The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Foreign Languages in the Workplace

Evelina Silveira, President, Diversity at Work Communications Training

How do you promote inclusion in a workplace where employees speak multiple languages?  How do you create fair policies?  What is legal?  What is not?  What is a good practice, and what is exclusionary? 

Based on over 20 years of working as a diversity and workplace inclusion trainer/consultant, a certified mediator, an ESL coach, a multilingual speaker and with expertise in anti-bullying and harassment, I share these tips.

1. Don’t have written policies that state “English only” in the workplace. This is illegal in Canada, and an employee can cite discrimination based on country of origin or language.

2. Do take into consideration the competing interests of different stakeholders when discussing how and when it is helpful to speak another language in the workplace.

3.  Don’t make an issue out of two people speaking together on a break or lunch hour.  Employees have the right to do so on their break, and usually, they find this to be relaxing.

4.  Do encourage people in a supportive way to speak English, even if they have a language barrier. Empathize. Ask them if they would like you to correct them. Sometimes employees may use their first language for communication because they feel self-conscious about their grammar and pronunciation or the adverse reaction they receive from English speakers.

5. Don’t make rigid statements about English only in the workplace, as it could backfire.  Instead,  have a discussion with employees about under what circumstances they think it is reasonable.  Most companies will agree that when it comes to emergencies or health and safety, speaking with the employee in their first language is essential.

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6. Do let employees and co-workers know if you feel excluded from conversations because they are not speaking a language that the rest of the group understands.  Sometimes, people are unaware of the impact this may have on their morale, productivity, and self-image.

7. Don’t overlook the point that speaking foreign languages may be a symptom of a larger issue of exclusion:  workplace cliques, cultural divide, insecurity and lack of trust.  Your organization may have bigger problems that are fueling the desire to speak other languages in the workplace when it is not warranted.

Language use in the workplace is becoming one of the most important and misunderstood challenges facing organizations today.

As workforces become more diverse, employers increasingly face questions about inclusion, communication expectations, fairness, and workplace culture. When these issues are not addressed proactively, they can result in unnecessary conflict, perceptions of discrimination, employee complaints, decreased productivity, and damaged working relationships.

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