A renowned literary critic named George Steiner once said, “Without translation, we’d be living in provinces bordering silence.” Interconnectedness today is a necessity. Although the goals vary, what is undeniable is the fact, that it brings along a whole new dimension of thinking, perception and exchange. In this article we will discuss about top languages in demand for translation.
Translation isn’t merely conversion of text. It involves careful understanding of a number of factors. After that the translator is able to achieve a kind of cohesiveness with the original content.
According to a study by SIL International done in 2009, there are 6,909 languages in the world. This number seems too overwhelming to digest. However what’s important to know, is the fact that, concentrating on some of them will enable you to reach out 3/4th of the world population.
Below are the top 10 most widely spoken languages of the world –
- Mandarin Chinese – 1,090 million
- English – 942 million
- Spanish – 518 million
- Arabic – 490 million
- Hindi – 380 million
- Russian – 220 million
- French – 215 million
- Portuguese – 209 million
- Bengali – 208 million
- Urdu – 160 million
(Source : 2015 Edition of Ethnologue)
A common misconception is that, the most spoken languages are by default, the most used languages on the internet. People also think these are top languages in demand for translation. It isn’t quite the case, since development in the area of science, technology, trade and commerce vary distinguishably in different parts of the world.
Below are the top 10 business languages to look out for in the near future –
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Mandarin Chinese
- Japanese
- German
- Arabic
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Korean
Even so, the degree to which internet is used around the world, also makes a difference while planning to expand your business. Below is an image to help you get more clarity on this subject :-
Depending on your target audience, the language for translation may vary from the ones mentioned on the lists above. Nonetheless, these statistics do help to get a bigger picture, which could further prove useful when it comes to putting down your marketing strategies.
CMM Languages provides translation and localization service in 65 languages, which include regional Indian languages as well as all the major Asian, European and African languages.