Translation services are becoming an increasingly utilized tool in the 21st century. As technology and means of travel advance, foreign countries are metaphorically getting closer and closer together. Companies are beginning to sell their products abroad and need to tap into a market that speaks a different language. Tech companies are launching new sites or applications that need to be translated into hundreds of different languages to be operational worldwide. Individuals are eager to move abroad to learn about a new culture and need help with translations of important documents.
The need for translation services is seemingly endless. Whether it’s the need for a professional translator for personal or business reasons, there is an increasing demand for this service in general. Here are the languages in the highest demand for translators:
Spanish
Most people will be able to guess correctly that Spanish is the language in the highest demand for translators. This demand is worldwide, but it is also especially high in the United States. There are countless reasons for this high-level of need. First and foremost, there are more Spanish-speaking countries in the world than in any other language. This language is officially spoken in four different continents (Europe, Africa, North America, and South America) and in 20 different countries. When operating internationally, the chances are very high that a company or individual will come into contact with the Spanish language. Geography is another major reason why Spanish is a language in high demand for translators. The United States borders one of the largest Spanish-speaking countries in the world and lies north of the highest concentration of these Spanish-speaking countries. These geographical realities also have increased the demand for translation services in the United States. A professional Spanish translator can help with all of these scenarios.
Mandarin
Mandarin is another language in very high demand, especially in the international business sector and it is spoken by over 1.2 billion people. In fact, one in six people speaks Mandarin. Unlike the Spanish language, however, the demand for Mandarin is not geographical. A majority of Mandarin speakers all live within the borders of mainland China. Business and international relations are driving the demand for this language. As China is one of the world’s biggest players in the international business industry, companies are in need of translation services for Mandarin. These services allow companies to effectively communicate, sell and manage business overall with Chinese corporations.
German
After Chinese and Spanish, German is also a language in high demand for translation services. Part of this need is motivated by the difficulty of the German language. Many people forgo learning German altogether because of the complex sentence structure and syntax. Another reason for this high demand is the booming German economy. As one of the strongest economies in Europe, businesses from around the world have a high chance of working with a company from Germany.
There is no doubt that some languages are in higher demand regarding translation services than others. However, every language has the potential of being in high demand.
What about you? Do you agree that Spanish, Mandarin, and German are the languages in high demand for translators? Which languages are in high demand for you?