Multilingual London

Community Languages and the workplace

London's diversity in language and cultural terms is a real advantage on the global stage and for the exciting mix of our capital. It also means that public services, local government and voluntary and social enterprise organisations have to respond to the needs of customers who speak many different languages. We've pulled together a range of information to help you understand what this means for your business.

Language services in the public and private sector

Translation and interpreting services are key in ensuring that local authorities and public services meet their legal obligation to serve their local communities. Increasingly, it also makes sense for commercial enterprises to take account of the culture and languages spoken in local communities.

Regional Language Network London - supported by CILT, the National Centre for Languages - conducted the first phase of The London Language Plan which aims to set guidelines and minimum standards for language support services across the capital's public services. You can find out more about our work here. RLN London also runs a Service Finder to help you find translation, interpreting, training and teaching services - and much more besides.

Find out more about commissioning services for your organisation Go

Find out more about the work of Community Language service providers Go

Multicultural workforce

Many businesses employ a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce perhaps from long-established communities and recently arrived groups from the EU Accession countries. To work effectively with your multicultural workforce, it is important to have an awareness of cultural issues - and perhaps even a knowledge of other languages.

Find out more about supporting your multicultural workforce Go

Research and resources

If you'd like to find out more about languages spoken in London, go to our section on labour market information in the Partners area of the website.

There is a range of resources that can support your business in using Community Languages, and employing people from different communities and backgrounds. Multikulti offers advice in health, education and a range of other areas in twelve different languages.

Harpweb is a web portal developed by healthcare professionals working with asylum seekers. For more places to go, try our useful links section.

Newham Language Shop has developed a very handy letter translator, which operates in a number of languages. It creates documents such as appointment reminders quickly and easily.

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 Go

Read about a delicatessen entrepreneur in English and Polish Go

Read about a property millionaire in English and Urdu Go

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

With thanks to thelondonpaper for permission to use these articles.

Multilingual London: RLN London and Community Languages

If you would like to find out more about Community Languages in London, please visit the homepage of our mini-site here.