Important Of Foreign Languages And Students Exchange Programme In MBA

BusinessManagement

  • Author Stuart Wallace Bhushan
  • Published June 8, 2010
  • Word count 461

With globalization, the task of teachers of MBA students is not only to groom managers and entrepreneurs for tomorrow, but "global managers", who can work in any MNC and international companies in India and abroad with ease.

But how can this actually be achieved?

This will be possible only through incorporating soft skills and foreign languages in students of MBA institutes.

It has always been said that the language of business is English. Not anymore. With the

widespread use of internet and increasing localization, more and more people are doing business in their own respective languages. Nowadays, the language you will use will depend on who is your interlocutor in front of you. If you want to do business with China, learn Chinese; with France, speak French.

Take for example- French and French Culture.

In a French global company, do not take it for granted that everyone will speak English. Some French people will speak English of course, but, like you, they have learnt English to facilitate business, and not for any other reason. Therefore, whenever you work with French people who speak English with you, remember that they would rather be speaking their own language- they are only speaking in English for your convenience!

So, for better work relations and smoother integration of Indo-French teams in French MNCs, languages are being taught both ways: English to the French employees, and French to the Indian employees.

To form those actual and real "global managers", teaching of foreign languages and developing cross-cultural awareness must start at the business schools. Choices like French, German and Chinese must be given to students as credit courses, which will not only give them an added value in their placements with MNCs and foreign companies, but also open up opportunities at an international level for them through the knowledge of another language and culture.

Students Exchange Programs in top B-schools play an equally important role. A survey was carried out in some of the best B- schools in Delhi and NCR to find out the benefit of conducting student exchange programs.

From the responses to the questionnaire and the focus group interview carried out, it was clear that the program benefited the students in some of the following ways:

  1. Remove prejudices and intercultural communication barriers

  2. Increase the Cultural intelligence of the students

  3. Give students global exposure and networking possibilities with their respective counterparts

At the end of the day, the more we do to increase cultural intelligence and awareness whether in the workplace or in MBA colleges through "foreign language or culture" courses, or by encouraging Student Exchange Programs between India and different countries, the better it will be in terms of success and benefits to our budding ‘global’ managers to be real and actual global managers.

Mokshda Bhushan is a Lecturer in Communications and Soft Skills as well as French Language in the Centre for Corporate Relations in Asia-Pacific Institute of Management. She holds an LLB from LSE, University of London, UK, LLM from Univ. As well as a Diploma in French Language and Civilisation from Alliance Francaise of Mauritius. She is expert on topics related to management education for [top business schools](http://www.asiapacific.edu/international_business.html

).

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