University graduates’ workplace language needs as perceived by employers

The aim of this article is to focus on the language needs of university graduates at today's workplace as seen through the eyes of their employers. Using interview data from the representatives of 15 Finnish employers, we highlight certain language-related trends at the workplace of university graduates, underline the need for a range of languages and discuss cultural aspects. This research shows that language skills are a highly valued and useful tool, and they are to be understood in a broad sense. It is evident that it is not enough to use only English, as today's workplace is plurilingual and therefore places high demands on a graduate's language skills. In these plurilingual settings, successful communication is of utmost importance. In addition to linguistic matters, cultural sensitivity plays a role at the workplace. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.