My staff are struggling with English at work

Workplace

Communication &

Performance

Globally, work is becoming more communication-heavy and more dependent on understanding information. At the same time, AI and automation are increasing complexity, raising the stakes for human interaction and clarity.

As work changes, communication is no longer a soft skill. It is a core performance requirement.

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🇿🇦 South African

Reality

Only this person grew up speaking English as a first language.

In South Africa, English is not the first language for most employees.

Many employees

  • rely on familiar patterns
  • avoid complex communication

This creates

  • surface-level participation
  • limited growth

According to South Africa’s Home Language Distribution data from Census 2022, English is the most spoken language in 8.7% of households.

When we compare the average English literacy level of 7,365 matriculated candidates aged 18 to 30 since 2020, this highlights the scale of the challenge.

How the Scale works

Language develops along a spectrum of 12 formal milestones – one for each year of formal learning. Each milestone is determined by a set of outcomes expected of a native language user at that stage.

There’s a critical gap between sounding fluent and functioning effectively at work

Our Insight

Confidence is not just personality. It is built on
  • Understanding
  • Vocabulary
  • Ability to think in English

Impact

& Losses

  • Errors and rework
  • Productivity loss due to misunderstood instructions
  • Poor customer experience
  • Frustration between teams
  • Reduced productivity
  • Low engagement
  • Missed ideas and innovation
  • Inefficient meetings

Often misdiagnosed as attitude, lack of effort, or poor training

The Solution Pathway

We don’t know where communication is breaking down

Identify communication gaps
  • Pinpoint misunderstandings
  • Understand real workplace challenges

Our staff seem capable, but performance is inconsistent

Assess actual capability levels
  • Identify comprehension gaps
  • Understand the difference between social vs workplace English

We need to improve communication in practical ways

Build workplace communication skills
  • Strengthen understanding, clarity, and confidence
  • Apply learning in real work scenarios

People lack confidence or avoid speaking

Create safe communication environments
  • Encourage participation and engagement

Staff rely on basic or familiar language

Build vocabulary and expression
  • Develop work-specific language
  • Improve ability to express ideas clearly

Smarter communication starts here

Find out what’s really causing communication breakdowns

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Tell us what matters most to you

My staff are struggling with English at work

We need to know why our learners aren’t succeeding

We need to understand how our people, communication, and systems are working together

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