow a structured agenda. Expect thorough analysis, detailed discussion and a slower decision-making process than you might be used to from meetings in the U.S. The French value logical, well-articulated arguments, and they’re comfortable with debate.

In hierarchical companies, junior employees don’t speak up unless invited. Decisions are often made outside the meeting room, then presented to the group.

Je pars en réunion.

/ʒə paʁ ɑ̃ ʁe.y.njɔ̃/

I’m going to a meeting.

J’ai une conférence téléphonique.

/ʒe yn kɔ̃.fe.ʁɑ̃s te.le.fɔ.nik/

I have a conference call.

Pouvons-nous commencer?

/pu.vɔ̃.nu kɔ.mɑ̃.se/

Shall we begin?

J’aimerais ajouter quelque chose.

/ʒɛ.mʁɛ a.ʒu.te kɛl.kə ʃoz/

I’d like to add something.

Qu’en pensez-vous?

/kɑ̃ pɑ̃.se.vu/

What do you think?

Je suis d’accord.

/ʒə sɥi da.kɔʁ/

I agree.

Je ne suis pas sûr(e) de comprendre.

/ʒə nə sɥi pa syʁ də kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ/

I’m not sure I understand.

Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît?

/pu.ʁje.vu ʁe.pe.te sil vu plɛ/

Could you repeat that, please?

On fait le point.

/ɔ̃ fɛ lə pwɛ̃/

Let’s summarize / take stock.

Je te rappelle après ma réunion.

/ʒə tə ʁa.pɛl a.pʁɛ ma ʁe.y.njɔ̃/

I’ll call you after my meeting.

French Phone Etiquette

Business phone calls in French follow strict conventions. You’ll hear the same phrases in nearly every call—formal greetings, requests to hold, polite transfers. Remember, following these conventions isn’t optional. If you ignore them, others will consider you unprofessional.

It doesn’t take long to master these key phrases and ensure you’re ready for any call your job brings.

Allô, c’est… à l’appareil.

/a.lo sɛ… a la.pa.ʁɛj/

Hello, this is… speaking.

Je voudrais parler à…

/ʒə vu.dʁɛ paʁ.le a/

I’d like to speak to…

C’est de la part de qui?

/sɛ də la paʁ də ki/

Who’s calling?

You’ll hear this when you call a French office. Be ready with your name and company.

Ne quittez pas.

/nə ki.te pa/

Please hold.

Literally “Don’t leave.” This is the standard way to ask someone to wait on the line.

Je vous le/la passe.

/ʒə vu lə pas/ or /ʒə vu la pas/

I’ll put you through to him/her.

Email & Written Communication in French

Written French tends to be more formal than spoken French, even in business emails. We have a whole article about the key phrases and cultural knowledge you need to successfully email with French colleagues.

Here are a few of the most important phrases covered in that article.

Madame, Monsieur,

/ma.dam, mə.sjø/

Sir or Madam,

The safest greeting when you don’t know who will read your email. Think of it as “To Whom It May Concern,” but warmer. This is the standard greeting for initial contacts.

Bonjour Madame/Monsieur [Name],

/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ ma.dam/mə.sjø/

Hello Ms./Mr. [Name],

For everyday emails with people you know. Balances warmth and professionalism.

Je me permets de vous contacter pour…

/ʒə mə pɛʁ.mɛ də vu kɔ̃.tak.te puʁ/

I am taking the liberty of contacting you to…

Use when reaching out to someone for the first time. The formality shows respect.

Suite à notre conversation…

/sɥit a nɔtʁ kɔ̃.vɛʁ.sa.sjɔ̃/

Following our conversation…

The standard phrase for follow-up emails. Creates clear connection to previous interactions.

Pourriez-vous…

/pu.ʁje.vu/

Could you…

The conditional tense politely softens requests.

Je vous serais reconnaissant(e) de…

/ʒə vu sə.ʁɛ ʁə.kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃(t) də/

I would be grateful if you could…

More formal than Pourriez-vous—use for important requests.

Veuillez trouver ci-joint…

/vœ.je tʁu.ve si.ʒwɛ̃/

Please find attached…

The standard way to reference attachments in French business emails.

Dans l’attente de votre réponse…

/dɑ̃ la.tɑ̃t də vɔtʁ ʁe.pɔ̃s/

Awaiting your response…

Signals you expect a reply. Sets up transition to sign-off.

Je reste à votre disposition

/ʒə ʁɛst a vɔtʁ dis.po.zi.sjɔ̃/

I remain at your disposal Shows you’re available for questions or follow-up.

Cordialement

/kɔʁ.djal.mɑ̃/

Best regards

The standard professional sign-off is appropriate for nearly any business situation.

Scheduling & Appointments in French

Punctuality matters in French business. Arriving on time shows respect. That said, don’t be surprised if meetings start a few minutes late; this is culturally acceptable. What’s not acceptable is rushing through an agenda or cutting a meeting short.

Êtes-vous disponible le…?

/ɛt.vu dis.pɔ.nibl lə/

Are you available on…?

Ça vous convient?

/sa vu kɔ̃.vjɛ̃/

Does that work for you?

On décale à quelle heure?

/ɔ̃ de.kal a kɛl œʁ/

What time shall we reschedule to?

Je dois annuler notre rendez-vous.

/ʒə dwa a.ny.le nɔtʁ ʁɑ̃.de.vu/

I need to cancel our appointment.

Je dois partir tôt ce soir.

/ʒə dwa paʁ.tiʁ to sə swaʁ/

I have to leave early today.

French Words for Breaks & Lunch

Business lunches can last one to two hours and are seen as opportunities to build relationships rather than close deals. Follow your host’ lead, pace yourself through multiple courses and don’t dive into business talk immediately.

The French also maintain a strong separation between work and personal life, protected by labor laws including the famous 35-hour workweek and the “right to disconnect” from work communications outside business hours.

Petite pause café, ça te dit?

/pə.tit poz ka.fe sa tə di/

How about a coffee break?

Où est-ce qu’on va manger?

/u ɛs.kə kɔ̃ va mɑ̃.ʒe/

Where shall we eat?

Vous venez manger avec nous?

/vu və.ne mɑ̃.ʒe a.vɛk nu/

Will you come eat with us?

Use vous to address a group, or a boss or coworker you don’t know well.

On part manger là.

/ɔ̃ paʁ mɑ̃.ʒe la/

We’re going out to eat over there.

Attends deux minutes, je dois me concentrer.

là. /a.tɑ̃ dø mi.nyt ʒə dwa mə kɔ̃.sɑ̃.tʁe la/

Two minutes please, I need to concentrate on this.

A polite way to ask a colleague to give you a moment to finish something.

Polite Requests & Thanks in French

Using courteous language like s’il vous plaît and je vous remercie is expected. The conditional tense (pourriez-vous, je voudrais) softens requests and shows respect.

Pourriez-vous m’aider avec…?

/pu.ʁje.vu mɛ.de a.vɛk/

Could you help me with…?

Je vous remercie de votre aide.

/ʒə vu ʁə.mɛʁ.si də vɔtʁ ɛd/

Thank you for your help.

Merci d’avance.

/mɛʁ.si da.vɑ̃s/

Thanks in advance.

C’est très gentil de votre part.

/sɛ tʁɛ ʒɑ̃.ti də vɔtʁ paʁ/

That’s very kind of you.

Pronunciation Key

The pronunciations in this guide use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Here are the sounds that differ from English.

Consonents

ʁ = French “r” (soft, produced in the throat)

ʒ = “zh” (as in “measure”)

ɲ = “ny” (as in “canyon”)

j = “y” (as in “yes”)

Vowels

y = “ew” with rounded lips (as in tu)

ø = “eu” (as in deux)

œ = open “eu” (as in heure)

Nasal vowels (let air flow through your nose)

ɑ̃ = as in en

ɔ̃ = as in on

ɛ̃ = as in in

Putting It All Together

Learning business French requires understanding the cultural values behind the vocabulary: formality, respect, courtesy and the clear boundaries between professional and personal life.

Your French-speaking colleagues and clients will appreciate the effort you put into respecting their communication style.

Ready to go beyond phrases? Fluency Corp offers customized corporate French training designed around your industry and goals. Our lessons focus on real workplace situations—meetings, negotiations, presentations, and client communication—so you can build fluency that matters. Contact us for a free consultation.

50 Essential Phrases for Professional French Emails

The U.S. is largely an informal country. If you’re like us, you start a lot of emails to colleagues with “Hey (colleague name).” In France, though, that would be a major faux pas. As we’ve helped countless English-speaking clients learn French (and French speakers learn English), we’ve noticed that emails are one of the most common cross-cultural stumbling blocks.

Even if you get all of the French vocabulary and syntax correct, there are also some unfamiliar etiquette rules to learn. Respecting those rules helps you communicate clearly and collaborate smoothly. But ignoring them can lead to possibly costly miscommunications and some very vexé French colleagues.

So today we want to give you a little taste of how we help our English-speaking clients prepare for emailing in French. We’ll cover some key French words and phrases for business communication. (Don’t worry: This will be a lot more relevant to your work than the French vocabulary lists you memorized in high school.) But we’ll also talk about the messages you’re sending between the lines.

And you’ll gain the cultural savvy you need to connect with French colleagues. We hope this article can be a resource for anyone who needs to write in French for work, for HR professionals who are supporting expats in French-speaking countries, and for international teams with French and English speakers.

The Key to Emails in French? Formality

To visualize the difference between emails in American English and those in French, let’s imagine two colleagues, separated by an ocean—and work cultures. Ashley lives in Atlanta. When she works from home or her favorite coffee shop, she wears her comfiest athleisure pieces. And even when she goes to the office, it’s not that much dressier.

Camille lives in Paris. She’s in the office every day, typically wearing a tailored blazer, slim trousers and leather flats. Even for a trip to the coffee shop on the weekend, she wears dark jeans, a fitted sweater and a classic trench coat.

Just as French fashion is more polished, French business communication runs on formality and politeness. Ashley opens her emails to American colleagues with a friendly “Hey!” On the other hand, Camille, like most other French professionals, expects polished greetings, elaborate closings and a consistent formal tone.

Here’s how that approach takes shape throughout an email.

Email Subject Lines in French

French subject lines should be brief and direct. We’re talking six to eight words maximum. Common formats include:

  • Demande de rendez-vous — “Meeting request”
  • Suite à notre conversation — “Following our conversation”
  • Question concernant [topic] — “Question regarding [topic]”
  • Candidature pour le poste de… — “Application for the position of…”

How to Start an Email in French

Madame, Monsieur,

This is the safest bet when you don’t know who will read your email. It’s the French equivalent of “To Whom It May Concern,” but it doesn’t carry the cold and bureaucratic tone of the English phrase. It’s also far more commonly used: “Madame, Monsieur” is standard practice for making an initial contact. Use either Monsieur, or Madame, when you know the recipient’s gender but not their name.

What not to do

Never use Mademoiselle. It references marital status, and it’s outdated and inappropriate in professional settings.

Other salutation phrases to know

  • Monsieur le Directeur, / Madame la Présidente, — “Mr. Director,” / “Madam President.” Use when you’re addressing someone by their professional title.
  • Bonjour Madame/Monsieur [Name], — “Hello Ms./Mr. [Name],.” For everyday emails with people you know, this greeting balances warmth and professionalism.
  • Cher Monsieur Dupont, / Chère Madame Martin, — “Dear Mr. Dupont, / Dear Ms. Martin,” — These greetings are warmer, but still formal. Use them when you have an established relationship with the recipient.
  • Bonjour à tous, — “Hello everyone.” Use this French salutation for group emails.

Stating the Purpose of Your Email in French

Je me permets de vous contacter pour…

(I am taking the liberty of contacting you to…)

This phrase is so French—it’s almost apologizing for the intrusion of your email. Use it when you’re reaching out to someone for the first time or making an unsolicited request. The formality shows respect for the recipient’s time.

Cultural note

Wait for the other person to suggest using first names or the informal tu (vs. vous) before making that shift yourself—even if you’ve exchanged several emails.

Other opening phrases to know

  • Je vous écris pour… — “I am writing to…” This is slightly more direct than Je me permets de vous contacter pour …
  • Je vous contacte au sujet de… — “I am contacting you regarding…”
  • Je souhaite vous informer que… — “I wish to inform you that…”

French Phrases for Follow-Up Emails

Suite à notre conversation…

Following our conversation…

This is the perfect French phrase for follow-up emails. The French value continuity, and this phrase creates a clear connection between your email and previous interactions.

Other follow-up phrases to know

  • Suite à notre entretien du [date]… — “Following our meeting on [date]…”
  • Comme convenu… — “As agreed…”
  • Pour faire suite à votre demande… — “In response to your request…”

Making Requests in French Emails

Je souhaiterais…

(I would like…)

The conditional tense softens requests in French business emails. Je souhaiterais is more polite than Je veux (I want). It’s appropriate for everything from requesting information to proposing meetings.

Pourriez-vous…

(Could you…)

When you need someone to take action, this conditional form keeps the request polite and undemanding. It helps you ask for something without appearing presumptuous.

Other request phrases to know

  • Auriez-vous l’amabilité de… — “Would you be so kind as to…” Very formal.
  • Je vous serais reconnaissant(e) de… — “I would be grateful if you could…”
  • Serait-il possible de… — “Would it be possible to…”
  • Je voudrais… — “I would like…” Slightly less formal.
  • J’aimerais… — “I would like…” Can also express wishes.
  • Nous souhaiterions organiser une réunion… — “We would like to arrange a meeting…”

French Phrases About Email Attachments

Veuillez trouver ci-joint…

(Please find attached…)

Attachments require their own announcement in French business emails. This phrase is the standard way to direct attention to documents you’ve included.

Other attachment phrases to know

  • Vous trouverez en pièce jointe… — “You will find attached…”
  • Je vous transmets ci-joint… — “I am sending you attached…”
  • Ci-joint le document demandé — “Attached is the requested document”

How to Close an Email in French

Dans l’attente de votre réponse…

(Awaiting your response…)

This phrase signals that you expect a reply, which is particularly useful when you’ve made a request or asked a question. It also sets up a professional transition to your sign-off.

Other closing phrases to know

  • Dans l’attente de votre confirmation… — “Awaiting your confirmation…”
  • Dans l’attente de vos commentaires… — “Awaiting your feedback… “
  • Je vous remercie par avance de votre réponse — “Thank you in advance for your response. “

Je reste à votre disposition

(I remain at your disposal)

This phrase lets the recipient know that you’re happy to answer questions or continue the conversation. It can stand alone or combine with your sign-off.

Other availability phrases to know

  • N’hésitez pas à me contacter — “Don’t hesitate to contact me.”
  • Je reste à votre entière disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire — “I remain entirely at your disposal for any additional information.”

Cordialement

(Kind regards)

This is the safest bet among French email sign-offs—professional, warm enough and appropriate for nearly any business situation.

What not to do

Other sign-off phrases to know

  • Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées — “Please accept, Madam/Sir, the expression of my distinguished regards.” The most formal closing, used in official correspondence and cover letters.
  • Sincères salutations — “Sincere regards” (formal)
  • Bien cordialement — “Best regards” (slightly warmer)

Putting It All Together

Of course, this article doesn’t cover all the French vocabulary you’ll need for sending emails in that language. But you might be surprised at how helpful it is to memorize the list of phrases here.

To test yourself, see how much of the below email you understand after reading this article:

Objet: Demande de rendez-vous

Madame, Monsieur,

Je me permets de vous contacter pour discuter d’une opportunité de collaboration entre nos entreprises.

Suite à notre conversation téléphonique de la semaine dernière, je souhaiterais organiser une réunion pour présenter notre proposition. Pourriez-vous m’indiquer vos disponibilités pour la semaine du 15 janvier?

Veuillez trouver ci-joint notre brochure et une présentation de nos services.

Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je reste à votre disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire.

Cordialement,

Marie Laurent

Directrice des Partenariats

Fluency Corp

Now you know how to give emails the polish French colleagues expect. (Even if you’re wearing yoga pants when you send them. We won’t tell.) Let us know if you put this list to use yourself or share it with international colleagues.

For more support in mastering French business communication, get in touch with us at Fluency Corp. True confidence in using French at work comes from practice with a real person who can show you how French is really spoken and used in everyday life.

At Fluency Corp, our instructors are native French speakers who build lessons around your actual work: the emails you need to send, the meetings you’re preparing for, the colleagues you’re trying to connect with. We don’t do cookie-cutter curricula. Your instructor continuously adapts to your needs, and we track your progress with quarterly goals and reports. Contact us now for a free consultation.

Using Substack as a Language Learning Resource: A Powerful Tool for Professionals

Male professional in front of a computer smiling at the camera illustrating the blog topic Using Substack as a Language Learning Resource

In a world that increasingly prioritizes digital communication and remote learning, Substack has emerged as more than just a platform for newsletters. Today, it serves as a powerful educational tool, particularly for professionals striving to improve their language skills.

With its user-friendly format, consistent updates, and diverse contributor base, Substack is fast becoming an innovative supplement to traditional language learning resources.

This blog explores how professionals can use Substack as a dynamic resource to enhance their Business English and multilingual fluency. We’ll also integrate essential insights from Fluency Corp’s training philosophy and highlight how Substack complements the structured, corporate-focused training methods we offer.

Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or international team member, understanding how to maximize this platform can elevate your communication, leadership, and professional presence.

What Is Substack and Why Is It Relevant for Language Learning?

Substack is a subscription-based publishing platform that allows writers to distribute newsletters directly to their audience. Unlike traditional media outlets, Substack prioritizes independent voices and niche expertise—making it the perfect arena for learners who want to dive deep into specific subjects, including language, business, culture, and international affairs.

What makes Substack particularly useful for language learners—especially those in professional settings—is how it supports immersive, real-time learning. Regular posts from expert writers provide consistent exposure to natural and industry-relevant English, allowing learners to experience vocabulary and grammar in authentic contexts.

Comment sections and community threads offer learners an opportunity to practice comprehension and written interaction. In fact, Harvard Business Review has highlighted the importance of continuous reading habits as a key to staying sharp and competitive in today’s global job market, particularly when reading content that aligns with one’s career field.

Moreover, the Yale Center for Language Study emphasizes that immersive reading—especially in specialized domains such as leadership, marketing, or global affairs—dramatically enhances vocabulary retention, reading fluency, and contextual language understanding.

Professionals learning English through Substack not only improve their linguistic skills but also stay informed on global trends, workplace strategies, and cutting-edge leadership practices. This dual advantage makes Substack an ideal tool for holistic language development and professional growth.

How Substack Supports Fluency Development in Business English

For learners aiming to master Business English, Substack can serve as a practical daily touchpoint. By subscribing to curated newsletters, professionals can:

  • Expand business vocabulary
  • Analyze tone, formality, and structure in corporate writing
  • Observe persuasive language strategies used in sales, branding, and negotiation

Recommended Substack Categories for ESL Learners:

Integrating Substack With Your Fluency Corp Training Plan

Substack doesn’t replace structured learning—but it does complement it brilliantly. At Fluency Corp, we focus on developing real-world communication fluency by combining language coaching with content immersion. Substack adds an on-demand, personalized layer of exposure between sessions.

Here’s how our methodology aligns with your Substack usage:

Examples of Substack Newsletters for Language Learners

Below are examples of real Substack newsletters that offer valuable content for English learners, especially those focused on professional growth:

  • The Profile by Polina Pompliano – Profiles on successful leaders with well-written content to learn business idioms and success vocabulary.
  • Culture Study by Anne Helen Petersen – Sociolinguistic insights, perfect for understanding modern American English and workplace communication styles.
  • Not Boring by Packy McCormick – Deep dives into startup strategy, tech, and business models using smart and casual business English.
  • Every.to – A bundle of newsletters covering productivity, leadership, communication, and startup growth.
  • Charter – Visual and written data storytelling—ideal for professionals looking to understand and communicate business data in English.

These newsletters not only expand vocabulary but also model persuasive and professional writing.

How Professionals Can Maximize Substack for Language Growth

1. Set Reading Goals

Create a weekly reading schedule with 3–5 newsletters, and dedicate 15–20 minutes per day to reading. Use vocabulary apps like Anki or Notion to track new words.

2. Engage With the Community

Comment on posts, reply to discussion threads, and interact with writers to practice your writing and comprehension.

3. Shadow Read Aloud

Read a newsletter aloud once per week, mimicking tone and pronunciation. This is especially useful for business presentations and improving confidence.

4. Use Newsletters in Your Coaching Sessions

Bring a paragraph or phrase from a newsletter to your Fluency Corp coach and practice using it in a dialogue or presentation simulation.

5. Create Your Own Mini Newsletter

Try writing a short Substack-style entry each week summarizing what you’ve learned. This reflective practice supports vocabulary retention and writing fluency.

Combining Tech, Strategy, and Substack: The Future of Language Training

The rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly (explored in our post on AI-Powered Language Tools) shows that tech-enhanced learning is here to stay. Substack fits beautifully into this landscape as a human-curated, thought-provoking counterpart to machine-driven solutions.

Together with Fluency Corp’s structured Corporate Language Training, you get the best of both worlds: precision and practice.

A Strategic Resource in Your Fluency Toolkit

Using Substack isn’t just about reading more—it’s about reading smarter. For the busy executive, the expat manager, or the global marketing team, platforms like Substack offer highly relevant, digestible, and interactive content that reflects how language is actually used in the business world.

Whether you’re preparing for a leadership role, enhancing your business writing, or sharpening your negotiation skills, combining curated content with Fluency Corp’s coaching can accelerate your path to fluency.

Ready to Take Action?

If you’re looking to enhance your business English in a strategic, real-world way, Fluency Corp offers personal coaching tailored to your industry and goals. Let us help you integrate tools like Substack into a holistic language training program that drives results.

Book your free consultation today and let’s build your path to confidence, clarity, and international communication excellence!

What Does Corporate Language Training Cost?
Let’s do the Math.

pile of hundred dollar bills used to symbolize the cost savings of corporate language training

As providers of corporate language training, we hear comments and questions like these all the time:

How will providing accent reduction classes to our employees help us make more money?

Will I really help the company’s bottom line by learning Spanish?

We just don’t have time for language training.

This accountant already speaks English well enough. I don’t understand why he wants private lessons. That couldn’t possibly have any impact, right?

Basically, you can boil them all down to one key question:

Will the money we spend on corporate language training deliver a return on our investment?

We are passionate proponents of language training, but we totally understand where companies that ask this question are coming from. Their money and time are finite, their needs are many, and they have to spend wisely.

It is perfectly reasonable to ask the question: “What does corproate language training cost?” But there’s more than ample evidence that the cost of language training is worth it; an investment that pays off many times over.

Lack of Fluency Hurts the Bottom Line

We recently had a meeting with the head of HR for a multinational company that sends Japanese expats to the U.S. to work for two to four years.

We asked her how much time each employee was losing each each week due to communications breakdowns, and expected her to say two hours or so. That’s based on what our clients tell us about how much time an employee saves per week after a few months of language training.

Instead, her answer was shocking: Five hours. Five! A lack of language fluency was costing each of their employees more than a half day per week.

It’s mystifying that a company can say it doesn’t have time for language training even as it knows employees are wasting time because they don’t have the language skills they need.

To make this all a little easier to understand, we’ll consider a hypothetical situation: Let’s say your company has relocated an international employee to the U.S. The employee makes $100,000 a year. And he’s losing five hours a week due to his lack of language fluency.

When you factor in vacation, holidays and a couple of sick days per year, his hourly rate is about $58. So the price tag for those five lost hours per week is about $290.

And then there’s the time the employee’s colleagues are losing because of his communication problems. It’s likely that $290 per week is multiplied by at least 2.

Without training, the employee is likely to make some language progress, but to still have problems over the years. Here’s how that could break down:

YEAR 1
The employee loses five hours per week. If he works 48 weeks per year (after vacation, holidays, etc.), that’s $13,920, based on the hourly rate we cited above. Assuming that his communication difficulties cost other employees time as well, we can safely double that number to $27,840.

YEAR 2
The employee is now losing 3 hours per week, making the annual cost of his lack of fluency $8,352. Again, we have to figure that other employees are affected. So the total lost for year two is $16,704.

YEARs 3, 4 & 5
The employee is gaining some language skills but still has trouble connecting with and being understood by others. For these years, let’s figure a loss of 1.5 hours per week. That’s an annual cost of $4,176 for him, and $8,352 if you consider his effect on other employees. That gives us a three-year total of $25,056.

Conservatively, that Employee’s Lack of Fluency Will Cost the Company $69,600 Over Five Years!

There are also other ways your company could take a financial hit from not providing this employee language training. Without language skills, it’s harder for the employee to make meaningful contributions at work. You’re missing out on the value of his feedback, ideas and full input.

It’s also harder for the employee to feel at home in a new country and to connect with others. All of this makes it more likely that the employee’s relocation will fail and that he will move back home. Since relocation costs typically range from $72,000 to $1 million, this is a costly failure for your company.

There has to be a better way, right?

Corporate Language Training Pays Off Quickly

At Fluency Corp, we believe that a better way is to invest early in language training. Back to your original question: “What is the cost of language training?” Our classes start at $110 per week for the minimum number of hours to make steady progress. That’s $5,280 for 48 weeks of lessons per year.

The goal is that halfway through this year, your employee will be exponentially better at communicating and wasting far less time. After a year of two hours of language training per week, your employee is close to working at 100 percent (if you hired them at a B2 level, which is normal).

So let’s try that yearly breakdown again:

YEAR 1
Here are the first-year costs we’re looking at under this new scenario:

  • $5,280 for a year’s worth of language instruction with a native speaker.
  • $5,568 (2 hours a week x 48 weeks x the hourly rate of $58) for time “lost” to language instruction — although one could argue this isn’t really a loss.
  • An average of 3 hours lost per week, plus the same amount of time lost for the employees who collaborate with him: $16,704.

That brings the Year 1 total to $27,552. We’re already saving a little money. But things are about to get even better! Not to mention, between Year 1 and Year 2 is when most relocations fail – if we add in the success of the relocation, add anywhere from $75,000 to $1 million dollars of savings.

YEAR 2
The $5,280 and $5,568 numbers stay the same. But now the employee is losing only 90 minutes per week, tops, due to language issues. We’ll continue to assume that his colleagues are losing a comparable amount of time. So the total there is $8,352. We’ve cut your company’s Year 2 losses in half compared with the other scenario.

YEAR 3
We’re still looking at $5,280 for training each year and $5,568 for the time the employee spends on the training. As he polishes his accent and further hones his ability to express ideas clearly, he’s wasting (and costing his colleagues) little to no time. Our new Year 3 total is $10,848.

YEARS 4 & 5
The employee now has strong communication skills. No more language training is needed, and no time is being wasted. Your corporate language training cost for these years? Zero.

With Language Training, our new Five-Year Total is $46,752! That compares with $69,600 in the scenario where the employee didn’t get language training, and it’s a 33 percent savings.

In other words, if you had decided that you couldn’t afford language training for the employee, you would be costing your company almost $23,000.

That’s not even taking into the account the cost of a potential failed relocation and of all the employee’s contributions that you’d be missing out on due to his lack of fluency. Language training builds collaboration, productivity and trust.

And that is simply priceless.

 

What Makes Corporate Language Training Affordable?

The way we keep costs down for language training is in our method. We are aiming to get employees and executives fluent as efficiently as possible. No wasted time learning irrelevant vocabulary or working with flashcards. We customize each lesson so your employees are learning what they need to be productive on the job. Emails, presentations, speaking with customers — whatever skills they need to be successful are the things we work on. Visit our FAQ’s page for more details on how language training classes work with Fluency Corp.

We offer corporate language training in cities across the globe. Cities in the U.S. like Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, and Washington D.C. have a number of international business hubs.

Choose from language classes on-site at your offices or online over Skype for employees. Spanish, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and many more languages are available. Contact us for a consultation today at getfluent@fluencycorp.com.

 

 

10 Secrets to Managing your Multilingual Global Workforce

Levels of Language Proficiency Explained, Finally!

Levels of Language Proficiency Explain, Finally!

At the beginning of any language course, a common first question from the student is, ‘What’s my level?”

Since we’ve been teaching and assessing students for the past 12 years, we can guess, correctly, a student’s language level within 5-10 minutes of speaking with him or her. But many times they, or their bosses, want an official test to see where they are so that they can then take the test again after the course.

While it is completely understandable that a corporation paying for its employees’ English lessons wants to know the level before and after a course, it is unlikely that they will see a difference on some of the more popular tests, especially if the student hasn’t prepared specifically for that test.

Getting from one language level to the next typically takes 250 hours or more, and most corporations buy 100 hours or less, but there are ways to assess the success of your English language program.

Language Proficiency Tests

If you or your organization is interested in language testing, there are quite a few language tests available: ACTFL, DELE (for Spanish), DALF (for French), TOEFL (for those going into English-speaking college, take this to prove your English level) and TOEIC (for those going into an English-speaking job position, take this to prove your high level of fluency in a competitive global job market).

But each one will test for a specific set of skills. So you can take an English course for the skills you need for your job, or you can prepare for the test, and learn things that might not be applicable to your work and life.

The predicament with each of these is that you might get a different result with each one of them. So if you’re going to see if you’ve improved, take the same test again at the end of your course, so you can compare apples with apples.

Which Language Level Reference Should I Use?

When people ask what language level they have, we use the CEFR levels put in place by the Council of Europe in the 1980s and 1990s to describe the various levels of speaking a foreign language.

It goes from A0 (no knowledge of the foreign language) up to C2 (Upper Advanced ability to speak a foreign language). This reference is used primarily in Europe, but many other countries are now using it as well.

In the United States, many organizations use the ACTFL, but no matter which reference you choose, you can see what your level is in any of the scales by checking out this chart.

As you can see, the ACTFL breaks down many of the CEFR levels into 3 different levels, as each CEFR level is a very big difference in terms of language proficiency. ACTFL does a good job of showing you where you lie in each CEFR level, and we speak more about this below.

There are also charts mapping your TOIEC and TOEFL levels compared to CEFR, which is very helpful to know what your level would be compared across all tests.

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How Different is Each CEFR Level?

The levels between A0 and C2 are quite distinct, meaning that two students who are both considered B1 could have very different abilities in the language.

Researchers show various lengths of time to express how long it takes to get from the B1 level to the B2 level; most show that it can take up to 260 hours of exposure, learning, and/or usage in the language. So someone who has just come into the B1 level could take 260 hours just to get out of it.

Researchers also talk a lot about how these hours must be spent in order to consider them “Hours of Language Learning.” Here at Fluency Corp, we express these hours as “Time With the Language.”

But more weight must be given to active participation with the language (where the brain is pushing to express thoughts), and less weight given to passive activities (like reading a book, which does not give ear training).

For example, if you and a friend are talking for one hour, with constant back and forth, this is considered one hour toward your 260-hour goal to get from B1 to B2 level. If you read a book for one hour, this would only be considered 30 minutes toward true language proficiency.

You are possibly taking in syntax, grammar, and new vocabulary, but you are not producing the language and thinking on your feet to respond to someone’s questions and expressing your thoughts in stories (super hard!).

If you are watching TV for one hour without the subtitles (if subtitles are put on, that is considered reading with some listening), then this counts as 45 minutes of “Time With the Language.” Even though you are not producing the language, your ears are getting trained, and you will likely repeat something you hear later on.

Your brain will store the phrases and categorize what it’s hearing while you watch and listen. Since it’s a story, you are learning in context, just like you did when you learned your first language.

But you must speak with someone for hundreds of hours since we know that there are millions of children that understand their parents, but cannot respond in the language of the parents.

These are children that grew up hearing their parents’ first language, but when they started school, they stopped responding in the first language, because the second language (now the native language) became more dominant.

And because the parents also spoke the language being spoken in the school, they could understand their children and did not force them to respond in the original first language of the parents.

Most clients that come to us say they can read the language (typically they learned in an academic setting), but they cannot understand it spoken, or they can understand it spoken (if they grew up hearing it from their parents or friends or coworkers), but cannot speak it.

Speaking a language is the hardest, and therefore, you must spend dedicated hours practicing to speaking.

How ACTFL and CEFR Explain Language Levels

ACTFL tests for listening, speaking, reading and writing, and focuses on real-world usage in a non-rehearsed context. It has 11 levels, from Novice to Distinguished. This article has a description of each level. Language levels are often described in a way that might be hard to imagine.

For example, the Distinguished level says that someone with this level can “use language skillfully, with accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness.” But what does that really sound like in real-word examples and terms?

The CEFR describes the C2 level (the highest possible level) as “someone being able to understand practically everything heard or read.”

But if you’ve never tested an employee’s language level, or read an English-level test assessment, you might want to read below to truly understand how this employee might talk, write, or understand.

Language Learning Levels Explained

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We hope this helps you understand how your employees might speak and what they might understand at each of these levels. Of course, we wrote this with correct grammar, but realistically, there would be grammar mistakes and accents as well. Our purpose in this is to show overall ability to express oneself.

Whether someone makes a grammar mistake or not, does not typically take away from understanding, so take into consideration that anyone speaking his or her second language will likely make grammar mistakes. Our examples here were focused on overall depth of expression.

Micah Bellieu is CEO and Founder of Fluency Corp (we do language training) and is a bit suspicious of using language exams to prove fluency, but does believe they give you an idea of ability if you aren’t able to speak to that person.

Questions about language classes? Reach out! We’ll be in touch.

6 Ways to Practice a New Language Daily

6 Way to Practice a New Language

Learning a new language? That’s awesome! You’re boosting your career, making your brain more limber and creative and opening the door to better collaboration with coworkers.

If you’re just starting out, fluency in a new language might seem a really long way off. We wish we had a fast-forward button that would let you wake up tomorrow sounding just like a native speaker, but, sadly, that hasn’t been invented yet. What we can give you is our best advice for getting fluent faster: Practice. Then practice some more. And, oh yeah, more practice.

That really is all it comes down to. The more time you spend with the language you’re learning (mind you, we don’t mean reading or doing grammar drills), the more rapidly you’ll become fluent. So today I wanted to pass along some of my favorite ways to practice your new language daily. If you’re taking language classes, these tips will help you make even faster progress.

1. Text. A Lot.

Did you know that there are apps that let you text with a native speaker of the language you are learning throughout the day? You might especially like these apps if you feel nervous about face-to-face conversations in your new language. You have time to think about your responses, and your conversation partner can’t see you, so that reduces the pressure and awkwardness.

I recommend HelloTalk and Tandem. While you will always learn the most from in-person conversations, text conversations are a great supplement — or substitute while you work your way up to face-to-face practice. Text away!

But remember, nothing replaces real conversation – your ears cannot get trained to the sounds of the language through a text message. So even though you might be able to understand writing better, this will not change how well you understand the spoken language.

2. Ditch the Flashcards.

Japanese can be one of the most challenging languages for English speakers to learn. One reason for this is the kanji system of writing.

If you feel like you will never get the hang of kanji, I recommend the app WaniKani. WaniKani can help you learn 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words in one year. Every hour, the app gives you a review of the past kanji you learned and adds in a few new ones. It’s a brilliant use of the science of learning.

There are apps for almost every language. Apps with games or activities are better than straight flashcards. And straight-up vocabulary words are good unless you’re learning them in context. Beware of memorizing what words mean, as you might be thinking of this translation in a different way than intended (and also, most words have many meanings!).

3. Download Pimsleur.

If you are learning one of the Romance languages — which include Spanish, Portuguese and French — I suggest installing Pimsleur on your smart phone. In the car, you can listen to conversations between native speakers. The conversations are then broken down by sentence, and then by vocabulary. Everything is said in English as well to make sure you understood.

To further enhance your learning, the app has repetition practice and questions to answer out loud. There are also games for vocabulary drills. Pimsleur allows you to learn in context, so you won’t waste time learning words, only to then realize you’re using them in the wrong situations!

4. Watch YouTube. YES!

On FluentU, you practice your language skills by watching fun YouTube videos that are 2-3 minutes long and then taking quizzes on them. These are real videos, not ones made for language learning. And that’s good and bad.

In these videos, you’ll hear the real-life vocabulary people actually use, spoken at the speed native speakers actually speak. There’s no “program” per se, but you do get to choose the video level, and there are tests afterward.

However, not all of the vocabulary is exceptionally relevant – these are YouTube videos, after all. But Fluent U is still great for ear training and just plain amusing. You’ve got to spice up your language studies from time to time so that you don’t burn out!

4. Netflix and Chill.

Well, maybe just Netflix. No, not to watch “Stranger Things” or “Bird Box” again. I want you to check out Netflix’s international offerings. Netflix has revolutionized how easy it is to access TV shows and movies from all around the world. As a language teacher, I constantly use Netflix programming to energize my students. They have fun and feel excited watching real shows in the language they’re learning.

So here’s how to use Netflix for language learning:

  1. Choose something to watch in the language you are studying.
  2. Turn on the subtitles in that language.
  3. Watch the program for two minutes at a time, writing down all the subtitles. If you have to peek at the English subtitles from time to time just to be sure what you’re hearing, that’s fine.
  4. Then, after figuring out what’s being said, turn off all subtitles and just allow your ears to hear the new words.

Being able to read a word is very different from being able to understand it spoken, so make sure you close your eyes and listen a few times. Most foreign accents come from having read the words first, guessing how they sounded, and then saying them outloud. If you had heard the word first, you likely would have come much closer to the actual sound of the word. That’s why listening is so crucial FIRST, not years after learning all the grammar.

6. Focus on the Dialogue.

Similarly, you can also improve your fluency by writing down the dialogue from a best-selling book in your target language. Why dialogue? Because that’s what you speak every day. If you were to focus just on watching the news or reading the newspaper, you would learn nothing about how to have a conversation and the vocabulary used in everyday conversations.

Try some of these ideas for practicing your new language skills and see if they help you learn your target language faster. If you have any questions, or you’d like to learn more about Fluency Corp’s language classes, contact us for a free consultation: getfluent@fluencycorp.com or (800) 401-3159.

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English is the Most Used Language in Business: 7 Reasons to Learn It

English is the Most Used Language in Business: 7 Reasons to Learn It

Now, more than ever, English has become that secret weapon for both employers and employees around the globe–it is the most used business language worldwide. Big businesses and industries have made it hard to ignore that English is universal, as they have made the language mandatory for their employees in an effort to remain competitive on a global scale. English is regarded as an official language in 54 countries of the world located in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australasia, including countries as varied as Malta, India, Belize, South Africa, Singapore and New Zealand. It is the first language of over 375 million people in the world and has been adopted as the language of news, politics, entertainment and culture. Combining native and non-native speakers, English is the most widely spoken language of the world. Because of that, those who speak it will have a skill that gets them through many international doors. While there are several reasons for learning the English language, 7 important business ones stand out.

1. English is the Most Used Business Language

The truth is, English has become the universal language of business. No matter the country, the language is used as a level playing field, a tool of negotiation, and most importantly a way to connect people from other cultures. Even when Spain and France meet, they meet in English. One of the biggest struggles multinational companies have is communication, and the better they do it, the more success they have. This is the reason many large corporations have mandated English as their official language. It ensures that at least one significant hurdle is cleared – after all, they still have to deal with cultural, economical, political and social differences.

2. Global Job Opportunities

If you are looking for unique career and employment opportunities in a faraway land or just seeking out new experiences, fluent English speakers are highly sought after by companies who operate internationally. Many companies expect candidates to speak English in interviews, paying attention to pronunciation and how easily they can express themselves. In fact, if you are not a native English speaker, you have a significant advantage over other candidates and stand to earn more money by being bilingual in English.

3. Business Communication

Emails, memos, contracts, reports, and corporate documents are typical ways to communicate and establish protocols in the business world. But, dependent on the level of your fluency in English, this may be one of the barriers to communicating effectively in the trade and business world. Conducting business negotiations and transactions in English have become expected and typical as it has become the common language for business. It is the language most used in boardrooms and presentations, in private and public forums.

4. The Language of the Internet

Think of the most popular websites, social media platforms and applications used today. You’ll realise that they are all typically in English, and that’s because more English language users exist online than any other language. That means that any technology displaying strong English language will attract the largest possible number of users. Technology is primarily taught in English, and the research, advancements, and innovations businesses thrive on are recorded and communicated predominantly in English.

5. Work and Travel

If work and travel, or even relocating internationally is a dream for you or your family, your English skills could be the thing to propel you there. Solid skills in written and spoken English are greatly desirable by businesses across the world. Companies are looking for employees who can use the English language to communicate and negotiate in the right tone and manner, with accuracy.

6. No English, No Work in some Industries

There are industries where English is unavoidable—Shipping, Airline, Translation, Healthcare, Law, and Hospitality, to name a few. Because these vocations require English upon entry, having advanced skills in speaking and writing English will get you through the door and many times be the reason for future promotions.

7. Teamwork and Collaboration

Multinational companies with satellite offices have deployed employees all over the world. This has called for a high level of collaboration and teamwork across countries and continents, with English as the common tongue. Ultimately, employees are required to be able to express themselves in meetings, emails, work chats and video calls to network and collaborate on team projects and tasks. You need to ensure you can be completely understood by your colleagues. English proficiency facilitates better communication and interpersonal skills and avoids misunderstandings that might be detrimental to your job.

Mastering the English language is a catalyst for businesses and professionals alike. The opportunities are endless as the world continues to lean on the English language as its most effective common denominator. If you are seeking a skill that will launch you in the business world, learning the English language is a must.