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Articles: learning languages for work
Practical insight from our methodology team for companies and learners: Business English, German at work, exams and how to measure language training.
13 articles
Language training at work
Related service: Language courses for companies →
Łukasz PakułaCorporate language training: comparing providers with a checklist, RFP questions and a scoring matrixThree quotes, three hourly rates, and in the end price decides: that is how many companies choose a language school. This guide shchoices® TeamBildungsurlaub and Funding for Language Courses: What Applies in GermanyMany employees in Germany would like to cover their English or German course through Bildungsurlaub (paid educational leave), but choices® TeamLanguage Courses Paid by the Employer: When They Are Tax-Free in GermanyWhen a company in Germany pays for its employees’ English or German course, payroll immediately asks: is this a taxable benefit inŁukasz PakułaEnglish as a Corporate Language: Opportunities, Risks and Introducing It in PracticeMore and more companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are declaring English their group or working language. A decision on pchoices® TeamFunding for language courses in Germany: education vouchers, BAMF courses and employer supportEducation vouchers, training support for employees, BAMF courses or tax relief: there are several ways to get funding for a languaŁukasz PakułaIntercultural communication at work: directness, politeness and misunderstandingsMost misunderstandings in international teams are caused not by grammar mistakes but by different expectations about directness, pchoices® TeamLanguage requirements in job profiles: describing language skills precisely and fairly“Very good English” appears in almost every job advertisement, yet nobody knows exactly what it means. This guide shows HR teams ichoices® TeamPlanning a language training budget: costs, calculation and fundingIf you want to introduce language training for your employees, sooner or later someone will ask for a number. This guide shows whichoices® TeamLanguage training for remote teams: online language courses for hybrid and distributed teamsWhen teams are spread across several sites, countries and home offices, language training has to be organised differently too. ThiŁukasz PakułaMotivating employees to learn languages: what really works in companiesAlmost every language programme starts with full courses, and many lose momentum after a few weeks. That is rarely down to employechoices® TeamOnboarding international employees: a checklist for language, integration and the first 100 daysRecruiting skilled international employees takes a lot of effort; keeping them is the real task. This guide shows how to design onŁukasz PakułaPlanning corporate language training: a guide for HR and managersMany companies book language courses before they know what those courses are supposed to achieve. This guide shows you how to planŁukasz PakułaMeasuring the success of language training: KPIs, GSE and ROIWhich KPIs make language training measurable, how CEFR and GSE help, and how to estimate ROI.
12 articles
Learning languages as an adult
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choices® TeamChoosing the Right Online Language Course: A Checklist for Reputable ProvidersThere is no shortage of online language courses: apps, video platforms, teacher marketplaces and language schools with live lessonchoices® TeamWriting a CV in English: structure, template and wording for a CV or résuméAn English CV is not a translation of a German Lebenslauf; it follows its own rules: no photo, no date of birth, active verbs and Łukasz PakułaHow long does it take to learn English? Realistic times per level“How long will it take me to reach B2?” is the question I hear most often in initial consultations. The honest answer is: it is a choices® TeamImproving Your English Listening Skills: How to Understand Native Speakers BetterIn your textbook you understand almost everything, yet on a video call with colleagues from Manchester or Texas you suddenly catchchoices® TeamJob interview in English: questions, answers and useful phrasesThe invitation has arrived, and the interview will be held fully or partly in English. No need to panic: most questions are predicŁukasz PakułaLearning English with AI: What ChatGPT and Co. Can Do and Where the Limits AreLanguage models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot have quickly become constant companions, including for learning English. They choices® TeamLearning English with Series and Podcasts: Turning Streaming into Language PracticeWatching series and learning English at the same time sounds too good to be true, but it really works if you go about it the rightchoices® TeamLearning vocabulary effectively: methods that make words stickDo you learn new words in the evening and find they have gone by the next morning? That is rarely down to your memory and usually choices® TeamOne-to-one lessons or a group course? How to find the right formatWhen you look for a language course, you soon face a basic question: on your own with a teacher, or together with others? Both forŁukasz PakułaOvercoming the fear of speaking English: how to speak even when it takes courage“I understand almost everything, but when I have to speak, my mind goes blank.” I hear this sentence from learners at every level,choices® TeamRefreshing your English as an adult: how to get back into it after yearsSchool was a long time ago, English was rarely needed at work, and suddenly there is an international project, a trip or a job chachoices® TeamClaiming a language course on your German tax return: when an English course counts as work-related expensesIf you learn English or another language for your job, you can often deduct the cost on your German tax return. Whether the tax of
10 articles
Business English
Related service: Business English courses →
choices® TeamAbbreviations in English emails: FYI, ASAP, i.e., e.g. and moreFYI, TBC, EOD, w/c: English business emails are full of shorthand that no course book ever taught you. Here you will find the key choices® TeamBusiness English phrases for meetings, emails and phone callsIf you use English at work, you don’t need to write novels; you need reliable building blocks. This guide collects the most usefulchoices® TeamEnglish for HR: vocabulary and phrases for people managementInternational applications, English-speaking teams and skilled workers from abroad: for many HR departments in Germany, Austria anchoices® TeamEnglish for logistics: key vocabulary and phrasesWhether it is goods receipt, a forwarding order or a complaint to a supplier in Rotterdam, English is the language in which goods choices® TeamLeading meetings in English: structure, phrases and common mistakesLeading a meeting in English takes more than good English: you set the pace, give people the floor and make sure there are resultsŁukasz PakułaNegotiating in English: strategies, phrases and cultural differencesIn negotiations conducted in English, professionals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland rarely lose out because of missing vocabulchoices® TeamPhone calls in English: call structure and useful phrasesOn the phone you have no facial expressions, no gestures and no time to think, which is why calls in English often feel harder thachoices® TeamPresentations in English: structure, useful phrases and tipsA presentation in English is convincing when the audience always knows where they are. Here you will find a proven structure, phrachoices® TeamSmall talk in English: topics, questions and faux pasFor many professionals, small talk is the hardest discipline in Business English: no specialist topic, no agenda, and yet a lot dechoices® TeamWriting emails in English: greetings, sign-offs and templatesDear or Hi, Kind regards or Best wishes: in English emails, small details often decide whether you come across as professional. Th
4 articles
English in practice
Related service: English courses online →
choices® TeamEnglish for beginners online: a plan, pronunciation and grammar for A1 and A2Learning English from scratch as an adult is very achievable when your plan, your lessons and your revision fit together. This guiŁukasz PakułaHow much does an English course cost? Understanding prices and planning your budgetThe question of price comes up in almost every first conversation, and rightly so. But the price per lesson on its own tells you lchoices® TeamLearning English as an adult: methods, a weekly plan and the right course formatMany adults studied English at school for years and still hesitate to speak spontaneously. Others start again from scratch at 40 oŁukasz PakułaOne-to-one English lessons online: when they are worth it and how to find the right teacherOne-to-one lessons are the most intensive way to learn English: one teacher, one learner, 45 minutes of full focus. Whether that i
11 articles
Learning German
Related service: German courses online →
choices® TeamDer, die or das? Rules and memory aids for German articlesDer Tisch, die Tür, das Fenster: the table, the door, the window, but why three different words for “the”? The German article lookchoices® TeamGerman cases explained: nominative, accusative, dative and genitiveDen, dem or des? For many learners of German, the four cases are the hardest chapter of the grammar. This guide explains the nominchoices® TeamGerman irregular verbs: list and learning strategies for learners of GermanGing or gang, hat or ist geblieben? Irregular verbs are among the most common stumbling blocks when learning German. Here you willchoices® TeamGerman separable verbs: rules, list and exercisesIch rufe Sie morgen an (I’ll call you tomorrow): with verbs like anrufen, part of the verb moves to the end of the sentence. Separchoices® TeamGerman word order: verb position, the sentence bracket and subordinate clauses explained simplyMorgen ich fahre nach München? Almost right, but only almost. German word order follows a small number of very fixed rules, and onchoices® TeamJob-related German course (Berufssprachkurs) or private German course: access, cost and flexibility comparedThe government-funded job-related German courses run by BAMF (Berufssprachkurse) are inexpensive and end with a certificate, but tŁukasz PakułaLearning German as a Skilled Worker: Strategies, Courses and a Study Plan Alongside Your JobA full-time job, family, a new city and learning German on top: for international professionals, that is a real challenge. In thischoices® TeamUnderstanding dialects in Bavaria: Bavarian, Franconian and Swabian for newcomersYou have B1 or B2 German, yet you can’t understand a word in the staff canteen? Welcome to Bavaria. This guide explains which dialchoices® TeamUnderstanding official German: words, letters and appointments for newcomers in Bavaria„Wir bitten um fristgerechte Vorlage der erforderlichen Unterlagen.“ (Please submit the required documents by the deadline.) SenteŁukasz PakułaWhich German Level Do You Need for Your Job? Assessing A2, B1, B2 or C1 RealisticallyIs B1 enough for the job, or does it have to be C1? International professionals ask themselves this question just as often as HR dŁukasz PakułaGerman at work: 12 situations new employees need to handleFrom your first day on the team to requesting leave: the key situations in German working life, with phrases you can use straight away.
10 articles
Exams and certificates
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choices® TeamCambridge B2 First: exam format, scoring and preparationThe Cambridge B2 First, formerly known as FCE, is one of the best-known English certificates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. choices® TeamCambridge C1 Advanced: exam format, scoring and preparationCambridge C1 Advanced, formerly known as CAE, certifies English at an advanced level and is recognised by many universities and emŁukasz PakułaCEFR levels A1 to C2 explained: what you can do at each levelB2 on a CV, C1 in a job advert, A2 for a visa: the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are everywhechoices® TeamGerman language exams compared: Goethe, telc, TestDaF and DSHIf you want to study, work or have your professional qualifications recognised in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, you will often choices® TeamIELTS preparation: format, scoring and strategiesFor many people, IELTS is the key to studying or working in an English-speaking country. If you know how the four parts are structchoices® TeamOvercoming exam anxiety: strategies for language examsA pounding heart before the speaking test, a blackout in the listening, a blank mind before the essay: exam anxiety also affects pŁukasz PakułaPearson English International Certificate: format, scoring and preparationThe Pearson English International Certificate (PEIC) is a flexible alternative to the classic Cambridge exams and IELTS: computer-choices® TeamTOEFL or IELTS? Differences, Pros and Cons ComparedTOEFL and IELTS are the two best-known English tests for studying and working abroad. Both test all four skills, but they differ cchoices® TeamWriting an essay in English exams: structure, useful phrases and a model essayIELTS, Cambridge, TOEFL or Pearson: in almost every English exam you have to write an argumentative text under time pressure. WithŁukasz PakułaEnglish certificates compared: Pearson, IELTS or Cambridge?Levels, formats, validity and typical uses of the main English certificates, with a decision guide.
10 articles
Language audit and strategy
Related service: Language audit →
choices® TeamAssessing language skills in recruiting: methods, interview questions and a scoring sheetPhrases such as “business fluent” or “fluent” on a CV say little about someone’s actual language skills. This guide shows you how Łukasz PakułaCalculating the ROI of Business English: formula, costs, benefits and a worked exampleWhat is Business English worth in euros? I’ll show you how to calculate the ROI of language training properly, which costs are almŁukasz PakułaCorporate language policy: template and guide for your company languageWhich language do you use in meetings, on the intranet and with customers? A corporate language policy creates clarity. I’ll show Łukasz PakułaThe Global Scale of English explained: what the GSE does for companiesThe Global Scale of English measures English skills on a scale from 10 to 90, making visible the progress that gets lost in the CEchoices® TeamLanguage audit: 10 common mistakes and how to avoid themA language audit should show which language skills are missing and how to close the gap. Yet the same mistakes crop up again and aŁukasz PakułaLanguage needs analysis for companies: checklist, template and methodsThe language needs analysis decides whether a training budget makes a difference or fizzles out. I will show you which questions tchoices® TeamLanguage placement tests for companies: formats, process and checklistA placement test shows where your employees stand in a language, and it is the basis for well-matched groups, realistic goals and Łukasz PakułaA language strategy for internationalisation: how companies plan their languagesIf your company is growing internationally, you need more than a few English courses. I will show you how companies develop a langchoices® TeamLanguage training reporting: KPIs, data sources and a template for HRWhat is not reported is the first thing to be cut. This guide shows which KPIs belong in a language training report, where the datchoices® TeamSelf-assessing your language level: self-test, CEFR grid and common pitfallsMany professionals do not know exactly how good their English or German really is. With this self-test, the CEFR grid and a few pr