Did you know that businesses in the United States need more multilingual employees than ever before? Are your bilingual employees truly qualified to meet the insurance needs of your diverse clients? Can you ensure that your employees can accurately deliver their insurance expertise in their clients’ preferred language? According to a recent national survey conducted […]
Continue readingThe Importance of Language Proficiency in the Workplace
In a recent study conducted by ACTFL, it was reported that 9 out of 10 U.S. employers rely on “U.S. based employees with language skills other than English, with one-third (32 percent) reporting a high dependency.” (p. 5). With this high demand for bilingual and multilingual professionals, the bar has been raised on the importance […]
Continue readingHow Language Testing Serves Both the Employer and the Employees
Language Testing International (LTI) helps many of its corporate clients implement language assessments for their job candidates and employees. At first glance, one might assume that these third-party language assessments are only designed to help LTI’s clients, the employers, and not necessarily designed with the job candidates or employees’ benefit in mind. However, at LTI, […]
Continue readingJob seeking? Why employers may ask you to do a language assessment.
You are actively looking for a job and you also happen to be bilingual or multilingual. You come across a job posting by a potential employer with a job that is perfect for you and requires the languages you are fluent in. You have hit the jackpot! You apply, and during the selection process the […]
Continue readingConsistency and Bias in Assessing Language Proficiency
Assessments in the workplace are aimed at identifying what skills and knowledge, acquired over time, a person can bring to the table. This also includes language assessments. Language is something you can study in school and get a degree for. However, to measure what a job candidate can do with language, the employer needs fair […]
Continue readingBuilding Bridges Through the Power of Cultural and Linguistic Engagement
In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, guest Samí Haiman-Marrero and host Lisa March had a conversation about specializing in the Hispanic market and exploring multicultural marketing strategies. As President and CEO of URBANDER, Samí, along with her team, delivers culturally relevant and inclusive business strategies and programs that positively impact people […]
Continue readingNavigating Multicultural Spaces in Business and through Entrepreneurship
In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, guest Samí Haiman-Marerro shared her experiences navigating multicultural spaces in business and through entrepreneurship. As one of the nation’s leading business development and marketing experts today specializing in the U.S. Hispanic market, she breaks down two ways that bilingual speakers can leverage their language proficiency […]
Continue readingReasons for the AAPPL Beyond the Seal of Biliteracy
My introduction to the AAPPL test came with the inception of the Seal of Biliteracy in the State of Iowa. Like many world language educators in Iowa at that time, my department began investigating the different ways that we could help our students prove their qualifications and obtain the Seal. Earning the Seal of Biliteracy […]
Continue readingThe Internal and External Role of Language Proficiency in Business
Every organization has four primary audiences, whether they are in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors. They are their internal team (i.e., staff, leadership, stakeholders, board of directors, investors, etc.), their consumers, their vendors, and the community at large. Depending on the industry and the products or services that the organization provides, the internal and […]
Continue readingLinguistic and Cultural Proficiency Is Critical in Mitigating Healthcare Disparities
In 2009, I went to a business networking luncheon. The Marketing Director of a major hospital campus in my neighborhood told me to scoot over in a booth I was sitting at because she wanted to sit next to me to talk. She had heard that my company specializes in multicultural marketing and maybe, just […]
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