Research by the Modern Language Association indicates that the number of American students who learned a language other than English decreased by about 100,000 between 2009 and 2013. So what does this mean exactly? For starters, it means the demand for multilingual employees is rising. This trend has made the need for language testing across many markets […]
Continue readingEmployer Demand for Multilinguals Is Rising
Today’s job market is desperate for graduates who speak multiple languages. “Languages are always good for us,” says Julia McDonald, head of talent acquisition for EMEA at Infosys. English is the company’s common language, “but our clients often want people that can speak their local language,” Julia says. Mark Davies, employer relations manager at London’s Imperial College Business School, […]
Continue readingThe English Dialect: An Adverse Effect On Global Business Success
Languages evolve, that’s nothing new. However, the English language has its own subset of terminology that native English speakers have adopted and put into use practically on every level – when speaking casually and in business settings. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult for people abroad to understand the “real” English. A Spanish student in Denmark remarked to […]
Continue readingHow Social Media Affects Your Chances at Getting Hired
There’s so much to consider when hiring a potential candidate at any company. Reviewing resumes and checking references have always been the norm but when and where does social media come into play? There are some fine lines that both HR professionals and candidates alike need to be mindful of when it comes to social media posts and the […]
Continue readingWhat “YOU” Need to Say In a Job Interview
Job seekers place too much focus on answering the hard interview questions that they forget something very important: They need to ask questions, too. Asking the right questions at an interview is important for many reasons. But here’s 2 important ones! First, the questions you ask confirm your qualifications as a candidate for the role you’re interviewing for. Second, […]
Continue readingOral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) developed a scale to demonstrate the main language functions that a learner can perform with full control at each of the major levels. The chart shows the connection of the levels of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines with the rating system used by the federal government, agencies, and armed services. Important messages reinforced by this chart […]
Continue readingBrain Processes Sign Language Similar to Spoken Language
American Sign Language, or even simple gestures are processed by deaf people in the part of the brain that is used for spoken language, according to a recent international research study headed up by a neuroscientist from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Aaron Newman, Associate Professor with the […]
Continue reading10 Tips to Ace Your Job Interview
The start of the New Year is always prime time for employers to look for and hire new talent. So how can you be best prepared? View the list below for some helpful tips: Do your research. Visit the website of the company you’re interviewing with and understand their history, management, and overall business. Be sure […]
Continue readingProtests Spark at U.S. Colleges Over Micro-Aggressions
In recent months there have protests at college campuses across the nation calling attention to a previously little-known term: “micro-aggressions,” commonly defined as routine verbal and non-verbal slights and harassment (often based on race and gender but also including age, sexual orientation and disability) that is typically unintentional but nonetheless hurtful. Calls for colleges and […]
Continue readingTalking Toys: Helping or Hurting Young Language Learners?
A new and very interesting study in JAMA Pediatrics discovered that toys marketed as language promoters don’t prove to be so in most cases. In fact, the study found that these toys in fact, hindered the language learning process in young children. Professor Anna Sosa, of Northern Arizona University, led the study and provided participating families three different types […]
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