In Episode 5 of The Berlitz Language & Culture Podcast, host Louisa Ajami speaks with Donika Jones, a public health practitioner, business strategist, and stakeholder engagement specialist, about why cultural competence is essential in today’s global and diverse workplaces.

Donika shares practical insights on cross-cultural awareness, inclusive program design, and effective stakeholder engagement. From examining our own cultural lenses to building responsive, people-centered strategies, this episode explores how humility, collaboration, and integrated thinking can lead to stronger programs and better business outcomes.

Whether you work in public health, business, leadership, or global teams, this conversation offers actionable takeaways on designing and leading with culture at the center. Tune in to explore key themes including cultural competence, cross-cultural communication, inclusive leadership, stakeholder engagement, and designing programs with culture at the center.

What does it take to succeed in an international assignment when you're on your own from day one?

In the fourth episode of the Berlitz Language and Culture Podcast, global business and security expert Dan Bolger shares his experience relocating to Albania with minimal support and the essential lessons he learned along the way.

From overlooked onboarding gaps to the power of cultural awareness, language skills, and personal resilience, Dan offers practical advice for professionals and organizations preparing for global deployments. This episode is a must-listen for HR leaders, expats, and anyone navigating cross-cultural careers.

Think German’s hard? Wait till you meet its vowels. In this episode, we break down the sounds that confuse learners, terrify tourists, and make German speakers silently judge you. From plain old vowels to those spicy little Umlauts (yes, the dots matter), plus diphthongs that twist your tongue and your dignity, we’re covering it all. You'll finally understand why “ie” and “ei” are basically linguistic booby traps, and why “ö” isn’t just a weird “o.”

Inspired by Berlitz’s blog article “How to pronounce German vowels, diphthongs and the Umlaute.” Buckle up. Your pronunciation glow-up starts now.

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