Immigration

Chicago, IL--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--October 17, 2007--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 http://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)

Note: This AT&T release and other news announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss.

Find More Information Online:

Web Site Links:
AT&T Web Site
Language Line Services Web Site
Your World Your Language Web Site

Related Media Kits:
AT&T's Commitment to Diversity

Related Fact Sheets:
Asian Community
Hispanic Community
African American Community

Related News Releases:
AT&T Receives Top Honors for Commitment to Hispanics
AT&T and League of United Latin American Citizens Empower Low-Income Hispanic Communities with Technology
AT&T Named As One of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity by Black Enterprise Magazine

Technorati Tags: AT&T, Interpreters, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Language Services

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

(C) 2007 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

About Language Line Services (LLS)
Language Line Services, the world’s leading provider of language-based services, is a trusted partner to thousands of organizations throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom whose focus is to effectively serve the rapidly expanding market of limited English speakers. The company delivers a dynamic suite of solutions spanning phone and video interpretation, document translation, interactive software-based translation, and interpreter training and certification programs, enabling clients to communicate with customers in their preferred language. Through its leading-edge technology infrastructure, Language Line Services delivers support for over 175 unique languages to its industry-leading portfolio of clients across markets including healthcare, financial services, government, telecom, packaged goods, insurance services, travel, and more. For information on how Language Line Services is helping clients achieve their strategic multi-cultural marketing and regulatory compliance objectives, please call 1-800-752-6096 or visit