It’s not a surprise to say that the future of business is global. By 2025, almost 50% of the world’s biggest companies will be based in emerging markets. While the English language is widely used throughout business, communicating in English only can have large disadvantages in today’s markets. As most markets have been opened internationally due to globalisation there is lots of competition.
By being able to speak in multiple languages, your business can cross both cultural and linguistic barriers. You are likely to make a better first impression communicating in at least one other language because it shows respect and interest in your target culture.
To help your business on the way to global expansion, a translations expert and founder of Absolute Translations, Sergio Afonso has revealed the five languages that are beneficial to business growth in 2021.
1) Simplified Chinese
With China’s fast-growing economy, Simplified Chinese is the business language of the future. It has a total of 1.3 billion native speakers as well as a large community of people within the corporate world who speak the language. If you’re looking to trade in China, we would recommend either learning Mandarin or utilising Mandarin translation services to give you a serious advantage in the market.
2) German
Of all the countries in Europe, Germany has a thriving economy and promising future for growth – despite the impact of global recessions and COVID-19. In fact, Germany is the single largest export market for British goods – aside from the United States. Therefore, it’s important for UK businesses to consider the use of German when communicating with their German partners.
3) Arabic
Arabic is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world, offering a gateway into the Middle East where business opportunities are abundant. However, when it comes to many Middle Eastern countries, you will find that a lot of people in business only speak Arabic. As a result, UK businesses wanting to succeed in this region will want to use the language to have an edge against their competitors.
4) Spanish
After Mandarin, Spanish is one of the world’s most popular languages, being spoken by over 420 million native speakers in 44 countries. One of these countries is the United States which is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico. As the population of Hispanic people continues to grow so does their buying power, making Spanish an important language for businesses expanding into the States to use.
5) Brazilian Portuguese
Following the 2016 Olympics and 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil, the country has grown massively in popularity. As a result, plenty of businesses are looking at opportunities to enter the Brazilian market. With many Portuguese native-speakers both in Brazil, it’s vital to communicate with your customers and partners in Portuguese if you want to succeed in the country.
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