German for UK businesses after Brexit

Leaving the European Union changed how British companies trade with the Continent, but not who they trade with. Germany remains one of the UK’s most important trading partners, and many firms deal with German, Austrian and Swiss clients, suppliers and parent companies every week. A guest post on German as a foreign language in the post-Brexit UK economy sets out the wider argument; this article looks at what it means in practice.

Why German matters to UK businesses

Most German business partners speak good English, and many meetings will run in English regardless. German earns its place where English does not reach: the conversation before and after a meeting, a call with a supplier’s warehouse, a contract clause read in the original, or a negotiation in which the other side confers in German.

For employees, German is a skill that stands out. Language skills are in short supply in the UK, and employers with German-speaking clients notice candidates who have them. Job boards such as Jooble list vacancies that ask for German.

Ways to learn German at work

There are three common routes, and the right one depends on how many people need German and by when.

Group courses at language schools, colleges and universities follow a set syllabus at a set pace. They suit learners who want regular practice with others and can attend at fixed times.

Intensive courses concentrate the work into one or several consecutive days ahead of a specific event, such as a negotiation, a presentation or a posting abroad.

One-to-one lessons are planned around one person’s level, job and timetable. Private German tutors can work with your own emails, documents and meeting agendas, and lessons can take place at the office before work or over lunch. For businesses looking to learn German as a team, the same approach works with small groups at a similar level.

Where to start

Start with the work German is needed for: who your staff speak to, in which situations, and by when. An assessment of each person’s current level then shows the gap, and a course can be planned to close it.