| A strong corporate culture is a handy thing to have. It | | | | If we all resisted producing language that might be |
| makes decision-making a bit more predictable. It helps | | | | wrong, none of us would ever learn to speak anything |
| recruiters hire people who will fit in. It even contributes | | | | but our mother tongue. |
| to the value of the company’s brand. | | | | In our first years of life we learn a huge amount of |
| A corporate culture can, however, have drawbacks | | | | language. We make enormous progress every day. |
| when members of staff have to behave out of their | | | | We do not know that we should avoid failure, so we |
| cultural norm. It is, for example, quite hard for managers | | | | start off by babbling, then progress to one-word |
| accustomed to an entrepreneurial freewheeling kind of | | | | sentences, then gradually build up our fluency. |
| culture to deal with the enforcement of rigorous safety | | | | As adult learners we are most unlikely ever to learn at |
| standards. That’s one reason why, worldwide, | | | | the pace of a small child, but we can improve our |
| construction companies are some of the most | | | | chances by actively embracing mistakes, learning from |
| dangerous organisations to work in. | | | | them, and moving on. We need to set our corporate |
| Almost all effective corporate cultures reward | | | | culture aside, focus on the learning process, and stop |
| success. Most discourage failure. This tends to breed | | | | worrying about whether what we are about to say or |
| a risk-avoiding kind of mindset in most employees. And | | | | write is “wrong”. |
| this is the worst kind of mindset with which to | | | | A neutral, relaxed physical environment helps. Away |
| approach language learning. | | | | from the office we find it easier to forget the office |
| When an organisation wants an employee to learn a | | | | culture. But great teachers are the key. Teachers who |
| foreign language there is an immediate cultural clash. | | | | will help you progress without fear of failure. Who will |
| Think about it. Every time a language learner opens his | | | | make the process fun, and astonish you with the |
| or her mouth, or picks up a pen, to produce a piece of | | | | progress you make. |
| foreign language they have to take the risk that what | | | | Here’s a link to a language school that understands |
| they produce will be “wrong” in some way. Not | | | | the clash of corporate culture and individual learning, |
| usually wholly wrong, but inaccurate or situationally | | | | and that has great teachers who make learning |
| inappropriate. The more often they take the risk, the | | | | “fun”. |
| more they will learn. Language learning is all about risk. | | | | |