Why Your Employees Understand English but Still Struggle to Speak It

Many organisations encounter a familiar situation: employees understand English reasonably well, but become hesitant or unusually quiet when they have to speak it.

They may follow an international meeting, understand an email or report, or watch a presentation without much difficulty. Yet when they need to explain a problem, express an opinion or answer an unexpected question, their confidence changes.

For HR and L&D managers, this can be difficult to assess. An employee may appear to have a good level of English, while still finding everyday workplace communication challenging.

The reason is simple: understanding English and using English effectively are different skills.

Understanding English Is Not the Same as Speaking It

Understanding is a receptive skill. When employees listen or read, they can use context, recognise familiar language and take time to process what they are hearing or reading.

Speaking requires something more.

Employees have to find the right words, organise their thoughts and respond to another person, often within seconds. They may need to do this while listening carefully, thinking about the issue being discussed and deciding how to express themselves appropriately.

Consider a professional who can read an English report comfortably. Explaining its main findings to colleagues in a meeting is a different challenge. The employee must select the relevant information, explain it clearly, answer questions and perhaps give an opinion or recommendation.

This is why an employee’s ability to understand English may be considerably stronger than their ability to speak it.

Why Employees May Struggle to Speak

There is rarely one single reason. Several factors may contribute to the gap between understanding English and speaking it confidently.

1. Speaking requires active language use

Recognising a word when someone else uses it is easier than producing that word yourself.

An employee may understand a phrase such as “I would suggest that we…” when hearing it in a meeting, but struggle to produce a similar expression spontaneously.

Speaking requires employees to retrieve and combine language quickly. This ability develops through practice and repeated use, not simply through knowing vocabulary and grammar.

2. They may not have enough opportunities to speak

Employees can encounter English regularly without actually speaking it very much.

They may read reports, write emails, use English-language software or communicate with international colleagues by email. But if most workplace conversations take place in Portuguese, they may have relatively few opportunities to practise speaking.

This can create a noticeable gap between their understanding and their confidence in conversation.

Regular opportunities to speak are therefore an important part of effective English training for employees.

3. Fear of making mistakes can hold people back

Some employees know what they want to say but hesitate because they are worried about making mistakes.

They may become overly concerned about grammar, pronunciation or choosing the perfect word. In an important meeting, particularly with senior colleagues, clients or international partners, this can make speaking feel risky.

As a result, an employee may choose not to contribute even when they have something valuable to say.

A supportive training environment gives participants the opportunity to practise, make mistakes and receive constructive feedback without feeling embarrassed. Confidence often grows when people experience that they can communicate successfully without having to speak perfect English.

4. General English may not be enough for the workplace

An employee may have a reasonable foundation in General English but still lack the language required for their particular role.

The communication demands of someone working in finance, engineering, healthcare, hospitality or procurement can be very different.

An employee might be comfortable discussing everyday subjects but struggle to explain a technical problem, present project information, discuss financial figures or negotiate an agreement.

This is where professional English and business English can provide a more relevant focus. Training should reflect the situations and communication requirements employees actually encounter.

5. Real workplace communication is unpredictable

Professional conversations rarely follow a script.

A manager may prepare a presentation carefully but receive an unexpected question. A colleague may interrupt a meeting with a different opinion. An international client may ask for clarification or challenge a proposal.

Employees therefore need more than memorised phrases. They need to respond, clarify, ask questions, explain their reasoning and adapt their language as the conversation develops.

Developing these English communication skills requires practice with realistic situations rather than only predictable exercises.

The Workplace Makes the Challenge Greater

In professional communication, employees are not simply demonstrating their English. They are trying to accomplish something.

They may need to solve a problem, make a recommendation, explain a decision, reach an agreement or maintain a professional relationship.

For example:

An employee follows an international meeting but says very little. They understand the discussion but are unsure how to enter the conversation quickly.

A professional reads English reports easily but struggles to explain them. Reading allows time to process information; presenting requires the employee to organise and communicate it.

A manager understands a presentation but hesitates when asked an unexpected question. The difficulty may be responding clearly under pressure rather than understanding the question.

An employee writes effective emails but avoids telephone or video communication. Written communication allows time to plan and revise; speaking requires immediate interaction.

These situations show why simply increasing general English knowledge may not address the real communication gap.

How Effective Training Can Help

The objective of corporate English training should not simply be to teach more English. It should help employees use the English they already know more effectively while developing the additional skills required for their work.

Effective training may include:

• Frequent speaking practice rather than occasional conversation activities.
• Realistic workplace situations, including meetings, presentations, discussions and negotiations.
• Relevant professional vocabulary connected to employees’ roles and sectors.
• Constructive feedback that helps participants communicate more clearly and effectively.
• Small-group interaction, giving participants more opportunities to speak and practise.
• Individualised learning goals, recognising that employees in the same organisation may have different communication requirements.

The training environment also matters. Employees need sufficient opportunity to practise without fear of embarrassment or constant correction.

The goal is not to eliminate every mistake. It is to help employees communicate clearly, confidently and effectively in situations that matter to their work.

What Employers Should Look For

When choosing a corporate English training programme, organisations should look beyond the question of whether it teaches English.

Consider whether the programme:

• focuses on the communication situations employees actually face;
• provides substantial opportunities for speaking;
• can be adapted to different levels and professional needs;
• includes relevant workplace and sector-specific language;
• provides useful feedback and individual attention;
• can adapt as the organisation’s training needs develop.

The starting point should be the workplace itself: What do employees need to be able to do in English?

Once those requirements are clear, training can be designed to develop the language and communication skills needed to meet them.

Turning Existing Knowledge into Effective Communication

Employees who struggle to speak English are not necessarily starting from zero. In many cases, they already have a useful foundation. They understand conversations, read documents and recognise much of the language they need.

What may be missing is the ability to access and use that knowledge confidently and spontaneously when communication matters.

The solution is therefore not always simply to teach more vocabulary or grammar. It may be to create more opportunities to use English, practise realistic workplace situations and develop the communication skills that turn knowledge into action.

For organisations, the more useful question may be:

What do our employees need to be able to do in English at work — and does our training help them do it?

That shift in focus can make English training more relevant to both employees and the organisation.

At the International English College (IEC), professional English training is built around the communication requirements of companies and institutions. Training can be adapted to organisational, team and professional objectives, with delivery options suited to different workplace needs., IEC can help you identify the communication needs and discuss an appropriate training approach.