The hospitality industry is designed for individuals who enjoy interacting with different people every day. The different businesses within this sector—hotels, resorts, restaurants, and more—require professionals with certain essential skills to run a successful enterprise. If you are looking for a job or pursuing a career in a field where you can apply your language skills and benefit from them in the long-term, there is a wide range of roles you can set your eyes on in the hospitality sector.

Certify Your Language Skills Today

As featured in Indeed.com’s article What is the Hospitality Industry? Job titles & Skill Sets, the hospitality industry consists of the provision of a variety of services in five prime categories such as: tourism, transportation, lodging, events, and food and beverage. It also includes services offered in cruises, sporting events, and entertainment. This industry can provide employees with different benefits and countless opportunities for growth and requires a culturally diverse workforce.

Competitive Advantage of Multilingualism in the Hospitality Industry

Daily 24/7 interactions take place with multicultural customers seeking the best service experience, including its delivery in the language of their preference. Being bilingual or multilingual can make you stand out from other job seekers. This is a significant competitive edge in the hospitality field, where there is a broad-spectrum of companies focused on serving guests who want to enjoy their spare time with family and friends, and who understand that there is no room for language barriers and misunderstandings that can create unpleasant experiences.

As stated in a 2018 survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for ACTFL, most employers are reporting higher demand for foreign language skills than in previous years. The survey highlights that the top two departments in businesses that require employees with additional language capabilities are customer service and sales.

Commanding more than one language has an enormous impact in the hospitality industry, according to industry experts. The use of languages has different purposes in the industry such as:

  • assisting incoming tourists that do not necessarily understand the language of the country they are visiting, from scheduling activities to navigating local cities.
  • opportunities to work abroad in non-English speaking countries.
  • providing effective communication with international colleagues and customers.
  • ability to understand cultural nuances and close the communication gap.

Due to the high demand for multilingual employees, language training is now also becoming increasingly important in the workplace, globally.

The hospitality field offers its employees the opportunity of being exposed to different environments and the development of new skillsets each day. Whether you choose to work as a hotel manager or as a server in a restaurant, there are numerous possibilities to move up in the industry.

If you are a bilingual or multilingual professional seeking a role in the hospitality industry and would like to demonstrate your language skills to prospective employers, get certified! Language Testing International (LTI), an exclusive licensee of ACTFL and authority in language assessments offers valid language credentials in over 120 languages. All language proficiency assessments are remotely proctored, so you can take them at any time and anywhere. Scheduling your tests is easy and can be done on the LTI website.

 

References

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

“Foreign Language in the Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay.” Ukessays.com 11 2018. UKEssays. 06 2022. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/tourism/foreign-language-in-the-hospitality-industry-tourism-essay.php

“What is the Hospitality Industry? Job Titles & Skill Sets.” Indeed for Employers. 2022. https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/what-is-the-hospitality-industry-job-titles-skill-sets

Madeline Martínez is a Multicultural Navigator Specialist at URBANDER, a Woman and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) specializing in transforming businesses to advance humanity. URBANDER’s role is to serve as an extension of Marketing, Diversity, Human Resources, Procurement, Community Relations, and Social Responsibility teams, providing innovative approaches in the areas of strategic marketing, content development, workforce development, community outreach and IDEAS (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and sustainability). Madeline holds a both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico and is an experienced copywriter and content developer dedicated to amplifying the voices of URBANDER’s clients. From blogs and articles to social media posts and interviews, Madeline is a skilled writer across diverse topics integrating her marketing, business and academic acumen. Though her earlier work as a Publications Officer at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico, and her most recent performance as a Spanish Interpreter, Substitute Teacher, and Instructional Assistant for English-language learning elementary school students, Madeline has impacted countless families as they have navigated migrating to the U.S. from Spanish-speaking countries. As a bilingual professional, Madeline is also proficient in translating written documents from English to Spanish, and vice versa. She has received LTI issued ACTFL Language Proficiency Certificates in Spanish as follows: Advanced Writing, Advanced Listening, Advanced Reading and Superior Speaking. During her downtime, Madeline loves spending time with her family, and enjoys dancing, movies, photography, and coffee. She considers herself a continuous learner. “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers”- Helen Keller

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