As if business school wasn’t hard enough, international MBAs often also face a language hurdle – both in the classroom and out in the business world. To address this challenge, the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched a new language program designed to level the playing field for international MBA students for whom English is a second (or third or fourth…) language.
The new program, Honing Executive English Language Skills (HEELS), assesses students’ command of English when they arrive on campus, providing constructive feedback and specially designed courses for improving language skills to those who need it. The courses, offered by the MBA Career Management Center in partnership with linguists from Raleigh-based language instruction firm the World Company, target international MBA students who hope to launch their careers in the United States when they graduate.
“HEELS helps students achieve a standard to which they can aspire to improve their skills if they want to work in a specific U.S. industry,” said David Hofmann, MBA Program associate dean, in a release announcing the program.
HEELS offers a test in August when international students arrive in Chapel Hill to gauge verbal and written English skills. Following the test, each student receives a report rating his or her proficiency along with comments on specific areas in need of improvement. Students with areas to work on can then enroll in specifically designed courses offered on the Kenan-Flagler campus.
The courses follow the World Company’s model for language instruction. Taught in small groups and designed to be highly interactive, the classes focus on helping students lose their accents and strengthen their English grammar and vocabulary skills. They also target non-verbal communication, helping students modify body language that might be misinterpreted by U.S. managers, coworkers or clients.
“We are pleased to provide the resources to help UNC’s international students improve their English-language skills,” Clodagh Lyons-Bastian, director of the World Company, said in a release about the new program. “Proficiency in English is paramount for these global students to embark on a successful career in the United States.”
The World Company designed and administers the language skills assessment test that new students take, which provides a nine-level proficiency rating scale. It also created customized language courses designed to develop language skills of particular importance in the business world.
Corporate recruiters also were called on to provide input into the development of the HEELS program. Working together, the MBA Career Management Center and the World Company created audio tapes reflecting varying levels of proficiency and accent, which they had recruiters listen to. These recruiters, from a range of industries, then indicated the minimum level of language skills acceptable of hires to their companies.
Students benefit directly from this component of the program. “They can learn from the recruiters’ valuable feedback and will no longer have to guess whether their language capability could hinder their ability to secure the types of jobs they want in the United States,” Hofmann says.
According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which owns the GMAT business school entry exam, the number of foreign students registering to take the exam continues to rise, suggesting that the market for language assistance programs such as Kenan-Flagler’s HEELS is strong and growing stronger.
In the past year, foreign test-takers accounted for significant increases in application volume for both flexible MBA and EMBA programs, representing 23 and 17 percent of registrants respectively. For online and full-time MBA programs, the number of foreign test takers is even greater – equaling and even surpassing U.S. registrant volume. Non-U.S. citizens accounted for 49 percent of online MBA applicants and 54 percent of full-time MBA applicants in 2007.
