Case studies

Geeta's Foods (64KB, PDF)
Indian speciality food company based in North London, exploring worldwide markets. The multicultural team have learned new language skills for export markets, and adapted and translated their packaging.

Northern Edge International (71KB, PDF)
An Ilford-based health food company has developed its cultural knowledge, translated its website, adapted packaging and taken on a Spanish student to help market their product worldwide.

Tequila (107KB, PDF)
Soho-based marketing business Tequila helped staff to learn Spanish during their lunch breaks - reinforcing the company's international outlook.

Alhambra Hotel (62KB, PDF) NEW!
Speaking eight languages, the team at this Kings Cross hotel pride themselves on their multilingual customer service - on the phone, on reception and online.

Hotel la Place (68KB, PDF)
An award-winning family-run hotel with international service from its multilingual staff at the heart of its success. The welcome they offer is further boosted by a multilingual website, translated menus and cultural briefings.

London Buses (60KB PDF) NEW!
Tailored Spanish language training is just the ticket for bus station controllers at Victoria station - and there may be more to come with the 2012 Games on the horizon.

London Underground (69KB PDF)
Serving visitors and residents of London in their language is a big challenge for London Underground. They make the most of native speaker language skills and encourage staff through language training and use of a phrase book.

New West End Company (65KB PDF)
Red Cap Wardens employed by New West End Company already make good use of their own language skills to help visitors out. Their intercultural skills and confidence with languages are boosted by RLN London's Welcoming the World training programme.

World Duty Free (67KB, PDF)
The airport retailer at Heathrow airport has made the most of its employees' native language skills, and strengthened their customer service through further language training and translated signage and flyers.

Agroni Research (PDF 100KB)
The world of research often focuses on Black and Minority Ethnic groups. Agroni believes that employing people with a matching background – who understand the culture and speak the language – really improves the quality of their research.

Bovis Lend Lease (64KB PDF) NEW!
English language training delivered on site to workers from Central and Eastern Europe – along with translated Health and Safety information - ensures safety and productivity for building projects across London.  

EDF Energy (236KB, PDF)
With French as the official corporate language of the EDF group, the Learning and Development team have developed a language training programme for their employees.

Geeta's Foods (64KB, PDF)
Indian speciality food company based in North London, exploring worldwide markets. The multicultural team have learned new language skills for export markets, and adapted and translated their packaging.

Greencore Sandwiches (68KB, PDF)
A West London company has met the challenge of supporting a workforce with over 25 languages, through clear communications, translation and promote of cultural awareness.

London Underground (PDF 69KB)
Serving visitors and residents of London in their language is a big challenge for London Underground. They make the most of native speaker language skills and encourage staff through language training and use of a phrase book.

Newham Council (PDF, 55KB) NEW!
Targeted use of translation and interpreting services coupled with their service team's language skills ensure that all of Newham's residents can make the most of local services.

New West End Company (65KB PDF)
Red Cap Wardens employed by New West End Company already make good use of their own language skills to help visitors out. Their intercultural skills and confidence with languages are boosted by RLN London's Welcoming the World training programme.

Punjab National Bank (International) Ltd (PDF 100KB)
Arriving in London in 2007, Punjab National Bank opened its first branch in Southall and makes a point of speaking to customers in their language – whether Panjabi, Hindi, Urdu or English.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) (116KB PDF)
Representing the UK overseas requires understanding of a huge variety of languages and cultures. The FCO actively looks for employees from ethnic minority communities in London and elsewhere in the UK.

London Buses (60KB PDF) NEW!
Tailored Spanish language training is just the ticket for bus station controllers at Victoria station - and there may be more to come with the 2012 Games on the horizon.

London Underground (69KB PDF)
Serving visitors and residents of London in their language is a big challenge for London Underground. They make the most of native speaker language skills and encourage staff through language training and use of a phrase book.

Newham Council (PDF, 55KB) NEW!
Targeted use of translation and interpreting services coupled with their service team's language skills ensure that all of Newham's residents can make the most of local services.

Pearl Linguistics (134KB PDF)
A specialist provider of translation and interpreting services, City-based Pearl Linguistics employs a multilingual team and works closely with communities in London.

The Passage Day Centre (56KB, PDF) NEW!
Face-to-face interpreting services coupled with cultural knowledge and language skills in the team are vital to this Victoria-based day centre for the homeless, which regularly takes in clients from Africa, Eastern Europe and elsewhere in the world.

John Laing plc (102KB, PDF)
John Laing has encouraged staff to develop their French, German and Spanish language skills through a fun and innovative 'Language Club' – showing how languages can be valuable both at work and at play.

RLN London spoke to five very different businesses to find out why Community Languages spoken in London were important to them. Whether in finance, government or research, these employers are really making the most of the talent in London’s communities.

Agroni Research (100KB PDF)
The world of research often focuses on Black and Minority Ethnic groups. Agroni believes that employing people with a matching background – who understand the culture and speak the language – really improves the quality of their research.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) (116KB PDF)
Representing the UK overseas requires understanding of a huge variety of languages and cultures. The FCO actively looks for employees from ethnic minority communities in London and elsewhere in the UK.

London Underground (69KB PDF)
Serving visitors and residents of London in their language is a big challenge for London Underground. They make the most of native speaker language skills and encourage staff through language training and use of a phrase book.

Pearl Linguistics (134KB PDF)
A specialist provider of translation and interpreting services, City-based Pearl Linguistics employs a multilingual team and works closely with communities in London.

Punjab National Bank (International) Ltd (100KB PDF)
Arriving in London in 2007, Punjab National Bank opened its first branch in Southall and makes a point of speaking to customers in their language – whether Panjabi, Hindi, Urdu or English.

In the media

Thelondonpaper in 2007 ran a series of bilingual articles in different Community Languages highlighting the success of London-based entrepreneurs whose first language is not English.

Read about the founder of Cobra beer in English and Hindi

Read about a delicatessen entrepreneur in English and Polish

Read about a property millionaire in English and Urdu

Read about the head of an events empire in English and Russian

With thanks to thelondonpaper for permission to use these articles.

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