Cultural Intelligence

 

“So first of all, I want to divide the room by your IQ so whoever has a 100 to 120 IQ I want you to sit over here, if you have 120 to130 over here, and 130 to145 over here so go ahead…. You guys know your IQ? You know that everyone the United States who went to elementary school here had their IQ tested and you can actually get a record of that if you just go back to your elementary school. But we talked a lot about IQ didn’t we and we put you into reading groups and math groups and you know, we divided you up into you know you’re good, I don’t know how I could never sit still so they didn’t put me in any group I think they put me in the principal’s office so you know that’s all I get but then we went from IQ to EQ. Do you know what EQ is? Emotional quotient. Men, Brett and I, we have none. We have no emotional quotient you know so most men are not very high actually on emotional quotient unless we’ve taken time  to really try to understand and develop our right brain. But now we come up with CQ and CQ- what is CQ? CQ is cultural… quotient, cultural intelligence. So I could give you a quiz today but he said I only had two hours to speak, two hours is that right? (laughs) He said 7 to 8 minutes. So cultural intelligence, cultural quotient is our ability to understand and work in a global environment. It doesn’t mean you’re working overseas, doesn’t mean you’re going overseas it means you’re working in a global environment. I just have heard that Orlando had about 62 million visitors last year and about 20% of those were international. So what is cultural intelligence and how do we get there? So really it’s all about business leadership and it’s a four-dimensional framework that looks at all first of all, are you motivated to understand people from other cultures and other languages? Because if you’re not motivated to understand different people in a different environment you might as well get out and go home, right? But second you have to say so what is my cognition what do I know, what have I been told, what have I heard, what have I read online. And then really learn. You know the third thing is metacognition. All of us metacognitively have something we think about other people and other cultures. So if I had you let’s just do a little test here I want you to uh don’t have to close your eyes if you don’t want to but think about a dog just a dog we’re not thinking about other cultures right now cause it can get us in trouble but think about a dog. Tell me what size it is small medium or large and what color it is brown black white so just think about it for a second first thing that pops in your head…ok how many people’s dog were brown….how many black…how many white…ok how many dogs small….medium…large…ok. So you guys skewed my statistic (laughs) but if you look at traditional research on sociolinguistic principles most people in the United States will say I have a medium black dog. You guys were about there if you looked at hands you had about 60-65% said black dogs and about 70% who were medium so we’re all geared, guys, to look and think about things in a certain way. And so if I say Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic, Brazilian, we immediately begin to think things don’t we? We feel things we look at you know what do we hear on tv or the radio and those things start coming up in us whether we want them to or not so that’s metacognition. Metacognition is how we feel, how we sort of relate to things. And then the 4th paradigm is actually behavioral change and when you have behavioral change we think you have effective leadership. So effective leadership as it says here you want to manage diversity and so you have teams I guarantee you this everyone… does anyone in this room not work with someone from another culture?….Anyone? Look at that. So like I said you don’t have to travel overseas, you don’t have to do business overseas, no one in this room doesn’t work with someone from another culture so it’s really important for us to understand  what are the other people thinking, what are they feeling, what is their background and I know guys a lot of you say, but I’ve traveled I’ve been to Costa Rica I’ve been to you know Panama City and I’ve been to China on a vacation and I flew into Beijing and I saw the Great Wall and you know I ate some cha siu bau and I had some noodles and I know everything about China. But really when we think about China so when we go up to a Chinese person is this how we greet someone, “Hi how’re you what’s going on?” Is that how we do it? And if we do not understand then that’s just a simple greeting. So in China you know one of the things intrinsically I’m going to have a lighter handshake, I’m not going to look at his eyes and those kinds of things in business and in interacting and sociolinguistics it goes a long way to really help us pave the way for us to be able to do business to relate to open doors for us so I can’t go through all of these things but you can get this I’ll put it out online you guys put it out online too because I only have 7 or 8 minutes but how does it impact you? How does it impact you positively or negatively if you want to grow your business if you want to develop? You know we really do have to understand other people from other cultures and how they think believe and act and that’s why we have a panel of cultural experts here today who will help us understand some of those cultures.” (Applause)

Kathleen, you have been an amazing and reliable addition to this student’s team for the past five school years. I want to express my gratitude to you as well as gratitude from the parents and student. We all appreciate your dedication to his access success!

Student’s School to Our Teacher

“We really like Ruth, she is very friendly. The boys like it too much too. We are excited for next class. “

Family in Alabama

I Really Have Appreciated The Classes With Nancy – She Is Wonderful Teacher And I Was Very Motivated To Learn More (And Always Felt Badly When I Struggled Because She Inspires One To Want To Be/Do Better). I Am Very Appreciative Of Having Had This Opportunity To Work With All Of You. It Is One Of The Very Best Language Classes I Have Taken In Years.

A. West

Kallie has been absolutely great and an excellent match for the classes. Always looking the way to interact and find new ideas to approach the class has been awesome. Not easy with children, and ours is quite challenging some times, but they manage to get an understanding.

Language Training Parent

I’m so grateful to have you interpreting these important and complex issues for our student!

Current ASL Client

I wanted to say thank you for matching me with such a good teacher. I really feel much more confident after just a few lessons and this makes such a difference in my day to day happiness and feeling in Japan – the power to communicate is really important to me.

Japanese student

“Ewa was crucial in my transition from the US to Germany. She not only took the time to ensure I was learning the correct dialect and colloquialisms of the area to the best of her ability but also was able to answer general questions I had about life in Europe.”

Student in Hamburg

“Dianne’s lessons are very nice yesterday and today. I like Diana and I like her classes.”

ESL student in the Indy office

Ben and Andrea did a superb job, and were very prompt and courteous. I would highly recommend them for similar jobs in the future. Thank you, Sadie and Paige, for working with us as we make our show more inclusive.

ASL Client

Juliana is even more than an amazing Portuguese teacher but also a cultural expert and a very lovely person. I will really miss her a lot…

Portuguese Student

Gabi was afraid to tackle speaking, until we just starting talking. She has now put out a yoga video with her speaking English. She will teach this class twice a week.

Maggie (Teacher in Atlanta, GA)

Several months of training with Judith passed very quickly. It was interesting, the atmosphere was great, I will miss our lessons!

Project Management Employee

Kazuko Is A Wonderful Teacher And A Super Sweet Person. Thank You For Your Services And Timely Responses In Everything. I Plan To Recommend Ltc To Any And Everyone I Know Interested In Language Learning. Thank You!

J. Brogan

Overall, I Thought The Course Was Fantastic. I Feel Like I Learned A Lot And Improved Significantly. Astrid Is A Great Professor. She Took The Class Seriously And Made It Enjoyable. She Did A Great Job Of Recognizing Everyone’s Weaknesses And Helping Us Improve On Them. She Focused On Improving Our Grammar While Also Keeping The Class Conversational. The Lessons Were Well Prepared And Focused On Areas We Needed To Learn, Not Just By-The-Book. It Felt Like The Class Was Tailored To The Student’s Abilities. I Am More Than Satisfied.

K. Corrigan

Thank You So Much, I Really Enjoy My Classes With Joyce I Love Her She Is Very Nice Teacher.

J. Nolaya

I would like to commend Catherine T. for her professionalism. The sessions were always on time and well structured.

French Student

Thank you for organizing these workshops for teachers, we learn so much from each other and grow to be better instructors.

Language Training Instructor

Thank you. I appreciate what you do to help our Company succeed with better communication for our fellow employees.

Director of Human Resources – Staffing Company

I Enjoyed Studying With LTC. I Am Grateful For The Great Work With Ana And Her Professionalism To Customize Themes And Her Support In My Daily Life. I Feel More Comfortable With My Language.

D. Triviño

I Hope All Is Well. I Wanted To Follow Up Regarding The Translating Last Weekend. The Gentleman Helping Us Was Fantastic. He Was The Epitome Of Customer Service And Was So Knowledgeable. He Is The Biggest Asset You Have At Your Company.

Anonymous

I have to say that Karen has been an amazing teacher. She is very kind and always is searching the way to explain me everything. Always works in her class in advance. Long story short she is great.

Student from Mexico learning English

I can say only that Ruth is an amazing teacher. I am absolutely satisfied with our classes. Thank you so much for your attention.

Language Training Student

The LTC Is The Best English Training Compared To My Previous Language Training Experience Because They Really Understand What I Needed And The Important And Suitable Materials Useful To Apply At My Work. They Give Me Confident To Speak In English And My Writing Is Improving.

D. Sriyunilawati

Floriana was an absolute delight, and I could not have asked for a better teacher. She was outstanding, well-prepared, adapting course materials to my needs and interests, responsive, caring, dedicated to making course content fit with my context, and most of all a friendly and smiling face every week for someone new in town.

Student from Denmark learning Italian

The Classes With Katelyn Are Amazing. I Am Very Happy To Have Her As My Professor. She Is An Amazing Teacher And An Excellent Person. I Am Learning A Lot From Her. She Is Very Patient, Responsible, Punctual, Very Clear, And With Great Experience Teaching. She Is Helping Me A Lot To Improve My English.

Anonymous

We meet virtually now. He even gave me a cooking lesson….he tried his best to do it in Japanese but we ended up doing most of it in English ????. While I may have learned less words, I certainly got to learn how to make tempura!!

Patrick (Happy Student in Tokyo)

Thank you both very much for all you do. This translation project will go incredibly far in informing many of our Veterans and their families, on the important facts and information surrounding our current pandemic.

EEO Specialist (Equal Employment Opportunity)

Hi Wendy, I spoke with Stefano today and he sang praises for you, their English teachers and the CC trainer.

Relocation Counselor

On behalf of Freedom House, I would like to sincerely thank you for you and your team’s services today. Your presence helped us to ensure that the event went smoothly and that all of the attendees were able to participate. Thank you so much!

Freedom House

I thoroughly enjoy working with him. He has all the proper material and the patience. our classes are very instructive and he doesn’t waste time.  Alvaro has been really good at being able to construct the pieces and then put them in place so that it all comes together and becomes usable. 

Spanish student

Thank you so much to all of you for this workshop, I absolutely loved all the information you shared and will definitely continue to address cultural differences in class.

French Instructor

Their phone interpretation service is a very easy and convenient service for us to use when we are seeing patients in the office. Douglas Price is a great person there and is very good at communicating with our practice and helping us with anything we need. Great company!

Practice Manager

I have had wonderful interpreters from LTC in the past, who have done a great job providing precise and accurate interpretation. Ms. Li, however, goes far above and beyond what is expected. I’m so very grateful for her exceptional service to both this family and to ZCS.

Director of Student Services

I Wanted To Take The Time To Thank You For Your Amazing Services, Both Tom And Hayley Were Tremendous Help Onsite And Even Prepping For It. Looking Forward To Doing Business With You Guys In The Future.

D. Henriquez

The instructor [Jeff] taught me not only English but also American culture, history, and food culture. He also gave me advice on getting a driver’s license, buying a car and furniture. Thanks to him, I started jogging and became healthier. He has helped me to make a full start in my new life. Thank you for introducing me to a very wonderful instructor.

Japanese student learning English

When Covid hit we were cautious allowing anyone but the patient in the office and this is a wonderful helping hand in the matter.

Interpreting Location Manager

Thank You For All Of Everyone’s Help With Fumiya. We Have All Seen Him Grow With The Ability To Communicate On The Daily Tasks. I Will Definitely Keep You On My Contacts In Future Situations Thank You Again Have A Great Day.

J.

The ongoing lessons have helped break up the routine of quarantine and more importantly, a source of learning and personal improvement during these extraordinary times.

Jasmin (Student in Mexico City)

I Appreciate Your Qualified Language Training Program Very Much. You Made It Possible To Improve My Knowledge In The English Language In A Lot Of Ways: A Significant Increase Of Vocabulary, Repetition And Consolidation Of Grammar And Practice The English Language By Using It In Conversations During Every Lesson. I Am Very Thankful For All They´ve Done And I´ll Always Recommend Your Institution In The Future.

C. Muth

Kimberly, thank you for your training, all your explanation and criticism, and so much helpful information and tools you’ve shared these past weeks. You inspired me to write more and become more proficient in this craft. GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

US Government Student Taking Writing Classes

This Year Went Very Well. The Interpreters Were There On Time Every Day And Very Helpful To Catherine. I Did Not Have To Think Twice About Their Service. Thank You.

C. Carol

I appreciate you, Anya and Lauren for leading the training. It was very beneficial and I got to immediately use some of the material in my class.

Language Training Workshop Teacher

I Really Enjoyed My Time With Christine, She Is Amazing, As I Told You She Helped Me A Lot Improving My Conversation Skills. The Classes Were Really Dynamics\ And I Never Felt Like I Was In A Strict Class. I Want To Say Thank You Again And I Hope In The Future To Take The Training Again. I Will Recommend Ltc With My Venezuelan And Latin Friends.

F. Inciarte

It was the 3rd class with Kathy today. She is the best English trainer I’ve ever met. Her lessons really work good. So far I have nothing I need to ask you.

Nissan student from Japan.

Thanks Wendy for all your help! You are a terrific manager. What a difference between my GLobal LT experience and working with you!!

Teacher

Joseph was an excellent instructor. He was very dedicated to teaching me the language skills I needed for my upcoming assignment.

Student from Government Program

The class was awesome! We Love It. It was an introductory one. We are talking about ourselves to help Cleide understand our expectations. She explained to us a lot of stuff about living in the USA.

Cultural Training Student in Nebraska

Our ENL (English and a New Language) team refers to her as a superhero and it’s no joke—she is truly amazing! Kitty does so much more than just interpret our conferences. She is someone who understands how school works and who can give us important cultural context, which is incredibly valuable.

Director of Student Services

Thank you so much for your interpretation service – it has been a blessing to work with you and has been so helpful in a meaningful way!

Current ASL Client

I Would Recommend Ltc To Other Global Companies Requiring Interpretation Services. During Our Event, The Performance Of Ltc Made Me Feel At Ease Which Allowed Me To Focus My Attention On Other Aspects Of The Event. I Believe That When You Work With Ltc, You Will Receive A Professional And Efficient Team Of People Who Will Do Everything In Their Power To Deliver Excellent Service.

D. Hayden

I just want to reach out and let you know that the interpreters did a great job at the conference last week. Olivia and Justin were a pleasure to work with.

Meeting Event Manager

I really LOVE my Portuguese classes and Juliana is TERRIFIC… I never had a teacher as great as Juliana, she is amazing and it is teaching me not only to talk in Portuguese but also about the Brazilian culture that is helping me a lot to understand the way they communicate…

Student in Mexico

I cannot express enough great things about this experience. Jeancois was absolutely fantastic- professional, flexible, and dynamic- qualities I have found that some interpreters don’t always demonstrate when working with the pediatric population.

Bilingual Professor

The Classes Have Been Great. My Knowledge Has Increased Tenfold, Thanks To My Classes And Personalized Curriculum. The One-On-One Nature Of The Classes Ensures That Learning Is Catered To You.

K. Singh

My Classes With Connie Have Been Excellent. I Would Even Go So Far As To Say That They Have Exceeded My Expectations.

M. Bush