Any business that does not have a sophisticated plan to communicate in multiple languages is looking at its potential business through a keyhole. That company may as well not have a website.

This Earth Day, it brings me great pleasure to let you know that LanguageLine Solutions has been “Green Business Certified,” and even greater pleasure to announce an environmental initiative that we are launching in the name of a beloved team member.

With the rise in hate crimes across the country, the San Francisco Police Department has launched an anonymous hotline for Chinese language speakers. The hotline is staffed with bilingual employees and LanguageLine interpreters so that callers can feel empowered to make reports in multiple languages.

Rocket Mortgage is one of the largest lenders in the United States, and the largest online lender. The company offers a wide choice of both purchase and refinance options. It has made enormous strides in recent years with its multicultural marketing and servicing.

LanguageLine Solutions was born 40 years ago today. It was in 1982 that two police officers conceived of a remote-interpreting service to assist Vietnamese refugees. The extent of our infrastructure back then was a three-party phone and a box full of 3x5 index cards that contained interpreter names and numbers. Both sat on a gas-powered dryer in the basement of a rental home in Monterey, Calif., with our founders feverishly pairing callers with linguists who would be their bridge to understanding and empowerment.

Every company has its own language. Ensuring that your entire team uses the same terminology requires focus. All of this becomes even more challenging as you strive to provide this same content in multiple languages. Translating terminology across languages can be difficult, resource-consuming, and expensive. Reworking translation projects due to incorrect terminology use can be very costly.

A special-education student named Javier is enrolling in a new school district. After being evaluated and accepted into the district’s special-education program, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team has 30 days to create a year-long academic plan for him. They must then schedule time with Javier’s parents to discuss the plan and make sure they agree with it.

Liner Notes is a weekly look at five pieces of content that we feel are essential reading, viewing, or listening for those who aspire to alleviate language and cultural barriers.

Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid healthcare program. This program pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Medi-Cal is supported by federal and state taxes.

Today is International Women’s Day. This occasion represents a very special, global recognition of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world.