This month’s Language Superhero is Miya Alcivar. Miya is an office manager and bookkeeper, and she’s pursuing the opportunity to become an interpreter thanks to her language skills. She can fluently speak English, Spanish, and French, and is learning Korean. “Being an immigrant myself, I think the ability to connect with people in a language […]
Continue readingMeet a Language Superhero: Madeline Martinez
Madeline Martinez, a bilingual writer and marketer, grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to mainland United States twenty years ago. She is our October Language Superhero. In the story she shared with her, she talks about her experience learning English and starting a career as a writer and interpreter. She also shares her experience […]
Continue readingWhen It Comes to Education, Language Matters
As established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations, “parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children” and every child has the right to education. But what happens when students and their parents are immigrants who do not command enough English […]
Continue readingMultilingualism in the Financial Industry Is a Valuable Asset
Are you a bilingual or multilingual professional looking for a career change or an advancement opportunity? If you command a second language or several languages, you should consider looking into the finance and accounting sectors, considered to be among the most lucrative fields to work in. With the continuous growth of multilingualism in the U.S., […]
Continue readingMastery of Another Language Makes You an Ideal Candidate for the Hospitality Sector
Currently, more companies in the United States and around the world are expanding their businesses to international markets due to the diverse and changing economy worldwide. This tendency leads to a growing need for the recruitment of qualified bilingual and multilingual employees to meet the language preferences of non-English speaking customers and thus avoid the […]
Continue readingThe Internal and External Role of Language Proficiency in Business
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 […]
Continue readingCultural Competence and Linguistic Proficiency Where You Work, Live, and Play
As the owner of a Strategic Marketing and Business Development firm that specializes in multicultural markets, I am constantly looking for ways to better serve our clients. Corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors often struggle with understanding where to start with their multicultural efforts and still be cost-efficient and effective. Thankfully, my experience working for Spanish-language […]
Continue readingNavigating a New Life and Job with English as a New Language
Imagine you have arrived in a new country where the dominant language is one you have limited proficiency in or do not command. And this is not a vacation. Either out of desire or necessity, you are now living in a new country navigating a new life and new language. To survive, gain some stability, […]
Continue readingDiversity of Hispanic Leadership
The values and cultural preferences of individuals who identify as Hispanic are unique and distinct. So does the concept of leadership—what it should look like, sound like, and how it should be represented by Hispanic leaders in their communities. The diversity that exists within the Latino population means that leaders must use certain skillsets and […]
Continue reading“My accent is my asset”
There is often a misconception about people who speak English as their second language. If they have strong accents, they are often perceived as having a reduced ability to communicate or their level of intelligence is questioned. Let’s consider instead that if a person speaks with an accent or does not fully command English, that […]
Continue reading