Our dear planet is home to more than 7 billion people. For our genus ‘homo sapiens’, this number is nothing short of prodigious, and yet, no human being in our vast world is ‘homogenous! There are some factors that unite various chunks of our population, while others create barriers, such as geographical barriers, linguistic barriers, and cultural barriers. Thankfully, in today’s contemporary world, most of these barriers can be eliminated with the technology that is growing by leaps and bounds, every second. Just like transportation is a way to connect with people physically by tackling the geographical barriers, translation and localization are a way to connect to people’s minds and hearts by eliminating the language and cultural barriers. Not sure how? Want to know more? Then you are reading just the right article! Let us start with a few basic definitions before we dive into the top 10 globally important languages, and why they are so!
So, What is translation?
Translation might not be a new term for most of the readers, considering how it is being practiced for ages. From a very broad perspective, translation is the process of converting any kind of content from one language to another without changing its meaning and context. The translation process is the capillary flow of knowledge between languages, because how else will we ever communicate with people globally since there exists a total of 6500 languages in the world!
And what exactly is Localization?
After understanding what translation is, it gets easier to put localization and its need into perspective. Localization means making a particular product, service, website or any content adapt to the needs of a specific culture, country, or language. For instance, brands like EZ, which provide localization services in various languages, understand how important it is to hire experts that understand the culture, ethnicity, beliefs, behavior, of people from the area where localization needs to be done. This is why all our experts are not only well versed in the target language but also understand how language can be used to market a brand.
Since now you know why translation and localization are important, you are set to know which languages are the most important, all over the world, for translation and localization!
Top 10 languages for translation and localization
- English Well, the first language is not a shocker, in fact, it makes a lot of sense! The English-speaking population is vast, and it is not an overstatement! There are more than 350 million people in the world with English as their first language and around 740 million people with English as their second or tertiary language. It is one of the most important business languages, to the extent that it is also the official language of the global aviation sector and most international organizations.
- Chinese/Mandarin China is the most populated country in the world, and more than 1.4 billion people call it their home. With China being one of the biggest global markets, businesses naturally get attracted to it. The demand for Chinese translators is always at an all-time high with more than 19 percent of internet users speaking different versions of it. Chinese is also the toughest language in the world to master, making it a great career prospect, for those who are willing to dedicate at least 7 years to learn it!
- Spanish Spanish is a language with the second most number of native speakers. The number of people speaking Spanish is over 440 million! More than 20 countries have Spanish as their official language, and most of these countries are grand nations with a handsome GDP, making it a treat for those who want to wield the tool of translation and localization for global outreach!
- Arabic The number of nations with Arabic as their official language is 25, which is even more than Spanish. Out of the 274 million people that converse in Arabic, a significant portion is from the middle east, which is a hub for growing businesses and internationalization. Companies like EZ, which specialize in translation and localization services in Arabic, know this fact, which is why they choose the most talented people to cater to the needs of more than 200 million users and are always offering internships and other such opportunities, to add more prolific minds to their visionary team!
- German German is not just one of the most important languages when it comes to translation and localization but it is also one of the most popular languages. The number of people speaking German is approximately around 100 million, which is relatively less compared to the numbers that we mentioned before. But, this does not change the fact that when it comes to businesses, it is a vital language, as Germany is the manufacturer of most of the luxury automobiles in the world, which contributes to making it Europe’s largest economy!
- Portuguese Portuguese is the official language of Latin America’s fastest-growing economy- Brazil. This country is said to have an internet penetration rate of more than 60% and businesses are always on the lookout for people that are fluent in Portuguese, to make their place in Brazil’s market. With a population of over 140 million speaking Portuguese, this language rightly deserves its place in the top-most important languages for translation and localization.
- Russian Russia being the biggest country in the world hosts more than 109 million native Russian speakers, but the total population in the world speaking Russian is way more than that- over 250 million! That is right, Russian is that widely spoken. The countries where Russian is spoken are great for business opportunities, making it the target language for businesses wanting to localize their brand in big economies.
- French The most famous thing from France is not its croissants and amazing fashion, it is their language! French is spoken in 29 countries and all of these countries have a great base of internet users and they are a hub of e-commerce and marketing. Many schools and universities have also started to include French, German, and Spanish in their curriculum, owing to their increased global demand.
- Japanese Japan is one of the very few developed countries in the world, and its economy is worth praising. With Japanese being Japan’s official language, every business wants to localize their brand to fit the Japanese market either by making investments or localizing their respective websites, because the results are extremely promising! More and more people are taking up Japanese because of their always trending entertainment industry, making it one of the most vital languages for translation and localization.
- Hindi Hindi is spoken by a whopping 600 million people in the world! This also includes people who speak Hindi as their second or third language. Most of the Hindi speakers in the world are from India, a rapidly growing economy and a hot spot for international companies. There are numerous dialects in Hindi, and the written form of this language is quite hard to master, increasing the market value of companies and brands that provide translation and localization services in Hindi!
Is It Possible For A Single Agency to Provide Translation and Localization Services in All These Major Business Languages?
If that’s what you’re wondering, then you’ll be glad to know that the answer is YES! EZ offers translation and localization services in all the major business languages, so your ideas and thoughts can reach the maximum number of people without losing their essence. With EZ, you can go global with the same content. We, at EZ, ensure that our clients can reach out to us at their own convenience, which is why our experts are available Round The Clock . Our Consistent High Quality of translated and localized content promises growth and satisfaction like never before! So, get in touch with our experts and experience Faster than the Fastest results!
