Is It Worth It to Learn a Second Language for Your Contracting Business?

When you think about starting a contracting business, you often think about the skills you’ll need to run it. No one said anything about being able to communicate with all of your clients, but that’s one of the most important things. In many cases, you’ll find that your clients can speak English but would rather communicate in a language they know better. You might also notice this with your employees and other contractors. Here are a few reasons to consider learning a second language to help out.

Communicate with Prospective Clients
One of the biggest benefits of learning a second language that is popular in your area is the ability to communicate with a larger population. Even people who are relatively fluent in English may not be able to translate jargon or specific contract language. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between being able to say a handful of phrases in a client’s native language and being able to relay the finer points of service to them. Many people appreciate your effort to communicate with them in their preferred language, but if you’re not fluent, you’ll probably need an additional interpreter.

Speak with Colleagues, Employees, and Subcontractors
Just like you have potential clients who may not prefer to speak English at all times, you will probably have colleagues, employees, or subcontractors with the same needs. Your ability to communicate with them is a two-way street. It’s easy to expect that everyone working in the U.S. can speak English. But being able to speak it, and being able to live exclusively within the language, are two different things. Studying a language common to your peers can help you negotiate the workday with them. It also lets them know that you’re not expecting them to shoulder all the communication responsibilities.

Consider International Opportunities
You probably already know the construction has a labor shortage, but you may not know that it’s a worldwide problem. It’s not uncommon for one country to request contractors to come and assist with a specific building project. In many cases, they are not requiring contractors to be fluent in the language. But if you’re going to be living in a non-English-speaking country for several weeks or months, having some familiarity with the language will make it much easier to get through the day.

Improve Primary Language Communication
Studying a second language often gives you benefits for your native language as well. Many people who become fluent in other languages say that the process helped them understand grammar, spelling, and sentence construction even better for the language they use most. When you think about it, it makes sense. You learned a language from birth and by the time you learn to read, you were already fluent in it. This gives you an opportunity to evaluate how language works, not simply how to speak it. You might discover that your spoken and written communications in your dominant language improve as well.

Keep Your Brain Sharp Over Time
Learning a language is a type of skill that you can’t easily replicate in other ways. As a result, the study exercises parts of your brain that you might not be working as much in adulthood as you did as a child. This is a good reason to keep finding new challenges to master, especially ones that require more focus and dedication than a couple of days. In particular, learning a second language can help you improve memory and retention of other types of information over time. As you get older, you’ll need these skills more.

Communication is one of the most practical skills you’ll need as a business owner, and a second language can make it easier. For more information about building a contracting business, visit CSLS today!