Have you ever thought about the language that we chose to communicate in? Why is it that on the global stage we tend to default to English?

In the world there are over 7000 languages and many dialects of some languages which will probably make this number even greater. An interesting statistic to note is that only 23 of these languages are spoken by half of the world’s population.

-Over 1.3 billion people speak English (370 million are native speakers)

-Over 1.1 billion people speak Madarin Chinese (922 million are native speakers)

-Over 637 million people speak Hindi (342 million are native speakers)

*these numbers were referenced from Encore!!!

I find these numbers particularly fascinating. The number of native English speakers leads me further into the rabbit hole. 

Language connects us. It allows us to communicate, to share our thinking, to engage with others, and to learn. The thread of connection has changed over time as the world has become more globalised. We have had to learn different languages to ensure that we can connect with those around us when we visit new countries or locations.  Digital translation tools have come to the rescue and made it easier to translate languages that we don’t know. However, they do still have some way to go. I would recommend double checking the translations that are generated with a local before you use them widely as there are sometimes some subtleties that you can easily miss which can lead to embarrassment when you mix your words up.

What does this mean for the way we communicate in the workplace and how we connect through the different generations? 

As a starting point, let’s take a look at the different time zones around the globe. Within each of these time zones there are multiple languages and thus working in a digital economy means that you need to be aware of the influence that language may have on the individuals you are working with. As a practical example, I am working from South Africa and collaborating with people who live into Europe. They are not native English speakers, which means that their brains are translating their thinking into English to be able to communicate in the conversations that we have. One could say that they are thinking in their mother tongue, translating it through thought into English and then communicating it. Thus they are doing a third step in the communication process, while I am just doing two.

So, what is a universal language? Is English really universal? Many will argue that it is and it has enabled us to collaborate across geographical boundaries. Math has also been referenced as one and I think you can also include certain coding languages in the category of being a universal language.

Last week I wrote about bits in a digital world and I think that we have many lessons to learn from how pieces of software communicate with one another. When you write code, if you aren’t aware of the broader context, underlying meta data or relationship structures your application won’t function. When we communicate as humans using language I think that we often assume many things and are not aware of the interconnected nature of things.

Establishing really human connections therefore becomes key. What can we learn about the people around us that we are communicating with or that are within our team at the work place? 

These many seem like “simply” questions to ask, but it’s up to you to see how you apply them in the interactions you have. Just a different parts of the brain are used when we have to learn new things, knowing what can enable the young thinkers on your team can help to unlock their thinking and propel the organisation to new heights.

Lastly, a thought to ponder. Does language necessarily need to involve talking or an action? 

As Susan Cain says, “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas”

SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. ~ Charles R Swindoll

Have you ever thought about the language that we chose to communicate in? Why is it that on the global stage we tend to default to English?

In the world there are over 7000 languages and many dialects of some languages which will probably make this number even greater. An interesting statistic to note is that only 23 of these languages are spoken by half of the world’s population.

-Over 1.3 billion people speak English (370 million are native speakers)

-Over 1.1 billion people speak Madarin Chinese (922 million are native speakers)

-Over 637 million people speak Hindi (342 million are native speakers)

*these numbers were referenced from Encore!!!

I find these numbers particularly fascinating. The number of native English speakers leads me further into the rabbit hole. 

Language connects us. It allows us to communicate, to share our thinking, to engage with others, and to learn. The thread of connection has changed over time as the world has become more globalised. We have had to learn different languages to ensure that we can connect with those around us when we visit new countries or locations.  Digital translation tools have come to the rescue and made it easier to translate languages that we don’t know. However, they do still have some way to go. I would recommend double checking the translations that are generated with a local before you use them widely as there are sometimes some subtleties that you can easily miss which can lead to embarrassment when you mix your words up.

What does this mean for the way we communicate in the workplace and how we connect through the different generations? 

As a starting point, let’s take a look at the different time zones around the globe. Within each of these time zones there are multiple languages and thus working in a digital economy means that you need to be aware of the influence that language may have on the individuals you are working with. As a practical example, I am working from South Africa and collaborating with people who live into Europe. They are not native English speakers, which means that their brains are translating their thinking into English to be able to communicate in the conversations that we have. One could say that they are thinking in their mother tongue, translating it through thought into English and then communicating it. Thus they are doing a third step in the communication process, while I am just doing two.

So, what is a universal language? Is English really universal? Many will argue that it is and it has enabled us to collaborate across geographical boundaries. Math has also been referenced as one and I think you can also include certain coding languages in the category of being a universal language.

Last week I wrote about bits in a digital world and I think that we have many lessons to learn from how pieces of software communicate with one another. When you write code, if you aren’t aware of the broader context, underlying meta data or relationship structures your application won’t function. When we communicate as humans using language I think that we often assume many things and are not aware of the interconnected nature of things.

Establishing really human connections therefore becomes key. What can we learn about the people around us that we are communicating with or that are within our team at the work place? 

These many seem like “simply” questions to ask, but it’s up to you to see how you apply them in the interactions you have. Just a different parts of the brain are used when we have to learn new things, knowing what can enable the young thinkers on your team can help to unlock their thinking and propel the organisation to new heights.

Lastly, a thought to ponder. Does language necessarily need to involve talking or an action? 

As Susan Cain says, “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas”

SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. ~ Charles R Swindoll