[ti:Business English Speakers Can Still Be Divided by a Common Language] [ar:Steve Ember] [al:Economics Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:03.23]Economics Report. [00:05.27]Business is the most popular subject [00:08.62]for international students [00:10.22]in the United States. [00:12.30]At last count, twenty-one percent [00:15.37]of foreign students [00:16.62]at American colleges and universities [00:19.47]were studying business and management. [00:22.97]The Institute of International Education [00:26.63]in New York says engineering [00:28.99]is the second most popular field, [00:31.68]in case you were wondering. [00:33.59]Thomas Coss¨¦ is a professor [00:36.94]of marketing and business [00:39.14]at the University of Richmond in Virginia. [00:42.14]He says international students [00:45.44]who want to study business [00:47.29]need to have good English skills [00:49.93]-- and not just to study at his school. [00:53.08]THOMAS COSS¨¦: "At least among business schools, [00:55.02]more and more worldwide [00:58.12]are requiring that their students [01:00.77]take English, and they [01:02.68]are teaching more in English." [01:07.09]But the world has more non-native speakers [01:10.22]of English than native speakers. [01:12.36]As a result, Americans working [01:15.47]with foreign companies may need to learn [01:18.17]some new English skills themselves. [01:20.48]At the University of Richmond, [01:23.32]teams of graduate students work [01:26.22]with companies seeking [01:27.63]to enter the American market. [01:29.68]The students learn about [01:32.32]writing market entry studies. [01:34.13]The reports are written in English. [01:37.25]But Professor Coss¨¦ tells his students [01:40.97]to consider who will read them. [01:43.23]THOMAS COSS¨¦: "My students have [01:44.94]to write the report in such a way [01:46.89]that it can be understood [01:49.24]by someone who is an English speaker [01:52.72]but not a native English speaker." [01:54.11]For example, he tells his students [01:57.21]to avoid jargon and other specialized terms [02:01.08]that people might not know [02:02.67]in their own language. [02:04.36]This can be good advice [02:06.23]even when writing for other native speakers. [02:09.64]But effective communication [02:11.44]involves more than just words. [02:13.54]Kay Westerfield is director [02:16.44]of the international business [02:18.55]communication program [02:20.21]at the University of Oregon. [02:22.45]KAY WESTERFIELD: "If you just [02:23.86]have the language awareness [02:24.91]or the skills without culture, [02:26.71]you can easily be a fluent fool." [02:29.45]Cultural intelligence means [02:32.32]the need to consider local behaviors [02:34.87]in everything from simple handshakes [02:38.01]to speaking to large groups. [02:40.52]Still, Kay Westerfield says [02:44.01]the ability of local workers [02:46.39]to speak English is becoming [02:48.21]more important to companies looking [02:51.27]to move operations to other countries. [02:54.35]Or, as she puts it, to "off-source." [02:57.27]KAY WESTERFIELD: "While cost remains [02:59.21]a major factor in decisions [03:01.02]about where to off-source, [03:02.47]the quality of the labor pool [03:04.24]is gaining importance, and this [03:07.34]includes English language skills." [03:09.13]Also, she says English skills [03:12.95]often provide a competitive edge [03:15.80]for business students when they seek jobs. [03:18.66]KAY WESTERFIELD: "As one business student [03:21.71]in West Africa put it, [03:23.60]'English is a lifeline.'" [03:24.96]And that's the VOA Special English [03:28.54]Economics Report, [03:30.63]written by Mario Ritter. [03:32.98]You can read and listen to our programs [03:36.52]and find activities for English learners [03:40.12]at 51voa.com. [03:43.71]We're also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube [03:48.76]at VOA Learning English. [03:51.91]I'm Steve Ember.