THE short-sighted belief that you needn't learn a foreign language because everyone speaks English these days is not only untrue but is costing East Lancashire firms.

That is the view of Dr Cristina Sousa, the head of an organisation dedicated to helping businesses breach the language barrier and start communicating effectively with our friends overseas.

The Regional Language Network North West is a government-funded organisation which promotes the importance of using languages in business.

The network's research reveals that one in five companies lose money because of language barriers.

Dr Sousa, who has a Phd in translation studies, and her colleagues from the higher education and research fields, are there to prevent East Lancashire companies losing out by providing a free language strategy, advising how they can communicate with international customers.

The organisation is part of a national network established by the North West Development Agency and operates from the school of languages in the University of Salford.

The network does not actually provide the tutoring of foreign languages, but advises companies what help they need and how to go about it.

Dr Sousa, who is originally Portuguese, said: "We have noticed that increasing number of businesses are realising after all they do have language barriers.

"Most people think most people abroad speak English.

"For many years I also thought that way, but in fact a lot of people in small business do not have such a high command of the English language."

And Dr Sousa said that this gap in communication can often surface, embarrassingly, at business fairs and exhibitions.

She said: "They have fantastic stands, fantastic products, but they don't speak the same languages. So they shake hands and smile.

"Then the buyers go to the stand next door, who are competitors and they speak the language. Who are they going to do business with? It just comes down to that."

She added: "We want to put across to businesses that if they want to position themselves professionally in the international market, that if they want to sell to companies abroad, then you want to be able to communicate with them in the most effective and efficient way possible.

"That very often means that you will need to be aware of cultural differences."

Regarding cultural differences, Dr Sousa refers to the HSBC bank adverts, where a man is caught out by his lack of understanding of Far East culture and has to eat endless fish dishes at a restaurant, as typifying a cultural misunderstanding.

"That British man did not do his homework," she said.

Yet, it does not have to be all of the company who have to learn a foreign language just because they have strong links with a foreign firm.

It may just have to be crucial people who learn the language -- such as sales directors and, the first point of call, receptionists.

Dr Sousa said: "Businesses who we have met are now making sure that the key people in their company have had appropriate cultural briefing and speak that language to whatever level they see as appropriate."

She added that it is also important that websites and company literature are translated correctly, as a simple grammatical error can make an expensive brochure or website look unprofessional -- and the company a little silly!

To contact the Regional Language Network call 0161 295 3006.