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.
Why Now? Because Lives and Careers Depend on It
Health professions are among the fastest-growing job sectors in the United States. At the same time, the U.S. population is becoming more linguistically diverse: Almost 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, and about 8% of the population speaks English less than “very well.” Additionally, “the number of people in the United States who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) in 1980 to 67.8 million (almost 1 in 5) in 2019” according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. This linguistic reality creates both a challenge and an opportunity.
Language barriers in clinical settings can lead to misdiagnoses, medication errors, and reduced patient satisfaction. But when providers can speak directly to patients in their own language and with cultural understanding, outcomes improve. Trust is built. Disparities shrink.
That’s why offering language courses designed specifically for the healthcare context isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s essential workforce preparation.
Leading by Example: Duquesne and Montclair State University
Some universities are already ahead of the curve. Duquesne University in Pittsburgh offers Spanish for Health Professionals through its nursing department, ensuring that students receive language instruction grounded in the terminology, communication protocols, and real-life scenarios they’ll encounter on the job.
Montclair State University takes it a step further, offering a graduate certificate in Spanish for Health Professions that helps current and aspiring healthcare providers strengthen both their language and cultural competency.
These programs recognize that teaching language in a professional context isn’t extra work; it’s practical preparation. And for heritage speakers, students who grew up speaking another language at home, these courses provide a structured way to sharpen skills, acquire technical vocabulary, and prepare to use their language professionally and ethically.
Don’t Just Teach Language. Credential It!
Language instruction is powerful, but its value multiplies when paired with an industry-recognized proficiency credential. That’s where ACTFL language assessments, delivered exclusively by Language Testing International® (LTI), come in.
LTI has a long history of working with hospitals, emergency responders, interpreter programs and services, and public agencies to provide language assessments for credentialing healthcare professionals’ language proficiency and set minimum required levels for different healthcare roles. These credentials are:
- Externally validated
- Legally defensible
- Trusted across healthcare industries
- Aligned with real-world communication demands
For example, a nursing student who completes a Spanish for Health Professionals course and achieves an Intermediate High or Advanced Low rating on the ACTFL scale after completing an ACTFL language assessment can present that credential to future employers as proof that they’re qualified to communicate professionally in Spanish.
That credential carries weight. ACTFL assessments are the industry standard, used not only in education, but by hospitals, clinics, interpreter training programs, and public health agencies nationwide to ensure safe, compliant, and effective bilingual communication.
Heritage Speakers: Recognize and Leverage What They Already Bring
One of the most important advantages of offering language instruction and credentialing in health professions is the chance to empower heritage speakers, or students who already speak a second language, often fluently, but may not yet have the academic or professional vocabulary needed in clinical settings.
These students are uniquely positioned to become linguistically and culturally competent care providers. With targeted instruction and credentialing, they can hone their skills, fill critical workforce gaps, and be officially recognized for a skill they may have never considered a professional asset.
It’s a missed opportunity when heritage speakers graduate from nursing or health sciences programs without the credentials to prove their bilingualism. By offering ACTFL assessments, institutions provide a meaningful way to recognize and credential those language skills.
Not Extra Work. Extra Value.
Too often, language learning is framed as an “add-on” to an already packed course load. But for students entering health professions, especially those serving diverse communities, learning and credentialing a new or heritage language isn’t an extra task. It’s an investment in future employability, effectiveness, and impact.
For nursing programs, offering language for healthcare courses and ACTFL assessments to achieve credentials can be a differentiator. It shows prospective students and employers alike that the institution is preparing graduates to serve in real-world, multicultural contexts, and doing so responsibly.
And for students, pairing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or public health degree with a language proficiency score from ACTFL can open doors to specialized roles, bilingual hiring incentives, and greater confidence on the job.
ACTFL: The Industry Standard
Only ACTFL assessments, delivered by LTI, carry the recognition and rigor required by healthcare employers for assessing employees’ language skills. From setting hiring requirements to evaluating in-house interpreters, LTI has worked with hundreds of hospitals, clinics, and agencies to:
- Define proficiency targets for different healthcare roles
- Ensure legal defensibility when language is used in high-stakes situations
- Provide standardized ACTFL assessments that measure real-world communication, not just textbook knowledge or medical terminology
That means students aren’t just passing a class. They’re earning a language credential that speaks the language of the profession.
The Bottom Line
Healthcare providers don’t just need more hands-on deck. They need professionals who can communicate clearly, build trust, and respectfully serve and care for diverse populations. Universities have a critical role to play in meeting this need. By offering Languages for Specific Purposes like Spanish for Health Professionals, and pairing instruction with ACTFL assessments to earn language proficiency credentials, institutions can give their students a powerful edge, while improving care across communities.
It’s not extra work. It’s essential preparation for the future of healthcare.
Ready to bring ACTFL assessments to your nursing or health professions program?
Get in touch with us to learn how LTI can support your students, faculty, and clinical partners.
