According to several pieces of research, an increasing number of UK-based businesses that export products and services overseas are failing to embrace or learn foreign languages.
A report in City AM suggests that more than 70 per cent of UK exporters have no foreign language ability in the countries in which they regularly operate and trade.
Drawing upon research from the Department for Business, it adds that 62 per cent of non-exporting businesses with future international ambitions are similarly reluctant to broaden their language skills.
A separate study carried out by YouGov suggests that, across the UK, three quarters of the British public are unable to speak what are commonly considered the “ten most important languages” well enough to hold a conversation.
Alex Pusco, founder and chief executive of online broker ActivTrades, who compiled the research for City AM, said: “post-Brexit UK companies would do well to embrace foreign languages as a matter of urgency in order to cement the creation of effective cultural and business relationships with prospective EU and non-EU trading partners”.
He added: “While English is undoubtedly one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and largely used as the ‘lingua franca’ in corporate diplomacy, I believe that a lack of intercultural and language competence on the UK’s part could jeopardise the future global standing and prosperity of its businesses”.