Languages Spoken in the USA: A Melting Pot of Cultures

Languages Spoken in the USA: A Melting Pot of Cultures

The USA: A place for everyone | Discover the languages spoken in the USA The USA has always been known for its diversity. Many languages are spoken in the USA. More than three billion people call the United States of America home. Due to its diverse population before British colonization and several waves of immigration, you can find almost every language and cultural background in the US population. The USA has been multilingual since the very beginning. Many languages were spoken in the USA, even before the first settlers set foot on its soil. Tribes, such as the Navajos, Sioux and Keresan spoke over a thousand known languages before first contact with Europeans.  Evolution of the English language in the USA When considering why and how a language develops, there are several factors to consider. One of the most important is culture. It is said that the influence of foreign languages spoken in the USA is much more immediate and recent than in any other country. The English language has developed a lot in the USA. For example, some terms have been taken from the languages of the native tribes, such as the word “raccoon”, which was taken from the Powhatan term aroughcun, meaning “animal that scratches with its hands”. You can easily find examples of words being coined from many other languages! Other well-known examples are avocado and canyon from Spanish, and chowder and prairie from French. How many languages are spoken in the USA? With so many cultures co-existing, you may be wondering: How many languages do I need to learn to get around the country? Just...
Consecutive Interpreting: The Key to a Smooth Communication in Your Meetings

Consecutive Interpreting: The Key to a Smooth Communication in Your Meetings

Interpreting services for all your needs Interpreting services are needed in various social situations to facilitate effective communication between different parties who do not share the same language. Some of the most common interpreting modes are consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, whispered interpreting, also known as chuchotage, and sight translation. In this article, we introduce you to the main mode of interpreting for which we offer interpreting services: consecutive interpreting. What is consecutive interpreting? Unlike simultaneous interpreting, where the interpreter interprets the speaker’s words into the audience’s language within a few seconds, consecutive interpreting takes place after the speaker has finished speaking. While the speaker is speaking, the interpreter takes notes in order to produce an accurate summary of the speech in the other language. Simultaneous interpreting is best suited for meetings where there is one keynote speaker, while consecutive interpreting is more suitable for meetings with several speakers where there will be back-and-forth communication.  At LingoStar, we have extensive experience in interpreting projects, especially consecutive interpreting. We regularly work with professional consecutive interpreters on projects in a variety of fields, usually public or social services, including business meetings, legal proceedings, and medical appointments. What to look for in a consecutive interpreter What does it take to become a consecutive interpreter? Can anyone do it, or does it require special training and skills? A professional interpreter needs to practise a number of skills on a regular basis in order to deliver a coherent and structured speech that conveys the same information as the original speech, with the same tone, register, and intonation. Every consecutive interpreter must be proficient in note-taking....
Website Globalization: How Investing in Multilingual Websites Can Help You Have a Global Business

Website Globalization: How Investing in Multilingual Websites Can Help You Have a Global Business

The role of translation in a global business How can translation help build a global business? We live in an interconnected society. Globalization integrates economic, political and cultural systems around the world. We consume goods and services from other countries. Through interdependence, most countries rely on each other to meet local demand and sell local products. Translation, like technology, creates interdependence between nations in different parts of the world.  Translation plays a critical role in localization because it increases interaction and enables global communication. Translators are essential intermediaries in today’s globalized society, playing a key role in the exchange of ideas and information between countries that speak different languages. Translators can localize your products or services and adapt them to each specific region. If you want to have a global business, you need to implement website localization.  Why should companies invest in a multilingual website?   If you want to expand your business and reach a wider audience, website localization is key. English is the most widely spoken language in the world, but not everyone who consumes your products or services speaks it. When people browse a website, whether they are looking for the latest fashion trends or buying plane tickets for their next trip, they want their user experience to be as enjoyable as possible. Not only does the website for your global business need to be easy to use and intuitively designed, but it also needs to be available in multiple foreign languages to make it accessible to users with different native languages. As a business, having a multilingual website shows respect and understanding for your target...