#Japan monolingual country software#

An English speaker with an intimate knowledge of both Japanese language and culture will be more aware of communication cues and potential pitfalls.īilingual IT support personnel make it easier for non-Japanese companies to provide support to the Japanese market. Otherwise, they may offend their end-users without even realising it. They need to appreciate the importance of context and formality when dealing with Japanese customers. IT workers must have some understanding of Japanese business etiquette in order to make a better impression when on service calls to Japanese-speaking clients. In many cases, Japanese language fluency alone is not enough. The majority of support-seeking end users will require guidance in Japanese. English is the world’s common language in the world of technology, but Japan still lags behind regional rivals Korea and China when it comes to English language proficiency. Looking at the issue from the other side, we can see how monolingual English speakers may not be a good IT support fit at domestic Japanese companies. The Challenge for Monolingual English Speakers Anywhere that a diverse group of people come together to pursue technical goals, bilingual IT support personnel provide the bridge that ensures everyone’s technology needs are met. They can also act as company ambassadors at conferences and trade shows and in training programs. Bilingual workers can join in more quickly and effectively.įor companies where company-wide or industry-wide communication is required, bilingual IT support personnel can bridge the gap. Videoconference-based training allows workers to share knowledge with each other on a regular basis, helping to promote company policies and procedures and letting everyone get up to speed on new technologies. IT support workers in multinational companies need a common language just to talk to each other around the globe. Zendesk also notes that being able to find common ground makes a big difference in the goodwill sustained by support personnel.

#Japan monolingual country software#

Software as a Service (SaaS) provider Zendesk writes about global IT support and the challenges language introduces. IT support professionals find that a second language allows them to support visiting workers from a variety of countries, such as French-speaking workers from Africa and Europe who invariably adopt English as the lingua franca. While some IT support jobs are with smaller companies where a monolingual worker is sufficient, Japanese-only workers still find themselves limited by the inability to participate in the global IT community, where English is the dominant language. It’s not just a question of having a “book knowledge” of English, it’s the ability to communicate clearly and correctly in English that makes the difference.

One recruiting agency notes the difficulty, even in Tokyo, of hiring Japanese staff proficient in the English language for companies that do business internationally. The Challenge for Monolingual Japanese Staff

IT support workers face the same requirement - businesses want to hire bilingual workers. From chemical engineers to data scientists to software engineers, people who add English to the mix are able to leverage technical skills in a global way. Industry magazine Chemical and Engineering News quotes both employers and students delivering the same message: bilingual skills open doors. For science and technology workers, bilingual skills are in big demand.