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By Aman Kidwai
Workplaces Editor
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Major companies and even U.S. state workforce boards are implementing English language training as a benefit for workers, with impressive results around retention, likelihood to recommend the employer and movement into higher-paying roles.
"There are dozens of employers that are making English as a foundational skill available as part of their benefits package," Katie Brown, founder and chief education officer of EnGen, a provider of English training services, told Newsweek. "Often [it is] some of the 2 million immigrants in the U.S. who have college degrees who are unemployed or underemployed, who are working in jobs that don't require English skills right now but have the skills to do much more necessary, important, thoughtful work, if they can just get the English."
A survey by EnGen of over 6,000 U.S.-based adult English learners found that 84 percent plan to remain at their current company, and 86 percent would recommend working there to a friend or family member; two-thirds of these learners are accessing this training through their employers.
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Additionally, 79 percent of those surveyed said they've achieved a pay raise, promotion or similar career goal with the help of English training. They also report that their life outside of work is improved, such as interactions in the community.
"They're not just getting the skills they need for the workforce. They're getting the skills they need to take their kids to the doctor and not use a translator. They're able to help navigate complex social situations in the United States," Brown said.
The Brookings Institution estimates that one in 10 working adults has limited English proficiency (LEP), while more recent estimates say 8 percent of those over the age of five have LEP, a total of over 25 million individuals.
Walmart, Chobani and Amazon are among the companies partnering with EnGen, in addition to the states of Colorado, Michigan and North Dakota, which are offering the training as a way to help state workers.
In Colorado, over 4,000 residents have taken part in the offering since it became available in 2023, with a survey of 250 participants finding 95 percent reporting improved communication on the job, 86 percent achieving a pay raise or promotion and 88 percent reporting improved digital literacy.
Amazon also uses EnGen in its Whole Foods division, where 90-day retention has improved, Brown said.
"Language learning unlocks new opportunities at Amazon," Tammy Thieman, director of Amazon Career Choice, said in a statement published by EnGen. "Employees who have participated [in English language learning] report increased confidence using English at work, transitioning into new roles and accessing new career opportunities."
While many apps and software services promise to help boost English skills, they are self-driven and have the same efficacy as other self-paced courses: results may vary. EnGen and other emerging providers are tying their services to specific employment opportunities, which may even alter the English curriculum they receive.
"We can actually create specific on-ramps to programs," Brown explained. "The more tightly we can couple English [training] to the next thing that the workers want to be able to do, the better: everything works better." In Maine, for example, one type of training is helping people become certified nursing assistants, "and they all get jobs," Brown added.
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This type of training is bringing economic mobility to immigrant and refugee communities, which represent an untapped labor pool. Some may have a college degree or advanced training, but they are not as good at communicating those skills with others in an English-speaking workplace.
"We see many, many, many examples of employees who will go from jobs like an environmental service worker [in their home countries] to back-of-the-house kitchen workers or food service workers," Brown said. After English training, "they get promoted into jobs that require leadership skills that move them into customer-facing roles."
English language training is also growing in popularity outside of the United States, where people are attracted to remote work opportunities that can allow those with engineering or AI skills to earn higher salaries, and others can improve their ability to get business around the world.
Promova is an example of an AI-powered provider in this space; company representatives told Newsweek that its offerings have garnered over 20 million users, and over 90 percent report reaching their proficiency goals.
Promova offers training in 12 languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean and American Sign Language, with role-play chatbots, a dedicated mode for people with dyslexia and other accessibility options for neurodivergent learners. The offering includes cases, workplace vocabulary, personalized learning plans and an always-on practice partner for speaking. English is its most popular course. The company was named one of the most innovative companies in education by Fast Company and was one of Time magazine's EdTech Rising Stars for 2025.
"English is the biggest connecting language," Daryna Mednikova, chief product officer at Promova, told Newsweek, citing the growing population of people working around the world in companies that do business across borders as well as the "speeding up of global work migration and more people living abroad as digital nomads or expats."
For the learners, the benefits appear in the workplace, where they demonstrate higher proficiency and ability to relate to others, while also having a better chance of fitting in.
"The important thing is to prepare the person to adapt in the new culture," Mednikova said. "This is especially important for migrants. ... They don't have relatives; they don't have a social circle or community there. ... It's really important to give them the tools to integrate in this new environment. Not being able to speak is a psychological barrier to opening up, at a bar or workplace, and just talking about life."
As business leaders seek to address the concurrent challenges of retention and collaboration as well as internal mobility, English language training could be part of the solution.
"It's about giving people the opportunity to agree and communicate, to understand each other and come to a consensus," Mednikova told Newsweek. "Mastering the [spoken] word is the most vital way to achieve that."
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