Laying the Groundwork for AAPPL Testing to Start the Year

Ready or not, the start of a new school year is here. As language teachers launch their courses, this can be a great time to set the tone for a path towards the Seal of Biliteracy–even if AAPPL testing won’t occur for months (or years) for your students. Beginning the journey toward language development with end goals in mind is a great way to build consistency in your program and helps build student confidence.

Here are some systems teachers and other language support staff can have in place at the beginning of the school year to help create a sustained message of the importance of the pathway towards biliteracy.

Promote and Celebrate Past Achievements

Unless this year will be your first with the Seal of Biliteracy or the AAPPL, you have past success stories to celebrate. Oftentimes we celebrate the graduates or triumphs at the conclusion of the school year, but there’s value in carrying those celebrations forward to the start of the year as well. Is there a place in your school or classroom where students can see photos of past recipients of the Seal of Biliteracy? Will your new students understand the pride associated with achieving this honor someday? Don’t wait until the end to lay the foundation for celebrating these accomplishments. Consider including celebratory messages or introductory explanations about the Seal early on in language classes, so beginning students see a pathway to earn recognition.

Use ACTFL-Related Terminology Regularly

This is a lesson I learned the somewhat hard way. When I first started to use the AAPPL , I only used rubrics and terminology that were directly aligned with AAPPL scores such as I1, I2, I3, etc. rather than referring to Intermediate Low and the other levels on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024. In all of my classes, I would assess the work and give an indication of how I felt it would score on the AAPPL test. (Note: I am not a certified AAPPL rater, so my students understood this was purely speculative and a best faith effort on my part.) However, I stopped doing this after we resumed class following the COVID shut down–mostly because I didn’t have the mental energy to do regular stuff plus educate a batch of new students on what the different proficiency levels meant. This resulted in two years of students not continuously hearing about the nuances of Intermediate level language. When our testing rolled around, the proficiency levels confused them, and they felt unprepared. I was surprised, because language-wise I knew they were prepared. The levels and the test scores were unfamiliar, though, and it left students feeling out of control and confused before, during, and after testing. I realized the difference-maker was using the familiar ACTFL proficiency-related vocabulary consistently for multiple years in our program. Try to work in this terminology in all your classes; point out and explain to the students what Novice High versus Intermediate Low looks like and if possible, conference with the students; show them how those levels align with AAPPL scores, especially in the N4 to I2 range. Then they can see where in the range their performance might be and define what they need in order to earn the Seal of Biliteracy – all long before they are testing to earn the Seal.

Communicate Pending Test Information

If you are not doing AAPPL testing until the spring, it might seem logical not to share related information until testing time approaches. However, you can set the stage early by communicating about the test! If you intend to offer the test, even if it won’t be until spring or next year, lay the groundwork early to help students be ready. Younger students in your program can then see how their language journey might eventually develop. Set the tone and broadcast this message: your program and school believe that the opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy is significant and that the AAPPL test will happen as an integral part of the process.

Over the past few years, I’ve conferenced with some students that abandoned Spanish after two years without realizing that taking the AAPPL or earning the Seal was even an option. Everyone likes to know that they are doing something that matters; let the younger language learners in on the information about the Seal of Biliteracy and testing early and often.

Create Outreach

Building relationships with networks outside of your classroom can be very important in promoting the effectiveness of the Seal of Biliteracy and the value of language learning in general. In  Iowa, for example, the Seal of Biliteracy is recognized for college credit at two universities. I continue to reach out to higher-ed institutions and lawmakers about the importance of valuing the Seal of Biliteracy. The dialogue, questions, and conversations happening may not directly result in anything substantial, but it keeps the conversation about language learning alive and bubbling.

It can also be a good idea to reach out to local businesses or community leaders to have discussions about the value of language learning for  the workplace. As dialogues with local businesses and leaders develop, share anecdotal evidence with your students regarding what today’s workforce needs (read more on this topic in ACTFL’s Lead with Languages report). You’re informing students about the value of their language skills in the workplace while also showing your local community that you are developing multilingual workers they may employ! Build up these mutually beneficial positive working relationships.

Communicating with alumni and past recipients of the Seal of Biliteracy can help you discover additional information worth sharing with your current students. For example, last year, a former student and recipient of the Seal of Biliteracy contacted me with a thank you message and a story. She is a student-athlete and works part-time at a pharmacy. She included the Seal on her resume when she applied for the job. She said one day a family of Spanish speakers came in, and her supervisors called on her to serve them because of her Spanish abilities. She was able to help this family receive COVID vaccinations that day and felt immensely proud. Hearing this story not only made my heart swell but also made me realize something: students never know the ways in the future that their language skills may benefit them or someone else. Collecting stories from alumni who were in your students’ seats not long ago about how they’re using their language skills in the real world is very  powerful. Build and maintain relationships with networks your students respect and understand. Use past evidence to provide examples.

Learn from Common Errors and Move On

If you have data to examine from the past school year and past AAPPL tests, pour over that and learn from it. Chris Lemon recently did a wonderful job reviewing data collection and usage (link)[1]. Making data-driven curriculum decisions is a great best practice to start your year off in a focused and growth-centered way. Any educator entering a year should be on the lookout for those challenging spots, common errors, and things that students struggle with.

The more educated we as instructors are on areas where students can improve, the more prepared we are to catch common errors as they happen. Additionally, those reports can help us target instructional strategies as we start the year off. No one wants to begin school feeling overwhelmed, so just pick a focus or two from last year’s data. Name and define no more than two things at each level that you’re on the lookout for or that you want to target. Discuss issues with students as you see them and keep moving on. If you’d like to read more about this, I previously did a deep dive on learning from results and moving forward (link).[2]

Watch –> What Is the AAPPL? 

[1] https://blog.languagetesting.com/2022/06/09/we-did-the-test-now-what-part-1-looking-at-yearly-performance-over-time/

[2] https://blog.languagetesting.com/2021/12/13/learning-from-the-aappl-results/

Mastery of Another Language Makes You an Ideal Candidate for the Hospitality Sector

Currently, more companies in the United States and around the world are expanding their businesses to international markets due to the diverse and changing economy worldwide. This tendency leads to a growing need for the recruitment of qualified bilingual and multilingual employees to meet the language preferences of non-English speaking customers and thus avoid the possibility of communication gaps and miscommunication.

According to a survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for ACTFL, most employers report that the demand for diverse language skills is higher nowadays than in previous years and will continue to rise. Although English is used around the world as a business language, the study also pointed out that fewer than 25% of people speak English globally, and among them not all have adequate proficiency.

High Demand for Languages Other Than English in the Hospitality Industry

In the United States, the languages in highest demand are Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, and German. Therefore, having two or more languages as part of your skillset will be useful for your career advancement, especially in an industry like hospitality which is known for its international business scope. As mentioned in the article The Benefits of Bilingualism in Business, “Focusing on these dominant languages is always a good idea, but learning a language that is outside of the usual pool of second languages will also be beneficial, as your talents in that language will be rarer, and might considerably raise your salary.” In addition, each company must decide which language is most important to recruit for depending on its location and the demographic characteristics of the market they are engaging with. Among the advantages of speaking more than one language are the opportunities to be able to travel to different destinations and communicate with a wide range of clients, vendors, and customers. Being bilingual gives you the possibility of choosing between different job options, domestically or internationally, as well as contributing to being able to influence a future employer to hire you.

Read more –> Why It Pays to Be Bilingual

Business revenue growth depends on strategies and resources such as hiring employees capable of delivering clear and effective messages that provide the best customer experience to clients in their preferred language. This helps companies navigate a diverse economy and holds true especially in the hospitality industry, a sector with a wide range of business focuses driven by serving a multicultural clientele.

The hospitality sector and its large pool of job opportunities includes businesses that offer services in tourism and transportation, as well as lodging, events (cultural, sports, or entertainment), and the food and beverage industry. As stated by EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland (which is the world’s first hotel management school founded in 1893), “The career paths are as diverse as the industry, and with so many hospitality concepts and innovation changing the industry, the career paths will continue to grow and evolve with technology.” Being part of a workforce fluent in more than one language will allow you to build strong business relationships with people of diverse cultural backgrounds and heritages; and these relationships can also help you work your way up the ladder in your career.

If you are a bilingual and enthusiastic professional aspiring to secure a position in the expansive hospitality sector, contact Language Testing International (LTI) and get certified. LTI is an exclusive licensee of ACTFL, a global authority in language learning and assessment, and has been a leader in providing remotely proctored assessments for language proficiency, offering valid ACTFL language credentials in over 120 languages.

Watch –> Why You Should Certify Your Language Skills

 

References

“What is hospitality? What is international hotel management?” EHL. https://www.ehl.edu/en/what-is-hospitality

“The Benefits of Bilingualism in Business.” United Language Group. 2022. https://www.unitedlanguagegroup.com/blog/benefits-bilingualism-business

“Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.” 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). https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/report

Why It Pays to Be Bilingual

Do you command two or more languages? Congratulations! Regardless of how you became proficient—at school, at home, or during your travels—learning a language takes a lot of time, work, and dedication.

Get Bilingual Certified

In the increasingly globalized and interconnected world, being able to communicate in more than one language is a highly marketable skill that often commands a higher salary. In fact, research shows that those who are bilingual or multilingual can earn 5%-20% more per hour than those who aren’t. What’s more, bilingual and multilingual jobs are on the rise. In today’s global economy, employers are looking for candidates who can effectively communicate across cultural divides and help expand business globally. And that means that as a bilingual or multilingual, you possess a competitive advantage over your monolingual peers.

In this post, we explore five reasons why it pays to be bilingual/multilingual.

1. Increasing Demand for Bilingual & Multilingual Jobs

There is no denying it—for the past several years there has been a steady growth in the demand for bilingual and multilingual jobs. This demand more than doubled between 2010 and 2015, and since 2020, there has been a 30% increase in bilingual remote jobs. And this trend is not expected to change. A 2019 survey among U.S. employers conducted by ACTFL has revealed an incredible reality:

  • 9 out of 10 employers rely on employees who can speak languages other than English.
  • 56% reported that their demand for bi/multilingual speakers will increase in the next five years.
  • 1 in 3 reported a language skills gap.
  • 1 in 4 has lost business due to a lack of foreign language skills.

As you can see, language proficiency is a high-demand skill, and many employers are willing to pay more to attract and retain bilingual and multilingual talent.

2. Increased Job Opportunities

Being proficient in more than one language opens many opportunities, both domestically and internationally. Many businesses hire bilingual and multilingual employees to reach customers who prefer to communicate in languages other than English. Others, such as healthcare centers, hospitals, and state and local governments, seek multilingual speakers to comply with laws and regulations. Finally, there are companies who are expanding business globally into diverse markets and need employees who can communicate clearly with their global colleagues and customers.

Are you curious which bilingual/multilingual jobs are in the highest demand? Departments with the greatest foreign language skills needs are customer service, sales, marketing, management, and IT. This article from Indeed lists the top 13 best career choices for bilinguals. So, if you command more than one language, there are job opportunities both domestically and internationally available to you that your monolingual peers do not have. And many employers are willing to pay more for your language skills!

3. Competitive Edge

Being bilingual or multilingual is rapidly becoming a necessary job qualification. Indeed lists bilingualism as one of the top in-demand skills for today’s work environment, so your command of more than one language sets you apart from the hundreds of other applicants for the job that you want. In today’s global economy, more and more companies are searching for diverse, bilingual and multilingual employees who can serve their diverse clients both domestically and globally. In a highly competitive market, such employees are hard to find. Your language skills make you stand out to potential employers and boost you to the top of the interview list.

Read more: How to Highlight Your Language Skills to Get Noticed

4. Better problem-solving, decision-making, and multitasking skills

Did you know bilinguals and multilinguals are great multitaskers, problem solvers, and decision makers? There are multiple studies that show cognitive advantages of multilingualism. For example, a study done by the National Institute of Health shows that multilinguals are much better and faster at switching tasks than their monolingual counterparts. In a corporate environment where flexibility and the ability to pivot quickly is important, bilingual and multilingual employees can be a great asset. Another study has found that multilingual speakers process information faster and more efficiently than their monolingual colleagues, making them excellent problem solvers and quick thinkers. These are qualities you definitely want to make known while job hunting.

5. Improved communication

Since learning another language also means learning about the culture of the new language, bilingual and multilingual speakers can understand cultural nuances, empathize with speakers of that language, and close the cultural and linguistic gap. And that’s a valuable skill for employers who are looking to expand and reach diverse markets. There are millions of people in the U.S. who prefer to communicate in a language other than English. In fact, 76% of customers said they’re more likely to purchase a product if information is available in their own language. Employees who can communicate with non-English speaking customers in their preferred language build deeper and longer lasting relationships. This is even more important when a company is looking to expand its business globally. Those employees are not only able to communicate easily with global customers but can also understand and interpret cultural details and nuances that influence customers’ decisions.

Proficient? Prove It with Language Certification

If you speak more than one language, you possess a highly marketable skill. Proving your language ability sets you apart from the hundreds of other applicants for the job that you want. Instead of simply stating on your resume that you have skills in a language, you can demonstrate your specific level of proficiency with an official language credential, instantly standing out to potential employers. Language Testing International (LTI) offers proficiency tests and language certificates for professionals in over 120 different languages. For individuals who wish to certify specific language skills, we offer ACTFL certifications in listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

See Proficiency Test Options

There are many benefits of certifying your language skills. Watch this video to learn more.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTTY1PKQlc0&t

 

Ready to get certified? Start here.

Customer-centric Service in the Hospitality Industry Is Better when Delivered in Language of Preference

As the saying goes, “First impressions leave a lasting impression.” Every business, especially in the hospitality sector, expects to obtain customer reviews on social media and respected travel and leisure platforms that are positive such as, “The food is delicious,” “I highly recommend,” or “The service was exceptional.” Whether it is in the tourism, entertainment, or food and beverage industries, having bilingual or multilingual customer service professionals on staff can help your business stand out and expand your target audiences. Are your current employees or prospective candidates linguistically prepared to meet the needs of your diverse customers?

As noted in an article entitled The Hidden Benefits of Bilingual Customer Service Reps, there are many positive outcomes of having multilingual staff, some not obviously apparent. Some of these benefits include having the ability to welcome clients in their preferred language, attracting new customers, getting free word-of-mouth advertising (customers will recommend your business to family and friends), expanding businesses to new markets (domestically and internationally), and maintaining the loyalty of current clients. Disregarding language and cultural barriers is not an option if one your organization’s goals is to build strong and long-lasting relationships with customers in a multicultural economy.

A 2019 study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for ACTFL entitled Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers, reports “A majority of U.S. employers (58 percent) say that their employees use their foreign language skills to communicate both internally with colleagues and externally with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.” Most U.S. employers also expressed that the demand for foreign languages has grown over the past five years, especially in the customer service and sales departments. These are the top two areas calling for multilingual personnel that are most likely facing a deficiency in language proficiency, causing organizations to avoid pursuing business opportunities or simply to miss out on them.

Research shows that the ability to speak more than one language has become one of the top skills required in many industries. In the hospitality sector, as well as in any business where face-to-face interaction is a daily and fundamental task to succeed, hiring employees capable of commanding two or more languages is crucial. The main goal is to provide the best service experience possible, and a competent bilingual and multilingual representative can deliver a clear, accurate, and compelling message to your diverse customers.

If you need to provide your current or future employees with dependable and legally defensible language proficiency assessments, contact Language Testing International (LTI), an exclusive provider of ACTFL assessments. Decades of research support the validity of each assessment, and LTI makes the remotely proctored testing process simple. We can assess the language skills of your team in over 120 languages anytime, from anywhere.

 

References:

Cura Resource Group (CRG). Joe Craparotta. “The Hidden Benefits of Bilingual Customer Service Reps.” July 24, 2018. https://www.curagroup.com/blog/the-hidden-benefits-of-bilingual-customer-service-reps

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Pearson LLC, Language Testing International, Ipsos Public Affairs. Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers. 2019. https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/report

How to Recruit Multilingual Employees

Recruiting multilingual employees requires the right resources and strategies. Detailed job descriptions and strategic job postings can help your hiring team find eligible candidates, while ACTFL® language assessments help the team select candidates with the best bilingual skills.

Understanding how to recruit bilingual employees results in a more efficient, productive, and inclusive workspace. When you build a team of individuals with high language proficiency, your company can reach more global customers and build stronger relationships with international associates.

What Are the Challenges of Hiring and Recruiting Bilingual Candidates?

Recruiting multilingual professionals for global operations teams requires your company to overcome the following challenges:

Finding the Right Talent in a Competitive Market

Bilingual job positions naturally attract fewer total applicants due to the limited number of multilingual candidates. Your hiring team must compete with other companies looking for multilingual employees, so you may need to compare your salary and benefits to what the competitors offer. You can attract more bilingual talent when you match or exceed competitors’ perks.

Evaluating Proficiency

Candidates may overstate their proficiency if they haven’t officially tested their skills or want to impress hiring teams. Determining an applicant’s full language capabilities is challenging and often inaccurate without the right testing. Having a formal testing framework in place is vital for assessing how well a candidate can speak, listen, read, and write in their target language.

Comprehension of Cultural Nuances and Job Responsibilities

Finding bilingual candidates is only part of the recruitment process. Your team must find candidates who understand the cultural nuances of the international clients or partners your company works with. It’s also necessary to find applicants who meet specific job requirements, such as a specific education level, sales experience, or Excel skills. Clear job descriptions and expectations are essential elements of the recruitment process.

How to Recruit Bilingual Employees

Overcoming recruitment challenges is easier with the right strategies and resources. Here are some tips for recruiting and hiring bilingual employees who contribute to your company’s goals:

Determine Needs and Expectations

Determine your company’s multilingual needs by answering the following questions:

  • Which languages do your clients, customers, or partners speak?
  • What are the specific tasks you need your multilingual employees to perform?
  • Which skills, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, do your multilingual employees need in order to complete their assigned tasks?
  • What percentage of work do you need employees to conduct in a target language?

Once you define roles, responsibilities, and the specific skills necessary to complete the job, you have a clear understanding of the ideal candidate to look for.

Clearly Describe Job Descriptions and Requirements

The more specific your company’s job postings are, the more efficiently you can narrow your search to the right candidates. Specify the exact language skills candidates need, and include the minimum proficiency level necessary for each role. Language Testing International® (LTI), with a group of Industrial and Organizational psychologists, developed the LTI Task Analysis process to assist companies in establishing minimum proficiency levels for bilingual positions.

Plan to Assess Language Skills During the Recruitment Process

Assessing candidates’ language skills during the recruitment process helps you select the ideal individuals for each role. Partner with a reputable language assessment provider, such as Language Testing International, to select the right assessments for your company’s assessment and reporting needs. LTI is the exclusive licensee of ACTFL tests, which provide objective, highly accurate proof of a candidate’s skills and reveal precise proficiency levels.

LTI can also develop language assessment plans for your business based on criteria such as the job tasks and subject matter related to your industry.

Advertise for Bilingual Employees

Your job postings are one of the most important parts of looking for bilingual employees. Each job description should include the languages of interest and keywords, such as “bilingual,” “multilingual,” or “language skills,” to attract ideal candidates. You can post your company’s open positions to platforms and job boards such as the following:

Importance of Language Testing in Job Recruitment

Language testing is essential when hiring bilingual employees because it offers the following advantages:

  • Reduced risk: Verifying language proficiency helps ensure employees can clearly communicate in emergencies or sensitive fields, such as healthcare and law. If your company is in a field requiring precise interpretation, you should hire candidates who meet the highest proficiency levels.
  • Stronger relationships with international partners and clients: Testing candidates’ language capabilities helps you hire employees who use a second language well enough to build strong relationships with your international partners and clients. Language users with higher proficiency levels may have a better understanding of the cultural nuances of a language, allowing them to communicate clearly and respectfully.
  • Fair practices: Language assessments allow you to evaluate all candidates with the same standard, which helps maintain fair hiring practices.
  • Efficiency: Hiring employees with high language proficiency also boosts efficiency. When you test language skills before hiring, you can build a team of bilingual employees who can interpret documents and communicate in their target languages faster than they would if they scored at a lower proficiency level.

How ACTFL Assessments Enhance the Multilingual Hiring Process

ACTFL assessments are heavily researched and professionally developed to measure language skills accurately. These comprehensive assessments rate candidates’ skills against the globally recognized ILR scale to ensure reliable, standardized results. LTI delivers the following types of assessments to evaluate various language skills:

  • Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI/OPIc): OPI and OPIc interviews take place live or via a computer avatar. These tests assess a candidate’s ability to speak spontaneously and authentically. Questions adapt to the test-taker’s responses, and ACTFL-certified testers expertly rate the user’s answers.
  • Writing Proficiency Test (WPT): The WPT is an internet-delivered test that presents open-ended prompts on practical and professional topics, requiring candidates to provide written responses. ACTFL-certified raters then evaluate responses.
  • Listening Proficiency Test (LPT): The LPT assesses a test taker’s comprehension of spoken language. During this test, language users listen to passages and answer multiple-choice questions. This efficient, machine-scored test determines listening proficiency across various contexts. The test system scores the users’ answers immediately following the test.
  • Reading Proficiency Test (RPT): The RPT measures reading comprehension by having candidates read passages and select answers to multiple-choice questions. Results are auto-graded, providing immediate insights into reading ability.

Remove the Guesswork of Hiring With Language Testing International

Finding eligible applicants is just the beginning of building a skilled team. The most important part of recruiting bilingual talent is assessing language proficiency so you can select the right candidates for each role. LTI removes the guesswork of hiring with official ACTFL assessments that test language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Contact us to learn more about ACTFL assessments.

Meet a Language Superhero: Gina Ridulfo

magazine cover Gina RidulfoThis month’s language superhero tells a story of challenges, determination, and grit. Gina Ridulfo lost her ability to speak and write at the age of 8. She worked hard to regain her abilities and prove to everyone she was capable of a lot more than she was given credit for. Now, Gina is a teacher, self-taught speaker of Italian, and American Sign Language interpreter.

Read her story: Language-Superpower-Magazine-Gina-Ridulfo

Watch Gina’s videos:

Stepping out of your comfort zone to get language certified

Reasons to get language certified

Why you should get your language certification

Regaining my language (video in American Sign Language)

What it means to be “languageless” (video in American Sign Language)

Exploring a World of Opportunities in the Hospitality Sector with Your Language Skills

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

BEWARE: A Claim of Language Fluency on a Resume Isn’t Enough

I have lost count of the times that I reviewed resumes for colleagues, friends, or family members who are applying for a job and asked me for feedback. At the bottom of each resume, under the “SKILLS” category and immediately after mentioning command of a variety of software programs, I often see written these three words: “Fluent in Spanish.” The first time this happened I had to pause, take a deep breath, and figure out how to address the importance of revising this statement on a resume. I found myself tiptoeing around the conversation of language fluency because I didn’t want to hurt the feelings of a person I care for; much less insinuate they were lying. However, I soon realized that because I really cared I had to tell them – “Darling, you are not fluent in Spanish.”

The Collins English Dictionary defines a person who is fluent as one that “can speak the language easily and correctly.” When a person proclaims that they are fluent in a particular language on their resume, it means (to me) that they can perform the job they are applying for with ease and accuracy in that language. This includes reading, listening, speaking, and writing with the proper terminology for the industry, and use of grammatical and punctuation rules. Unfortunately, language fluency is consistently hard to gauge as a person’s perception of his/her proficiency might not match what his/her true proficiency is when measured with a language proficiency assessment. A recent survey has shown that it’s easy to overstate one’s proficiency, and almost 60% of job applicants do so on their resumes, including their language proficiency.

Therefore, it’s very important for companies to assess their current employees’ and prospective employees’ language skills because it’s too risky not to do so. Through language proficiency certification, businesses can ensure proficiency and the ability to mitigate risks such as the following, to name a few:

  • Complying with laws and regulations that require culturally and linguistically clear communication and understanding that will prevent accidents in the workplace (i.e., hospitals, construction sites, travel industry).
  • Lackluster year-to-year revenue growth due to inability to adequately expand into diverse markets.
  • Unsatisfactory non-English speaking customer experiences that will tarnish the company’s reputation and chances of building customer loyalty.
  • Loss of valuable bilingual or multilingual talent that may decide to secure a better opportunity where their language skills are appreciated and incentivized.

It’s not enough or acceptable these days to simply believe what people put on their resumes regarding their language proficiency. Language Testing International (LTI) administers ACTFL language proficiency assessments—the gold standard in language testing—and a trusted, validated, and accredited remote proctoring process. For the past 30 years, LTI has assessed the language proficiency of over 5 million people around the world reliably and accurately. People that are bilingual, multilingual, or at any stage of their language learning journey are also able to retest periodically to qualify how much they have progressed in terms of their fluency. This can be done internally at any organization as part of its regular talent pool assessment process.

Language proficiency assessments also ascertain what type of tasks employees can perform at work based on their measured language skills. Our team of experts can help you determine the minimum levels of proficiency required for multilingual roles. Through an understanding of your goals, LTI develops the best language assessment plan to meet your assessment and reporting needs. We do this through our Task Analysis procedure to establish the minimum level of language proficiency recommendation to qualify talent for the multilingual role(s).

This can be instrumental as businesses grow their product offerings into global markets or incorporate new target audiences into their prospective clientele. The bottom line is that the multilingual capabilities of your staff and the accurate assessment of their language proficiency skills directly impacts the company’s outcomes. So, if a potential candidate or current employee says they are fluent in any language, mitigate possible risk as soon as possible with the help of LTI.

Interested in starting language proficiency testing at your company? Learn more here and contact us to get started.

Hiring, Retaining, and Rewarding Multilingual Employees Is Good for Business

Are you actively recruiting bilingual employees to meet the needs of your diverse customers? According to the 2020 Census results, nearly 9% of the U.S. population has limited English proficiency, and 22% of the total population speaks a language other than English at home. With the U.S. population being more and more diverse and multicultural, providing services to customers in their preferred language to meet their needs and ensure your company’s success becomes a necessity.

Benefits of hiring multilingual talent

In the past few years, there has been a steadily growing need for a multilingual workforce. The demand for multilingual employees more than doubled between 2010 and 2015. The workforce has continued to evolve since then, particularly as a consequence of the Covid pandemic: as of 2021, there has been a 30% increase in bilingual remote jobs. Bilingual and multilingual employees bring a lot to the table, from establishing deeper connections with non-English speaking customers to helping build a culturally diverse workforce. Here are a few specific benefits of hiring multilingual talent.

Better connection to customers domestically and internationally

There are millions of people in the U.S. who prefer to communicate in a language other than English. In fact, 76% of customers said they’re more likely to purchase a product if information is available in their own language. When your employees can communicate with non-English speaking customers in their preferred language, they build deeper and longer lasting relationships. Hiring multilingual employees is a must when you’re looking to expand your business globally. They can not only communicate easily with your global customers but can also understand and interpret cultural details and nuances that influence customer decisions.

Saving money

Hiring employees who are highly proficient in other languages can save you money as they can translate documents and engage in conversations with customers and business partners without the need to hire outside translators or interpreters. Your multilingual employees can also assist with drafting and/or proofreading marketing or sales copy in other languages, further saving you time and money.

Multilinguals are better multitaskers and problem solvers

There are multiple studies that show cognitive advantages of multilingualism. For example, a study done by the National Institute of Health shows that multilinguals are much better and faster at switching tasks than their monolingual counterparts. In a corporate environment where flexibility and the ability to pivot quickly is important, multilingual employees can be a great asset. Another study has found that multilingual speakers process information faster and more efficiently than their monolingual colleagues, making them excellent problem solvers and quick thinkers.

professional woman engaged in conversationHiring and retaining the best multilingual talent

To ensure your current and prospective employees have the right level of proficiency in another language, make language assessment a part of your recruitment process. Validated and certified language proficiency testing can offer an accurate measurement of language level and eliminate the guesswork on whether a candidate truly possesses the language skills required for the job.

To attract and retain the best multilingual talent, consider offering a language pay differential for employees who demonstrate a required level of proficiency. Language pay differential (also known as FLIP—foreign language incentive pay) recognizes the value multilingual employees bring to a company and helps businesses stay competitive in the rapidly changing global economy. Pay differentials are common in government agencies and healthcare, but more and more companies offer additional pay for language skills. On average, multilingual employees make 5%-20% more per hour.

Determining the minimum level of language proficiency

Hiring and retaining multilingual talent and ensuring they possess the required language proficiency might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.

Language Testing International (LTI), an exclusive licensee of ACTFL, can help you determine the minimal level of proficiency required for multilingual roles. Through an understanding of your goals, LTI develops the best language assessment plan to meet the assessment and reporting needs of each client and specific job roles. We do this through LTI’s Task Analysis procedure to establish the minimum level of language proficiency recommendation to qualify talent for the multilingual role(s).

Task Analysis is performed with subject matter experts (SMEs), each of whom represents a particular field or profession. They participate in a language needs analysis to identify the proficiency level required to perform job-related communication tasks, establish clear language training goals, and identify specific “training gaps.” SMEs are asked the following questions:

  • What are the routine tasks that need to be performed? Are there non-routine tasks?
  • What content knowledge is needed to perform the task?
  • What is the context/situation of the task?
  • Who is the targeted listener?
  • What is the impact of miscommunication?
  • How well does the employee need to speak to successfully perform the language task?

Decades of language needs analyses and language testing have produced the data presented in Oral Proficiency in the Workplace. This chart aligns minimal ACTFL levels of spoken language proficiency with corresponding workplace positions as determined by SMEs. In addition, there are examples of speaker profiles that are likely to perform at those levels.

Ready to get started with language proficiency assessment? Contact us.

As the global leader in language proficiency testing, Language Testing International (LTI) conducts almost one million language proficiency tests every year in 120+ languages. We partner with Fortune 500 companies as well as small business, academic institutions, and government agencies to verify and certify language skills of multilingual speakers. As the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, we offer the highest level of client service as well as convenient online test scheduling and reporting over secure client networks.