Understanding the developing influence of language stateside
Many people are surprised to learn that English isn’t the official language of the United States of America. There are no laws decreeing that English must be the language of public life in the USA despite its omnipresence. In fact, the US doesn’t have an official language. Much like in the UK, English has dominated for so long that it has never needed to be given an official status.
But while English is undeniably still the most important tongue in the US, the language landscape is beginning to change, forcing a rethink in attitudes to language across organisations and businesses.
With the ascendancy of English in the US, it’s easy to overlook other widely spoken languages there, particularly for businesses expanding into attractive American markets. It’s often deemed much easier to communicate exclusively in English rather than complicate operations with multilingual campaigns.
However, the language status quo in the US is evolving and the use of other languages is growing rapidly.
Language in the US – a few statistics
1 in 5 Americans speak a language other than English at home. That’s 68 million people. According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of people who speak a non-English language with other members of their household almost tripled between 1980 and 2019.
Spanish is the overwhelming leader in the race for second place behind English. It is spoken by 62% of people who don’t speak English as a home language – nearly 42 million. Three and a half million people speak Chinese in their homes, followed by Tagalog, Vietnamese and Arabic, which have well over a million speakers each.
In terms of language variety, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Further analysis of American census data by Wordfinderx revealed that hundreds of other languages are used by communities across different cities and states.
Aside from English and Spanish, German is the language of choice at home for people in thirteen states including Colorado, Montana and Arkansas. In these central areas where Germans historically settled, the bulk of the more than 40 million Americans claiming German descent, reside.
Towards the west of the US, Asian languages are more prevalent. In the Bay area around San Francisco, Chinese is the most commonly spoken (not counting English and Spanish). In cities like Las Vegas and San Diego, many people speak Tagalog at home.
Before colonisation, around 300 Indigenous languages were spoken across the regions of what is now the USA. Today only half that number are still in use and although many are critically endangered, a handful of Native American languages have significant numbers of speakers. Navajo is spoken extensively in Albuquerque.
Adapting content to local languages
These numbers show that the notion of an ‘English-only’ USA is a myth. Many Americans don’t use English as a first language and the number is rising. The US Census Bureau predicts that by 2060, 1 in 4 people living in the US will be Latinx, that’s a population of over 110 million and will make the USA the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.
It is therefore increasingly important to take language – and particularly Spanish – into account when moving into US markets. As an essential element in the localisation process, language must be adapted to each specific audience. In a complex society like the USA, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t always the best policy.
Only extensive research can help identify your audience’s character and language traits. The key to successful communication is using the language your target market is most comfortable speaking. In the USA that will mean using the US variant of English (see our last blog to learn more about this here) or perhaps one of the other languages that are widely spoken. It will depend on where your target market is located and what their linguistic and cultural preferences are. Localising the content to suit them will take away any potential barriers to communication.
The future of the USA is multilingual
Whilst Americans may speak different languages at home and with members of their close community, they speak English in other areas of life. This significant section of the US population is part of the rising numbers of people worldwide who are bilingual.
Bilingualism in the US is common amongst younger generations, who were mostly born in America. These younger bilinguals are at ease in both their languages and will use them equally according to the context. Maybe they speak English at work, search the web in Spanish and use a mixture with their friends. Google Analytics show that a high percentage of people in the US search interchangeably in Spanish and English.
Another interesting development is the rise of Spanglish in the USA. This hybrid of the English and Spanish languages has existed for many years but has only recently begun to gain respectability. Where previously Spanglish was viewed as a stepping stone to full English proficiency and looked down on as ‘not American enough’, now it is being recognised as a relevant and valuable way of communicating.
Taking features from both languages, Spanglish can now be found in music, books, movies and even advertising. Colgate, MacDonald’s and Toyota have run campaigns in Spanglish, recognising it as a positive way to connect with the millions who see themselves in the bi-cultural identity that Spanglish represents.
Effects of language diversity
As Americans increasingly embrace languages other than English, the impact is being felt countrywide.
In the publishing industry, more and more books are being printed in Spanish, with children’s editions and bilingual books leading the way. Audiobooks in Spanish have also seen wide growth in America in the last few years. The UK news and media company The Independent now publishes a Spanish language version for the States and media outlets are looking to broadcast more content in Spanish.
Providing equitable access to public services in other languages is also becoming a priority and progress is being made towards offering multilingual formats.
In October 2022 New York opened its Office of Language Access to implement the State’s language access policy. Its mission is to translate written and digital official materials into the 12 most frequently spoken languages of the city. The US Department of Health and Human Services has also recently updated its policy regarding language access for people with limited English proficiency, making it a requirement nationally that Interpreters and translators hold relevant qualifications and are not simply bilingual employees. Dual-language immersion programs are now in high demand in schools across the US and their number is rising quickly.
Future trends
Linguistic diversity is becoming an established trend across the United States and its expanding influence looks likely to continue. Driven by social and economic factors and changes in attitudes to second language-speaking, language is now an important consideration for businesses looking to move into US markets.
A carefully planned localisation strategy with language at the core could give your company a competitive advantage in the USA. Viewing language as an opportunity rather than an unwanted distraction could make all the difference.
Talk to t’works today about how we combine people, technology and language to find the most successful solutions for your multilingual projects. Anywhere in the world.
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