The dot-com boom, the staggering economic development of some
countries, business relations and population size all have an impact on translation requests. As a translation company, we are very aware of the changes
in translation requests.
It is unlikely to come as a surprise that English holds the number one spot for the most translated language. Without a shadow of
a doubt, English remains the lingua franca, which is spoken throughout the world and is the official language in 53 countries.
In a speech given in the United States in 2000, Margaret Thatcher said that, “in the 20th century, the United States is the world powerhouse, the dominant language is English and the dominant economic model is that of anglo-saxon capitalism.” Controversy ensued regarding a possible “linguistic imperialism” of the English
language, which, in spite of everything, has held on to the number one spot.
Nonetheless, the debate will be short-lived, since all eyes are now on China and its seemingly unstoppable expansion. For quite some time,
Mandarin has been the most spoken language in the world, with over one billion speakers. Since the early 2000s, China’s economic expansion has been
both fascinating and unnerving. In 2010, China overtook Japan to become the world’s second largest economic power, just behind the United States. Business
relations are expanding and Chinese companies are approaching Western markets and vice-versa. Communications tools must therefore be translated and
translation needs are high.
South American languages (Spanish and Portuguese) have also experienced a boom on account of the growing population size and economic
impetus of these countries, which are becoming increasingly regular and influential business partners.
CG Traduction & Interprétation has also noticed a higher demand for Eastern European languages (Polish, Romanian, etc.) as a result
of the relocation of many Western European companies to these countries where labour is less expensive. In this way, exchanges have increased and therefore
so have translation needs.
The translation industry is adapting to these new needs and translation companies are developing new skills and solutions to meet the market’s needs effectively.
The CNET and its Observatoire de la Traduction pay close attention to these issues.
CG Traduction & Interprétation strives to provide its clients with accurate quotes in a very short time frame. Please do not hesitate to contact us
for a translation, interpreting or transcription quote.