Meet a Language Superhero: Renaud Fenster

At LTI, we often talk about the benefits of being multilingual, and we truly believe that multilingualism gives you a special power: a power to communicate in another language, a power to better understand other cultures, a power to give yourself a competitive advantage, and even a power to save lives.

Every year, thousands of professionals take the ACTFL language assessments with LTI to certify their language skills and use the official credentials to showcase their multilingualism. One of these professionals is Renaud Fenster, a flight attendant at JetBlue. Renaud’s story is interesting and inspiring, and we are proud to feature it in our very first Language Proficiency Is a Superpower Magazine.

We hope you take the time to read Renaud’s story and get inspired to get your language skills certified.

Click to read and/or download Renaud’s story: Renaud-Fenster-Story

Using AAPPL Topics to guide curriculum planning: An educator’s perspective

teacher showing something on the tablet to a student

Recently, ACTFL put out their comprehensive list of topics for the AAPPL. These topics offer excellent preparation for the test. I’ve also found them to be valuable in other aspects of my curriculum building and unit planning.

I began my teaching career in the formulaic era of Realidades and Paso a Paso‘s thematic chapters about amusement parks and bulk vocabulary memorization. Eventually, I had to revise my professional approach when I realized that, while my students were gaining a treasure trove of Spanish information, they were unable to apply this information and use it in ways that were meaningful to them.

I came across the AAPPL three years ago when my district investigated obtaining the Seal of Biliteracy for the State of Iowa. Having my students earn recognition for their skills was an important step in moving our courses forward. Professionally, I learned a lot of lessons in my experience with the AAPPL, such as investigating the ACTFL Can-Do Statements and critiquing my own units. The first time I looked at the topics the AAPPL covered, I had two important takeaways: 1) my curriculum included a focus on units and topics that were not covered in the test, and 2) the topics that are covered in the test are relatable and allow the students to make personal connections and use the language in a way that is meaningful. I began to use the AAPPL Topics as a curriculum guide—not to “teach to the test,” but to help create a curriculum that culminated with students being able to use the language effectively.

For example, I have always done a “city places” unit. Through my experience with the AAPPL, I shifted my focus from simply listing places in a city to being able to describe our community and provide information and support to visitors.

I use the AAPPL Topics that ACTFL provides and ask myself: How might my students have to use these in the future? How may my students need to provide explanations, information, advice, or descriptions about themselves and our community within each of these topics? This provides helpful direction and a great springboard for my unit planning throughout the year. I don’t tailor everything I do to the topics provided by ACTFL, but I always keep in the back of my head: Can my students use the information we are going over in class in a meaningful way? In what ways can I incorporate technology and innovations into what we are doing? In what ways am I preparing my students to give information about community service options in our area?

While looking at these topics, I discovered missed opportunities for different perspectives in our curriculum. It doesn’t mean you need to add whole units on certain topics to your already full curriculum, but perhaps there are ways to incorporate some of those themes in your current units? For example, instead of adding an entire health and fitness unit, why not incorporate some of the basic themes of healthy habits in your existing food unit or your daily schedule unit? This is where I get a lot of professional support from the AAPPL Topics. It helps me enhance my existing units and find those everyday applicable angles or perspectives that help hook my students and boost their confidence that they will actually use the language in meaningful ways.

To reiterate, this is not designing your units to teach to the test but rather to teach towards proficiency. The topics provided are broad and general enough that no teacher could ever create units for the specific content covered on the test. Knowing that “animals” might be a topic on the AAPPL test could mean that your students will need to provide information on domestic pets or wild animals common in your area or learning about marine life in a biology class. It’s possible that using the AAPPL Topics to enhance my curriculum will not help my students with specific items on the test, but it does help create a solid foundation of skills that my students are confident in. That confidence of being able to use the language meaningfully, more than anything, is what yields positive results for my students.

Whether or not you are using the AAPPL test with your students, I find the topics useful to all teachers during curriculum analysis and to anyone looking to enhance their units to highlight everyday applications. Our world is ever evolving and so is our language and the ways that we can use it with our students. Revising or revitalizing our units frequently is a great way to keep the language relevant. The AAPPL Topics are helpful guides during that critique process and, in times when you need a more direct guide in your curriculum development, the AAPPL Topics can help crystallize topics that are truly essential.

Your multilingualism can help you get your college degree faster

College graduate

Are you proficient in more than one language and looking to attend or finish college? If so, did you know that you may be able to utilize your multilingual capabilities to earn college credits? Here’s how it’s possible.

ACTFL language assessments, delivered exclusively by Language Testing International (LTI) are approved by the American Council on Education (ACE)—the major authority responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and determining college and non-college course credits. Language proficiency tests in speaking, reading, listening, and writing can potentially help provide you with entire semesters’ worth of college credits!

For what are approximately one-hour tests that require little-to-no preparation or studying and can potentially offset thousands of dollars and dozens of hours’ worth of college courses, the benefits of taking ACTFL proficiency tests are a no-brainer for someone who already possesses a second-language skillset.

A perfect example of our ACE accreditation-in-action is how LTI is helping some of JetBlue’s 20,000+ diverse crewmembers acquire college credits through the JetBlue Global Scholars Program, especially if they are already proficient in more than one language.

JetBlue’s celebration of the diversity of its crew members includes the opportunity for their employees to apply prior college credits, training, and licenses as well as on-the-job training and multilingualism toward their associate or bachelor’s degrees. In other words, JetBlue employees can leverage their technical and language skills for college credits.

The JetBlue Global Scholars Program is making the dream of earning an associate or bachelor’s degree possible for many of its crewmembers. And LTI is proud to be JetBlue’s language testing provider.

Passing just one of the ACTFL proficiency tests for a second language can earn JetBlue crewmembers up to 9–12 college credits, which helps them bypass three or four 3-credit courses alone.

Maybe now is the time for you to leverage your second language, too! Get certified with LTI.  Visit www.languagetesting.com to get started.

Commitment to Enhancing Employee-Customer Relations

customer service employee at an airport talking to a passangerThe landscape of today’s marketplace is highly focused on the quality of relationships. There are clear connections between employee satisfaction and customer experience, but there are other connections between employees and customers—such as language. How can language, and a commitment to language, redefine employee-customer relations?

As Alex Shashkevich, of Stanford News, writes, “​​people speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.”[1] The sheer number of languages spoken around the world highlights how important it is to view language as a connector rather than a barrier. ACTFL assessments administered by Language Testing International (LTI) are just that—the unifier between employees and customers. Nowhere is proof of this connection more apparent than with the partnership between LTI and JetBlue.

Responsible for the safety and experience of more than 30 million customers in 86 global cities, JetBlue relies on Language Testing International as their language certification partner to reshape how their employees engage with their customers.

JetBlue’s Global Scholars Program supports their multilingual crewmembers with academic and career opportunities. From providing college-level credit to language proficiency testing and certification in speaking, reading, and writing comprehension, LTI has made it possible for many of JetBlue’s 20,000+ crewmembers to certify their language skills and earn entire semester(s’) worth of credits towards a higher education degree. In turn, these JetBlue crewmembers become better equipped to serve those 30 million customers as they remain linguistically connected from city to city. There are numerous reasons why multilingualism benefits companies, building employee/customer trust being just one of them. Employees who speak with customers in their native language create a connection and bring a sense of familiarity and comfort, in turn improving customer satisfaction.

Become the connector! Visit www.languagetesting.com to redefine what employee-customer relationships mean to you.

To learn more about how JetBlue is utilizing LTI’s services, listen to our podcast with Nicole Lembo, Manager of Talent Management and Academic Programs at JetBlue Airways.

READ MORE –> Business Benefits of Multilingualism

 

Sources:

[1]https://news.stanford.edu/2019/08/22/the-power-of-language-how-words-shape-people-culture/

Earn While You Learn

Young professionals in a business setting At Language Testing International (LTI), we know that it can be intimidating to think of language in the context of evaluation. Terms such as “testing,” “examination,” and “certificates” can be stressful or off-putting.

But what if we told you that your native or second language(s)—those you already speak, read, and/or write—could count towards an entire semester’s worth of college credits, increase your employability, and increase your eligibility for different jobs altogether?

While ACTFL language proficiency testing, delivered exclusively by LTI, does require you to take an assessment and provides you with a certificate of completion, the process is meant for you to showcase your current knowledge. If you have learned how to speak, read, and write in a second language, either at home or by studying or living abroad, you may be more prepared for our tests than you think!

Most native-language speakers take ACTFL Language Proficiency tests without any prior studying. The tests only take approximately one hour to complete and are organized by skill— speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The format of the tests is flexible and allows you to show your strengths in the various language skills.

Your ACTFL Proficiency Certificate, when used the right way, can transform your career! For instance, take a look at how the JetBlue Global Scholars Program is using language proficiency testing through LTI to help its multilingual crewmembers advance in their education and work opportunities.

JetBlue Global Scholars Program offers the airline’s crewmembers the opportunity to earn a fully-accredited associate or bachelor’s degree that includes major cost coverage, required licenses, certifications, transfer course credits, as well as job experience and JetBlue training.

Together with ACTFL language proficiency testing, JetBlue’s Global Scholars Program actuates these goals by assisting their multilingual crewmembers in obtaining certificates for their résumé and receiving a considerable number of college credits.

Typically, a bachelor’s-level college course is worth 3 credits, with the full degree totaling around 120 credits. With each of ACTFL Proficiency Test, a JetBlue crewmember can earn around 9–12 credits toward their higher education degree! If the crewmember takes a test for each of the four language skills, they can earn upwards of 35-40 credits, which is equivalent to multiple semesters’ worth of course credits. Again, this process is for a native or second language that a person already knows how to speak, read, and/or write!

Ultimately, the success is evident. After receiving certification and/or credits, many graduates ascend to new roles within the company or become eligible for more flight routes as a direct result of their language testing scores and their degree, through the JetBlue Global Scholars Program. Now, that’s how you EARN WHILE YOU LEARN!

Get certified and gain your college credit and competitive advantage. Visit www.languagetesting.com to get started today!

Business Benefits of Multilingualism

Stewardess talking to passengers on plane.

In our increasingly globalized world, there is a 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 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — as of 2021, there has been a 30% increase in bilingual remote jobs.

Multilingual employees bring undeniable value to the workplace, helping to build a culturally diverse workforce, which in turn allows for fresh ideas and perspectives in creating new business solutions. They also help with the expansion into global markets and the building of employee and customer trust.

Businesses can keep pace with the global market by prioritizing multilingualism. Knowledge of more than one language can benefit employee and business growth. By prioritizing multilingual career advancement, you can ensure employee and organizational achievement.

Why Invest in Multilingualism?

Businesses that prioritize multilingualism can connect with broader audiences. Learning a new language requires a commitment to a new culture. During this process, you adopt new viewpoints and understand different cultural nuances. Your brain adapts to the new language and expands, developing new or advanced skills.

Employers can bring these advanced skills into their workplaces by hiring multilingual employees or providing existing workers with the ability to become bilingual. For example, multilingualism can develop these skills in employees:

  • Improved communication: Multilingualism allows people to communicate with larger numbers of people. People who speak more than one language understand the structural components on a deeper level. For instance, they might understand the most effective way to discuss a particular topic. Effective communication is a vital trait for employees, letting them speak with co-workers, supervisors, and clients in an engaging and clear way. They can introduce products, answer customer concerns, or present new ideas.
  • Strengthened client relationships: According to data from Statista, more than one-fifth of Americans speak a language other than English at home. By employing multilingual workers, you can connect with a wider client base. You can interact with clients in their preferred languages, which facilitates a closer relationship. Employees become better prepared to meet customer expectations and respond to their needs. The personalized approach increases brand loyalty.
  • More productive work environment: You can also boost your workplace’s efficiency with multilingual workers. Bilingual speakers can have increased confidence, which can lead to stronger relationships among employees. A unified workforce can work more efficiently due to increased collaboration. Better communication makes it easier to complete projects and relay information to each other.
Why invest in multilingualism? Leads to improved communication, strengthened client relationships, and more productive work environment.

Case Study: JetBlue

JetBlue is a prime example of how multilingualism benefits businesses. The airline company allows employees to fast-track their degree programs, making it easier to obtain their credentials. Their Global Scholars Program advances the educational and professional opportunities for all employees, allowing them to earn accredited associate or bachelor’s degrees. Employees can also apply previous courses, certifications, licenses and job experiences to their degrees to build credits.

Multilingual JetBlue employees can also increase college credits by displaying their proficiency in other languages. JetBlue partnered with Language Testing International® (LTI) to provide the opportunity to take language tests. LTI® administers ACTFL assessments, which have significance for proficiency and certification and are recognized by the American Council on Education.

They offer the opportunity for multilingual speakers, readers, and writers to earn college credits or linguistic certifications. “Someone who is a native speaker, or who is at the expert level in a language, can get 9 to 12 credits for a couple of the ACTFL assessments. That is a huge benefit to our crewmembers in the program,” says Nicole Lembo, the Manager of Talent Management/Academic Programs at JetBlue.

The success of the Global Scholars Program is evident for both the employees and for JetBlue. With the help of LTI and ACTFL, crewmembers at JetBlue not only have the opportunity to complete an academic degree without having to return to school, but many ascend to new roles within the company. Employees who complete the program also “tend to be more engaged with the company, tend to be more loyal to JetBlue, and they stay longer,” says Lembo. 

Attracting and retaining talent in today’s economy is key to success. Lembo says, “When our crewmembers who already speak another language are able to become certified by ACTFL, it is not only valuable on a resume but even more exciting for us. Our employees have the opportunity to earn credits towards a bachelor’s degree. Ultimately, we are able to provide education to incoming talent, a huge part of the value proposition when it comes to recruitment. If you are going to be the employer of choice in today’s labor market where everybody is fighting for talent as we’re coming out of Covid, you have to offer more than a paycheck.” Recognizing and investing in employees’ multilingual skills can certainly contribute to a company’s competitiveness and ultimate transition to the global stage.

About Language Testing International

Administering ACTFL assessments and partnering with LTI can ultimately serve as the catalyst to help you elevate your employees’ academic and professional experiences, expanding your business. Your employees can earn ACTFL language proficiency certification with Language Testing International.

To learn more about JetBlue’s experience partnering with LTI, listen to our podcast in which Nicole Lembo discusses how JetBlue is leveraging LTI’s Language Proficiency Testing to help the company’s employees further their academic and career advancement.

Showcase Your Bilingual Superpower

As a Latino professional, you may often have been asked about your heritage or cultural background, and questions or comments about your appearance being “exotic” or your speech having an “accent” are off-putting. However, there are opportunities for you to showcase your multicultural competencies and show that language is your superpower.

There are over 559 million Spanish speakers globally, 460 million of whom are native speakers. In the U.S., Spanish is spoken in approximately 13% of households and it is becoming more mainstream because the Hispanic population is growing. So, you are not alone! ¡No estás solo! With the immersion of Spanish into all aspects of American daily living and projections stating that 1 in 3 people in the U.S. will speak Spanish by 2050, this is your opportunity to utilize the benefits of being bilingual.  Here are a few areas where Spanish language proficiency certifications can be beneficial to let people know that – “Yo hablo inglés y español”:

Personal and professional development

Research from the University of Washington has shown that toddlers who speak two or more languages have more frontal lobe activity than those who speak one language.  What does that mean for you? Dual language speakers have enhanced memory, focus, and multitasking skills.  The transition between one language to another helps to enhance your flexibility when dealing with different situations, making them less challenging—particularly as it relates to diverse cultural contexts. The expanded mental capacity helps to enhance your opportunities for personal growth and professional development.

Competitive advantage and expanded opportunities

A recent study conducted for ACTFL (formerly known as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) found that “nine out of 10 U.S. employers report a reliance on U.S.-based employees with language skills other than English, with one-third (32 percent) reporting a high dependency.” This means that not only is your bilingual superpower needed by employers, but it is also a valuable asset which will allow you to seize opportunities to further your career. ¡Súper!

You can obtain official certification of Spanish language proficiency by taking an ACTFL test administered by Language Testing International (LTI). Obtaining language proficiency certification will allow you to officially confirm your language competency to potential and current employers. This gives you a distinct professional advantage in the U.S. and the global marketplace and broadens your career options. A certification also comes with an official digital badge through Credly, which you can proudly display in your professional profile online and on your résumé.

College credit

Did you know you can earn college credit for being bilingual? You can earn semesters’ worth of college credit by obtaining an official certification of proficiency. ACTFL assessments measure your language ability and proficiency regardless of whether you learned the language in school or at home. Many higher education institutions will award college credits based on the official certification. You can get closer to your degree just by being bilingual!

Business and leisure travel experiences

Having the ability to speak English and Spanish means that you do not have to cope with the language barriers that monolingual travelers experience when they are in culturally diverse situations or while visiting any of the Spanish-speaking countries in the world, of which there are over 20. Your bilingual capabilities afford you the ability to effectively communicate with others, easily navigate diverse destinations, and authentically engage in the experience. The cultural and language exposure that travel offers creates opportunities to expand your horizons and enrich your life, both personally and professionally.

Quality of mental health and a life’s journey

The benefits of being bilingual as a child and as we age have been researched and debated at length. In a 2018 article from the Washington Post, Psycholinguist Mark Antoniou of Western Sydney University in Australia proposes that being bilingual benefits the brain, especially as we age, and encourages the use of multiple languages on a regular basis to possibly delay the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. He suggests that, as the brain ages, it begins to deteriorate and that being bilingual can help to establish alternate brain networks and connections known as cognitive compensation.

So, whether you use your bilingual superpowers as a means for personal growth, career advancement, enhanced travel experiences (for business or pleasure), or keeping your mind active, being bilingual supports a life-long journey with many benefits. Australian multi-lingual philosopher Ludwig Witterstein said it best, “the limits of my language means the limits of my world.” In other words, your world is expanded by virtue of your bilingual superpowers. It is your time to go out into the world and reach new heights!

Get certified and showcase your bilingual superpowers with ACTFL assessments delivered by LTI. Find more information and sign up to take a test at www.languagetesting.com.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/05/27/the-us-has-the-second-largest-population-of-spanish-speakers-how-to-equip-your-brand-to-serve-them/?sh=27dc8b16793a

https://oxfordhousebcn.com/en/8-hidden-benefits-of-being-bilingual/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/speaking-two-languages-may-help-the-aging-brain/2018/12/07/f93489c8-f8b0-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html

 

 

Top 10 Tips Before Administering the AAPPL

In preparation for your fall AAPPL testing season, we have pulled together a list of Top Ten Tips to help ensure that your AAPPL experience this year is a smooth one.

1. Choose your proctoring mode and think through the steps you will need to take to set yourself and your students up. These resources can help you go into testing well-prepared:

2. Order your tests with confidence, knowing that your school will only be charged for tests that are actually taken. For example, if you need to change proctoring modes for a class or student, you can simply cancel the tests ordered with one proctoring mode and order new ones based on your needs.

  • Remember that tests must be ordered at least one day in advance for computer-based proctoring.
  • Review this list of great AAPPL Resources, including the AAPPL Client Site Manual and How-to Videos.
  • Know which AAPPL Form is right for your students by reading through this page.

​​​3. Help your students prepare by guiding them to the many available resources online:

  • Practice the components by working through the available Demos and view our online AAPPL Tips Videos.
  • Share the Tasks & Topics with your students to help them prepare to do their best.

4. Set yourself up for technical success by following these steps:

  • Always be sure to run through the System Check well in advance and have your students do the same if using their own devices for testing.
  • Set up headsets and microphones on all devices being used for testing and/or support parents/guardians and students through this process.
  • For Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Thai, language-specific keyboard layouts must be set up. Please refer to the Operating System-Specific instructions linked to in our Technology FAQs and then use the language-specific Demos to test the keyboarding functionality once set up.

5. Set up the in-school testing environment in advance.

  • To ensure there are no connectivity issues with large numbers of students simultaneously accessing media files over your network, we recommend that students practice taking the AAPPL demos in the room you will be using to administer the test.
  • Try to eliminate background noise as much as possible while students record themselves for the ILS component.

6. If using parent/guardian proctoring, support at-home proctors through the process.

  • Share the FAQ/Resources for Parents with parents/guardians.
  • Be prepared to answer questions as they arise and know the support resources that are available through your school and through LTI.

7. If implementing computer-based proctoring, assist students with technical questions when needed.

  • Be sure to read pages 3-4 of this guide for additional technical requirements and considerations.
  • Remember that students must use Google Chrome for the computer-based proctoring system.
  • Remind students that they should test alone in a quiet space and that they may not access cell phones or tablets.

8. Provide test login information to students to give them access.

  • Access student login information on your account and provide it to students, depending on the requirements of your chosen proctoring mode. You can print them for in-school proctoring and email them for parent/guardian or computer-based proctoring.
  • Remember that student log-in credentials are considered sensitive testing documents and should be kept in a secure location.

9. Run the System Check one more time right before testing is to take place to be absolutely certain that the technology is working.

10. Once testing is complete, access your students’ Score Reports and Certificates on your account and tell them what a great job they’ve done!

If at any time you would like a one-on-one walkthrough of your account, or need help ordering and administering tests, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

AAPPL Customer Care
aapplhelp@languagetesting.com
(800) 486-8444 option 1​​​​​

ACTFL’s recent press release, announced the launch of the comprehensive list of AAPPL Topics. The comprehensive list of AAPPL Topics encompasses all forms and versions of the assessment and can be found on ACTFL’s Tasks & Topics page.

AAPPL assessments ordered for Out of School Testing with Parent/Guardian Proctoring will continue to be available throughout the 2021-22 school year. Like in 2020-21, this content will vary from the content included in the In School or Computer Proctored forms.

Spanish Speakers Bring Superpowers to Businesses

The U.S. population is becoming increasingly diverse, and the Hispanic population is a big contributor to the country’s changing demographics. According to the U.S. Census’ latest data, there has been a 23% increase in the Spanish-speaking population since 2010, totaling approximately 62.1 million Hispanics as of 2020. This growth is projected to reach 99.89 million by 2050[i], and the importance of developing business strategies to connect and engage with the Hispanic consumer segment is paramount.

This diversification is not limited to race and ethnicity—it also includes language. In 2013, approximately 6 out of 10 (62%) of Hispanics were bilingual (English & Spanish)[ii] and by 2050, it is anticipated that 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will speak Spanish[iii].

What exactly does this mean for your business? Accurately and authentically engaging with Hispanic consumers will allow you to earn their respect, trust, and business.

Companies that intentionally hire bilingual team members to communicate and engage with the Spanish-speaking population have a competitive edge, making language proficiency an undeniable superpower. In ACTFL’s 2019 report titled “Making Language Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers”, 1 out of 3 U.S. employers reported a language skills gap with the greatest need in the following top 5 business areas:

  1. Customer Service
  2. Sales
  3. Marketing
  4. Management
  5. IT

Approximately 9 out of 10 employers reported relying on employees for language skills other than English. Therefore, companies that have bilingual employees who can communicate with their Hispanic customers with both linguistic and cultural competence not only tap into a competitive edge that directly affects their bottom line, but more importantly, they also nurture brand loyalty and longevity with a segment of the population that is often overlooked by other companies. As the largest growing population in the United States, the Spanish-speaking consumer segment can no longer be ignored.

In 2020, the buying power of the Hispanic market was predicted to reach $1.7 trillion. More specifically, Hispanic entrepreneurship grew by 31.6% since 2012, along with the use of digital tools.  Approximately 98% of Hispanic entrepreneurs use digital tools to run their businesses, and about 75% of them use social media for business purposes. The online environment provides direct access to the Hispanic market like never before. In an article titled “Companies Engaging Hispanics Win Big in the U.S.—and Beyond” the author, Jessica Rivera, stated “…research shows that best-in-class companies that aim at least 25% of ad spending at Hispanic consumers are growing by 6.7% annually.”

Are you ready to activate your company’s Spanish language superpowers? Here are three (3) quick tips to get you started:

  1. Recruit certified Spanish speakers: Having team members that can communicate in Spanish will provide your company the bilingual capabilities needed to engage with Spanish-speaking people authentically and appropriately. Make sure to test your Spanish-speaking employees for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  2. Collaborate with Hispanic businesses and entrepreneurs: Your supplier mix should represent the diversity of the community you are serving. Onboard Hispanic-owned businesses as part of your pool of suppliers as they will be your gateway to doing business with the Hispanic market.
  3. Market in language, in culture, in context, and online: Leverage technology and digital accessibility to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create business opportunities with Hispanic consumers and the community at large.

Now, more than ever, businesses need to be ready to activate their Spanish language superpowers. You can confidently partner with Language Testing International (LTI) to test and certify current staff members, and to hire prospective employees. LTI administers language assessments to thousands of candidates every year and is one of the largest and most respected foreign language proficiency test providers in the world. It offers the highest level of client service as well as convenient online test scheduling and reporting over secure client networks.

Visit www.languagetesting.com to learn more about how to certify the language proficiency of your bilingual employees and new hires.

References:

[i] https://www.statista.com/topics/1861/hispanics-in-the-us-shopping-behavior/

[ii] https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20200915/111016/HMKP-116-JU00-20200915-SD005.pdf

[iii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/05/27/the-us-has-the-second-largest-population-of-spanish-speakers-how-to-equip-your-brand-to-serve-them/?sh=3b23125793ae

Sources:

https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/wp-content/uploads/MakingLanguagesOurBusiness_FullReport.pdf

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/improved-race-ethnicity-measures-reveal-united-states-population-much-more-multiracial.html

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20200915/111016/HMKP-116-JU00-20200915-SD005.pdf

https://www.motionpoint.com/blog/companies-engaging-hispanics-win-big-in-the-u-s-and-beyond/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171002005951/en/Study-U.S.-Hispanic-Businesses-Continue-Steady-Growth

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/25/latinos-are-a-powerful-force-fueling-small-business-growth-in-the-us.html

Getting Back to Business with Language and Cultural Proficiency

One million vaccinations a day was certainly a lofty proposition as we began the year grappling with how to effectively rid ourselves of COVID-19 and get back to business. As a business owner, diversity specialist, and community advocate, I wondered how this would be accomplished because I know there are still so many gaps in addressing the United States’ diverse populations through linguistically and culturally appropriate initiatives. This is especially true in underserved and underrepresented communities where people, including senior citizens, have little to no access to reliable transportation, major healthcare facilities, or the technology needed to secure an appointment to get vaccinated. Let’s face it, we need everyone to have access to one of the three available vaccines, regardless of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, cultural background, or language proficiency, so that we can get back to business and to our lives. But how to gather individuals with the linguistic and cultural competence required to effectively communicate with members of these communities in order to promote and provide access to vaccines? 

And then it happened. On a busy morning of back-to-back Zoom calls, I received a text from Father José Rodríguez, a community leader at the local Hispanic Episcopal church in Orlando, Florida where I participate as a volunteer and as a bilingual resource to develop educational programs. He had an opportunity to secure 500 vaccines for local residents of a neighborhood where 59% of working-class families live under the poverty level. Residents are mostly essential workers who have kept the economy going  and many are English language learners, not proficient enough to navigate making an appointment to get the vaccine. His question to me was: “Do you think we can get all the community leaders together, from non-profits to small businesses and government officials, to support the National Guard to administer the vaccines in ten days?” My answer: “Absolutely!”

Language and cultural competency were at the epicenter of every tactic used to accomplish this goal as we assembled a team of talented bilingual workers for the cause. Local Hispanic supermarkets were contacted to serve as sites to enroll predominantly Spanish-speaking people 65+; local media made announcements on TV stations and radio shows, Spanish-speaking elected officials helped with logistics. They were so happy to see Father José scheduling appointments with a brigade of bilingual volunteers from various grassroots organizations. Many senior citizens had tried to secure appointments with the help of their loved ones, but the vaccination sites were a long drive from the neighborhood and they didn’t have transportation. There was a general sense of relief that now all they had to do was show up on Saturday, February 20 to the church’s parking lot at their scheduled time for the National Guard to administer the vaccine. Our organizations’ and bilingual volunteers’ efforts would bring the vaccines to the community.

That Saturday morning, I realized we were experiencing a major breakthrough that was a direct result of the measurable language skills of our team and their cultural competence. Having advocated and volunteered during several crises in Central Florida that lacked any true exercise of cultural competency (the Pulse Night Club tragedy and the displacement of over 200,000 Puerto Ricans after Hurricane María), this vaccination effort was efficient, effective, and smooth because the importance of language and cultural context was taken into account from the get-go. 

So, as we finish the business at hand of making sure everyone gets vaccinated, I encourage corporations, small businesses, community organizations, healthcare facilities, and government agencies to be intentional in preparing to get back to work building our economy by ensuring their teams have language proficient and culturally competent professionals that can help accelerate our growth and do so in an equitable way. One important strategy for doing so is by assessing the language skills of your team members and volunteers using one of Language Testing International’s proficiency tests.