At the end of March it was the national census in the UK, where every household completes the government’s questionnaire collecting data about age, gender, education, health and language of their citizens so they can form a reliable image of a complex and rapidly changing society.
The last census, performed in 2011, paints an interesting picture of the languages spoken within the UK, including, what percentage of the population claim English as their native language, how many people considered they were not ‘proficient’ in English and how these figures relate to their overall health.
Bearing in mind the current Covid-19 pandemic, our ability to fully comprehend government regulations, guidelines and health advice is vital to our health and wellbeing, while a lack of language understanding is likely to cause problems.
This is where translation services come to the fore.
Translation services are vital for health in non-English speaking communities within the UK where the ability to understand even basic guidelines can be disrupted by a lack of English language proficiency.
The following information is taken from the 2011 census and looks at how health is affected by a lack of translation in non-English language speaking citizens in the UK.
1. English-Language Proficiency within the UK
The 2011 census had two questions linked to spoken English language proficiency, asking if the respondents’ main language was either English or Welsh, and what level they considered their proficiency to be in these languages if neither were their main language.
The results were quite startling;
• 4.2 million UK residents listed their main language as other than English
• There were 88 other main languages listed as options for residents
• Almost a million residents were ‘non-proficient’ in English
• 726,000 could not speak English ‘well’
• 138,000 could not speak English ‘at all’
2. Other Languages Spoken in UK
There were 88 other main languages listed as options for non-native English speakers including the top ten listed here;
• English (English or Welsh) 49,808,000 = 92.3% of the population
• Polish 546,000 = 1%
• Punjabi 273,000 = 0.5%
• Urdu 269,000 = 0.5%
• Bengali (with Sylheti and Chatgaya) 221,000 = 0.4%
• Gujarati 213,000 = 0.4%
• Arabic 159,000 = 0.3%
• French 147,000 = 0.3%
• All other Chinese (excluding Mandarin and Cantonese) 141,000 = 0.3%
• Portuguese 133,000 = 0.2%
The variety of languages above gives an indication of the need for translation within the UK for residents who do not speak English as their native language.
The impact on health due to subtle language misunderstandings or mistranslations can be huge, especially when considering the current pandemic.
3. Language Proficiency and the Impact on Health
Part of the census that was particularly useful in identifying language needs and potential challenges linked to the health of residents was the Local Authority level analysis of language proficiency and health.
Respondents who were ‘non-proficient’ were asked to rank their general health with findings showing that 8 of the top 10 local authorities were London boroughs
It is worth noting here that between 2% and 4% of the population in this group considered themselves to be in ‘not good’ health.
The potential implications for translation in medical and health settings linked to these residents becomes a priority when considering their lack of language proficiency.
In situations such as, the current Covid pandemic, residents may need translation services to help with the following;
• Help in understanding medical advice
• Translation of government guidelines
• Dealing with a crisis or emergency situation
• Financial assistance
• Emotional support
• Understanding medicine dosage and precautions
This year’s census is likely to highlight different statistics – a result of Brexit and the pandemic – but the need for reliable translation services within the UK is unlikely to alter significantly.
As a professional translation services provider, here at Creative Word, we understand how essential it is for foreign-speaking residents to be able to engage with services, health care and their community at large, so we offer full translation and interpretation services in over 80 languages.
Please contact us if you would like further information regarding language services for your translation project.
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