How important is it to have multilingual employees in different departments at schools and higher education institutions in the United States? The educational system in the U.S. is continuously receiving non-English-speaking students from different cultural backgrounds. Statista Data reflects that about 22.6 percent of school children did not speak English at home in 2019, and according to a 2019 survey commissioned by ACTFL, the high demand in the United States for foreign language skills in different industries—including the educational sector—will continue to grow in the next five years.
When a teacher includes multilingualism in the classroom, either by allowing students to use their native language or by using and implementing linguistically and culturally mindful resources and practices while teaching, the academic performance of students who speak other languages improves. As stated in “Multilingualism in the Classroom” by Laura Fields, “Language, as we know, is a large part of thinking. If we don’t allow kids to use their mother tongue, we may actually be silencing their inner voice” (Fields). The impact of using the native language of individuals of all ages in their learning environments and processes is an important factor in the delivery of a successful educational experience.
The continuous support of bilingual and multilingual faculty and staff members is vital for children and their families at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Effective communication with the principal, nurse, or school counselor, to mention a few administrative roles, could help make the engagement for the parents of new students much easier for them. It could also help speed up the learning process for children and support building a bond of trust between the parents and the school. “When it comes to education, there are many people involved in the educational institutions that help in successfully imparting education to the students.” (Surbhi S)
The same occurs at the higher education level for college students of immigrant families, as well as for exchange students coming from across the globe. Communicating their needs accurately can be difficult when there is little to no command of English. Having diverse personnel in your organization capable of addressing the cultural and linguistic barriers of these individuals is crucial. Students feel welcomed, safe, and relieved when not only the professor in the classroom, but the secretary or advisor in the Student Affairs Office help them in their preferred language.
A multilingual presence at the college level is equally important for international students who have legitimate worries about how their well-being might be at risk because of language barriers. As mentioned in the article “Worries and Concerns of Students Studying Abroad,” there are various challenges that students who decide to travel to another country face when they begin their academic experience abroad. One of these concerns is learning a new language while dealing with the workload of their courses, since not all of them are fully bilingual or command the language of the host country. Despite students knowing how to say basic expressions, most of them must deal with adjusting to a new culture and new places, and on top of that have no friends or relatives nearby to consult with. Other precarious situations that could possibly affect their livelihoods are handling financial problems, safety issues or emergencies, healthcare situations, and/or alleged discrimination by other students or authorities within the institution.
A reliable solution to measure the level of linguistic proficiency of faculty and administrative personnel at your academic institution is to provide language proficiency assessment. Partnering with a reliable language assessment provider, such as Language Testing International (LTI), can help you easily implement language proficiency testing at anytime and anywhere. LTI is a leading language assessment provider with 30 years of experience and an exclusive licensee of ACTFL, the authority in language teaching and assessment. ACTFL language proficiency assessment delivered through LTI provides legally defensible credentialing in over 120 languages. The tests are facilitated through a remotely proctored testing process that has certified the language skills of over 5 million people around the world.
Sources
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Lead with Languages Campaign commissioned Ipsos Public Affairs, with the support of Pearson LLC and Language Testing International. (2019). “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.” https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/report
Fields, Laura. Multilingualism in the Classroom. Jun 10,2021. https://www.languagedrops.com/blog/multilingualism-in-the-classroom
Statista. Percentage of school children who speak another language than English at home in the U.S. from 1979-2019. https://www.statista.com/statistics/476804/percentage-of-school-age-children-who-speak-another-language-than-english-at-home-in-the-us/#:~:text=In%202019%2
Surbhi S. “Difference Between Faculty and Staff”. Key Differences. August 5, 2017. https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-faculty-and-staff.html
Team Maven. “Worries and concerns of students studying abroad”. Maven Consulting Services. July 15, 2020. https://www.mavenconsultingservices.com/article/worries-and-concerns-of-students-studying-abroad/
