But, it’s the many benefits that learning a language has in the business world that should truly tempt business-oriented people. Here’s just some of these incredible upsides: Makes you a better decision maker; Increases ability to memorize sequences and lists ; Makes you more aware of your native tongue with its structure, spelling, cadence, improving your ability to communicate in your own language ; Let’s you know your market personally ; Opens up parts of the market that would’ve previously been inaccessible to you. The truth is, the benefits are never ending and will keep on revealing themselves to you as you learn more. 

Is your language course claimable as a self-education expense?

Do you need to learn a language to help you do your job better? Self-education expenses are deductible when the course you undertake leads to a formal qualification. To claim a deduction for self-education expenses, you must have met one of the following conditions when you incurred the expense:

• The course must have a sufficient connection to your current employment and:
• the course maintained or improved a skill or specific knowledge required for your then current work activities
• you could show that the course was leading to, or was likely to lead to, increased income from your then current work activities, or
• other circumstances existed which established a direct connection between the course and your then current work activities.

A work related self-education expense are expenses you incur when you undertake a work-related course to obtain a formal qualification from a school, college, university or other place of education. You cannot claim a deduction for self-education expenses for a course that does not have a sufficient connection to your current employment even though it might be generally related to it, or enables you to get new employment.

Also, if you have had to work from home due to the COVID-19 there are also additional tax benefits you can claim due to having to use your personal resources. If you work from home, you will be able to claim a deduction for the additional running expenses you incur. These include:

• electricity expenses associated with heating, cooling and lighting the area from which you are working and running items you are using for work
• cleaning costs for a dedicated work area
• phone and internet expenses
• computer consumables (for example, printer paper and ink) and stationery
• home office equipment, including computers, printers, phones, furniture and furnishings – you can claim either the
  • full cost of items up to $300
  • decline in value for items over $300.

https://www.ato.gov.au/General/COVID-19/Support-for-individuals-and-employees/Employees-working-from-home/
 
The information contained in this article may not necessarily relate to you and you would need to confirm your eligibility with your own accountant.

Check out the following links for more info from the ATO:
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/income-and-deductions/deductions-you-can-claim/self-education-expenses/ or
https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Tax-return/2019/Tax-return/Deduction-questions-D1-D10/D4-Work-related-self-education-expenses-2019/ or
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/income-and-deductions/in-detail/education-and-study/  

References: http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/28/technology/bill-gates-regret/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244233
http://www.therichest.com/business/salary/the-eight-best-languages-to-learn-for-business/8/
http://www.k-international.com/blog/learn-a-language/​ 

You can't use body language over the telephone.... if you don't have the word, there is no communication. Between friends it may not matter, but when your business is on the line, you have to learn the language. English speaking Australians sometimes become complacent and have the attitude of "let the rest of the world learn English as a common language, we're OK!"

French is the official language of diplomacy and the Olympics, but English is more important in academic and business dealings, along with a choice of Asian languages, but which one? 
​A past student of ours, Darren, decided on Japanese.... "languages are interesting", he says. "I have Japanese friends, so it took off from there. The course will be most useful for future employment in the area of tourism, hopefully in Japan." Once he had decided to learn Japanese, Darren did some research and spoke to a variety of language schools who taught Japanese. He chose VLLC because it offered an individualised, fast track method, particularly geared toward using the language within  the vocational arena. He has also really enjoyed the course.

Students have to be excited about what they are going to do with their language. When you learn with a specific goal in mind it helps you to retain the language more easily and it also allows us to gear all your tutorials to your requirements, VLLC gets you thinking and communicating in your new language from day one rather than focusing on grammar, because that always involves English.  The course can also be completed completely online! A whole new language can be learned through pictures and mimicking the native speaking instructors (tutor). Script and correct sentence construction will follow naturally from the conversation and from specialised writing classes.

VLLC has many corporate clients whose executives and tourism staff can quickly learn the language of overseas clients and business partners. It can also be instrumental in getting unemployed people back to work, or giving them an edge for career change. The big advantage of individual tuition is that VLLC can tailor a course to suit an individual's vocation.
​
Once people are serious about learning a language, they can look upon it as part of their professional training. The students motivation is a vital factor. Language learning is no longer intimidating but can open doors to new adventures.   

I have added some of the key points below and included the link to the complete article at the end. 
1. Understand your financial position. 
2. Check your eligibility for government assistance
3. Contact your bank and insurer.
4. Communicate with your stakeholders.
5. Seek advice on deferring tax payments.
6. See if your business can still operate.
7. Understand your options in relation to employees.
8. Check your licencing requirements.
9. Commercial leasing - talk to your landlord
10. Consider whether you can draw on your superannuation.
11. Build your networks. 
12. Keep informed of changes.  

https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/blog/keep-your-business-going-during-covid-19-pandemic 

The real value of investing in learning a language today must surely be business.  Finding a way to give you the edge rather than your competition is the goal of every business today. Language creates more than just one step better and affords improved long term and sustainable relationships just because communication is improved.  For this reason, people looking for a better paid job with more prospects become valuable resources to any company if they have invested in learning a language. ​

We found this great site Gengo.com that has made conducting international business easier than ever. This interactive guide provides information for over a dozen countries on cultural norms for the workplace including how to approach a manager with a problem, how to socialize with your colleagues outside of work, and how to impress a client. Best of all, you can compare how your culture stacks up with the country you plan visit including the work/life balance, the dress code and more.

For example, if you are headed to Japan, karaoke is the best way to get to know your colleagues. Say yes to every karaoke invitation, and be prepared to use this casual atmosphere as a way to discuss things off the record. Need to impress your client? Pick a high-quality whiskey over a flower.  Check out this smart guide to business cultures before your next trip. It is also valuable to learn the language before you go! Make the most of the self isolation and contact us for more information on a language course you can do from the comfort of your own home.