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Language training survives the budget round when you present it as the solution to a business problem, not as a cost item. A strong case in the training plan has five parts: the problem, a measurable goal, the approach, the investment and the moment you measure the result. Start with a baseline assessment of current language levels, because it turns a feeling into a fact.
Why now? Many organisations draw up next year’s training plan and budget in the autumn. In that round, the same items are cut first every time: the trainings nobody could explain the value of.
If you want to keep language training in the 2027 plan, or get it in, now is the moment to build the case. Not in December, when the budget has already been divided.
Why does language training so often get cut in the budget round?
Because it is entered as a cost item (“English training, ten participants”) instead of as the answer to a problem the board recognises. A vague item is easy to cut. A solution to a problem everyone at the table knows about is much harder to cut.
So the case does not start with the course, but with a different question: in which situations is the current language level costing us time, clients or opportunities?
What are the five parts of a strong business case?
- The problem. Which situations are not running smoothly? Think of client conversations, meetings, the onboarding of international colleagues or a tender in English. Name them specifically, per team.
- The goal. Phrase it as language level plus situation plus date, for example: “our account managers hold client conversations in English at B2 level before July 2027”. The levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (A1 to C2) make such a goal testable. Which level fits which job is covered in our blog on language levels from A1 to C2.
- The approach. Which training format, which group, how long. Put groups together by level and goal, not by job title. How the formats compare on return is set out in comparing the ROI of language training methods.
- The investment. The number of participants, the hours with a trainer, the training format and the time employees put in. Which factors drive the price is explained in what business language training costs. Have the quote based on the baseline assessment, so the figure in your plan is right.
- The measurement moment. Agree on a final assessment against the same framework as the baseline. A budget item with a measurable result is far easier to defend in the next round.
Why start with a baseline assessment?
Without a baseline, all you have is “our English could be better”. With one, you can say which employees are below the level their work requires, and in which situations that shows. That is the difference between a wish and a business case.
A baseline also stops you from buying lesson hours at the wrong level, and it is the reference point for the final assessment. No starting point, no result to show.
Start with the baseline for English
The Business English Team Scan shows where your team stands in four minutes. Free, and useful as the first appendix to your training plan.
How do you write it up in the training plan?
One paragraph per target group, always in the same order: problem, goal, approach, investment, measurement moment. This is what it looks like for a fictional sales team:
Problem: the eight account managers lose persuasiveness in English-language client conversations and negotiations.
Goal: B2 level in conversations and negotiations before July 2027.
Approach: in-company group training, grouped by level, practising situations from their own client conversations.
Investment: as per quote based on the baseline assessment, including intake.
Measurement: baseline in October 2026, final assessment in June 2027 against the same framework.
Written like this, you make it easy for the board to say yes: the problem is recognisable, the goal is testable and the result is visible.
How do you make the result measurable?
A widely used framework is Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model, with four levels: reaction, learning, behaviour and results. In 1992 Jack Phillips added a fifth level, return on investment (ROI).
For language training, that means: do participants find the training useful, does their language level demonstrably rise, do they use the language more often and more confidently at work, and do you notice it in client conversations, meetings or projects? Record in the plan which of those levels you will measure. For most organisations, a final assessment and a short review with the line manager are very achievable. More on this in how do you know if language training actually works.
What if your organisation has no training plan?
Smaller companies often have no HR department and no formal training plan. There, the owner, the managing director or the team manager decides. The five parts work just as well, only as a single page for whoever holds the budget.
If your organisation works with personal training budgets, the same structure helps the employee and their manager decide together. The smaller the organisation, the shorter the document can be. The order stays the same.
When does the case need to be ready?
Before the budget is divided. So plan backwards from the budget round: first the baseline, then the quote, then the paragraph in the plan. After an introductory call, Language Partners usually has a proposal ready within two working days, so you can enter the investment with a real figure.
Frequently asked questions about language training in the training plan
What should a business case for language training in a training plan include?
Five parts: the problem the current language level causes, a measurable goal (language level, situation and date), the approach, the investment and the measurement moment. Start with a baseline assessment, so goal and result are measured against the same framework.
Can you assess language levels before the budget is approved?
Yes. For English, you can do this free of charge with the Business English Team Scan from Language Partners, which shows where a team stands in four minutes. Within a programme, Language Partners also assesses each participant’s level during the intake.
How do you measure whether language training has paid off?
Compare a final assessment with the baseline, against the same framework. Also look at behaviour at work: do participants hold conversations, meetings or presentations in the language more often and more confidently? Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model helps you decide in advance what you will measure.
What if our company has no HR department or training plan?
Use the same five parts as a short note for the owner, director or manager who decides on the budget. With personal training budgets, the same structure helps employee and manager make the choice together.
Want to build your 2027 case together?
We think along about goal, level and training format, and deliver a proposal you can use straight away in your training plan. No obligation, within two working days.
Next week: training budget left over? How to put it to use before year-end.
