The Washback Effect: Long-term Impacts of the AAPPL in the Classroom

female teacher helping a teenage girl in a classroom

By Chris Lemon, Northmont High School, Clayton, OH (Spanish Teacher, Department Chair)

Four years ago, our school chose the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Language (AAPPL, Form B: Novice High to Advanced Low), over sixteen other options, as our preferred method for students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy accepted by our state. It was the clear choice as the best combination of design, accuracy, cost, and individualized feedback, and we have stayed with it in large part because of the “washback effect” that it has had on our classrooms.  The AAPPL is new to us; implementing it has been a change that impacts our program and classroom environment. So, the notion of washback effect is related to our firsthand experiences with the AAPPL in very specific ways.

Before we began to use the AAPPL, we had already begun to shift our instructional design–objectives, curriculum, resources, etc. toward a proficiency-based learning approach. From the first year, the test design itself and its detailed results for our students pushed us even further to build our learning experiences around real-world language use. ACTFL even supported us running our own workshop a couple years ago in which we invited teachers from around the region to learn more about the AAPPL and get a better sense of the format that our students would see.

These experiences taught us the importance of time management for our students, and now we focus more on building their ability in the lower levels to more quickly identify key vocabulary and details and to get the main idea in a variety of familiar settings in order to successfully transition to demonstrating these same skills in more challenging situations. We also prepare them for the increasing difficulty level of tasks within the testing environment itself, training them to leave themselves time for the later tasks that will require more thought, especially in the reading and writing sections. These time management skills not only prep them better for the test, but also push our classroom instruction to focus more time on those more advanced skills that lead to more interesting discussions during which students express themselves beyond simple statements and questions.

If you are looking for an assessment tool that will create a positive feedback loop to help you to reinvent your instruction, keep your students engaged, and push them to explore a variety of topics relevant to their own life and the culture that they are studying, I encourage you to explore what the AAPPL can do for you and your students. For us, the positive washback is significant.

Learn more about the AAPPL here.

Learn more about the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024 here.

What does I-O Psychology have to do with language proficiency?

professional man holding a briefcase

Before we can answer this question, let’s first define I-O Psychology. According to the American Psychological Association, Industrial-Organizational Psychology is the scientific research of human behavior and the application of research findings within the workplace to support individuals, groups, and organizations. I-O Psychologists are sought-after professionals that aim to address issues regarding humans in the workplace such as “recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, performance measurement, workplace motivation and reward systems, quality of life, structure of work and human factors, organizational development and consumer behavior” (APA, 2022, para. 3). The field of I-O Psychology looks both at the industrial side (assessing differences between individual job roles and workers) and the organizational side (exploring how workers function inside the business and how the business functions within the larger society) offering a more comprehensive approach to study work-related phenomenon in a scientifically methodological manner. So, it’s no surprise that large organizations, such as AT&T, have I-O Psychologists on their teams to help navigate these different aspects of human resources challenges, human behavior, and the experiences their employees create for their customers.

In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, Host Lisa March speaks to Vinay Patel, PhD, a Senior I-O Psychologist working on the HR Research Team for AT&T. Currently, he works as an internal consultant focused on employee selection, assessment development, and validation space. This means that he is intimately involved in the development and maintenance of assessments that are used across the business, from the time a team member is selected, onboarded, and trained to learn the job, to when the team member experiences professional development and conducts the work, all the while ensuring a fair process for both the organization and the employee. From the business side, this offers a scientifically based, objective way of measuring employee performance and AT&T customers’ experiences. From the employee’s side, it ensures a reliable, validated, and fair process to assess an employees’ job performance, while minimizing subjective opinions or personalities that often get in the way. Essentially, it offers a more just and equitable way for the employer, employees, and team to work together to better serve their customer base and community.

Now that we have an idea of what I-O Psychology is, what does it have to do with language proficiency and how does it affect you? The reality is you can study and get a degree in a language, then not use it, resulting in losing your ability to be proficient in that language. Or you can be a native conversational speaker in another language but may or may not know the industry-related terminology or have the necessary occupational language skills to perform at your fullest potential. To accurately measure what you can do with your second language, particularly within your work-related role and responsibilities and within the organization, you need to have a fair and reliable assessment and process of evaluation. That’s how an I-O Psychologist helps to ensure a scientifically based, valid, and reliable means of measuring your language competency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. AT&T is committed to offering professional development through language proficiency assessments for their employees, especially those that interface directly with customers, such in retail stores and call centers. For bilingual and multilingual employees at AT&T, language proficiency testing provides a great opportunity to validate their language skills and advance in their careers.

If you are a bilingual or multilingual professional interested in validating and certifying your language skills, you can depend on LTI to offer scientifically based, valid, and reliable assessments to determine your language proficiency in over 120+ languages. Visit LTI today and get certified anytime, anywhere!

Source: https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/industrial

What should the standard be for language assessments?

a professional woman sitting at computer, customer service

Do companies need a language testing assessment partner, or can they develop and administer their own assessments in-house? What are the repercussions to attempting a homegrown assessment? If a company does choose to hire a language assessment partner, how would that company know they are choosing the right vendor? At Language Testing International (LTI), these are common questions we address with our clients. However, instead of taking our word for it, let’s hear from someone who actually has to make these decisions and who has chosen to work with LTI.

On a recent episode of LTIs “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast, special guest, Vinay Patel, PhD, discussed what he and his team at AT&T look for when choosing a language testing partner, and offered advice from his experience as to what companies may want to avoid.

To start, Vinay mentioned a common pitfall that many companies run into, which is to try to develop and administer language assessments in-house. “For somebody that doesn’t have the background,” Vinay explained, to determine “in what actually is proficient and what’s not proficient, if they’re not using standardized criteria, you could really be getting yourself into quite a bit of trouble. You could be assessing things that seem like they’re assessing language, but it could be full of bias. So really, the advice that I would give is to be careful with homegrown assessments. Really, if you’re trying to measure language proficiency, do your research. So, go online, see what language proficiency is, how it’s defined, what’s required within your company, all that kind of stuff. There’s a lot of things to look at here before you just dive in and make homegrown assessments.”

Vinay continues to say that “the good thing about some vendors is that they’ve done that work. It’s their bread and butter. They use standard measures of what proficiency is. They’ve done a lot of the research on the back end with different languages. So, it [working with a language testing provider] might be a lot easier than trying to develop something in-house.”

At AT&T, Vinay outsources their language assessments, but explains that not all vendors are operating at the same level of experience. He goes on to detail what he looks for when helping to choose AT&T’s language assessment partners. “First and foremost, I want to make sure that the tests they are using or have developed are reliable and valid. I want to make sure that data has been collected on how good they are at doing what they are supposed to be doing. So, really, they have to be demonstrated. The second step would be that there needs to be room for validating these assessments locally. So, I’d want data from the people that are applying at this company and see how the test functions, and monitor that as we move along.”

Another factor in selecting a language proficiency testing provider is the cost. “The other thing that is something to consider is cost,” Vinay says. “You want to make sure that the test ultimately is providing utility. So, if the costs are right where they are supposed to be and you are getting enough juice for the squeeze, that’s something that I would consider when choosing an assessment partner.”

Vinay concluded with the third criteria he looks for: “Time-to-hired is a very important metric. We want to make sure that our candidate experience is as positive as possible. I want to make sure that the scores are turned around quickly, so the amount of time it takes for us to know if a candidate is qualified or not qualified in a particular language has to be fairly quick.”

Additionally, Vinay mentions the employee benefit and experience, which is detailed in “the way that the candidate interacts with it and walks away from the assessment. I would want data around that; if they viewed it as a positive experience or if they viewed it as something that was unfair and not job-related.”

As the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, Language Testing International (LTI) works very closely with and administers ACTFL assessments. We know first-hand that it requires years and years of research, subject matter expertise, norming tests, and confirming they are valid and reliable. Having served over 5 million test-takers over the last 30 years, we know it’s not an easy process, but ultimately is an extremely important process to continue to try and get right. It is important not just for the companies who hire us as their language assessment partner, like AT&T, but also for the experience of the job candidates and employees who are taking those assessments.

Job seeking? Why employers may ask you to do a language assessment.

close up of a resume

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 recruiter asks you to take a language assessment. Why would an employer ask you to take a language assessment?

Certify Your Language Skills Today

In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, guest Vinay Patel, PhD, who is a Senior I/O Psychologist working with AT&T, shares why language assessments are so important to the hiring process. He used himself as an example as a speaker of Hindi. He considers himself fairly proficient. However, he questions how fluent he would be in a job interview. His perception of how proficient he is might not match what his actual proficiency is when measured with a proficiency assessment. It is easy to overstate one’s language ability. In fact, about 60% of all job applicants overstate their abilities on resumes, including language proficiency. Therefore, employers who rely on bilingual and multilingual employees need to have a reliable and validated method of checking job candidates’ language abilities so they can perform the tasks required for their jobs. Validated and certified language proficiency testing offers an accurate measurement of language level and eliminates the guesswork on whether a candidate truly possesses the language skills required for the job.

According to a recent ACTFL report titled, “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demands Among U.S. Employers,” 9 out 10 employers rely on language skills other than English to conduct their business and this demand is expected to increase by 56% in the next 5 years. Client and community facing departments, such as Customer Services, Sales, Marketing, Management, and IT have the greatest need, particularly with Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, German, and Russian, to name a few.

Dr. Patel advises that when and how a business employs a language strategy to track, test, and train employees’ language competency and proficiency it depends on many variables. If you are applying for a job and knowing a specific language directly relates to the minimum qualifications of the job that you are applying for, you may be asked to do a language assessment before employment. Or, if you are already on board, your employer may use your language skills as part of your professional development plan. Either way, Dr. Patel shares that the tool used to assess language proficiency is often contingent on the cost, strategy, and development involved in creating the tool. This is to ensure that the language test is reliable, valid, and doing what it is intended to do – assess the employees’ proficiency in a particular language competency that relates to their job roles and responsibilities or their professional development. Additionally, if you feel that the assessment was not fair, valid, or job related, it is an opportunity to provide feedback to your potential employer or to collaborate with your employer to better serve employees, the organization, and most definitely, the customers.  After all, the goal is to ensure that the employee meets the job qualifications, can effectively communicate with the community, and creates an extraordinary customer experience.

All in all, when you include “bilingual” or “multilingual” on your résumé or an employment application, don’t be surprised if the employer asks you to take a test pre- or post-employment as AT&T does with LTI as their language proficiency assessments provider. And even if they don’t, you can always validate your language proficiency by getting certified anytime, anywhere with Language Testing International. Get certified with LTI today!

 

Sources: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180820-can-you-actually-speak-the-languages-you-list-on-your-cv

Consistency and Bias in Assessing Language Proficiency

professionals talking outside

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 and reliable assessments, instruments, and processes in the form of proficiency assessments.  This will not only ensure consistency, but also prevent personal bias from entering the evaluation equation.

On a recent episode of LTI’s “Language Is Your Superpower” podcast, special guest Vinay Patel, PhD, explained the importance of using standardized language testing to assess language proficiency, especially in customer-facing positions, to provide consistency for the employer and an unbiased hiring process for the job candidate.

Vinay Patel is the Senior I/O Psychologist for AT&T in Dallas, Texas. In his role as an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist—a position that studies human behavior in organizations and the workplace through a combination of science and practice—Vinay focuses on assessment development, test validation, and organizational consulting. Vinay’s goal at AT&T is to apply his and the organization’s collective knowledge and principles to create a better, smarter workplace. For Vinay, an ideal workplace is one where people are genuinely happy about their jobs and contribute to their organization in a meaningful way, while the organization does everything in their power to keep their employees fulfilled. It is this vision that motivated Vinay to work towards his doctorate in I/O Psychology, and to continue meeting new people, experiencing new things, and never wanting to stop learning and improving his skillsets.

When discussing the importance of standardized language assessments at AT&T, and for businesses in general, Vinay believes that “it’s crucial to how business is conducted nowadays. So, from the business side of it, we want to make sure that the people that are entering are really prepared to do the work, so there isn’t that much time [for the employee to have to] catch up or hit the ground running.”

Vinay pointed out that standardized language testing benefits not just the employer, but also the employees. Vinay stated that “from the employee’s side, we really work hard to build reliable and valid assessments, so we’re really measuring only the things that are job-related. So, only the things that determine success and performance on the job, and really not any external characteristics or anything like that, that humans are normally biased when they’re making these judgements. So, it’s really built towards having a fair process for both the company and the employee.”

Vinay then elaborated how a properly conducted language assessment “allows employees to really showcase the skills that they have, rather than being conscientious about, anything else that they may think that the company is trying to measure, or if there are any biases in that process.”

At LTI, we know we live in a world where the mention of “standardized testing” may suggest negative connotations for some. However, as Vinay Patel, PhD, shared with us on our podcast, whether consciously or subconsciously, personal bias is human nature. So, when LTI language assessments are implemented and conducted properly, and for the right reasons, especially in a workplace environment like AT&T’s, they can be the key in ensuring that the employer is consistently aligning the best employees for the jobs at hand, based solely on the employee’s ability to perform the tasks required for those jobs – and nothing else!

Building Bridges Through the Power of Cultural and Linguistic Engagement

teamwork

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 of diverse backgrounds and language proficiencies. In 2020, they earned the Orlando Business Journal’s Diversity in Business “Helping Hand” Award for their caused-based work and its impact on underrepresented and underserved communities.

While the conversation was deeply rooted in growing a business with language and cultural proficiency, they pointed out that organizations which are culturally aware and exposed to diverse communities are better able to engage with their stakeholders more authentically. With regard to consumers, they shared three indicators to consider when determining whether your favorite companies are building bridges through the power of language and culture:

They know the demographic profile of the people where they live, work, and play

As the number of consumers of products, services, and multicultural experiences continues to grow, it is important to know that they have power in numbers and buying power. For example, according to the Center for American Progress, in 2018 the Latino segment of the U.S. consumer market reached over $1.6 trillion in buying power, Hispanics accounted for 50% of the net overall growth of new homeowners (2010 – 2020) and “about 50% of all racial and ethnic students want to start their business” (p. 2). With the upcoming U.S. majority-minority demographic shift, it is important to know the demographic profile of where you live, work, and play. Resources such as USA.com provide current data about the demographic make-up of states, counties, cities, etc.

You may be asking, “Why is this important?” As the demographics shift, keep an eye out for companies that are making a concerted effort to understand, engage with, and support communities that are diverse, underrepresented, and underserved. It is their social responsibility to support the very communities they are in and the diverse consumers that support their businesses.

They speak to the community in their preferred language

Are companies speaking to you in your preferred language? Granted, we all understand that English is the primary language used in the U.S. However, according to the World Economic Forum, in addition to English, the most common languages spoken in the world are Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, and French. For native speakers or individuals that are more comfortable speaking, reading, writing, or just communicating in these other languages, how well are companies engaging with them as consumers? Tell-tale signs of a company that is trying to reach out to diverse communities may entail language translation options on their website, signage or print material in dual languages, bilingual/multilingual team members within their organization, and more.

They look for multicultural talent

A company’s leadership and team should be reflective of the very communities they do business in and serve. Unfortunately, language diversity is often an area that is overlooked or not even considered. Are companies seeking to recruit multicultural and multilingual talent to join their leadership and teams? Having qualified people within organizations that not only look like, sound like, and culturally understand consumer needs, norms, and desires will go a long way. Multicultural team members can leverage their language proficiency by mapping it back to their roles, responsibilities, and the tasks that they hope to accomplish within the workplace.

Building bridges through the power of culture and language involves knowing the demographic make-up of your community, speaking the languages they prefer, and securing multicultural talent within the community and beyond. It is then that organizations can become more culturally aware and linguistically proficient as they engage with their consumers and stakeholders more effectively and authentically.

LTI offers language proficiency testing that can help boost your career as the demands of an increasingly diverse marketplace will surely require your linguistic skills. It will also better equip you to assess the intentions of companies with regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion and provide you with a tool to better serve your community.

To test your language proficiency, check out LTI today!

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/11/companies-are-making-bold-promises-about-greater-diversity-theres-a-long-way-to-go.html

Meet a Language Superhero: Julie Rosa

front cover of March superpower magazineThere is a general sense that being bilingual gives people a competitive edge in many careers. Knowing another language can open up a wider client base, or exponentially expand the network in which a person
can engage. This is true whether the individual is a teacher, lawyer, or business owner.

Julie Rosa, a multilingual professional, took advantage of her multilingualism to become a dual-language teacher. In this month’s “Language Proficiency Is a Superpower” magazine, we share Julie’s story of learning multiple languages, traveling the world, and finding one’s passion. Julie shared her experience of taking two ACTFL Proficiency Assessments (OPI and WPT) with us and how she prepared for the tests. She had a great story to tell, and we hope you enjoy it.

Read: Language-Superpower-Magazine-Julie-Rosa

Navigating Multicultural Spaces in Business and through Entrepreneurship

businessman talking on a video call

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 in diverse spaces.

Being Bilingual in Business

As a Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) solutions-driven agency that assists the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors to overcome their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Marketing challenges, having a team that commands both English and Spanish has become her firm’s value proposition and business differentiator. Essentially, being bilingual in business has its benefits. Here is an example of how not only being linguistically proficient but culturally competent can help you navigate multicultural spaces…

In 2020, a potential client out of New York that sells puppies reached out to URBANDER as they were pivoting from brick and mortar to e-commerce due to the pandemic. With the shutdown and social distancing requirements, they no longer were able to have customers come to the pet store to see, play with, and get to know the puppies before taking them home. URBANDER was retained to help redefine their communication strategy and online engagement with potential and current clients. In an initial meeting, Samí asked the client, “Did you know that Hispanics over-index in pet ownership?” This was a surprising cultural insight that the client was unaware of, missing out on a potentially large segment of the population that they were not speaking to directly. Samí’s team suggested a bilingual campaign stating that “Latinos in the U.S. are English speakers AND Spanish speakers. And they are also Spanglish speakers and everything in between. So, it would behoove you to reach a broader segment of the U.S. population by having an English/Spanish campaign at the very least.” This resulted in a dual language, 4-part video series. They recruited a bilingual student from the University of Central Florida to share tips about bringing your puppy home and responsible pet ownership. The response from the Hispanic community was overwhelmingly positive.

Being bilingual in business is not only a benefit to companies that are seeking to engage with the Hispanic or Latino community. For people who are bilingual or multilingual, it connotes a sense of “I see you. I hear you. I value you.” This then offers the opportunity for those that command multiple languages to leverage this skill to navigate and excel in diverse, multicultural spaces.

Leveraging Language in Entrepreneurship

Many people suffered job loss due to COVID. As a result, people explored having, or have opted to start, their own businesses. Concurrently, URBANDER started working on a major project with three organizations in Atlanta (PRENEURology Global, Georgia Tech, and Morehouse College) to support minority business enterprises in increasing access to resources that will help them start and grow their businesses. Focused on breaking down the silos within the Black and Brown community, the project’s goal was to create more connectivity between them and equitable pathways to scaling, attaining success, and establishing generational wealth.

A perfect example of how to leverage language in entrepreneurship was on full display in a recent Connection Session where participating minority business owners came together to network, learn about best business practices, and become part of this entrepreneurial hub.

While many of the participants commanded English, Paula was the only Spanish speaker on the virtual call. So, when it was time for small breakout groups, the meeting coordinator placed her in a group with Samí as she commands both English and Spanish. The participants were asked, “What is your pain point to grow your business right now?” This offered an opportunity for sharing but also to fill a language gap due to Samí’s bilingual capabilities. What resulted was a safe and inclusive space for sharing between English and Spanish speaking business owners to exchange ideas and learn from each other. What the participants realized was that, like them, Paula had the same wants, needs, and doubts about being an entrepreneur and the only difference was that she was more comfortable communicating in Spanish. Very similar experiences, capabilities, and desires were simply expressed in different languages.

As someone that is bilingual or multilingual and considering the entrepreneurial route, your language proficiency is an advantage that will help you navigate different cultures and different communities.

Whether you are bilingual in business or seeking ways to leverage language in entrepreneurship, you can easily and securely test your language proficiency with LTI. Learn more here.

Reasons 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 is a tremendous opportunity that should be and has been blogged about in detail. However, I’ve heard enough “it’s just a sticker” responses that I came to reframe my view of the AAPPL. There are two angles I use when encouraging students, parents, and district leaders to implement the AAPPL test.

Program Validity and Viability

My husband is a math teacher, and he reminds me of the importance of state testing each year: state and district administrators want to measure the math department’s effectiveness, determine how well core standards are being met, and see data-informed evidence that students are meeting adequate yearly progress at each grade level. While he feels the heat from that situation, I’m over in “elective-land” with no community eyes requesting data demonstrating my courses’ validity through standardized tests. But the AAPPL can offer similar insights. Because it’s developed by ACTFL and scored by ACTFL-trained raters, it’s an objective, standardized assessment that can deliver results measuring the learning in our programming, independent of teacher judgement.

If my students complete four years of instruction and consistently all rate at a Novice level, that might be something my district should be interested in. Looking at AAPPL results can give you great ideas, and sometimes it’s a little scary! Instead of looking at ACTFL results as a reflection of your own teaching, I think it’s more helpful to look at the larger picture and examine the entire program’s viability. Are we scaffolding learning opportunities? Are there significant gaps in our unit design? Are there areas of stagnation? Is there growth within each level of programming, and how do we know?

My district is a small one, and the AAPPL test is only offered to those who want to take it. I’m grateful for the data I receive every year as it allows me to get a glimpse of language learning at the end of our language program. But the best practice for using the AAPPL is to administer the test to learners in all levels of a language program and to do it annually or twice a year.

My math teacher husband can track a student’s math scores over several years and see empirical proof of growth and learning. The AAPPL score reports mean that I can see a student’s AAPPL scores from their 1st year of learning and watch it develop over time. I believe students and parents benefit from data like this too. Today’s generation of students need to know that they are doing things that matter and that have value. Imagine how empowering it would be for them to see a snapshot of their learning at the end of the year to compare with previous years.

Value in Trusted Feedback

There is value in being able to prove what you know and how well you know it. I understand that standardized tests can be flawed for a variety of reasons, but the same can be said for individual teachers. My students have had only two language teachers during their high school years (I am one of them). And unless they are mature and self-aware, they are basing their sense of achievement off feedback and opportunities those two individuals have given them. And I can be quite flawed. Many lessons and unit design ideas have not panned out the way that I would have liked. My interpretation of the ACTFL standards might be slightly different from the teachers in a town across the highway. I often tell my students that my declarations that they are biliterate, an A student, or an Intermediate High writer are somewhat empty. I remind them that’s just what Emily Huff thinks. Imagine using a solidly designed, nationally recognized measurement of language ability that could substantiate such declarations. That has value. Students have done so much work over the years learning and acquiring language skills. The AAPPL is an opportunity for them to finally demonstrate and receive affirmation for how well they have done – beyond a grade I give them or a sticker they receive.

In a nutshell, that is the greatest reason to use the AAPPL test in your classroom: you receive objective and valid evidence of the language skills students are developing. The results can validate your presumptions, and you can celebrate your students. It’s also possible that reality could leave you disappointed. I’d like to think that understanding the truth of any situation is a valuable reward that will help you grow – much more valuable than a sticker.

Ready to bring the AAPPL to your school or district. Contact us today!

The Internal and External Role of Language Proficiency in Business

group of professionals collaborating

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 external language needs will differ; however they are more present than ever before and must be addressed to succeed in the current business climate. The U.S. is a multicultural marketplace, and we need to be equipped with the language skills necessary to compete effectively in a global economy.

Internal organizational language proficiency requires adopting employee hiring and retention processes that value language skills. Human Resources departments are tasked with the responsibility of securing a pipeline of talent that is reflective of the diverse consumers served by organizations and effectively investing in maximizing that talent’s potential and contributions to the organization. This includes assessing their command of different languages, a human asset that often goes untapped for various roles such as Customer Service, Marketing, Community Relations, and Public Relations, to name a few. Creating an environment where diversity and linguistic proficiency are embedded allows access to diverse audiences.

Language barriers can limit your access to diverse consumers, vendors, and community partners. With the growth in social media and the options people have for selecting the content they enjoy, it’s becoming more challenging to create messaging for marketing and advertising campaigns that resonates with everyone. Being able to communicate directly with consumers about the value of your products or services in their language of preference can be a major point of differentiation between you and your competitors.

The business community has also become very diverse in the U.S. in the last decade. Many suppliers or vendors that provide valuable products and services for you to carry-out your business endeavors effectively speak languages other than English. They serve as an extension of your operations and as indirect ambassadors to your brand in their respective communities. Having the ability to share with your diverse vendors the efforts you make to deliver on your customers language preferences creates an opportunity to become a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, by increasing the number of diverse businesses you establish procurement contracts with, you will tap into a larger pool of suppliers stimulating competitive rates and innovation.

As for your organization’s role as a responsible and committed corporate citizen, language and communication is at the heart of conducting meaningful outreach to diverse and underserved communities. Cultivating a respectful exchange with community partners is not just about building rapport, representation, and reputation. In URBANDER’s experience working with a wide range of industries – from beauty products to healthcare – language proficiency and cultural intelligence are instrumental to effectively embed meaningful cultural attributes into how your brand speaks to communities of diverse backgrounds to nurture long-lasting relationships that are high-impact, sustainable, and rewarding.

For 30 years, Language Testing International has supported the rise of multilingualism in the United States. As an exclusive provider of ACTFL language proficiency assessments in 120+ languages in over 60 countries, LTI allows for a quick and secure way to assess language proficiency of individuals anywhere, anytime. Learn more here.

 

Want to hear more from Sami? Listen to her interview with LTI here.