Trí Đức English - IELTS Reading Practice: Language Strategies in Multinational Companies TRÍ ĐỨC ENGLISH - IELTS READING PRACTICE Chuyên đề: Language Strategies in Multinational Companies (Reading Passage 3 - Questions 26–40) Reading Passage 3 Questions 26–40 Language Strategies in Multinational Companies [A] In today's increasingly globalized world, the importance of language management to multinational companies has never been greater. These companies are becoming ever more aware of the importance of global co-operation as a source of competitive advantage, and language remains the ultimate barrier to aspirations of international harmonization. Before attempting to consider language management strategies, companies will have to evaluate the magnitude of the language barrier confronting them and in doing so, they will need to examine it in three dimensions: the Language Diversity, the Language Penetration and the Language Sophistication. Companies next need to turn their attention to how they should best manage language. There is a range of options from which multinational companies can formulate their language strategy. [B] Lingua Franca: The simplest answer is to rely on one's native tongue, though this is realistic only for English speaking companies. As recently as 1991, a survey of British exporting companies found that over a third used English exclusively in dealing with foreign customers. The expectation that "one language fits all" has been adopted into the internet age. A survey on the websites of top American companies found that over fifty percent of them made no provision for foreign language use of the site, and another found that less than 10% of leading companies were able to answer emails in languages other than the main language of the company. It makes no allowance for the growing trend in Linguistic Nationalism whereby buyers in Asia, South America and the Middle East in particular are asserting their right to "work in the language of the customer". When contracts, regulations and legislation are invariably written in the local language, a company which is not equipped to operate in that language is at a disadvantage in negotiations. [C] Another improvised approach to language is to rely on what has been termed "Functional Multilingualism". Essentially what this means is to muddle through, relying on a mix of languages, pidgins and gestures to communicate by whatever means the parties have at their disposal. In social situations, a combined effort to be understood by one another might be considered to assist in the bonding process, with frustrations in communication being lightened by moments of humor and shared laughter. As a basis for business negotiations, however, it is less than ideal. And yet Marc Hagen's recent study suggests that 16% of international business transactions are carried out in a variety of languages. Functional Multilingualism shares the same defects as reliance on a lingua franca and increases the proba...