Busuu, a Chegg service with over 120 million registered users, has launched a new platform integrating AI and human coaching to help professionals enhance their communication for high-stakes situations such as presentations and meetings. This announcement coincides with a new report indicating that second-language anxiety—stress experienced when speaking a non-native language—significantly hampers employee engagement and performance in professional settings.
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The report, titled "The Silent Cost of Language Anxiety at Work," is based on a survey of over 1,000 Busuu users across 64 countries. It reveals that 90% of professionals take steps to prepare for challenging conversations, often writing scripts (45%), utilizing translation apps (43%), reviewing key vocabulary (41%), or rehearsing aloud (38%). However, only 24% use a language-learning application for these preparations.
Additionally, more than half of respondents (55%) reported simplifying their messages when communicating in a second language, and 25% admitted to remaining silent even when they had valuable insights to share. Another 25% said they let colleagues speak for them. Participants described their struggles to contribute fully in meetings, to explain technical concepts to international colleagues, and to express themselves confidently with customers and senior leaders.
Meetings were identified as a primary source of second-language anxiety, particularly when engaging with senior leaders or clients. Nearly half of the respondents (49%) noted that unexpected conversations heightened their anxiety, while regular international team calls (26%) were mentioned as frequent triggers. These findings underscore the ongoing challenges faced by learning and development leaders, as organizations invest in language learning while many employees still find it difficult to perform under pressure.