In international business, language proficiency helps professionals understand partners, accommodate their habits, and find a common approach. Roman Krachko is a foreign language instructor and polyglot working with English, Spanish, and Chinese. In this interview, he explains why knowing grammar and vocabulary is insufficient for successful negotiations, how cultural nuances influence business communication, and what role humans will retain in language learning in the AI era.
— Roman, you work extensively with business communication. Why is traditional language learning often insufficient for company executives?
— The problem is that people typically formulate a thought in their native language first, translate it, and only then speak. In negotiations, this approach fails because the conversation moves quickly, leaving no time to translate every phrase. This is why I train clients to use language in specific situations, real-world contexts. While we cover grammar and vocabulary, our primary focus is on how to ask questions, express disagreement, negotiate terms, and respond to unexpected answers. For instance, if a partner proposes unfavourable terms, it is crucial to explain your position and justify your refusal immediately. For an executive, this is far more valuable than striving to speak flawlessly like a native speaker.
— How does your methodology differ from the approach of conventional language schools?
— Take a simple example. In Chinese business culture, a direct refusal can be perceived as overly blunt, especially if it puts a partner in an awkward position. Consequently, disagreement is often expressed indirectly: they might say that the matter requires further discussion or that the proposed terms will be difficult to clear. Without this context, you might mistake a polite response for readiness to close a deal. In our sessions, we analyse these scenarios to understand what lies behind specific phrasing, learn to express disagreement ourselves, and clarify a counterpart’s position without creating unnecessary friction. For a specialist negotiating with foreign partners, this has direct practical value: accurate interpretation dictates how the rest of the conversation shapes up.
— You specifically highlight Chinese and Spanish. Why have these become the main pillars of your work, given that English remains the global business language?
— English is indeed essential in many sectors and serves as a fundamental working tool for most international specialists. That said, Chinese is taking on greater significance due to China’s growing role in the global economy, while Spanish unlocks opportunities across numerous countries in Europe and Latin America. Thus, proficiency in these languages is becoming increasingly vital for entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, Chinese and Spanish represent distinct traditions of business communication. With Chinese partners, it is crucial to understand the weight of hierarchy and corporate etiquette. In a Spanish-speaking environment, much depends on the specific country: communication habits and negotiation styles vary significantly between Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. A translator can help you grasp the literal message, but they won’t automatically explain why a counterpart chose specific words, what meaning they embed within them, or how best to respond. This is precisely what I focus on: helping clients navigate these nuances to understand partners accurately and conduct business conversations with confidence.
— Mandarin Chinese is considered one of the most challenging languages for Westerners. How do you explain the nuances of the Chinese mindset to your clients—CEOs and startup founders—through the lens of language?
— I explain that language reflects a culture’s habitual ways of interacting. For example, in English, we frequently say “I think,” directly stating our position. In Chinese communication, however, much depends on context, the counterpart’s status, and how a thought is framed. It is vital to convey your position while preserving harmony and protecting the other person’s “face”—mianzi—meaning their reputation and dignity. When preparing board members for expansion into the Shanghai market, we examine how the grammar and speech patterns of Putonghua influence how people express opinions and make decisions. For instance, we learn to address partners correctly: in the Chinese business environment, it is common to use a surname alongside a job title or rank. This acknowledges the individual’s status and sets the appropriate tone from the very first meeting. We focus not just on pronunciation and tones, but on how to express respect linguistically—knowing when to speak directly and when to leave room for clarification. In negotiations, such nuances help professionals understand their counterpart accurately and build a dialogue that respects China’s cultural specifics.
— Turning from Asia to Europe and Latin America: Spanish is often perceived as accessible. Where does its true power lie in international business, and how does it help build relationships?
— The power of Spanish lies in its ability to foster trust and establish common ground rapidly. When working with companies from Spain and Latin America, personal relationships carry immense weight: how attentively you listen, how you express disagreement, and whether you can discuss complex issues while maintaining positive rapport.
Linguistic nuances play a key role here. For instance, the subjunctive mood allows you to discuss desires, assumptions, and potential scenarios, softening requests and carefully framing expectations. I teach clients to utilize these structures to convey their position precisely while accounting for their partner’s reaction. When you communicate with a Mexican or Colombian partner in high-quality Spanish, it becomes much easier to move beyond formal conversation, demonstrate respect for their culture, and establish a more trusting contact. In international business, this can become a significant competitive advantage.
— Could you share a case study where your linguistic and cultural preparation altered the course of a major international deal?
— A European tech fund was expanding into Mexico City while simultaneously sourcing components in Shenzhen. The negotiations in Mexico had stalled: the European partners were overly direct, which was perceived as arrogance. I conducted a two-week sprint on the nuances of Latin American business Spanish, focusing on markers of empathy and informal networking. Within a week, the parties reached an agreement.
In parallel, we prepared them for an audit in Shenzhen, where the problem was the exact opposite: the Europeans were trying to push deadlines. I shifted them to business Chinese, teaching them structures that expressed “collective reflection” rather than a “personal demand”. The Chinese partners saw that the Europeans respected their cultural code. In the end, the fund closed both deals and secured exclusive terms because, as the Chinese side put it, “they speak the same language as us, not just in business, but in their heads.”
— In conclusion, how do you see the future of the profession? Will AI replace us, or will empathy and cultural competence become the most valuable skills?
— AI is already excellent at translating words, but it does not always convey intentions and cultural nuances. If AI translates a phrase literally during a corporate merger in Guangzhou but misses a subtle tone of doubt in a partner’s voice, the business could lose millions. The language expert of the future is not a “walking dictionary,” but an analyst of human relations, a strategist, and a psychologist. The more the world becomes digitized, the higher the value placed on human intuition and the ability to feel invisible cultural connections. This is precisely why my profession will endure; instead, consultations in this field will become highly compensated and sought-after.
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