Along the southern bank of the Ganges river, English Language Specialist Dieter Bruhn spent five days conducting a specialized business communications training for 15 women entrepreneurs in Patna, India. Situated within an economically disadvantaged community, the workshop sought to provide participants with useful tools to communicate effectively in English speaking business environments. Bruhn focused on building the participant’s confidence and helping them develop and deliver effective presentations and pitches. The workshop also explored networking, negotiations, and the business cycle.
“There is a huge need for ongoing training for women entrepreneurs, particularly in a place like Patna,” Bruhn explains. The outcomes of Bruhn’s specialized training indicate that the skills and knowledge gained by participants can have an enormous life-changing effect. In only five days, Bruhn helped participants go from somewhat shy and tentative communicators to confident and convincing presenters as they pitched their businesses and business ideas to the press. “This will help them not only in finding jobs and building their networks, but also in pitching their ideas to potential investors, clients, customers and business partners,” says Bruhn. He affirms, “I sincerely believe that these women will go on to make significant contributions to society.”
In addition to training women entrepreneurs in Patna, Bruhn also conducted a six-and-a-half week business communications training for 30 young professionals in Kolkata. Bruhn worked closely with a team of four local trainers, who assisted with training delivery. As a mentor, Bruhn helped the trainers with lesson planning and provided detailed feedback after each session. Throughout the training, participants were challenged to actively participate and apply what they were learning to real-life scenarios.
When reflecting upon his work in Patna and Kolkata, Bruhn notes that “both programs provided numerous opportunities to connect what was being covered with the U.S. State Department’s goals of mutual understanding and awareness of American language, society and values.” In addition to improving the English language fluency of women entrepreneurs and young professionals, Bruhn promoted a strong understanding of the importance of English language skills and shared values between the U.S. and India.
Dieter Bruhn is a teacher, trainer, leader, entrepreneur and cross-cultural expert who has been conducting training for more than 25 years. He has Master’s degrees in both TESOL and Language & International Trade, which gives him a strong background in both teaching and business. In 2001, he founded One World Training, a global training organization headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Throughout his career, Dieter has helped thousands of teachers, students and business professionals through his innovative approach to training. His work has taken him all around the world, and he has spearheaded educational and corporate training programs in India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Senegal, Tunisia, Germany and the U.S. Dieter has also been on the Executive Board of Colorado TESOL since 2005, including two terms as President. He regularly presents at educational conferences to help teachers create more dynamic and engaging classrooms.