Language is your Superpower

In Language is Your Superpower, we explore topics related to language use in today’s world and showcase subject-matter experts who offer helpful insights on the impact of language proficiency in the workplace, marketplace, and community. This podcast is brought to you by Language Testing International.

Supporting Crewmember Career Advancement with Languages

In this episode of Language is Your Superpower, Nicole Lembo, Manager of Talent Management and Academic Programs at JetBlue Airways, joins us to discuss the JetBlue Scholars program, and how JetBlue is leveraging LTI’s Language Proficiency Testing to help the company’s employees further their academic and career advancement by offering the airline’s crewmembers the opportunity to earn a fully accredited Associate or Bachelor’s degree with JetBlue covering most of the cost.

The Impact of Language Proficiency in Healthcare Outcomes

Celia Patitucci is a tester-certified HIV educator, working on the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. As a Commercial Relationship Specialist with Crew Community Health, Celia and her team provide quality medical care and culturally competent case management to the community with a specific LGBTQ focus. In this episode of Language is Your Superpower, Celia shares with us key insights regarding the importance of language proficiency in the provision of culturally competent care.

Mobilizing/Organizing Latino Civic Engagement with Language Proficiency

Marcos Vilar was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the United States at the age of 14. Vilar has worked in Washington, D.C. in government, labor and non-profit settings. In Chicago, Illinois he worked as a High School teacher and in Florida, as a consultant for several non-profit and political entities. Today, he runs Vilar Strategies a public relations consulting practice in Orlando, FL which serves clients in strategic planning, legislative and advocacy campaigns, issue campaigns, electoral campaigns, and non-for-profit organizational development and management. Vilar led mayor efforts to activate Latino civic engagement at a national and local level, creating a coalition of organizations working together to increase Latino civic participation in key states. In this episode of Language is Your Superpower, he shares with us how language and cultural proficiency are critical for civic engagement and community impact programs.

Championing Equitable Education with Cultural and Language Proficiency

Johanna López is a member of the Orange County Public School Board in Florida and the first Latina to attain such a prestigious role. It was the culmination of a strategic campaign managed by her former students coupled with an impeccable career as an educator and advocate for English language learners. Ms. López has been tasked by the community she has served for over two decades to be the eyes, ears, and voice of students, parents, and educators, especially those who look like her and who experience disparities. She shares her story with us in this episode Language is Your Superpower.

Supporting Attainment of Language Proficiency for a Diverse Workforce

Casie Arellano currently oversees all English as a Second Language (ESOL) programs with Brevard Adult and Community Education in Brevard County FL, where for the past two years she has been working on building outreach centers to help adult learners develop a pathway to achieving their dreams using language as a stepping-stone. In this episode of Language is Your Superpower, she shares how their ESOL program became one of their most successful programs, assisting students who are integrating into the life and culture of the United States.

Growing Your Business with Language and Cultural Proficiency

Samí Haiman-Marrero is the President/CEO of URBANDER, a Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) solution-driven agency that assists the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors in overcoming their DE&I and Multicultural Marketing challenges. Specializing in the Hispanic market and multicultural marketing strategies, in this episode of Language is Your Superpower, she tells us how her team delivers culturally relevant and inclusive business strategies and programs that bring positive impact to people of diverse backgrounds and language proficiencies.

The Role of Language Proficiency Assessments in Fostering Customer and Team Member Satisfaction

Vinay Patel is as Senior Industrial and Organizational (IO) Psychologist at AT&T where he’s part of the HR research team dedicated to partnering with stakeholders across the business on various projects that have direct impact on customer experience. Among his responsibilities, Vinay develops, researches, and maintains assessments that ensure employees’ preparedness for the roles they assume and that will determine successful performance on the job. In this podcast, Vinay talks to host Lisa March about what it means to have a fair assessment process that measures performance without bias, builds a smarter and science-based workplace, and delivers both employee success and customer satisfaction. Determining language proficiency is a critical part of this process, and Vinay discusses the importance of having reliable and valid language assessments that truly measure a prospective employee’s or job candidate’s language proficiency in relation to their role at AT&T.