No language is spoken more globally than English. Popular culture (such as film) and mass media have greatly contributed to making the English language better accepted and understood. As a result, English has become the default choice for 1,500 million people worldwide when communicating with other nationalities—even though there are only 375 million native speakers. However, the number of people choosing English may well be on a decline, with the increasing reach of Mandarin and the growing popularity of other languages such as Spanish.
Shifts in Global Economic Climate
With China’s growing economic strength and emerging markets in South and Central America that don’t predominantly speak English, the use of the language in the business context may well be on a decline.
Lee Han Shih, from a multimedia company in Singapore, that bridges clients to China, told the BBC, “Places like Brazil are doing business in the renminbi, not the US dollar. If the renminbi is becoming the next reserve currency then doing business with China would require using more of Mandarin, and less of English”, he added.
Spanish, the second highest number of native speakers in the world, is second only to Chinese. Besides Spain, the language is widely spoken in emerging markets in Latin America where a strong linguistic legacy of its colonial past runs deep within its culture.
If you really want to impress and strike a sentimental chord in a non-native English speaking country, then speaking in the vernacular – especially in business matters –will be an added advantage. Speaking English is no less important, but when it comes down to being better understood, English alone may not cut it.
More than a Summary
There is a common misconception that a word-for-word translation of the original content is sufficient to bring product offerings overseas. However, special effort is needed in rewriting the original content — be it for personal or commercial correspondence — using local expressions that are valued by the audience.
In a world dominated by the English language, making the effort to speak in another’s language puts your speciality product into local context. Using words and phrases familiar to target audience is therefore the critical link to engage with them.
Bridging the Gap
We know that it is not always possible to employ a regular team or have a full staff of bi or tri-lingual speakers without busting your operating budget. This is where our company comes in — we can bridge the language gap between you and your potential, cross-continental business partner.
Lingua Technologies International is home to the best interpreters in the region who are passionate about cross-language communication. We know the positive impact of speaking in the local medium and witnessed the advantages many times over. In addition, our experienced translators are masters not just of language, but of conveying the right tone that a conversation or situation requires. Whether you are from Europe, Asia, Africa or South America, we have highly competent translators and translation services to propel your business anywhere you want to.