Language Predictions for Global Businesses - Creative Word

The English language is considered to be one of the most widely recognised around the world; it is used by NATO, the UN, and the EU as one of their official languages, it is the most frequently used language online, and around 1.5 billion people speak English as either their native, or second, language.

The spread of the English language around the globe is linked to a colonial past – however, its dominance is beginning to show signs of wavering, especially online.

This is most likely due to an increased awareness of the need for localisation and translation when attracting customers whose native language isn’t English, as research shows that almost 75% of us prefer to browse websites and buy products from sites which use our native language.
While the English language may once have been considered a ‘universal’ language, its popularity is slowly declining in favour of others which have gained an emerging global importance such as, Spanish and Mandarin.

The following languages are likely to increase in prevalence online over the coming years if predictions are accurate.

 

Arabic

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has some of the highest internet penetration rates with places such as, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE having 93.8%, 96.6%, and 96.9% respectively.

However, Arabic language sites online makes up a relatively small portion of total websites, so there is an obvious gap in the market which is not catering for Arabic-speaking users.

The economies of some nations within the MENA region have seen strong levels of growth over the last few years, with diverse economies such as, tourism playing a major role. The UAE had a GDP of almost 400billion US dollars in 2017, with a projected growth of 3.3% by 2020.

Global companies who translate their websites into Arabic, or localise marketing and product information are likely to see an increase in ROI within a short period of time.

 

Hindi

While there is no national language in India, of the 22 official languages, Hindi and English are the languages most predominantly used.

India’s internet penetration rate has almost doubled in two years from 22% in 2015 to 35% in 2017, with forecasters predicting that by 2020 India will become the world’s third largest smartphone market.

Tapping into this potential market will require translation and localisation in a bid to attract Indian consumers. As stated above, Hindi and English are the predominant languages, but with 20 other possible linguistic choices, finding the right language, or languages, for your translation will be essential in securing commercial success.

 

Mandarin

China has a population of almost 1.4 billion with the majority of these speaking Mandarin (Standard Mandarin or Modern Standard Mandarin) as their first language. The Chinese government set up the National Language Regulating Committee, in order to regulate language in Taiwan, and law in mainland China states that ‘Standard Mandarin’ is the lingua franca, with around 70% of the population able to speak the language.

Of the total population, around 955 million people speak Mandarin as their first language.

China’s economy has seen exponential growth over the last few decades with GDP sitting at 12237.70billion US dollars in 2017.

Targeting potential consumers in China will require, at the very least, a translation into Mandarin. However, due to the vastness of the country, localisation should be employed alongside this to ensure that regional, cultural, and social differences are fully developed.

 

Spanish

Spanish is the official language of 20 countries around the globe, and when you consider it is the second most spoken native language, you can see how Spanish translations of websites can increase potential sales.

Large parts of South and Central America, islands such as the Canary Isles, and Spain, all claim Spanish as their native language.

 

English, French, German and Brexit

English has long been the common language used within the EU, but Brexit has seen a push for either German or French to replace this.

At present, the English language is likely to keep its dominance in Europe, if only for ease, but businesses should be wary of accepting this dominance as a guarantee of success when translating for foreign markets. Many consumers across Europe may well speak and read English, but it does not mean they will purchase from an ‘English-only’ website.

 

The Future for Language

As already discussed, the dominance of the English language is beginning to wane, not only in Europe but across the globe.

Instant connectivity demands a fast understanding, and professional translation services are likely to be key to providing this. Global businesses will need to reconsider their dependence upon English over the coming years, especially if they wish to ensure effective and profitable communication with their multilingual customers.