Demand for Business English is growing as a result of recessions and war. Many people are becoming migrants or refugees, seeking a better life elsewhere. Business English gives them an opportunity.
| 23 May 2024- Dunedin, New Zealand Demand for online Business English is growing strongly. Why? Recessions around the world, coupled with increasing joblessness, and war, are seeing entrepreneurs and other business people starting new enterprises or even side hustles. Since many people want to work internationally, or trade globally, it is becoming increasingly necessary to speak Business English, as it is the lingua franca of business internationally. |
As a consequence of wars and increasing numbers of refugees needing to relocate, a growing number of refugees require Business English as they seek refuge in English-speaking countries. These countries are increasingly requiring a higher standard of English from immigrants.
The same time as this is happening, artificial intelligence (or generative AI) has come on to the scene. Within English teaching, a number of techniques are used, and AI is one of those techniques. It allows instructors, who are teaching Business English in a traditional classroom, to make their instructions hyper-personal. An online Business English course allows the student to pick and choose froma number of modules, such as communication or marketing.
Moreover, online courses are one of the best ways to drive economic and wage growth and social cohesion. People, who would otherwise drop out of higher education, are prepared to take up online learning and complete an online course. Older adults, in particular, who are often not interested in traditional education, are more likely to embark on this type of course. In fact, statistics show that in the traditional learning space, “since 2020, some 1.23 million undergraduate students have disappeared from American colleges and universities, a 4 per cent decline”.[i]
Across the globe, statistics also show that undergraduate enrolment is falling in traditional education but is rising for non-traditional education, especially in the higher education sector. Increasingly, institutions around the world are offering online courses so that students can learn from anywhere, in their own time. For example, students in NZ can enrol for courses in the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Hopping on an aeroplane so that you can do everything face-to-face is no longer necessary. Virtual interaction, which can bring its own challenges, will do. That is the beauty of an online Business English course. Students of any age can login to a course and enhance their communication skills. They can also learn about business as well as Business English.
