This article is a recap of the article that appeared here on the LINGOs blog. Foto credit: LINGOs.

Like other multinational organizations, NGOs working in multiple countries face a major challenge to their productivity and success: the language gap between staff in various national offices.

Take ChildFund for instance, which works to support vulnerable children worldwide: “English is the great unifying language of our business,” says Leslie Crudele, ChildFund’s International HR Business Partner. “We have staff around the world that are non-native English speakers, and they’re asked to use English in their business communications.”

Breaking down communication silos for NGOs

Since early 2015, Speexx has partnered with LINGOs, a learning consortium of 80+ international development, aid and conservation organizations. Since the beginning of the partnership with LINGOs last year, over 1300 NGO staff in over 100 countries have enrolled in French, Spanish, and English courses at all levels (A1 – C1.2).

Meeting Learners where They Are

For CIMMYT, an organization dedicated to maize and wheat science for improved livelihoods, Speexx is doing just that – meeting learners where they are. Guillermo Flores, Manager of Organizational Development and Training at CIMMYT, says that “as an international organization with offices in remote locations, and multiple pressing tasks, it is often hard for staff to attend training.”

Speexx has made language learning available to learners who would not otherwise have had access. That opportunity is key, Flores says, because “CIMMYT staff interact with a range of nationalities and cultures on a daily basis, and having a minimum of two languages certainly helps and encourages effective communication.”

At ChildFund, Leslie Crudele adds that Speexx’s self-paced, accessible format has made it particularly popular among learners. “We find that for our employees, whether they’re experiencing connectivity issues in one of our field offices, or traveling a lot and unable to commit to a weekly course, Speexx gives them the option to come and go as needed – to continue honing their skills,” Crudele says.

About LINGOS

LINGOs is a not-for-profit capacity building organization in its tenth year of providing world-class learning opportunities that are appropriate, accessible and affordable for people working to reduce poverty and alleviate suffering in the developing world.

Find more information about LINGOs here.

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