How to Learn English in the UAE

The UAE is considered one of the best destinations for English learning in the region. Many people both resident within the UAE and travelling here from abroad choose to engage with English learning during their time here.

Travelling to the UAE to learn English

If you are wishing to travel to the UAE to learn English, there are some great options for you to consider. In particular, some course providers offer intensive courses where you can do 4-6 hours per day for 1-3 weeks, to really improve your English ability in a very short space of time.

General English

There is an abundance of general English learning courses in the UAE. These include a focus on different levels from beginner to advanced as well as specialist courses in speaking only, writing only etc. There are also courses for those with more or less time to learn including classes held during evenings, afternoons, and weekends. There are also full time summer intensive courses and online learning options for those who will struggle to make it to the classroom. For those who want to learn in their own time, you can also have 1-2-1 lessons just for you. Prices for groups classes vary from as little as 500 AED up to 2500 AED, but bear in mind that you may get more hours in a smaller group for a higher price.

English for specific purposes

The most common specialized English course is business English however there are also others you can look into as well for hospitality, IT, aviation etc. These courses cost around 1000 – 3500 AED for 20-30 hours.

English Proficiency Tests

If you need to prove your English ability and get a recognized certificate, you should consider the following options.

IELTS and TOEFL are particularly designed with an academic approach for University entrance and test listening, speaking, reading and writing in a combined way. They are both notoriously difficult and the test should cost about $200. However, it is recommended that you also do some preparatory lessons to give you the best chance of passing with the score you need. There are many preparatory courses available in the UAE which vary from 1000 AED – 3000 AED. There are some small differences to consider before choosing:

• IELTS has a US focus and TOEFL a British (UK English) focus which will impact on accents and spellings
• IELTS requires you to take the speaking element live with an examiner, whilst TOEFL you record your answers into a microphone.
• IELTS score is split into 4 elements and also an average of the 4 to give your overall score. However, sometimes you are required to prove your score in all four elements such as 6,6,6,6 with an average of 6 and getting 6,4,6,8 with an average of 6 would mean you do not meet the requirements. Whereas TOEFL gives you one overall score only and the different elements are not given individual scores.

TOEIC is a lesser known testing system which splits reading and writing from listening and speaking and as such may be better suited to working professionals who only need to prove certain skills for the workplace. Each exam is about $75. TOEIC is a lot less common in the UAE although there are a couple of preparatory and test centers which can be found online.

Cambridge ESOL is another option for those wanting sound proof of their English ability. As well as listening, speaking, reading and writing Cambridge also tests your application of English. ESOL comes in many shapes and forms including different levels, so those seeking to prove their very senior English capability may find this option allows them to do so. There are a number of providers in the UAE and in most cases the British Council in any country will be able to help you further with this. Prices vary.

Pearson test of English is used both as a suitable entrance to University as well as for UK visa applications. It is a computer-based-test and you can book this through the Pearson website, it costs around 1000 AED. There are a number of Pearson test and preparation course providers in the UAE which can be found online.

The last of the major English proficiency test systems is Michigan, which is more focused on professionals rather than students applying for University. It tests English structures, business-related terms, and analytical skills and is particularly designed to test your English effectiveness in the workplace. It costs $90 to take the test, which is web-based. More information can be found at the Michigan website.

Languages can improve your employment prospects, your likelihood of promotion and your ability to work globally…so, ماذا تنتظر؟!

Which languages are most valued?

It is well-known that the world’s most widely spoken languages are: Mandarin (Chinese), English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French.

However, just because something is ‘widely spoken’ does it mean that it is the most valuable to learn? Or is it the size of the economy that should drive language learning? If so…Mandarin would surely be top of the list? Possibly not! When Japan was the world’s second largest economy, it didn’t come close to being in the top 5 language options, maybe even the top 10. Chinese is unwieldy, hard to learn and many of China’s business persons have excellent English ability. As such, investing in Chinese may not be the best option.

So if frequency of use and dominating economies are not the drivers of language learning…what is?

If you are learning a language to support your career development, it would seem sensible to look at which languages will gain you access into certain countries. French for instance will support you in 56 countries! For those working in the Middle-East then of course Arabic would be very valuable as would Spanish and/or Portuguese for those wishing to gain exposure in Latin America.

There is no single most valued language…it is dependent on your personal and your employers ambitions and markets.

The value of learning a language:

SKILLS

Because the language learning process is mainly conducted by the left side of the brain, your abilities in

• Logic
• Reasoning
• Mathematics … can also improve as a result of your learning experience.

Other indicators suggest that language learning can:

• Increase attention span
• Improve task-switching capabilities
• Delay dementia
• Heighten abilities in comparing and contrasting
• Improve critical analysis skill

As such, one of the most significant values of language learning is generally being more employable all round with the development of strong associated skills.

SALARY

• In 2005, LEGC (now owned by Grant Thornton) found that in the USA learning at language could add an average of 4% to your salary. We at Laimoon suspect this will be higher for the UAE and higher 9 years on…but this is just a hunch as there are no statistics available on this that we can locate.
• Some companies even offer bonuses for learning or using a language in the workplace. One of the most famous of these is the CIA.

EMPLOYABILITY

• A report by the European Chamber of Commerce found that not having global mobility was a huge factor in youth unemployment and that monolingualism (only having one language) was the biggest barrier to mobility
• It is also believed that the largest language deficits exist in the most developed markets. Which means where there are more jobs, there is a higher demand for language skills.

Is English alone, enough?

Let’s let the statistics speak for themselves. According to the Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport (UK)

• Only 6% of the world’s population speaks English as a first language
• 75% of the world’s population don’t speak ANY English

English alone is simply not enough to put you ahead of the competition or give your business the edge it needs.

Do you need to be fluent?

The reason employers want to hire individuals with multiple language skills is because it offers them the potential to explore and trade in new markets, communicate to clients and customers and beat the competition. However, in general, fluency is rarely required, basic conversational skills are normally enough to open doors.

A 2009 survey by the Confederation of British Industry found that 74% of companies were looking for individuals with basic language skills.

What language courses are available in the UAE?

As always, I advocate browsing Laimoon – there’s some handy links here:

• Arabic
• English including Business English and English proficiency tests
• French
• Mandarin
• Russian
• Spanish

5 competencies Finance Professionals should have, but don’t!

“Technically skilled accountants are ‘ten-to-a-penny’” explains Jeffrey  C Thomson President and CEO of IMA. For those none-native English speakers ‘ten-to-a-penny’ means there are lots and as such they don’t have much value.

So how do you go from being a ‘ten-to-a-penny’ finance or accounting professional that can’t compete in the job market to being the shiny gold coin that everyone wants, no NEEDS to hire

Competency Crisis

It is now a well-known fact that the finance and accounting profession is suffering from a competency crisis globally and that the UAE is proving to be experiencing it more heavily than most. The impact is colossal and is currently slowing down both the growth of individual companies but also the growth of entire economies. So much so that there is now a website dedicated to this problem and it is worth a look: http://competencycrisis.org/

Fundamentally, the speed at which this sector is progressing is far out-pacing the speed of the development within the workforce. Government regulation, technological innovation and globalization pose new challenges and threats to the profession, and there are simply not enough qualified professionals to handle these issues effectively.

Why the competency crisis could be good for you

It is very simple, if you are looking to get ahead of the curve and be in serious consideration for some of the more senior positions available, all you need to do is make sure you have more of the competencies that are currently lacking. It is not often that an entire sector or profession can categorically say “this is what is lacking, so get it and there will be a job for you”. The crisis is so severe and the companies so desperate for talent, that they will consider anyone with an edge. All you need to do is get the edge…and then tell the companies you have it and wait for the job offers to come in!!!

What is the ‘edge’?

Getting the ‘edge’ is easier than you might think and with a little careful planning, personal (or corporate) investment, some hard-work and commitment you’ll have a great deal more to offer than your competition and will be exponentially more valuable (Pst! That means higher compensation by the way!)

David A Garvin of Harvard Business School explains it very eloquently:

“In a world of unrelenting change, about the only sustainable advantage is learning. Competitors can copy your products, duplicate your technology and replicate your processes, but as long as your organization is learning faster than theirs, you will always remain ahead”

Certification

There are many professional certificates to consider and if you are in the UAE, the good news is there are some great course providers who can help you succeed in acquiring these.

Examples to consider are listed here and many can be found on Laimoon:

ACCA (related article)

CMA (related article)

CPA

CFA (related article)

CIA

CIMA (coming soon to Laimoon)

ACA (coming soon to Laimoon)

Top companies value these certificates:

“At Microsoft, we look for a combination of solid accounting skills , the ability to think strategically, and strong business ethics. If someone is a CMA, we can be more comfortable that the person has mastered these aspects of the profession.” Bob Laux (CMA, CPA), Director of Technical Accounting and Reporting

Forecasting (planning, analysis and risk management)

Technically skilled accountants can crunch some numbers and produce some analysis on what has already occurred; this is a basic expectation of the role. What businesses now need and what is so desperately missing in individuals who can take those numbers and make predictions based on them, forecast problems, anticipate risk factors that will implicate them and make plans to ensure the company’s finances hold firm during the tricky periods. It reminds me of the 2011 film ‘Margin Call’ when the young graduate ironically completes a project from the Head of Risk Management who has just been made redundant. The graduate discovers that the company is in serious financial trouble if they continue as they are. It is incident this that acts as the catalyst for the recent financial crisis. Remember what I said about the impact the competency crisis is having on individual businesses as well as entire economies? That Head of Risk Management was probably the most valuable member of the entire company and they made him redundant because they thought everything was fine.

The mistakes that were made and the lessons that have been learnt in recent years have made companies far more vigilant and considerably more aware of their vulnerability and they are now seeking to protect themselves from similar situations, but they need ‘forecasters’ to achieve that.

At present Laimoon is not aware of courses focusing solely on forecasting in the UAE, but a brief search on google demonstrates there is some focus on this in the UK at present. There are however, Financial Risk Management (FRM) courses, there’s also Fraud and Laundering courses which may prove useful.

Written and spoken English (and Arabic)

English continues to dominate the language requirement worldwide and even here in the GCC, but some companies insist on Arabic too.

Eleonora Sharef, 27, a veteran of McKinsey and Co-founder of HireArt echoes my sentiment in a New York Times interview from May 2014;
“What surprises me most about people’s skills is how poor their writing and grammar are, even for college graduates. If we can’t get the basics right, there is a real problem.”

And don’t think that just because you are a Native English speaker that you ‘cut the mustard’ either. It staggers me how often I see simple spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes in CV’s, covering letters, emails, LinkedIn profiles etc etc. Graduates who don’t know their there from their they’re or event their their!

I know that this issue is particularly heightened within native Arabic speakers too, who are not able to write the very language they were raised on. For those new to Arabic, acquiring some basic conversational phrases would prove very valuable.

Investing some time here would be a very wise, short-term, low-cost and high ROI commitment that comes highly recommended for all. You can find a whole range of English and Arabic courses on Laimoon’s Language section.

Management

If you want to progress from accountant or financial analyst etc to a management position you need to develop some management skills and techniques. In management you will not only be responsible for managing projects, but more importantly the people who will deliver on those projects. That means developing your skills in delegation, time management, communication and also gaining an understanding of basic HR protocol that you will be responsible for. Simply being an excellent number cruncher is not going to get you to the next level of your career. You now need to step away from your comfort zone and develop the ‘soft skills’ that support your hard knowledge and expertise. If you can’t do that you will do more damage than good and but your career at risk. You need to move from being an introvert to being an extrovert and that is not easy and for many does not come naturally. Laimoon recommends you browse our management courses as well as our personal development courses, where you can find loads to help you move to the next step. You may also want to ask for a review with your line manager who will be able to give you indicators of the skills you are lacking at present.

Leadership

Often confused with management, leadership is actually a very different body of knowledge and finance leaders are particularly rare and hard to find. Leaders know how to build and grow effective teams. They know how to empower those teams with a common vision and make everyone feel an important part of achieving that vision. They also need to lead not only their own direct reports, but also the company as a whole, which means taking the time to get to know the employees in every department, gain their trust and confidence and have them all working towards the same key goals. They need to be confident to make HR decisions about moving skills and resources around to gain the most from each employee.

Jeffrey C Thomson has written an excellent article called “Financial Leadership; What’s it all about?” which comes highly recommended and paints a very clear picture of what a finance leader looks like.

Once you have decided that you want to make that leap from manger to leader, you should consider taking some courses in leadership that will provide you with a great foundation on which to build your leadership experience. Laimoon has an array of leadership courses you can take in the UAE.

 

Why are there so few women CFO’s in the GCC?

Whilst attending the 6^th Annual CFO conference hosted by IMA Middle East recently, one thing struck me more significantly than the fact that I was sat in the room with 60+ of the most senior staff members from some of the most influential companies in the region…where are all the women? Of the 60-70 delegates in the room, 4 of them were women. Moreover, during the 2 day conference there wasn’t a single woman speaker on the agenda. So I wondered what is it that means women rarely become CFOs in the Middle East and what price are companies in this region paying for such an unbalanced workforce?

Afterall, some of the World’s most important financial figures are women:

• Christine Lagarde – Managing Director, IMF, U.S.
• Sri Mulyani Indrawati – Managing Director, World Bank, Indonesia
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Finance Minister, Nigeria
• Chandar Kochar – CEO, ICICI Bank, India
• Dominique Senequier – CEO, AXA Private Equity, France

In fact, the Forbes Most Powerful Women in Finance list does feature one Middle East representative; Lubna Olayan – CEO, Olayan Financing Company, Saudi Arabia suggesting that female finance leaders in this region needn’t be so uncommon.

Laimoon spent some time with Loutfi K. Echhade, Leader for MENA Family Business Center of Excellence   at EY to discuss women in finance. Loutfi believes that there are a number of factors as to why women do not typically become CFOs in this region.

To read this full article please visit Laimoon.com – where you can also discover lots of jobs and finance education opportunities too.

How to get promoted quickly

Get a qualification

When speaking to hiring managers about the value of the professional qualifications, continuing professional development and/or a degree, the answer is always the same; these things alone will not get you the job, but are the bare minimum that keeps you out of the rejection pile during initial selection.

Join a professional association

We’ve said it before and we will repeat it here, do not underestimate the value of the professional association as a support to your career. For more on this subject read my article about the value of professional associations.

Volunteer for cross-functional projects

Often cross-functional projects come with unique challenges that can only be overcome by understanding and appreciating the role and value of each function within the business. Having a broad understanding of how different business functions approach and solve problems is vital for any senior staff member.

Get a mentor and become a mentor

The mentor will guide you and coach you, may be able to develop a career map with you and should be able to at least draw on their own experiences to help you progress. This can be an incredibly powerful relationship.

Similarly, offering this service to someone else will prove very valuable to your own career. It shows commitment to your own and others’ development and gives you a supervisory position that will help you to develop you leadership skills.

Become a ‘knowledge holder’ in your company

Knowledge Holders are individuals who hold an in depth knowledge an understanding of a particular area. This will be a small area but you should develop considerable depth within it. This could be something like ‘UK Tax’ or ‘UAE Labor Law’ or ‘Customs and Excise in Nigeria’; it is wise to choose a subject that you already have some understanding of and you know will be useful within your company.

There’s an extended version of this article available at Laimoon.com: http://blog.laimoon.com/2014/05/5-ways-to-get-your-next-promotion-faster/

Is joining a professional association worth the investment?

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Jeffrey C Thomson, President and CEO of the IMA to discuss the benefits of professional associations and how they can move your career along the right track.

• Credibility
• Global networking
• Conferences and Events
• Informal learning opportunities through research and articles developed by the association
• Formal learning opportunities including professional qualifications and workshops
• To gain a mentor and also to mentor other lesser experienced members
• To share global best practice
• To learn of global job opportunities

In short, professional associations help you do your current job more effectively and open doors for your future. At just a few $ each year, not joining a professional association could be a costly oversight that allows your competition to gain the competitive advantage and stay ahead of the curve.

As always, I wanted to take a regional look at the role of the professional association and asked Jeffrey to comment on why professional associations are particularly important in the GCC and ME? The answer was two-fold.

1. With such a high proportion of family-owned and family-run businesses in the region, professional associations can help professionals to maintain their company’s governance standards, transparency and ethics and thus create and maintain their value through their values. C-Suite professionals in particular face unique challenges within the family-owned business and professional associations are able to offer them support and guidance to negotiate these challenges effectively.

1. Youth unemployment is particularly rife here in the GCC and ME region and the professional qualifications and education opportunities that professional associations offer can really enable young people to move along a successful and guaranteed career path. They provide a solid vocational foundation and they enable the individual to differentiate themselves from their peers as well as demonstrate their skills, knowledge and commitment to their subject and career.

These two issues, unique to this region simply magnify the value of the professional associations and give greater return on investment to those who join.

As always I recommend visiting Laimoon.com to find loads of great career-boosting opportunities from the UAE and wider GCC region.

See the full article here: http://blog.laimoon.com/2014/05/is-joining-a-professional-association-worth-the-investment/