Language Case Studies

Rather than trying to fit our clients into a series of one size fits all products, IOR develops custom solutions to meet your language needs. IOR takes into account your needs, goals, and schedule to tailor a language training program that will work for you. Take a look at some of the language training solutions IOR has developed for our clients. While the names and other personal information has been changed to protect privacy, these solutions are based on actual IOR clients.

The Business Traveler

Dr. Janice Leung accepted an international assignment to Singapore where she will lead the organizational development team in her division. Though the language of the office and her organization is English, she is committed to learning some Mandarin to make social inroads with her colleagues as well as to help her be perceived as striving to integrate more into the community. She is a 2nd generation American who speaks only English, but also has added pressure as she is ethnically of Chinese descent and there may be an expectation that she have some facility in Mandarin.

Dr. Leung's work schedule is demanding, often requiring travel to other sites up to 50% of her time. To accommodate her work schedule while maximizing her commitment to learning Mandarin, IOR proposed several half-day training sessions during the first few months of her on-boarding. It was easier for Dr. Leung to get approval to schedule training sessions during the day rather than try to squeeze a two-hour lesson in a few times a week. The training also became part of her formal orientation to her position.

The Expatriate

Holger Stein was recently promoted to Finance Lead, and with this promotion came the news that he would be on an international assignment in the U.S. for 3 years. Accompanying Holger is his wife, Jutta, and their two children, Petra and Jost, who all speak very little English. While Holger's English is strong, his new responsibilities include frequently making formal presentations and leading a weekly department meeting. He is unsure if he will be able to communicate his ideas effectively.

Balancing the demands of his new position and also helping his family has left little time for traditional language lessons. IOR solved this issue by scheduling a few longer blocks of training in the first month of his assignment to give him the foundation and confidence he needs to be effective in his new position. His company was able to help him schedule these sessions as part of his orientation. He continues to hone his presentation and business communication skills twice a week in his regularly scheduled on-going language lessons with his personal teacher. His teacher is able to meet him at home or at his office, giving him the flexibility to continue training while also meeting his work responsibilities.