{"id":10093,"date":"2022-10-03T11:25:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T09:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nllanguagep-bali.savviihq.com\/?p=10093"},"modified":"2025-06-18T14:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T12:50:13","slug":"nuanced-impact-of-fluency-gaps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagepartners.nl\/en\/blog\/dei\/nuanced-impact-of-fluency-gaps\/","title":{"rendered":"The nuanced impact of fluency gaps in multicultural organisations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Language fluency is a term used to indicate a person\u2019s ability with a language. More specifically, <\/span>to be fluent<\/span><\/a> is to be easily understood and able to express oneself fully. It has become more common than ever before to encounter people from various backgrounds and with various language skills, in the professional world. When there are consistent and frequent interactions with others of varying language skills, it is important to not only understand the deep impact this has, but also how to work together to ensure everyone is able to offer contributions in a sustainable fashion.<\/span><\/p>\n

For <\/span>many reasons<\/span><\/a>, more and more businesses are conducting their operations in English.\u00a0<\/span>When a group of people with various fluency levels in a particular language interact, they\u2019ll encounter what we call a \u2018fluency gap\u2019. In these situations, it\u2019s not just communication that\u2019s impacted. If people are not understood and supported, the effects can be detrimental to a business trying to maintain its competitive edge. Fluency gaps are not limited to language, however this gap is the most commonly seen and felt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lingua Franca<\/h2>\n

A fluency gap is often felt particularly strongly by employees with non-native fluency levels. This can be felt by them in various ways such as meetings, at lunch or other everyday conversations.\u00a0<\/span>A common example is when an employee starts in a role where the common language, or lingua franca, is not their native tongue. In these situations it is not uncommon for the new hire to be offered language courses by their employer. For a long time, the typical approach was to get the non-native speaker to adapt as soon as possible. While the intentions are good, this approach has an unintended side-effect of creating an unwelcome atmosphere for someone learning a new role and a new job, while balancing their own life outside of work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diversity, equity and inclusive culture (DEI)<\/h2>\n

The more diverse an organisation, the more the fluency gap can be felt. Therefore it must be recognised and addressed. A team of people with various language skills are, by definition, diverse. With diversity comes different challenges, unique to each team. This is the same for teams made diverse by different factors, such as ethnicity, sexuality, and profession, to name a few. Now, some businesses may be new to working with a diverse cast of colleagues, while others may not see the need to do so. For this reason it’s worth offering a quick reminder of what we\u2019ve discussed previously in our series\u2019 on diversity, equity and inclusive cultures (DEI).<\/span><\/p>\n