Tipp woman’s research shows challenges faced by non-native English speakers in Irish workplaces

Over 60% of non-native English speakers working in Ireland say they need to work extra hard to progress in the workplace or have their work recognised.  That’s according to research published by AllTalk Training, a Tipperary-based training provider founded by Tipp woman Brigid Farrell, a native of the Horse and Jockey.

Founded in 2017, AllTalk Training specialises in communication and collaboration for multicultural workplaces.

Tipp Roots

Originally founded in Cork, Ms. Farrell has continued to run AllTalk Training from the Horse and Jockey since 2020. Commenting on her experience of working from Tipperary, she said: “The joy of running an online business is that I can work from almost anywhere.

“Being based in the Horse and Jockey again has made it so easy to travel when I need to as I am just an hour from Cork, Dublin, Waterford and Limerick here. Moving back has also reminded me, just how much I love the peace and different pace of being in the countryside and I’m enjoying becoming reacquainted with the towns and villages of Tipp.”

Survey Findings

The survey released by AllTalk Training is based on focus group research with 80 non-native English speakers from across 24 countries, including Brazil, Spain, Germany, and India. The vast majority of participants (81%) have advanced or a ‘near-native’ level of English. Despite this, the research shows non-native speakers believe they face challenges within Irish workplaces. Key findings from the survey include:

  • 61% of participants feel they need to work harder than their native English-speaking colleagues to progress in their workplace or for their work to be recognised.
  • 43% claim they feel excluded at work due to language or cultural differences.
  • 42% of participants feel their native English-speaking colleagues don’t take their opinions and ideas as seriously as those of fellow native English speakers.
  • The same proportion (42%) feel their colleagues regularly make incorrect assumptions about them due to their cultural background.
  • 39% of participants say they are less likely to raise the topic of a pay rise with their manager than they would be if working within their own language and culture.
  • 36% of respondents stated that they are less likely to share their thoughts and ideas in meetings.

Commenting on the findings, Brigid Farrell said:

“In Ireland, we’re proud to have such a diverse workforce and to attract highly-skilled workers from across the world, so it’s important to address the serious concerns raised in this report.

“How non-native speakers are treated in the workplace – and their own perceptions about their levels of fluency and integration – can really impact on their career.”

 Areas for Improvement

Ms. Farrell continued that there are clear areas for improvement.

“Our research shows, for example, that not only are people holding back from tasks they’re well qualified to do, but they’re also less likely to approach topics like pay rises or to speak to their manager if they have a problem at work. The barriers here are not solely language-related; they come down to confidence and cultural differences. The participants in our research all have a high standard of English – the majority have advanced English. But they still feel challenged in Irish workplaces because they’re not native English-speakers. That’s something we hear quite often at AllTalk Training, even for those non-native workers who feel welcome and who are socially integrating with their team, there are still times when they feel they are ‘other’ from their native-English speaking colleagues, and this holds them back from reaching their full potential.”

 According to Ms. Farrell, in multicultural workplaces with one official working language (such as English), the burden to improve communication often falls on the non-native speaker. Native-speaking workers and employers need to do more to address this issue, she said.

“There is a recurring issue of colleagues making assumptions about non-native English speakers based on their accent rather than their performance or their grasp of the English language.

“When we disregard or overlook someone’s ability to contribute to a project – or perhaps their willingness to get involved in a social activity – we don’t just fail that colleague; we miss an opportunity for the whole team and the wider business to do better. Nobody wants to see a member of their team demotivated or missing their potential. Apart from the personal and social consequences, it makes no business sense.”

Advice for Native English-speaking Workers

AllTalk Training’s tips for native English-speaking employers and employees looking to improve their communication with colleagues from diverse backgrounds include:

  • When a non-native colleague has near-perfect English, it can be easy to forget just how hard they might be working to translate questions before they can formulate answers. Colloquialisms or unfamiliar reference points add further complications. Keep it simple and straightforward by avoiding idioms.
  • Practice active listening to ensure you are focused on the message being communicated and avoid breakdowns in communication.
  • Acknowledge that you hold conscious or unconscious biases as a first step to challenging them. Do not fall victim to assuming cultural stereotypes are true.
  • Embrace cultural traditions across your multicultural team to create inclusion and empathy. Creating space for, and showing openness to learn about, different colleagues’ cultural traditions can improve mutual understanding and communications across the board.

The full research report from AllTalk Training is available at www.alltalktraining.com.


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