Enhancing workplace communication: The new role of language assessments in business success

Andrew Khan
two business people sat together in a meeting both looking at a laptop
Reading time: 4 minutes

The integration of AI tools into workplaces around the world is starting to change the way people communicate professionally. Research suggests that the use of AI to help draft documents and emails is driven not only by convenience and efficiency but also by a desire to be clear and precise in language.

While potentially useful, tools to translate, generate, or ‘correct’ written text won’t help with the effectiveness of the verbal communication that powers business relationships.

Is your teams communication effective?
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

The importance of effective communication

Whether it’s customer support calls, sales presentations, health and safety instructions or day-to-day engagement with colleagues, our personal and professional interactions in the workplace rely on our ability to understand and be understood.

Equally, clarity of communication is central to many of the ‘future skills’ that employers have identified as critical to sustained success – notably leadership, collaboration, critical thinking and empathy.

It can be challenging for people who have English as a first language to feel confident in these skills – and even more difficult for those who may use another language at home but are required to speak English at work.

Challenges faced by second-language English speakers

When designing assessments that measure English proficiency, we need to balance the convenience and duration that enable them to fit into a fast-paced hiring workflow with the coverage that gives businesses confidence in the results. This means focusing on the most essential elements of effective communication.

Introducing the Versant by Pearson English Speaking and Listening Test

With the new Versant by Pearson English Speaking and Listening Test, we take just seventeen minutes to give a comprehensive picture of communicative English competence. So where do we focus?

Get in touch to learn about our corporate solutions

Effective verbal communication: Balancing listening and speaking skills

As a starting point, the businesses that we heard from in our research were clear that listening is just as important a skill as speaking when it comes to making hiring decisions.

Anyone who has been through sales or customer support training in the past will likely be familiar with the phrase “you have one mouth but two ears,” meaning that, in a professional context, our ability to listen, actively and attentively, for detail and nuance, can be twice as valuable as speaking. A test that didn’t place equal weight on comprehension and productive speech when assessing communicative ability would be missing the mark.

Evolving expectations around speech

Our research also pointed to expectations around speech having shifted in recent years. The range of jobs where English is required at the point of hiring has increased in many countries – with professionals from taxi drivers to online tutors often asked to demonstrate communicative competence.

With this in mind, Pearson has introduced the Global Scale of English Job Profiles framework to help employers define appropriate English requirements for a variety of different positions.

Customer Support roles and communicative ability

Customer Support roles, historically the main use case for testing English in the workplace, are also evolving. Employers are placing a much greater emphasis on true communicative ability to help resolve complex problems rather than scripted or pre-prepared responses delivered with US-style accents.

Designing effective assessments

Taking this into account, we recognized a need to design a more effective way of testing both the manner of speaking and the content of that speech. Manner-of-speaking scores bring together the measurement of fluency or the fluidity and cohesion of a spoken response, pronunciation and intelligibility.

Pronunciation is different from accent – a test taker can have an Indian accent, a French accent or a Japanese accent and still pronounce English words in a way that first-language speakers will expect to hear them. Intelligibility reflects the reality that we all speak in different ways, with a voice authentic to ourselves, and looks to assess whether that voice can be easily understood by others.

Measuring communication skills

The most relevant measure of communication skills isn’t whether you sound like a fluent speaker but whether you can use your ability with language to convey meaning effectively. Our speech also needs to be relevant and appropriate, with suitable vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.

We’ve found the most successful way to measure speech content is to blend short questions with a limited set of potential responses with more open-ended items. This enables test takers to speak organically and really show what they can do with their language skills.

The value of fair and objective assessments

Whether used as a hiring tool, to diagnose employees' learning and development needs or to benchmark improvement over time, English assessments can be a great asset to businesses – but only if they’re fair, objective and laser-focused on the skills that underpin true communicative competence.

Join our webinar to learn more

Join us for an insightful webinar where we will delve deeper into the role of language assessments in enhancing workplace communication and driving business success. Sign up now to secure your spot and learn how the Versant by Pearson English Speaking and Listening Test can benefit your organization.

Watch the webinar here

References

More blogs from Pearson

  • A woman at a computer working
    Introducing the PTE Teacher Hub
    By Magda Woodham
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Your new home for PTE Teaching Support

    Teaching PTE requires staying up to date, being confident in your scoring and being equipped with resources that accurately reflect the test – so you can help your students prepare for success and ease some of their test-day worries. To make that easier, we’re pleased to introduce you to the new PTE Teacher Hub, your dedicated space designed specifically for teachers preparing learners for PTE Academic and PTE Core.

    Everything you need to teach PTE, in one trusted place

    The PTE Teacher Hub is an authenticated, teacher‑first platform that brings together everything you need to teach PTE effectively. Instead of searching across multiple channels, you now have a single, reliable source for official updates, classroom‑ready resources and professional development – direct from Pearson.

    Official updates and ready‑to‑use resources, all in one hub

    At launch, the Hub focuses on the two core areas that teachers told us matter most. PTE News and Updates provides a trusted channel for timely information on Pearson news, PTE updates, information on upcoming webinars and events, assessment insights and community highlights, helping you stay confident that the guidance you give learners is accurate and up to date.

    PTE Resources offers an exclusive library of ready‑to‑use, PTE‑aligned lesson plans and materials, saving preparation time and supporting both in‑class and online teaching.

    Built to support teachers at every stage of their PTE journey

    Beyond day‑to‑day teaching support, the PTE Teacher Hub is designed to support your ongoing professional growth. Teachers can access guidance and insights at any time, deepen their understanding of the PTE test portfolio and strengthen their teaching practice with official Pearson materials.

    Whether you’re new to teaching PTE or an experienced educator, the PTE Teacher Hub is your central destination for clarity, confidence and connection.

    Log in, bookmark the page, and make it your go‑to home for PTE teaching.

  • Children in a classroom with a teacher while they play with a toyhouse
    The importance of teaching values to young learners
    By Katharine Scott
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Why teaching values matters in early education

    The years children spend in school are about far more than academic success. Alongside literacy, numeracy and subject knowledge, children develop the social and emotional skills needed to thrive in the world around them.

    From sharing ideas to resolving disagreements, these everyday interactions shape how children understand fairness, respect and responsibility. These are more than just learned skills – they are rooted in deeper values that guide behavior over time.

    Without clear guidance, children often learn behaviors simply by observing others. While this can be positive, it can also reinforce negative habits. That’s why schools play a critical role in explicitly teaching values, not just expecting them.

    Social skills vs. Social values

    Although closely related, social skills and values are not the same:

    • Social skills are behaviors (such as taking turns, listening, cooperating)
    • Social values are the principles behind those behaviors (such as fairness, respect, empathy)

    When children understand why something matters—not just what to do—they are more likely to apply those behaviors consistently.

    Core values every child should learn

    Defining values can be complex, but most education systems emphasize a shared set of foundational principles:

    • Respect for others and appreciation of diversity
    • Collaboration and community awareness
    • Environmental responsibility
    • Self-worth and confidence

    Even at a young age, children demonstrate a natural sense of fairness and honesty. With the right support, these instincts can be developed into strong moral foundations.

    Moving beyond “School Rules”

    Too often, values are reduced to simple instructions like:

    • “Don’t be late”
    • “Wait your turn”
    • “Be kind”

    While important, these rules can feel arbitrary if not explained. Without context, children may follow them only when supervised – or break them when they can.

    To truly teach values, educators need to:

    • Explain the reasoning behind rules
    • Encourage discussion and reflection
    • Connect actions to real-world impact

    This transforms rules into meaningful learning experiences.

    Effective school strategies for teaching values

    The most successful approaches to values education involve the entire school community – teachers, students, parents and staff.

    1. Environmental awareness programs

    Schools can foster responsibility through hands-on initiatives such as:

    • Recycling systems
    • School gardens
    • Renewable energy projects
    • Second-hand bookshops

    These activities help children understand their role in protecting the planet.

    2. Anti-bullying initiatives

    Strong anti-bullying programs go beyond policies and focus on prevention through:

    • Empathy-building exercises
    • Peer accountability activities
    • Confidence and self-esteem development

    Helping children recognize and respond to bullying is key to creating a safe environment.

    3. Anti-racism and inclusion programs

    Promoting inclusivity requires a proactive, school-wide approach:

    • Teaching diverse histories and cultures
    • Inviting guest speakers from different communities
    • Challenging stereotypes through discussion
    • Encouraging empathy for marginalized groups

    These efforts help children develop respect for diversity from an early age.

    The role of consistency

    Children learn as much from what adults do as from what they say. For values education to be effective:

    • Teachers must model positive behavior
    • School policies should reflect stated values
    • Parents should be involved where possible

    Consistency across all environments reinforces learning and builds trust.

    Putting values into practice

    Teaching values to young learners is not an “extra” part of education – it is foundational. When children understand respect, empathy and responsibility, they are better equipped to succeed academically, socially and emotionally.

    By embedding values into everyday learning and school culture, educators can help shape thoughtful, responsible individuals who contribute positively to society.

  • A woman and man working together on laptop in library
    AI in Language Education: What educators should use (and what to avoid)
    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    AI is changing language classrooms fast, but not every tool adds value. The best teachers use AI as a partner, supporting planning, feedback and differentiation, while keeping key moments of teaching human.

    Here’s what works, what to avoid, and how to use AI responsibly in ESL classrooms.

    How AI is transforming language teaching

    AI is transforming how teachers work, but it doesn't replace them.

    At its best, AI enhances three core areas:

    • Planning efficiency: Generate lesson outlines, activities and scaffolding in minutes
    • Differentiation at scale: Adapt materials for mixed-level classrooms instantly
    • Feedback loops: Provide faster, more frequent feedback on writing and practice tasks

    But the key shift is pedagogical. AI aligns naturally with:

    • Learner-centered methods: Students engage more actively with adaptive content
    • Teaching like a coach: Teachers guide, refine and personalize rather than deliver everything directly
    • Modern teaching methodology: Blended, flexible and responsive instruction

    When used effectively, AI allows teachers to concentrate on the most important aspects of language learning: interaction, communication and human connection.