Workforce — Global Seal of Biliteracy

Certifying Multilingual Excellence Worldwide

Effective intercultural communication has become a critical asset in our globally connected business landscape. The Global Seal of Biliteracy offers a unique, universally recognized certification that validates language proficiency across cultures and industries.

Businesses recognize the importance of a multilingual workforce in today's interconnected marketplace. Our language certification is verifiable, comparable, and digitally-shareable. Creating a linguistic resource database empowers companies to cultivate a diverse and skilled team ready for global challenges. Identifying and hiring certified bilinguals enhances customer service, improves international relations, and fosters a more inclusive workplace culture.

The Global Seal of Biliteracy language certification program celebrates multilingualism by offering three distinct certification levels that recognize different degrees of fluency. From Functional Fluency for employees in entry-level positions to Working Fluency for team members regularly engaging with international clients, to Professional Fluency designed for leadership roles and high-stakes international negotiations, we cater to all levels of language proficiency.

 

Functional Fluency

This individual can navigate daily routines and predictable situations in their certified languages. They can describe services, follow procedures, and respond to frequently asked questions, though some grammar errors or mispronunciations may occur.

Working Fluency

At this level, the certified individual can handle both routine and unfamiliar situations across formal and informal contexts. They can adjust their language, make recommendations, explain policies in detail, and resolve problems with overall accuracy and understanding.

Professional Fluency

The highest certification validates advanced mastery. These individuals interact with precision on a wide range of complex topics. They excel at persuasion, negotiation, delivering presentations, and participating in the linguistic and cultural nuances of professional environments.

 

Certify

Certify bilingual skills of employees: Offering certificates in 100+ languages, the GSB confirms employees’ skills to help you determine what tasks they can take on in another language. 

By leveraging GSB certifications, employers can confidently assign language-specific responsibilities, enhance team diversity, and expand their global reach, ultimately driving better communication and business outcomes in multilingual environments.

 

Multi-Level Consistency

Rely on a universally consistent and multi-level credential: Employees gain certification of their language skills at one of three levels: functional, working, or professional fluency, benchmarked to industry-standard ACTFL or CEFR proficiency scales.

This certification not only validates an individual's language proficiency but also provides a standardized framework for assessing linguistic capabilities across your organization whiie gaining a new development incentive tool.

 

Test Agnostic

Qualify for GSB with scores on any of 45+ approved tests: Employees submit test scores from a wide range of language tests used internationally to determine their proficiency level and have opportunities to “level up” as their skills increase.

The Global Seal of Biliteracy's Board of Advisors carefully evaluates and approves qualifying tests based on strict criteria. Our Guiding Principles aim to expand access to credentialing while maintaining high-quality benchmarks. The Board continuously reviews approved tests, ensuring they consistently reflect excellence in language proficiency measurement.

 

The Process

A Simple 3-Step Pathway to Certification

Issuing a Global Seal of Biliteracy is straightforward through the program's quick and easy application, and award process - completely free of charge (cost of testing not included). Providing this international certification to your students is as simple as apply, submit, receive.

 

Apply

Apply Online: Businesses start by completing the online application to provide your organization’s contact information and a few details about your program. This allows the Global Seal to understand your specific credentialing needs and how to best support you.

Submit

Submit Testing: To validate proficiency, you'll need to provide documentation proving skills in two languages for all candidates. This includes test scores from one of our approved language assessments taken within the last 12 months. All applications for the first certification in the U.S. must include English as the first or second certification language.

Receive

Receive Certification: After your application and required test scores are reviewed and approved, you will receive an official Global Seal of Biliteracy certificate for each qualifying candidate! Each certificate documents a candidate’s dominant and tested language and fluency level and is sent directly to your program free of cost.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Global Seal is proud to offer a pathway to certification in over 100 languages through one of our approved tests. Visit our Languages page for a comprehensive list of the languages we cover.

  • The Global Seal of Biliteracy can be integrated into existing HR processes in several ways:

    1. Hiring: Use the Global Seal to screen candidates for potential roles. Hiring managers can also find applicants who have already earned a Global Seal through their school, university, or a previous employer.

    2. Employee Skills Tracking: Add the Global Seal to employees' personal files or HR platform management systems to easily track and find needed language skills when required.

    3. Professional Development: The Global Seal's three-tiered stackable certifications motivate employees to continue leveling up their language skills, becoming greater assets to their employers.

  • The Global Seal is an excellent way to recognize employees' language skills in the workplace by providing a meaningful certification they can carry to their next role or employment opportunity. The three levels of certification encourage employees to continue improving their language proficiency, benefiting both the individual and the organization.

  • There is no cost for organizations or individuals to use the Global Seal. However, the cost of testing is not included. Testing must be arranged directly with one of our approved testing companies, and all testing and proctoring-related fees must be paid to them.

  • Yes, we encourage employees to continue testing as they improve their language skills. Our three-tiered stackable certifications are designed to motivate employees to work on and enhance their language abilities continuously.

  • The Global Seal does not directly facilitate testing. All testing is conducted through our approved language test providers, many of which offer remotely proctored solutions. To ensure the validity of test results, all Global Seal qualifying test scores must be obtained through the proctoring (in person or remotely) of an impartial human.

For more frequently asked questions please visit our FAQ page.

 
 
 
 
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