Lessons from the “International Language and Communication” documentary on how to prepare for the 21st-century workplace
Gwyneth Olofsson’s, “International Language and Communication” is a documentary that sheds light on the challenges facing people in regards to learning, understanding and communicating in various international languages. I have on several occasions experienced international communication in my schooling as well as travelling and I found that communicating effectively with people from other countries is quite challenging. For instance, I have a couple of times encountered foreigners who had a limited understanding of the English langue and it was very difficult to communicate with them.
According to me, Olofsson’s discussion in the documentary is very important in helping us prepare for the 21st-century work environment and in our professional careers. For starters, the discussion in the film prepares us to recognize that the world has become a global village which is fueled by global trade and travel. As such, at some point in our lives, we are going to encounter people from other countries who most likely may not communicate in our language. Once we accept that reality the film describes that we can go ahead and prepare for such encounters with people from other languages by taking a number of measures.
The first measure is to learn at least one or more major foreign languages such as Spanish, French or Chinese which increases our ability to understand international language and communication. Secondly, we should learn that there are various ways of communication such as the use of verbal, written or visual language. In order to improve our ability to communicate in the internal language, it is imperative to learn one or more other means of communication apart from spoken such as the use of signs or symbols as well as body language. By taking these simple measures, Olofsson’s discussion in the film helps us to be prepared for the 21st-century workplace.