Language Testing for Retail
In the retail business where consumers come from various backgrounds, it's important to create a positive experience so they feel comfortable returning to your store. Are your employees proficient enough in other languages to help your company succeed?
Language Testing International® (LTI) helps provide a smooth and accurate language testing process by delivering official ACTFL assessments. ACTFL language tests can be used to evaluate current employees and job candidates for their language proficiency.
With LTI®, you simply need to select a language and certification type, select the test for your company's needs, arrange a remote or in-person proctor, and schedule the test. Before you begin, it's important to explore the most effective ways for implementing language testing in your retail business and which types are available to integrate.
The Importance of a Multilingual Workforce in Retail
According to a report by IndustryWeek in 2020, an ACTFL study found that one in four U.S. companies lost business because they lacked a multilingual workforce.
As countries gain a more diverse range of linguistic backgrounds, working toward more expansive language skills is crucial for maintaining your customer base and growing your market reach. This is especially true for retail companies that have a variety of customer-facing employees. When employees can effectively and efficiently speak with customers in their own language, customers feel seen and may become repeat customers because they feel welcome at your store.
Language proficiency tests allow candidates and employees to demonstrate their communication skills and foster more positive relationships with customers while boosting your company's reputation.
Effective Customer-Facing Communication
When working toward implementing effective customer-facing communication, you need to identify the key languages of your target audience. Once you know which languages are more prominent among your retail consumers, you can determine which level of language proficiency is necessary for customer-facing employees and implement a suitable language proficiency test. You may also look to customer and technical support for language tests to ensure you have a positive testing experience.
Language tests focus on four language skills, including listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Language proficiency tests measure these four language skills across four major proficiency levels, according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Test scores can also be delivered according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
Novice is the basic level for foundational understanding and communication, where an individual can communicate in limited, simple concepts. Intermediate level represents the ability to interpret and convey more advanced information, ask and answer questions, and discuss various topics. Advanced level reflects the ability to deal with complications and speak in more narrative length speech. Superior level reflects ability to use discourse level speech, hypothesize, defend opinions, and handle linguistically complex situations.
Language Testing and Proficiency Assessment: What You Need to Know
One of the best ways to create a multilingual workforce is by hiring candidates with at least an intermediate to advanced level of language proficiency. During the hiring process, you can use an ACTFL test delivered by LTI to identify a candidate's level of ability with a particular language, regardless of how they acquired their abilities. This will help you recognize their strengths and weaknesses and whether you can help them fill any gaps post-hire.
LTI deliver a range of ACTFL language proficiency assessments. ACTFL's Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a reliable assessment in the form of a 15-30-minute telephonic interview between the candidate and an ACTFL Certified Tester. The 50-125-minute Listening Proficiency Test (LPT) allows one to assess a candidate's ability to understand someone speaking in another language, listen to questions, and select an appropriate answer. These tests would be ideal for retail workers in customer-facing positions, such as working the sales floor or checkout.
The Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) is a 20-80-minute assessment with several prompts to which the candidate provides a written answer. The Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) is a 50-125-minute assessment that requires the candidate to read various passages and review and answer the relevant questions. Consider these tests if your retail employees will communicate with customers or suppliers over written communication, such as email inquiries or contract processing.
Implementing Language Testing in Your Retail Business
There are some valuable steps retail HR professionals can follow to integrate effective language proficiency tests. First, assess the role's responsibilities, who the employee will primarily work with, and what current and future obligations they may take on.
To ensure you choose a reliable language testing platform that provides consistent results, check that the results are easy to assess to help you eliminate unqualified candidates. You and the candidate should feel confident that the test will accurately establish their proficiency level.
Depending on the type of retail business the candidate is applying for, you might customize questions to that particular industry to mimic terms a customer or employee might actually use on the job. Based on the candidate's score, decide what amount of knowledge is necessary for the role. These factors will help you decide on an acceptable score.
You'll also want to check if there is a more effective way to administer the test. For example, you may want to test one skill or all four skills , helping you pre-screen candidates more efficiently. You may then evaluate the results post-assessment and compare candidates to choose those who suit the role best.
Why Choose Language Testing International?
As a Samsung company, we understand the importance of hiring the right people to do business effectively in the global economy. LTI is the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, helping deliver internationally-recognized language certification that improves your customer-facing workforce. ACTFL assessments are available in over 120 languages.
ACTFL assessments and rating guidelines represent more than 50 years of research and development within the U.S. government and academia, supported by over three decades of published research. ACTFL-certified Testers and Raters undergo rigorous training to ensure tests are scored consistently and accurately. This high standard of quality allows us to work with various retailers and commercial giants like AT&T, Verizon, Allstate, and H&M.
Get Language Testing for Your Retail Business With Language Testing International
Our team of professionals offers tests that assess reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. Each test allows companies to accurately determine an individual's skill level and a valid language credential that qualifies their ability. For more information about our language proficiency assessments, contact our team today.
Our clients include:
| Allstate Insurance | Federal Express | Principal Financial Group |
| Alltel | Fidelity Investments | Protection One |
| American Electric Power | GM Productions | Progressive Insurance |
| Ameriquest Mortgage | Golden 1 Credit | Prudential Insurance |
| Amore Pacific | Goldman Sachs | PSE&G |
| Amtrak | Northrop Grumman/TRW | Radio Shack |
| Analytics, Inc. | Hankook | Reliant Energy |
| Aon Consulting | Hawaiian Airlines | Respironics |
| Asiana Airlines | Hewitt | Rogue Federal Credit |
| AT&T | HSBC | Rosetta Stone |
| AT&T Wireless | Hyundai | Samsung |
| Bank Financial | Kemin Industries | Sears and Roebuck |
| Bank of America | Kemper National Service | SBC, Inc. |
| Bell South | KPMG | Shilla Hotels |
| Beneficial Insurance | Kraft International | SITEL Corp. |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | LG Electronics | SK Telecom |
| Bowne Global Solutions | Liberty Mutual | Southern Company |
| Canon | Lincoln Re | Techtrans Corp. / NASA |
| Cargill Foods | Lotte Cinema | TelerX |
| Chubb Insurance | Lucent Technologies | TeleTech |
| CJ Corporation | MassMutual Insurance | Hartford Insurance |
| Comcast | Mayo Clinic | Town & Country Mortgage |
| CREDU | McKesson Health Solutions | United Distillers |
| Daimler/Chrysler | Merrill Corporation | United Way |
| Deloitte & Touche | Metropolitan Utilities | Verizon |
| Discover Financial | Mirae Asset | Verizon Wireless |
| Edison Electric Power | Noroo | ViaCore |
| Edison Enterprises | PacifiCare | ViaTel |
| E-mart | Peace Corps | Weitz Group |
| Enterprise Car Rental | Philip Morris | Westec Security |
| Excel Corp. | Potomac Electric and Gas | |
| Exterra Credit Recovery | PrimeCo |