Moving abroad reveals something that traditional language apps never prepare you for: the gap between knowing a language and actually using it at work.

In Berlin, Harry watched his friend struggle with barriers that workers everywhere face. She could lead teams, but her language skills weren't sharp enough for client calls. Her colleagues took calls on her behalf whilst she sat there, shut out from her own workplace.

Henry navigated his own language challenges across multiple countries. He kept meeting career-minded immigrants who'd passed their visa requirements and finished general language courses but still couldn't communicate properly in their jobs.

We realised language learning had a fundamental flaw. Apps teach you words like "grass" and "witches." Classes make you write essays. But nobody teaches you the language you actually need at work. The idioms colleagues use. The accents you'll hear every day. The writing standards your industry expects.

For people trying to build careers in another country, this isn't just frustrating. It's devastating. Imagine finally finding time between shifts to attend English classes, only to sit in a room with 25 other people at completely different levels, learning things you'll never use. When your shifts change, you're back to square one. When you move to nights, the Tuesday classes become impossible.

The system wasn't designed for shift workers, for people with caring responsibilities, or for the specific language challenges that frontline workers face. It was designed for classrooms, not workplaces.

Language barriers don't just hold back careers. They affect the quality of work people can do. They stop skilled professionals from contributing at the level they're capable of. They create frustration and isolation in workplaces that desperately need the talent immigrants bring.

Effective workplace communication goes far beyond vocabulary. It's understanding cultural nuances in what people say and how they say it. It's writing to professional standards under pressure. It's building the confidence to speak up when it matters.

Language is the backbone of integration and career progression. When someone is confident in their English, they're confident in themselves and their ability to do exceptional work.

That's why we built Lingly to use AI to break down these barriers. We give career-minded immigrants the targeted, workplace-specific language training they actually need to thrive.

Book a demo today to see how Lingly can transform your workplace communication.

— Harry & Henry
Founders, Lingly