Steps toward language awareness in the workplace

The first step is to introduce the concept of language awareness. At this step, a workplace is characterised by one or more of these descriptions:

• The workplace has previously been Finnish-speaking, and international talents have been recruited or will be recruited for the first time.
• The workplace has employees with different language backgrounds, but there has been no deliberate discussion on languages.
• Language issues have caused tensions or unclear situations in a multilingual work community, giving rise to a need to address the matter.
• The workplace has ended up only using English.
• The workplace does not support learning Finnish or Swedish; language learning is instead assumed to take place during employees’ free time or in language courses.

The step to introducing language awareness also involves striving to understand the linguistic challenges and preferences of the work community. One way of exploring language awareness is to invite an expert to explain what language awareness is and how it supports well-being at work.

At this step, the work community can learn about language solutions in place at different workplaces and gain new perspectives from inspirational stories. 

The step of finding common ground focuses on discussing the language needs and issues at the workplace. Languages may have been discussed already at the step of introducing language awareness, but not in a structured way. The step of finding common ground invites a more conscious effort.

For finding common ground, concrete actions could include:

• Bringing up languages: what kind of situations are linguistically straining for people and why? How could this strain be reduced?    
• Mapping out the wishes of members of the work community. Perhaps some colleagues would like learn Finnish by using it more actively at work. Consequently, there may be others who would like to improve their professional English skills so that English-language situations felt less daunting.  
• Discussing multilingualism and the possibility of using different languages side by side when and where appropriate.    
• Agreeing to reserve time for everyday language practice: for example a weekly lunch or coffee break in Finnish only.  
• Drawing up voluntary language agreements that facilitate everyday life.  

The following models can be used to support the discussion:  

• Steps toward language awareness in the workplace  
• Language User Profiles  
• Language discussions in the work community 

At the step of performing small actions, multilingualism in the workplace is recognized and awareness of it is maintained through agreed practices. The practices are shared by the work community.

Possible practices include:

• Agreeing and noting down which languages are used in which situation.    
• At the beginning of meetings, agreeing on which languages are used and how.    
• Exchanging greetings and catching up in Finnish before switching to English for work.    
• Agreeing on using Finnish during given coffee or lunch breaks.    
• Printing the Phrases and tips for the multilingual coffee room booklet for the coffee room.  
• Making Finnish visible at the workplace, for example by identifying key places and objects by notes (e.g. “neuvotteluhuone/neukkari”, “B-siipi”, “laturi”, “kaukosäädin”).    
• Reserving a bulletin board for language-related questions: anyone can post questions and anyone can answer them.
• Adopting the pocketbook method.

Being able to witness colleagues studying Finnish helps facilitate making it a natural part of everyday life at work.

These small actions require few resources. They are still valuable ways of increasing awareness and promoting language skills. These actions encourage the use of even partial Finnish proficiency in the everyday life of the workplace, promoting further learning. 

At the step of supporting structures, the work community systematically and persistently supports Finnish-learning employees. Resources are allocated to individuals’ language learning, and employees can study Finnish during work hours.

Measures suitable for the Supporting structures step include:

• Accepting that language learning happens beyond dedicated language courses, and that the workplace supports learning.
• Training Finnish-speaking employees to act as language support.  Appointing a language mentor for each language learner.    
• Taking language awareness into account in orientation.
• Discussing employees’ language goals regularly in employee performance reviews and drawing up language learning plans.
• Monitoring the achievement of language objectives.
• Offering tailored language education for learners.
• Making efforts to keep oral and written communications at the workplace clear and comprehensible, for example by using plain language where necessary.
• Mapping the actual language requirements of each work task and having recruitment and task assignment reflect these.
• Encouraging employees to share practices that support language learning among each other. 

At the step for extensive practices, the workplace has adopted versatile, jointly agreed language practices which are documented and made available to everyone. Language-related goals are for the entire work community, not just the individual. Discussions on language have laid the foundation for a language strategy that is freely available on the website.

The step for establishing extensive practices is defined by the fact that all types of language skills are recognised among employees and put to use. Language proficiency can also be rewarded with incentives such as language bonuses. The significance of languages for well-being at work is taken into account and recognised. The workplace also strongly supports language learners’ development.

At this step, the workplace has understood that achieving a language-aware working culture requires temporal and financial resources. Good practices are maintained and necessary resources are guaranteed with the support of leadership.