English to be language of Peugeo

FRENCH car giant PSA Peugeot Citroën has been boosting language training of its staff around the world - so English can become the common language of the group.

Telelangue, a firm specialising in distance learning tools, is working with PSA to train 10,000 staff to become “operational” in English over a three-year period. It has agreed to give free lessons to anyone not reaching an acceptable level by then.

They will receive self-study materials, phone tuition and group lessons via video-conferencing. They are also helped to prepare towards TOEIC, an international business English qualification.

A PSA spokesman said: “This is for anyone who needs to work at an international level, whether internally or externally, so it could be someone selling cars or someone needing to talk to colleagues in our international subsidiaries.”

The 10,000 being trained are not however the full complement of those who do such work. “Fortunately we already have plenty of people who speak good English,” he said.