How a Credit Union Boosted Member Retention by Embracing Multilingual Services

I have noticed that financial institutions are recognizing more and more each day the importance of language accessibility and cultural fluency in serving their communities. One notable example is the Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) in North Carolina, which has demonstrated in recent years how implementing multilingual services can lead to increased customer loyalty and expanded community reach. 

Established in 2000 in Durham, North Carolina, the LCCU was founded in response to a series of violent crimes targeting Latino immigrants who, lacking access to traditional banking services, were forced to carry large amounts of cash when they got paid by their employers. This vulnerability highlighted the urgent need for a financial institution that could serve the Latino community’s unique needs. 

Multilingual Services and Cultural Fluency 

From its inception, LCCU prioritized language accessibility. Recognizing that many of its members were more comfortable communicating in Spanish, the credit union ensured that all services, including account management, loan applications, and customer support, were available in both English and Spanish. Additionally, LCCU provided financial education programs tailored to the cultural contexts of its members, helping them navigate the U.S. financial system more effectively. 

Of utmost importance, the credit union attributes its success to the bilingual staff they have hired from within the community who have the ability to help customers regarding financial matters in English and Spanish. I truly admire this decision, because in my experience not all institutions take serious measures in providing clear communication, mitigating risk, and fostering trust by prioritizing the language skills of their customer-facing employees as an operational imperative. 

This is why ACTFL® assessments delivered through Language Testing International® (LTI), are so valuable because they are the gold standard in determining language proficiency, helping financial organizations like LCCU ensure that their teams can consistently meet the needs of clients of all backgrounds. 

Impact on Member Retention and Community Reach 

The implementation of multilingual services had a profound impact on LCCU’s growth and member retention. To date, the credit union has over 135,000+ members from 137 different countries and has given out $1.9 billion in life-changing loans. 

These figures underscore the credit union’s success in building trust within the Latino community. By addressing language barriers and providing culturally relevant services, LCCU not only attracted new members but also fostered long-term loyalty. 

Broader Implications for Financial Institutions 

LCCU’s experience illustrates the broader benefits of embracing multilingual services in the financial sector. By investing in language accessibility and cultural fluency, financial institutions can: 

Enhance Customer Trust 

Communicating in a customer’s preferred language demonstrates respect and understanding, fostering trust and confidence in your expertise. 

Improve Financial Literacy 

Tailored financial education programs can empower underserved communities, leading to more informed financial decisions. 

Expand Market Reach 

Multilingual services can attract a more robust customer base, opening up new markets and opportunities for growth, especially if no one else is catering to them, as in the case of LCCU. 

Increase Member Retention 

Providing culturally relevant services can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Strengthen Generational Loyalty 

When financial institutions build trust with first-generation customers through language access and cultural respect, they often gain the loyalty of future generations. Children and grandchildren of initial members tend to stay within the trusted institution, resulting in sustained growth and a deeper community footprint. 

Language Proficiency Certification

I applaud LCCU for serving as an example of a compelling business model that demonstrates how to leverage language accessibility and cultural fluency to drive customer loyalty, generational engagement, and community empowerment. As financial institutions seek to attract untapped market segments, embracing multilingual services is not just a matter of compliance or goodwill—it’s a strategic imperative that can lead to sustained growth, deeper relationships, and success across generations. 

To maximize these efforts, I recommend that financial institutions evaluate the language proficiency of their teams through ACTFL® assessments. Verifying true language capabilities ensures that institutions meet regulatory expectations in over 120 languages through objective, ACTFL-certified evaluations of an individual’s reading, writing, speaking, and listening proficiency.  

By eliminating ambiguity, organizations can make informed staffing and development decisions, while bilingual professionals gain clear validation of their capabilities—strengthening the foundation for operational excellence and sustainable growth. For more information visit languagetesting.com. 

What’s New with AAPPL for 2025–2026

At ACTFL® and Language Testing International® (LTI), we are committed to delivering the best possible assessment experiences for educators and learners. We always innovate, always listen, and always improve. As we kick off the new school year, here’s what’s new and updated with the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL).

AAPPL Test Content Refresh

The AAPPL content is reviewed and refreshed every year; the 2025-26 version of AAPPL will be released Sept. 15. Please note that any test orders placed before Sept. 15 will receive the version used in the 2024-25 academic year.

ASL AAPPL

The first ACTFL assessment of American Sign Language (ASL) is launching this September, just in time for the new school year! The ASL AAPPL assesses Interpersonal Interaction (II) and Receptive Comprehension (RC) and is designed for d/Deaf learners, CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults), and ASL language learners. It provides an ACTFL score that can be used for the attainment of the Seal of Biliteracy as well as for benchmarking and progress tracking.

The ASL AAPPL is fully accessible to all learners, and accommodations are available through the standard request process.

Developed in collaboration with d/Deaf and hearing ASL experts across the country from high school and university settings, ASL AAPPL honors the visual-spatial nature of the language and brings equity and recognition to ASL classrooms.

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ASL AAPPL: A Groundbreaking ACTFL Assessment for American Sign Language – LTI Blog

The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) for American Sign Language (ASL) is launching this fall, bringing the trusted ACTFL® gold standard to ASL for the very first time. The test was developed in collaboration with d/Deaf and hearing ASL experts and educators from across the country, as well as psychometricians and ACTFL’s Assessment and Research team, to ensure appropriateness of content, inclusiveness in all test resources, and test validity and reliability. The ASL AAPPL offers learners, educators, and institutions a research-based, culturally responsive, and interactive way to evaluate learners’ performance toward proficiency in American Sign Language.

Available in Form A and B and designed for learners in grades 9-12, the ASL AAPPL can support:

  • Seal of Biliteracy qualification
  • Benchmarking and tracking growth over time
  • ASL course placement in higher education

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Speaking the Language of Care: Why Nursing and Health Professions Programs Should Teach and Credential Language Skills – LTI Blog

In today’s world, nearly every profession benefits from multilingual communication. But in healthcare, it’s not just a bonus. It’s often a matter of safety, equity, and legal responsibility. Whether it’s a nurse caring for a Spanish-speaking patient, an EMT responding to a call in a multilingual neighborhood, or a clinic receptionist helping a Chinese family navigate care options, the ability to communicate across languages can be the difference between misunderstanding and healing.

While academic institutions across the country make the tough decision to cut language programs, the demand for a language-proficient workforce, especially in healthcare, is growing. Employers are actively seeking nurses, technicians, and other frontline workers who can connect with diverse patient populations. By embedding Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), such as Spanish for Health Professionals, into nursing and health sciences programs, institutions can meet this growing demand while offering students an unparalleled career advantage and preserving the language programs.

And when paired with ACTFL® language proficiency credentials, these programs become even more powerful, turning students’ multilingual skills into professionally recognized assets.

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7 Language Pro Tips to Elevate Customer Service in Any Industry

It’s no secret that if you deliver exceptional customer service, you will have the true competitive edge—and language skills are at the heart of it. Whether you’re in hospitality, retail, healthcare, or travel, the ability to communicate clearly and warmly across languages transforms everyday service into memorable experiences that drive loyalty and business growth.  

As a communications and marketing expert, I have traveled to most major U.S. cities and internationally, talking to professionals across a wide variety of industries. I’m always curious to learn how important language proficiency is to the customer service imperatives of their companies.  

Here are seven language pro tips that I’ve learned throughout the years that can elevate customer service in any industry, along with my personal experiences from hospitality, travel, healthcare, and retail contexts.

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Career-Ready in Two Languages: How a CTE Program Is Preparing Students to Succeed in Today’s Workforce

The demand for multilingual professionals is growing fast. In industries such as healthcare, hospitality, construction, and emergency services, the ability to communicate across cultures isn’t just an asset; it’s a workforce necessity. As communities become more diverse and industries more globally connected, employers are increasingly seeking workers who can speak the language of their customers and colleagues.

At Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS), we believe in preparing students for the real world, where showing up on time, mastering your craft, and communicating are essential to long-term success. That’s why, through a partnership with Language Testing International® (LTI), the exclusive licensee of ACTFL® assessments, and NOCTI (the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute), we’re helping students graduate not just career-ready, but bilingual, credentialed, and confident.

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Language on the Move: A Conversation with Marlyn Bonzil-Juste of Top Choice Medical Transport

When I sit with Marlyn Bonzil-Juste, CEO of Top Choice Medical Transport, it’s like sitting across from a quiet force of nature—steady, determined, and deeply rooted in service to her community. Every word she speaks carries the weight of experience, compassion, and an unwavering belief in the power of connection. 

Marlyn’s journey to co-founding Top Choice Medical Transport is personal and tenacious. As an immigrant from Haiti, she watched her family struggle with access to reliable and culturally mindful healthcare transportation. It was her grandmother’s hardships in getting to critical medical appointments that first ignited Marlyn’s determination to build a better solution. Founded in 2020, her company has quickly become a vital link between patients and healthcare providers throughout Central Florida. 

As I discussed with her how multilingual communication plays a critical role in non-emergency medical transportation, it became clear that Top Choice Medical Transport isn’t just a service—it’s a lifeline for many people.

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Online Testing and Student Safety: Why COPPA Certification Matters

As classrooms increasingly rely on digital platforms for instruction and assessment, ensuring student safety online has become more than a best practice. It’s a legal and ethical responsibility. While teachers often evaluate testing tools and classroom apps based on usability, price, and instructional value, there’s another critical factor that should always be part of the decision-making process: data privacy compliance.

Specifically, any online tool or assessment used with students under age 13 must comply with COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a federal law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But here’s the catch: self-auditing alignment with compliance guidelines is not the same as being certified.

Let’s take a closer look at what COPPA compliance really means, why third-party certification matters, and how Language Testing International® (LTI) sets the standard for online student safety with the AAPPL and ALIRA test platforms.

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Empowering Bilingual Proficiency through Translation and Interpreting Training – LTI Blog

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution. I teach courses in interpreting, Spanish, and bilingualism. Most students at our college are bilingual, yet they often enter college unsure of how their language skills relate to their academic and professional goals.

At John Jay, our Translation and Interpreting Certificate program is designed to prepare students for real-world language careers—while also supporting their bilingual development. To evaluate whether this dual goal is being met, my colleague, Dr. Aída Martínez-Gómez, and I conducted a semester-long study using ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency Interview – Computer (OPIc)® in both English and Spanish. This allowed us to measure the functional oral proficiency of our students before and after one semester of coursework.

Bridging the Proficiency Gap

One of the key challenges in bilingual higher education is that students often have uneven language skills across English and Spanish. Many of our heritage Spanish speakers report feeling more confident in English, even though they use Spanish daily at home. At the beginning of our study, most participants were more proficient in English than in Spanish, according to their OPIc scores.

We hypothesized that instruction in Spanish—through the Translation I and Interpreting I courses—would help close this gap. Although the data showed that proficiency increased slightly in both languages after one semester of training, English showed a slightly stronger trend. Interestingly, those with lower starting proficiency (regardless of language) made the greatest gains. For details, you can access the 2025 article I co-authored with Aida Martínez-Gómez, Language Learning Bridge: How Translation and Interpreting Training Impacts Bilingual  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1609736/abstract.

This supports what we have seen in language learning research (Gatti et al., 2024): students grow the most when they start from an intermediate level and are given structured, meaningful opportunities to use both languages. Seeing gains at the advanced level probably requires more than one semester of instruction. As ACTFL’s inverted pyramid demonstrates, it takes a long time and much input to move between sub-levels as one moves up the proficiency scale; see the diagram below.

Click here to access the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

LTI provides additional resources to implement the ACTFL Proficiency Scale. To read more, click here.

ACTFL Proficiency Pyramid
Inverted Pyramid Representing ACTFL Rating Scale with Major Ranges and Sublevels including Distinguished © 2024 ACTFL

From Language Brokering to Academic Skills

Many of our students come into the program with informal interpreting experience—translating for parents at doctor’s appointments or helping family members with legal paperwork. These real-life experiences are invaluable but often unrecognized in traditional academic settings.

In our classes, we aim to affirm and build on these skills. For example, students in our introduction to interpreting course practice bilingual communication in realistic scenarios, often drawing on their personal experiences. One student shared how interpreting for her family helped her feel confident during a mock immigration interview. By linking coursework to students’ lived experiences, we observed increased self-awareness, motivation, and participation.

Unexpected Gains in English

Although the courses are taught primarily in Spanish, we were surprised to see greater gains in English proficiency than in Spanish for some students. This speaks to the power of bilingual transfer. Translation and interpreting require students to think deeply in both languages, switching between them with precision and nuance. This cognitive exercise may reinforce metalinguistic skills that help students improve in both languages simultaneously.

In the U.S., it is commonly believed that improving English proficiency requires more English instruction. However, our findings suggest that English can also improve through formal instruction in the heritage language. This aligns with bilingual education research showing that students in dual language programs often outperform their peers in monolingual or ESL settings on English reading assessments (Thomas & Collier, 2017), reinforcing the value of bilingual coursework for overall language development.

Conclusion and Reflection

Our students gained more than just vocabulary or grammar—they developed real-world skills like critical thinking, adaptability, and confidence using both languages professionally. Some students reported that they now felt comfortable describing complex situations or hypothetical scenarios in Spanish for the first time. These are the kinds of language functions associated with ACTFL’s Superior level of proficiency.

As educators, we have learned that translation and interpreting training is not just about job readiness — it is a powerful context for language development, especially for bilingual students navigating multiple linguistic and cultural worlds. This work has inspired us to further tailor our instruction to heritage learners, integrating their unique linguistic backgrounds more intentionally into the curriculum.

Working with ACTFL’s OPIc has proven to be both a practical and pedagogically sound choice. We selected the OPIc because it allows for flexible, simultaneous administration with a group of students—an essential feature for classroom-based research. Unlike many traditional proficiency assessments, which often rely on metalinguistic knowledge and can disadvantage heritage learners, the OPIc has been validated as an effective tool for assessing both L2 and heritage speakers. Beyond its research utility, the OPIc also offers students a concrete way to track their own language development over time. Several students expressed pride in seeing their scores improve, which helped build confidence and reinforced their sense of progress in the course. This study is part of a broader research initiative supported by CILC, one of the Language Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, which aims to advance innovative approaches to language education in higher education.

References

Lozano Argüelles, C., & Martinez-Gomez, A. (2025, June 26). Language learning bridge: How translation and interpreting training impacts bilingual proficiency in heritage and L2 learners. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1609736/abstract

Gatti, A., Graves, S., & Durán Urrea, E. (2024). Writing Proficiency Development of Spanish Heritage Language Learners: Does Starting Proficiency Matter?. Heritage Language Journal, 21(1), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1163/15507076-bja10032

Collier, Virginia P., and Wayne P. Thomas. “Validating the power of bilingual schooling: Thirty-two years of large-scale, longitudinal research.” Annual review of applied linguistics 37 (2017): 203-217.