Learn about your Learners: EF Corporate Learning

When using EF Teach Online platforms, you'll encounter students from diverse backgrounds, each bringing their unique goals and perspectives to the learning environment. One significant group is the 'corporate learner'. But who exactly are these corporate learners, and what should teachers know before teaching them?

We sat down with Juan Curto, Customer Success Manager at EF Corporate Learning, to find out.

Hi Juan! Could you tell us about yourself?

Hi! I’m Juan, a Customer Success Manager at EF Corporate Learning. I work with large companies to support their employees’ language training needs.

My role is to ensure our programs not only meet but exceed client expectations. By collaborating with operational teams, I set clear goals, review learner feedback, and refine our learning solutions to deliver personalized results.

I work closely with the Regional Sales Director to ensure our training programs align with client objectives and support individual learner goals.

Who are your learners?

Our learners are professionals seeking to enhance their communication skills, most often in English. Their goals typically fall into three categories:

1. Building confidence when engaging with colleagues.
2. Advancing their careers and unlocking new opportunities.
3. Connecting more effectively with their teams and organizations.

What sets our learners apart is their diversity and strong drive to improve. They come from various cultural and professional backgrounds, and their English proficiency often reflects their country's linguistic landscape, historical influences, and personal education levels.

For instance, we might work with high-potential employees in Latin America participating in inclusion programs. These learners are often preparing for leadership roles within their companies and need to improve their English quickly. Similarly, we support professionals in multinational companies who collaborate on global projects and depend on their English skills to communicate with teams across the globe.

While their backgrounds differ, their shared goal is clear: to enhance workplace communication and efficiency while unlocking new, enriching personal and professional opportunities.

Why do your clients choose us?

Businesses choose to use our services partly for our strong academic curriculum, delivered by highly qualified teachers using engaging, interactive content. They also appreciate the personalized support they receive at every stage of their journey, from initial assessments to tailored feedback and progress tracking.

In conjunction with this, our expert teachers provide learners with relevant content that can be immediately applied to their work.

Additionally, the flexibility of our online school allows learners to balance their busy professional and personal lives while achieving their language goals.

Diversity is another important reason. During our courses, learners are exposed to various accents and enjoy ample speaking opportunities in a safe and supportive environment.

What should teachers keep in mind?

Our learners come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, so it’s important for teachers to approach each lesson with flexibility and cultural awareness.

For example, while learners from Latin America might be more outgoing and eager to engage in conversations, those from East Asia may require a bit more time or encouragement to participate actively. In some cultures, it’s considered impolite to interrupt or talk over a teacher unless they're explicitly told to speak, so learners might initially prefer to listen rather than engage in discussions.

That said, most of our learners work for international companies and are used to interacting with different cultures, which helps them adapt to the learning environment. Teachers should create a safe, inclusive space, tailoring their approach to individual needs and encouraging participation.

Understanding these nuances helps build trust and makes lessons more impactful and enjoyable.

What do learners say about their teachers?

Our learners consistently share positive feedback, often requesting to continue lessons with the same teacher. They appreciate the patience, encouragement, and personalized approach that helps them gain confidence in communicating with colleagues from around the world.

Many learners highlight how their teachers make lessons practical, enabling them to succeed professionally and overcome their fear of speaking English.

What are your Top Tips for teaching these learners?

1. Focus on work-related vocabulary and scenarios, like presentations or email writing, to make lessons practical and relevant.


2. Use role-playing or real-world examples to help learners build confidence and apply the skills they are learning.


3. Encourage learners to book lessons in advance - ideally four at a time - to ensure consistent and steady progress.


4. As flexibility is a key driver for learner satisfaction, remind learners that they can tailor their learning journey by requesting specific topics or taking full ownership of their agenda. Remind learners to voice their needs - teachers will do their best to support them in achieving their goals.

Learn more about EF Teach Online here.