You’ll probably recognise it: employees who understand another language (Dutch, French, English or German), but rarely dare to speak it.
They nod along in meetings, follow instructions, but remain silent when genuine communication is needed.
This speaking barrier may seem small, but its impact on teamwork, safety and productivity is enormous, both for your employees and for the organisation.
In many companies, language proficiency is still too often equated with understanding what is being said.
But true fluency goes much further: it’s about having the confidence to take part in conversations, whether it’s a team meeting, a customer call or a safety briefing on the shop floor.
According to the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML, 2022), over 70% of European employees say they feel insecure speaking another language at work, even if they understand it well.
That fear of speaking leads to hesitation, misunderstandings and sometimes even costly mistakes.
* Source: ECML "Language Skills in the Workplace Report", 2022.
Whether it’s factory workers, office staff or managers in international teams, language should never be a barrier to communication. Yet in many organisations, the effects of speaking anxiety are strikingly similar:
When employees are afraid to speak, crucial information is left unsaid or misunderstood, leading to mistakes, delays and even safety risks.
Employees who feel insecure about their language skills are less likely to speak up in meetings or contribute with ideas. They remain, quite literally, on the sidelines.
Language insecurity can hold employees back from promotions, international projects or customer interactions. According to LinkedIn Learning (2023), 59% of HR professionals consider communication skills the most important soft skill for professional growth.
In production settings, speaking anxiety can cause miscommunication around safety or procedures.
In knowledge-based environments, valuable ideas often go unheard because employees are reluctant to express them.
HR and L&D teams play a key role in creating a safe environment where employees feel confident to speak in any language.
Traditional classroom or e-learning programmes are a good start, but often not enough to truly break down speaking barriers.
What makes a difference?
Realistic practice environments where employees can practise speaking without fear of being judged for making mistakes.
Continuous practice, not just during language training sessions.
Personal feedback that focuses on building confidence, not just correcting errors.
BLCC Conversation Coach was developed precisely to address the challenge of speaking anxiety.
The app is a powerful complement to language training, giving employees unlimited speaking practice with an AI coach, anytime and anywhere.
With BLCC Conversation Coach, employees can:
practise freely on topics relevant to their job;
receive targeted feedback on pronunciation and grammar;
build speaking confidence at their own pace.
BLCC Conversation Coach creates a safe, judgement-free practice environment where making mistakes is part of learning. This lowers the threshold for speaking, and significantly boosts learning impact.
The result?
More confidence in conversations
Stronger collaboration between teams
Higher productivity across the organisation
Read our blog post Speech anxiety? How to break through the barrier.
Whether you manage a manufacturing site, a service company or a corporate team, every organisation benefits from employees who dare to speak.
Contact us today by filling in the form below. We’ll listen to your needs and recommend a tailor-made programme for your teams.