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 […]
Continue readingConsistency and Bias in Assessing Language Proficiency
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 […]
Continue readingBuilding Bridges Through the Power of Cultural and Linguistic Engagement
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 […]
Continue readingNavigating Multicultural Spaces in Business and through Entrepreneurship
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 […]
Continue readingReasons 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 […]
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 readingLinguistic and Cultural Proficiency Is Critical in Mitigating Healthcare Disparities
In 2009, I went to a business networking luncheon. The Marketing Director of a major hospital campus in my neighborhood told me to scoot over in a booth I was sitting at because she wanted to sit next to me to talk. She had heard that my company specializes in multicultural marketing and maybe, just […]
Continue readingCreating a Linguistically and Culturally Competent Patient Care Experience
In a recent episode of “Language is Your Superpower” podcast, we embark on a dynamic and diverse conversation with Samí Haiman-Marrero, President/CEO of URBANDER. As a Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) solution-driven agency, URBANDER assists the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors with overcoming their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Marketing challenges, with a special […]
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, […]
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