What if the missing piece in your retention strategy wasn’t higher pay or better perks — but language learning?

The U.S. is a notoriously “monolingual” country, but that’s changing. A wide swath of industries now find themselves facing labor shortages and hiring from a pool of workers for whom English may not be their first language. And in other parts of North America, the need for language training is even more pronounced, as in parts of fully bilingual Canada or Spanish-first Mexico. And, of course, any company with international goals will soon bump up against the limitations of not addressing language gaps and barriers.

Communication breakdowns can quietly chip away at everything from productivity to morale. A missed instruction here. A misunderstood safety policy there. Even the cultural disconnect of not feeling understood or valued by management can quietly erode retention. Over time, these small disconnects break down trust and create invisible barriers between employees and the workplace culture they’re meant to be part of.

Language learning changes that. More and more employers are realizing it’s not just a nice-to-have. It’s a business tool that drives real impact — especially when it comes to belonging.

Language Learning as a Retention Lever

Wildlife Works, an international wildlife conservation organization, saw this clearly after introducing language training to help workers worldwide integrate more fully with their teams around the globe. It wasn’t just about fewer miscommunications. It was about respect.

“Language learning has helped break down some of those language barriers and even allowed us to be more inclusive as a company so that people aren’t left out,” said Leanna Kocian, global human resources director at Wildlife Works.

That result isn’t unusual. In industries like health care, logistics, construction and hospitality, where language gaps are common and front-line turnover is high, companies are using language training to create stability. When employees feel more connected and confident, they’re far more likely to stay.

Building Bridges, Not Silos

The director of risk management at Monarch Landscaping, realized that his company needed to offer programs that would give employees a better path to advancement within the company. He also wanted to offer his front-line team skills that would allow them to communicate more effectively with clients and build camaraderie with colleagues. For them, it was more than skill-building: It was culture-building.

That kind of upward mobility doesn’t happen by accident. It’s backed by real science. According to “The Science of Adult Language Learning,” adults are more motivated and more successful when they’re learning something practical and relevant to their daily work. The best programs meet them where they are, both in terms of content and delivery.

What’s Different About Today’s Language Learning Tools?

Workplace language learning hasn’t always worked. Traditional programs were often too academic, too time-consuming or just too disconnected from day-to-day work. For employees who had tried language learning before and failed, the idea of trying again was discouraging.

So, what’s changed in language learning? A lot.

Modern, blended learning approaches are built for how adults actually learn. They combine self-paced app lessons with live virtual classes, use practical workplace scenarios instead of textbook drills and keep lessons short — 15 minutes or less.

This strategy works. A Yale study of learners found that 80% of learners could hold a conversation at a beginner’s level after their initial lessons. Even more compelling: 91% said they enjoyed the learning process, and 75% felt they reached their personal language learning goals. The authors of the study concluded, “It is surprising to see such results after a relatively short period of language study.”

That kind of engagement is rare — and it’s one of the reasons more human resources (HR) and learning and development (L&D) teams are embracing language learning not as a siloed benefit, but as part of broader employee development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies.

Belonging You Can Actually Measure

One of the reasons language trainings stands out is that it doesn’t just improve culture: It makes culture visible. You can track learning progress. You can see who’s participating. You can celebrate milestones and tie them to bigger goals, like retention, engagement or internal mobility.

This visibility makes belonging something you can actually act on — not just a vague ideal.

It also gives employees something tangible to be proud of. They’re not only learning a new skill but also building confidence. They’re engaging their brain in new and effective ways. They’re seeing themselves as part of something bigger.

A Small Investment With a Big Return

In a time when employers are fighting to hold onto their people, language training might seem like a small thing. But in practice, it changes the tone of the workplace. It tells employees: You matter here. You’re not just expected to adapt. You’re supported in doing so.

That kind of message sticks, and it creates the kind of culture where people want to stay.