BPESA

Accent Neutrality and Language Proficiency – A Must-Have for All Businesses

Language Proficiency is a must-have for all business professionals in today’s globalized world. Due to our vast language skills and language proficiencies, South Africa is seen as the call center destination of choice for international clientele.

According to a report by Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), the Global Business Services sector (GBS) employs more than 200,000 people in South Africa, making it one of the largest employers in the country. Of these, around 50 000 are focused exclusively on international business, which highlights the sector’s global reach and the diverse range of clients it serves.

The GBS sector is one of the most thriving industries in South Africa, with its contribution to the country’s GDP by 1.5% in 2020, with a total value of R5.62 trillion and in 2019 by R5.24 trillion. The industry has experienced significant growth over the past few years and has become an important contributor to the country’s economy (BPESA, 2020)

Based on a recent study conducted by science direct, international business researchers have recently discovered; language differences have an influence on the social identity formation among employees. Assessing language proficiency before a hire can be an effective way to ensure that agents have the necessary language skills to provide a high-quality customer experience. By hiring employees skilled in the language and dialect spoken by your customer, you can reduce misunderstandings, improve the accuracy of information provided to the customer, and enhance the overall customer experience. (Tenzer, 2017)

The Surgo Language Assessment Tool was ideated based on the need for a cost-effective, unbiased, and consistent English accent-neutral assessment tool. It is important for agents to speak in a neutral accent tone to ensure smooth client and agent interaction. Using a neutral tone can improve communication between international customers and nationally sourced agents. The Surgo Language Assessment Tool is uniquely designed to assess the South African dialect – and…it is affordable too. When language skills are assessed objectively, subjective judgments based on ethnicity, race, or national origin are eliminated. This can help reduce the likelihood of language discrimination in the workplace.

Using language assessment tools before hiring can ensure a standard of language proficiency within an organization, which can in turn promote a better team dynamic and understanding within the workforce. When all members of a team share a. common language and level of proficiency, it can help to prevent misunderstandings. Ensuring tasks are fully understood and projects are executed with a broader understanding.

This revolutionary software is a language assessment tool developed by Surgo in collaboration with the Stellenbosch University Language Centre and Psychometrician Dr. Wim Myburgh. The language assessment tool evaluates a user’s language proficiency in areas like reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. All assessments are conducted online, and the tool provides detailed feedback and recommendations for improvement.

Our trusted Surgo assessors ensure that all assessments are graded consistently, accurately, and reliably. Results are typically available within 24 hours, and detailed reports provide a comprehensive overview of language proficiency, including strengths and areas for improvement.

All language assessments scoring matrix are developed in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to accurately assess language proficiency. The CEFR is a widely recognised and respected framework for assessing language proficiency in different languages. It is used by language institutions, universities, and employers around the world to assess and certify language proficiency.

While the attempt to impose an English-only policy in the workplace is not only discriminatory but also implausible. English makes up only 8.1% of the native language of the population in South Africa, with isiZulu and isiXhosa being the most spoken languages. (General Household Survey, 2019)

Although the Surgo Language Assessment tool will be launched with the English Accent Neutrality assessment, a big focus and drive will be on all African indigenous languages making the Surgo Language Assessment tool the first of its kind in South Africa.

“The goal is to celebrate our national capabilities and diversity while ending language discrimination in the workplace by objectively assessing candidates’ language skills. Ensuring you make the right hire every time” says Rudé Alley, Managing Director at Surgo Pty Ltd.

Investing in the Surgo language assessment tool saves you time and money by ensuring that your employees, students, or applicants have the necessary language skills to succeed in their positions. The tool supports your hiring processes and ensures you make the right hiring decision every time.

Reference:

BPESA, 2020,  https://capebpo.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SA-GBS-Sector-Insights-01102020.Final_.Final_.pdf   

(bpesa – https://www.bpesa.org.za/skills-development#landscape )

Helene Tenzer, 2017, The influence of language differences on power dynamics in multinational teams, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090951616301730

Statistics South Africa, General Household Survey, 2019, http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0318/P03182018.pdf

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