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written by Doug Price “…And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!” What follows a statement like this is understandably a venture into the less obvious, the misunderstood, even the invisible. The “culture iceberg” is one popular permutation of the analogy that has been bobbing its way through the decades. Freud originally applied the iceberg […]

Written by Taylor Hull The role of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is complex and layered. It involves facilitating communication between consumers that do not speak the same language. It is the interpreter’s responsibility to have fluency in both ASL and English, as well as the ability to manage the cross-cultural flow of each […]

Written by Kelsey DeLonis & Hannah Schumacher Working with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter for the first time can seem intimidating. Don’t worry, we are here to help! As a hearing person, you instinctively look towards the direction of sound. Maintaining eye contact with a Deaf person is crucial in any setting. It is […]

Written by Amy Truman & Kelsey DeLonis When working with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter, telling the interpreter “Don’t interpret that” is not only unethical, it also implies that the interpreter is unnecessary. This is true if either the Deaf client or the hearing client says this to the interpreter. The interpreter has a […]

      Written by Steve Reynolds      “Steve, we have 100’s of Burmese employees. Why should we invest in a Cross-Cultural Training for our company?” – Indiana business owner “Great question. Simple answer. Cultural intelligence (CQ) builds TRUST.” And nothing is as effective as the speed of trust in an organization. Honing our […]

      Written by Amy Truman Have you ever tried lip-reading? Personally, the only successful lip-reading I can understand is an angry coach on TV. It’s a common misconception that all deaf people have this superpower to help them interact with the hearing world around them. So why is lip-reading such a rare skill? […]

Written by Bethany Jamison, NIC If you have ever requested or received interpreting services, my guess is you have most likely experienced a series of questions. Have you ever wondered, “Why are they asking all of these questions?”  Interpreting environments can vary from performances to business trainings to medical procedures. As you can imagine, each […]

Written by Bethany Jamison Every industry comes with distinct vernacular! A common misconception specific to the American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting Community is that the use of Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is the same as using Video Relay Services (VRS). Although both types of service are provided via a digital platform and use similar equipment, […]

Written by Wendy Carson Here in 2020, it’s hard to get through your day without interacting with other cultures. As our jobs and lives become more global, we have the opportunity to speak and work with people from all over the world. You’ve inevitably seen how interactions and expectations can differ depending on the culture and […]

We asked 2 experts at LTC this question. Here is what each of them said.  Expert 1 – Written by Wendy Carson One of the most common questions people ask is “How long will it take me to learn a new language?” The problem is there’s no ideal answer. The Foreign Service Institute calls for […]

Written by Martin George   AI (Artificial Intelligence). Many of us have been inundated with information as to how AI will change the way we live. In the language service field, we have embraced AI for years. We see platforms and services use artificial intelligence to allow us to speak with others through a downloadable […]

Although the hospitality industry is currently doing well, there could be threats to empower non-native English speakers around the corner. Below are some of those threats and how can your staff be prepared to address them. Positive Customer Experiences The hospitality industry revolves around good and positive customer experiences. In fact, changing customer demands are […]

Negative business reviews can severely damage your brand and therefore should not be taken lightly. More and more people these days will choose a company based on what they read on popular review sites like Yelp or the BBB. One bad review can pull your star ratings down and cost you thousands of dollars in […]

Hospitality and guest satisfaction is a people business. Above all, it’s about people serving people, which equates to guest satisfaction. Therefore, if guest search reviews and ratings for your establishment are less than positive, you could see a decline in registrations and a decrease in your bottom line before you can say, “TripAdvisor”. Most hotel […]

The following statements may surprise you. But, believe it or not, studies have shown that unfortunately this is a growing trend in employee safety: Hispanic and Latino workers have the highest workplace fatality rate of any group Hispanic and Latino fatality rates are nearly 50% higher than the overall rate Fatality rates for occupational injury […]

It would be a challenge to find an industry in modern times that has not been turned on its head at least once by the advent of a new technology. Most industries find themselves sprinting to catch up with a new technological advancement every week. And while an industry such as interpretation that relies so […]

Communication is the foundation for every business relationship, whether it’s relationships with clients, colleagues, or subordinates. What’s more, the level and quality of communication in a team or organization has a direct impact on its success. Unfortunately, however, communication skills are some of the most oft-cited skills lacking in the current job force. Poor communication […]

The American workplace has evolved significantly in the last few decades. Long gone are the days of solitary work in a dim cubicle with the only interaction with colleagues taking place at the coffee pot. Now, the name of the game is collaboration. And because of this shift, the ability to work in teams has […]

At a time of unprecedented access to information, there still seems to be something missing. Despite all of the available data related to business leadership, a skills gap looms large. Perhaps the most concerning skill left off the table in the modern business world is leadership. In their book Leading People, authors Rosen and Brown […]

There are two primary modes of interpretation — simultaneous and consecutive. Both are used to bridge language and cultural barriers, but understanding how and when to use both types is essential. First, let’s start off by outlining some critical differences between simultaneous and consecutive interpreting. Simultaneous Interpreting Simultaneous interpreters listen to the speaker and speak […]

You’re Invited to Our New Office!LTC is excited to open our new office! We have relocated from Suite 487 to 150 and would love for you to stop by and see the new space. We will be hosting an open house with light food and drinks.

Deaf History Month, observed nationwide every year from March 13 through April 15, celebrates Deaf history and, in particular, contributions made by Deaf community and the Hard of Hearing to American culture and society. According to verywell.com, Deaf History Month, by design, spans three key events impacting the Deaf community that occurred in American history: […]

Employee retention and skills gaps remain some of the top concerns for talent development professionals. This challenge is felt most strongly in industries where retention is consistently low, such as hospitality. The hurdles grow when your workforce is multicultural and lacking in essential skills, such as fluency in English and business communications. Hospitality is an […]

LTC Language Solutions, a full-service language company, was recently recognized as one of the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” by Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur360™ List, a premier study delivering the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. For its annual 360 List, Entrepreneur Magazine receives applications from U.S. privately owned companies who are then evaluated […]

Tucked in the Southwestern edge of Orlando, Florida lies a place that is truly unique. A place whose sole purpose is to make the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses come true. Give Kids the World village is a beautiful, 84-acre resort that is specifically designed to accommodate any and every need of wish families […]

One of the biggest challenges in any organization is effective communication.  It is a skill that has to be learned by each member of the organization for communication to be effective.  A lot goes into whether communication is effective or not, including knowing your audience, using the right medium, understanding and respecting differing communication styles, […]

Branding is an essential part of building your public image, whether you’re an athlete, executive, or other public figure. And while many people link branding and image seamlessly, many don’t consider the ramifications of public messaging to a personal brand. Therefore, it is essential to not only consider the image you convey to your audience, […]

The quality of a service is usually assessed based upon whether the end result met, exceeded, or fell short of prior expectations. For many services, this can easily be determined based upon one, straight-forward expectation of an outcome or result. Your cake, for example, is either dry, or it’s not. Your car, is either clean, […]

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. It is a comprehensive law that ensures equal opportunities and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. When a Deaf person comes into a place of business and requests an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, when is […]

At work, people express and receive appreciation in different ways. If you try to express appreciation in ways that aren’t meaningful to your co-workers, they may not feel valued at all. This is because you and your co-workers are speaking different languages. To help you better understand how employees want to feel love and appreciated, […]

LTC Language Solutions has been inducted as the newest DC Welcome China Certified Member. Destination DC’s Welcome China official certification program is in place to welcome Chinese visitors through marketing, sales and service outlets. Certified members are those who understand, welcome and are prepared for the Chinese market. With LTC’s long history of working with […]

On a good day in HR, employee engagement is tricky. Working with different individuals who have different passions, come from different backgrounds, and view work differently presents many challenges in keeping a workforce engaged. This becomes even more of a challenge when we throw in a diverse workforce. For me, the bottom line in employee […]

Welcome to LTC Teacher Information Video: Classroom Tips.  We are so excited to have you as part of our contractor team and representing LTC in classes all over the world.  In this video, we would like to review some simple Do’s & Don’ts that will help make class time efficient and effective, so that we […]

Translation errors could be costly because they don’t simply stop at identifying the target language. Translation and culture are very much connected, especially in business translation.  A simple phrase that can appear easy to translate can become difficult because it may contain cultural subtleties. For example, the State Department hired a Russian interpreter when President […]

So many articles I’ve seen over the past year talk about finding motivation, engaging and retaining employees, and pursuing that ever-elusive workplace unicorn:  work-life balance. None of these are necessarily bad topics – in fact, I think they are conversations that need to happen as new generations begin to enter the workforce. However, I think […]

The characteristics of a 21st century business can be described through trends, quantitative analysis and qualitative research, but if you were to assess your organization and your role, what values would you discover bring that label to life? I’ve found that I notice three patterns frequently: 1. Value variety in people (CQ and EQ anyone?) […]

Cultural competency has long been cited as one of the essential business leadership skills of this century– but some are still asking the question, “What exactly is cultural competence? What does it look like?” Cultural competence is simply the ability to communicate- both effectively and appropriately- with those of various cultural backgrounds. This ability, often […]

Interpreting provides a necessary service in today’s culturally intertwined world by connecting people who might otherwise be unable to do so. While many people recognize the need to bridge the communication barrier, many family members of those who cannot communicate decide that providing the interpretation themselves is sufficient in bridging the communication barrier. As convenient […]

Everyone who has ever taken a foreign language course throughout their education can attest to the fact that learning a language is a difficult endeavor. Many people spend years in their secondary education taking courses in French, or Spanish, or German…. Only to be able to recite rudimentary greetings in a rigidly formal style. The […]

As businesses seek to expand their footprints and sharpen their competitive edge, the global market becomes a natural arena for expansion.  Since Washington, D.C. is the global hub of government contracting, it’s a natural fit for businesses looking for international opportunities.  Thus, the marriage of a D.C. location and a global business model is a […]

The holiday season is fast approaching in the United States. Christmas trees can be seen in windows, and families are preparing to gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving. Other cultures, however, have their own holidays to celebrate. Now is a great time to learn about some important holidays around the world! Songkran Songkran is Thailand’s […]

With advancements in technology over the last several years, we are now able to translate entire documents at the click of a button.  You might wonder why even bother to hire a human translator?  Though there are benefits that can come from machine translation, there are also many benefits that can’t be achieved unless you […]

As English as a Second Language teachers, one of our main challenges in a one-on-one classroom environment is to get the student to open up to us so we can accurately evaluate their needs and make sure their classes are beneficial. Depending on what culture the student grew up in and ascribes to can greatly […]

Two years ago, there was only one LTC office that housed all the full-time staff. As we have continued to grow and expand, 20% of our full-time staff now work remotely from all over the country, including places like Atlanta, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C. and Chattanooga. As our company has opened up this […]

There are those on both sides: grammar-philes and grammar-phobes. I, myself, am one of the lovers- I was diagramming sentences for fun when I was eight- and I found it very hard to believe when someone first told me that students don’t need explicit grammar teaching. I was horrified at the idea! I prided myself […]

Indianapolis has often been referred to as the crossroads of America. Located in the center of a vast interstate network, the city serves as a geographical bridge between the East and the West. Culturally, it is no different; for the past two decades, Indianapolis has become the home to more and more Burmese refugees looking […]

One of the most common questions I am asked as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is if ASL is universal. If I were to go to another country, would I be readily able to communicate with a Deaf person? ASL is primarily used in the United States, most of Canada, certain countries in West […]

In the midst of conference season, two of LTC’s full-time American Sign Language staff interpreters, Kelsey DeLonis and Angie Carroll, had the exciting opportunity to interpret for a group of women at a direct sales conference. The conference took place in Nashville- also known as the “City of Music”- so the conference was musically themed. […]

  Inc. magazine, last week, ranked LTC Language Solutions NO. 4145 on its eleventh annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs.  Ultra Mobile tops this year’s list. LTC Language Solutions joins Dollar Shave […]

People who are bilingual or multilingual have been a source of fascination for years, with various studies revealing that they are more accepting, tolerant and open-minded than others. The far-reaching impact of multilingualism does not end there, however, with recent research suggesting that the behavior and outlook of bilinguals also changes according to the language […]

Culture. We all have it. When most people think of culture, they think of the usual suspects: language, art, cinema, etc. But this only scratches the surface and might not say much about how you carry your culture with you in your most basic interactions. It truly is just the tip of the iceberg. The […]

Many of you have probably seen the article in the Huffington Post “Students Invented Gloves That Can Translate Sign Language into Speech and Text”  or some version of it.  People outside of the Deaf Community see something like this and respond in ways such as, “wow, technology is amazing!”  “Oh, that is so great to help […]

“When art has changed, it’s because the world was changing.” –Corita Kent, creator of the “Love” stamp and activist Who knew that government procurement shared this quality with art?  As the world changes, the government’s need for languages services also evolves. This means that LTC continually adapts its service offerings to keep up with the […]

Providing interpreting services for a conference means providing access to content that otherwise would be closed to an audience that is unable to hear or understand. Language is the gateway through which information is shared and relationships are built. We are reminded of this link every time we hear about the positive experiences left by […]

I often have the privilege of teaching and mentoring the non-working spouse of my expat executive ESL clients. They generally also get 30-120 hours of language training along with the children in their families. My recent non-working ESL clients included five talented spouses. Four men from Brazil, Mexico, and Germany along with one woman from […]

Ironically, Chinese doesn’t begin with the ABC’s.  Often times as we sell languages we have many clients requesting Chinese interpreters and translation services, without them knowing exactly what they need.  Our job is try to make this process as simple as possible for our clients.  First and foremost, the main thing to remember is that […]

With the increase of globalization in the workplace, clear and effective communication has never been more necessary. We cross several language and cultural boundaries when we step into our offices every day. Because of this, an understanding of language and culture can be vital in many areas of the business world, and Human Resources is […]

One of the many exciting things about working at LTC is getting the opportunity to provide cross cultural trainings. These blocks of trainings cover cultural intelligence or CQ, provide an overview of understanding of human interaction and behavior, and are tailored to each organization’s needs. Some trainings are as short as two hours and others […]

Amy LeBlanc lives near Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. Image taken by K. LeBlanc 4/2016 Which customs of the technology world lead to exponential success and growth in business? Silicon Valley is a location of several cities near the southern base and rapidly surrounding the San Francisco Bay. Silicon Valley is named […]

LTC Language Solutions is proud to announce sponsorship of three time LPGA tour winner and Solheim Cup member Beatriz Recari for the 2016 and 2017 season. “It is great to be a part of team Recari again for the 2016 and 2017 season,” said Martin George, CEO of LTC Language Solutions. “Beatriz has been a part […]

I’m amazed by the number of ways our society is connected. Communication exists on a multitude of platforms. However, none is greater than that which involves language. I find it incredibly exciting to be part of a process that helps to create connections through the use of language. At the smallest level of the process […]

Doing business with the government is so fun. As I have been attending a conference hosted by the Small Business Chamber of Commerce in DC this week, I wonder how anything really ever gets done. With the alphabet soup used in government contracting like SAM, CCR, GSA and on and on along with the regulations […]

LTC is the company I started 22 years ago because I knew that there was a better way for people to learn a new language. For too long I had witnessed students and business people grappling with the daunting task of memorizing words and grammar constructs. After mastering those constructs they were supposed to be […]

The most surprising thing that has happened in DC this week had nothing to do with the Hill or the White House.   The buzz has been around the Nationals’ choice of a washed up, old coach that has had no success managing at the last few places he was hired….. and, was subsequently fired. But the […]

We all have something we just wish people would stop asking us. For me as a career linguist it is, “What do you think of Google Translate?” This question usually comes from very sophisticated business people who have been highly successful making money. I want to say, “Are you kidding me? Is that a real […]

Social media is usually frowned upon in the workplace­­ – but not when you work for a language company! This past summer, LTC staff teamed up in a friendly competition to promote awareness of LTC’s social media platforms. As I spent the summer learning more about Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter, I was struck by […]

When I arrived for my first day on the job, I was shown where my desk was, and I was given my very own multi-colored cap with a propeller on top. The embroidered patch above the bill read: LTC Language Solutions. It was an initiation into a culture as unique and adaptable as the man […]