Free Interpretation Service Now Available to Non-English Speakers throughout the Midwest

“With one of the largest foreign-born populations in the United States, Chicago’s limited-English-speaking consumers will now find it easier than ever to communicate with businesses thanks to Your. World. Your Language. SM, which launches in Chicago this week. Language Line Services, the global leader of language interpretation, and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) along with local Hispanic and Polish community leaders have announced this first, free over-the-phone interpretation service, which provides limited-English-speaking consumers access to vital business services in their preferred language. The service is now available to residents and businesses throughout the Midwest.

Your World. Your Language. easily connects limited-English-speaking consumers with businesses so that these consumers can independently conduct their day-to-day affairs. Created by Language Line Services and using a network operated by AT&T, this free over-the-phone interpretation service provides limited-English speaking consumers with telephone-based interpreters to access banking, insurance, telephone, and other vital business services within a consumer’s local metro area.

The Midwest region was selected as one of the first launch areas for Your World. Your Language. because of its increasingly diverse ethnic population. Chicago is a true melting pot of ethnicities with the second-largest Mexican population in the United States after Los Angeles and the largest Polish population out of any U.S. city. In addition to its cultural and linguistic diversity, Chicago’s friendly business community and vibrant commerce and manufacturing economy make it an increasingly popular place for immigrants to live.

Louis Provenzano, Language Line Services’ president and chief operating officer, noted that most of the limited-English-speaking residents who in Chicago reside in tight knit multilingual communities with niche economies, in which only limited English is needed. As a result, they have difficulty conducting business outside their neighborhoods and accessing vital community services without the assistance of English-speaking friends and family members.

“Applying for business financing can be challenging even for an English-speaking entrepreneur who has opened numerous small businesses, so it’s easy to see how this process could be intimidating for a new Polish immigrant hoping to capitalize on the American dream of business ownership,” said Provenzano. “Until now, if a Limited-English speaking entrepreneur wanted to conduct the loan process in-language their options were very limited, but with Your World. Your Language., a whole new era of communication has arrived.”

By dialing 1-888-855-0811 and 1-877-TU-LINEA (885-4632) for Spanish-speaking consumers, Chicago’s growing population of multilingual residents, foreign business travelers and visitors can talk in their own languages to a host of key commercial, retail and entertainment businesses anytime and at no charge. Callers dial in to an easy-to-navigate menu that first prompts them to select their preferred language and then a particular business category to call. A specially trained Language Line Services interpreter then joins the line, connects the caller to the selected business and remains on the line to carry out communication between the consumer and the business’s English-speaking customer representative.

“Limited-English speaking residents in Chicago and throughout the Midwest will find that Your World. Your Language. is a new way to get things done quickly, easily and independently,” said Steve Mitchell, vice president and general manager for AT&T Illinois. “AT&T and Language Line Services are committed to ensuring a seamless communication process for our customers, and Your World. Your Language. now makes this possible for everyone, despite what languages they speak.”

Your World.Your Language. currently serves customers in nine languages, including: Cantonese (Chinese), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Chinese), Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Polish. Originally launched in San Francisco, the telephone-based interpretation service is now available in California and the Midwest, and will roll out in cities nationwide throughout 2008.

Your World. Your Language . is free for consumers. Businesses that join the WorldPartner SM network to sell their products and services through Your World. Your Language. are charged on a per-call basis and pay only for calls placed through the service to their customer representatives.

Sample banking, credit card, insurance, health, telephone, utility, travel, transportation, city and social service organizations signed on to offer their services to limited-English-speaking residents through Your World. Your Language. include: 1-800-Dentist; AT&T; Allstate Insurance; CitiBank; City of Chicago city services; DISH Network; Greyline Tours; Macy’s; Orbitz; State Farm Insurance; SuperShuttle; Ticketmaster and YellowCab. For more information or a complete listing of Your World. Your Language. business partners, visit www.YourWorldYourLanguage.com.

GROWING LANGUAGE-SUPPORT NEEDS

15 – Percent of the total U.S. buying power owned by the Hispanic and Asian populations

176 – Total number of languages spoken in the U.S.

5th– Chicago’s ranking among U.S. cities with the largest foreign-born population (U.S. Census)

35.5 – Percent of Chicago residents who speak a language other than English at home; 67 percent of those speak Spanish ( U.S. Census)

7.53 – Percent of Chicago residents that are of Polish decent (2003 U.S. Census estimate)

75 – Percent of limited-English speakers who prefer to speak in their native language
(In-Language Preference Census)
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