The United States is diversifying faster than ever, especially among youths. That means K-12 schools, colleges, and universities often need to meet the needs of students and parents who speak a language other than English. And while the majority of English learners are native Spanish speakers, four out of the five fastest growing languages trace their origins to Asia. In this blog post, we take a look at those languages and explore how educational institutions can meet students’ linguistic needs through translation and interpreting.  

5 Fastest Growing Languages

Below is a brief overview of the fastest growing languages in the U.S. between 2010 and 2017. Depending on where you live, you may see a rise in students who speak one or more of them.

1. Telugu – Up 86%

Spoken primarily in South India and Sri Lanka, Telugu is the language of the Telugu people. It’s also the fastest growing language in the U.S. due to the influx of Telugu speakers in tech and engineering. Between 2008 and 2012, the city of Hyderabad alone sent over 26,000 students to U.S. universities.   

Around 415,400 Telugu speakers live in the U.S. The majority reside in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and California.   

2. Arabic – Up 42%

Spoken by 580 million people worldwide, Arabic is the official language of 23 countries in the Middle East and Africa. The number of Arabic speakers is in the rise due to both increased immigration over the past 20 years and the size of Muslim families. (American Muslims tend to have more children than Americans of other faiths.)   

Around 1.1 million Arabic speakers live in the U.S., most of whom reside in California, Michigan, New York, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, and Ohio.

3. Hindi – Up 42%; 4. Urdu – Up 30%

Hindi and Urdu are registers of the Hindustani language, and are official languages of India. Around 863,000 Hindi speakers live in the U.S., making it the most widely spoken Indian language. Urdu is spoken by about 507,300 people. As is the case with Telugu, the increase is primarily due to the influx of highly skilled immigrants and university students.

The majority of speakers reside in California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Texas.

5. Chinese – Up 23%

Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, and the third most widely spoken language in the U.S. It’s also the fastest growing language in the U.S. in absolute numbers.   

Around 3.5 million Chinese speakers live in the U.S. The majority live in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore-Washington, Seattle, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Delaware Valley.

The Role of Translation and Interpreting Services in Education

Now, many students and parents who speak these languages may already speak English fluently. However, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, those who don’t are entitled to certain translated materials and access to an interpreter while they’re learning English. And keep in mind that even if a student or parent can speak some English, they may still need assistance in their native language. Navigating enrollment and learning how the U.S. education system works can be challenging for new arrivals—regardless of their English proficiency level.  

How INGCO International Can Help

As you prepare for the next school year, you may be wondering how you can ensure all students and parents have the linguistic resources they need. That’s where we come in. At INGCO International, our network of professional translators and interpreters are ready to assist in over 200 languages. We’ve provided translated documents and educational interpreters for numerous schools, and we’re ready to do the same for you.

Ready to discuss your educational translation and interpreting needs? Contact us today!

Whether you want to go global with your video content or target multilingual audiences at home, you must first decide how to translate it. Yet there’s an ongoing debate over which method is better. Some people hate reading subtitles, while others prefer them to voice overs. 

So, which should you choose? The answer is: it depends. The type of project, target audience, and budget all influence which option may be right for you. We’ll take a look at all three factors to help you decide.

Type of Video

Let’s start by going over some general guidelines for different types of video content.      

Marketing and Promotional Videos

Voice over typically works best for marketing and promotional videos because the speaker can convey the message in a persuasive voice. This is especially true when the video has an invisible narrator or one presenter.

If multiple speakers are featured, subtitling is usually the more affordable option because it doesn’t require multiple voice actors.

Training and Explainer Videos  

Subtitles work well for eLearning modules and training videos because the content matters more than the mood. They’re an excellent option for videos that demonstrate an action while a speaker describes it.

If the video includes explanatory texts or onscreen titles, voice over will make it easier for the viewer to follow along. Remember, it can be difficult to switch between reading the main text and the subtitles.

Target Audience

Although guidelines exist, always consider your target audience’s needs and preferences.

Cultural Norms

Some countries have a strong preference for one over the other. For example, Latin American audiences prefer voice over while Europeans are split by country. Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands prefer subtitles, but Spain, France, and Italy prefer voice over.

Reading Level  

Don’t forget to consider the target audience’s average reading level, either. An eLearning course for young children may need voice overs regardless of cultural preferences. The same may be true for training videos aimed at workers in lower skilled jobs. If your audience doesn’t have strong reading skills, they may struggle to follow along with subtitles.

Accessibility

If you’re publishing video content in the United States, you may also need to meet certain accessibility requirements for the hearing impaired. When this is the case, you’ll need to add an option for subtitles in English—in addition to foreign language subtitles or voice over.

Budget

In an ideal world, costs would never be an issue. Yet whether you decide to use voice overs, subtitles, or a combination of both may depend on your budget.

Voice over can be significantly more expensive than subtitles. It involves script translation, hiring voice talent, recording, and file delivery. And that doesn’t include localization costs such as the translation of on-screen texts and graphics with embedded text.

When budget constraints are an issue, subtitles are likely your best bet. However, if you have a larger budget, consider giving your audience a choice by including options for voice over and subtitles.

How INGCO International Can Help   

At INGCO International, we offer the localization, voice over, and subtitling services that will make your video content shine. From commercials to corporate training to eLearning, we know how to adapt your message to a multicultural audience.

Ready to discuss your next video project? Contact us today!

On this 239th American Independence Day, we got to thinking about the language diversity of our founding fathers. We found some interesting information and wanted to share it with you. Oh, and Happy Independence Day to the United States of America!

Did you know?

The U.S. Constitution was written in English with splashes of Latin throughout the document, which was and continues to be consistent with legal documents. Due to international interest in the U.S. Constitution, it was almost immediately translated into French and most certainly has been translated into over 200 languages throughout the history of the United States.

John Dunlap‘s Pennsylvania Packet was the first newspaper to publish the U.S. Constitution. Dunlap, together with David Claypoole, also printed the Declaration of Independence and the Committee of Detail Report.

The U.S. Constitution was published in German immediately after the signing to accommodate the inhabitants of Germantown and Lancaster. On September 24, 1787, the Pennsylvania Assembly authorized Dunlap to publish 3000 copies of the Constitution in English, and 500 in German, at an estimated cost of $1500.

INGCO International provides document translation, on-site interpreting and global marketing in 200+ languages across the world. We look forward to working on your next multilingual project soon!

Happy Friday, everyone! And welcome to another Fact or Fiction Friday.

Today’s trivia question is: The Finnish language has three of the world’s longest palindromic words (Refresher: A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward or forward.) Fact? Or Fiction?

Drum roll, please… This one is :

The Finnish language does indeed have three of the world’s longest palindromic words. They are (in no particular order):

1) ‘saippuakivikauppias’ – a soapstone seller,
2) ‘saippuakuppinippukauppias’ – a soapstone trader
3) ‘solutomaattimittaamotulos’ – the result from a measurement laboratory for tomatoes.

See you next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone! Today’s trivia question is: In English, the Rice Crispies slogan is ‘snap, crackle and pop‘.  In German, Rice Crispies go ‘Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!’ Fact? or Fiction?

In English, the Rice Crispies slogan is ‘snap, crackle and pop’.  In German, Rice Crispies go ‘Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!’ Fact? or Fiction?

This one is a…

In Germany, Rice Crispies don’t go ‘snap, crackle and pop’ they go ‘knisper, knasper, knusper.’ In France, they go ‘Cric! Crac! Croc!’ And in Spain, they go ‘Cris! Cras! Cros!’

Tune in next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday!

Happy Friday! Today’s trivia question is has two parts: There are 2,000 characters in the Chinese language. You’ll need to know about 600 to read a newspaper. Do you think this is Fact? or Fiction?

There are 2,000 characters in the Chinese language. You’ll need to know about 600 to read a newspaper. Fact? or Fiction?

This is…

There are 50,000 characters in the Chinese language!  You’ll need to know about 2,000 to read a newspaper!

Visit the following site to see the most common Chinese characters : http://www.commonchinesecharacters.com/Lists/MostCommon2500ChineseCharacters

We’ll see you next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday!

We took a small break from Fact or Fiction Friday, but we’re back and better than ever! Today’s trivia question is as follows: There are 2,400 languages classified as being ‘endangered’. Fact? or Fiction?

There are 2,400 languages classified as being ‘endangered’. Is this Fact? or Fiction?

Sadly, this one is a fact.

A language is considered “extinct” when the last person who learned it as his or her primary tongue dies. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched an online atlas of endangered languages, labeling more than 2,400 at risk of extinction.

Trouble spots where languages are considered most endangered include Siberia, northern Australia, the North American Pacific Northwest, and parts of the Andes and Amazon, according to the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, a nonprofit partnering with National Geographic to record and promote disappearing tongues.

Language extinction has been a phenomenon for at least 10,000 years, since the dawn of agriculture.

For a list of the languages that are considered endangered head over to UNESCO’s website: http://www.unesco.org

Information found on http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/15/AR2009031501857.html

Source:
Kari Lydersen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 16, 2009

Today is World Book Day! What is World Book Day you ask? World Book Day is a celebration! It is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

In honor of this celebration I am are re-posting a blog I wrote over the summer. “The 20 Most Translated Texts in History”. These pieces range from comics to religious texts; appealing to a wide variety of audiences. Enjoy!

Note: The content in this article is compiled from data and does not reflect INGCO International’s opinions or views.

Using the UNESCO Index Translationum database, which categories novels, plays, magazines and other literary forms by the quantity of languages they have been translated into, we present to you (from 20-1) the most translated texts in the world.

20) Pippi Longstocking 

Pippi Longstocking tells the story of a young orphaned girl with crazy red pigtails. With no parents to tell her what to do, superhuman strength, a horse that lives on her porch, and a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson, Pippi seems to always find an outrageous adventure to go on.

Written by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, first published in 1945, this book series has been translated into 64 languages.

19) The Harry Potter Series

This series of seven fantasy novels chronicles the adventures of a young wizard, Harry Potter, along with his close friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. These stories follow the young wizard’s journey to overcome the dark lord, Voldemort, who aims to conquer the wizarding world, vanquish non-magical persons, and destroy those who stand in his way.

British Author J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel on June 30, 1997. Since the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (now titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) this popular book series has sold millions of copies throughout the world and has been translated into 67 languages.

18) The Alchemist

The Alchemist follows the journey of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. Santiago has a recurring dream about finding a worldly treasure.  Believing this dream to be prophetic Santiago begins his journey from his home in Spain to Egypt. Along the way he meets a lone alchemist who teaches him the secrets of alchemy. The story teaches about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and above all, following our dreams.

Originally written in Portuguese in 1988 by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, this book has been translated into 67 languages.

17) Book of Mormon

This religious text was first published in the United States in 1830 and is used by followers of the Latter Day Saint movement, better known as Mormons. This text is believed by Mormons to contain scripters written by prophets who lived in America before and after the birth of Jesus Christ.

Since being published this religious text has been translated into 82 languages.

16) Awake! 

Awake! is a monthly magazine published by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States. Its articles discuss culture, health, family, biblical themes, and more.

Since the first issue, published in 1919, it has a circulation of over 40 million copies and has currently been translated into 84 languages.

15) The Imitation of Christ

Originally written in Latin by German Thomas à Kempis, this spiritual handbook is commonly used by followers of the Christian religion. Kempis lived in a monastery and dedicated much of his time to the production of this manuscript, which was initially published in the early 15th century.

The Imitation of Christ has been translated into 95 different languages.

14) The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin is a series of comic albums revolving around Tintin, a young Belgian Reporter and his heroic adventures. This series spans a wide variety of genres with elements of fantasy, mystery, political thrillers, and science fiction.

Since its first publication in 1929 by Belgian writer Georges Rem, who wrote under the pen name Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin has been translated into 96 languages.

13) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, commonly known as Alice in Wonderland, tells of a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole, literally, while chasing after a white rabbit in a waistcoat. Alice ends up in a fantasy world called ‘Wonderland’ which is populated by peculiar creatures such as the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. This tale plays with logic giving it popularity with both adults and children alike.

Written in 1862 by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, this novel has been translated into 97 languages thus far.

12) New World Transcription of the Holy Scriptures 

The New World Transcription of the Holy Scriptures is another text on this list written by Jehovah’s Witnesses. It contains translations of texts that were initially written in ancient Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.

The first complete version of this text was published in English in 1961 and has since been translated into 112 languages.

11) The Quran 

The main religious text of Islam, the Quran, is believed by Muslims to be the word of God as related to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel.

It was written in ancient Arabic and has been translated into 112 languages.

10) The Adventures of Asterix

The Adventures of Asterix is a comic series that follows Asterix, along with his friend Obelix, on adventures to save their village of Gual from the Romans. To do this they utilize a magic potion, brewed by their druid Getafix using his magic golden sickle, giving the recipients superhuman strength, which leaves Asterix and Obelix the only ones able to save Gual (often times taking them on travels across the world).

The comic has traditionally analyzed French and European society in an ironic fashion and was first published in 1959. Created by writer Rene Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo this comic series has been translated into 112 languages.

9) Steps to Christ 

This evangelistic book written by Ellen G. White, the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, contains advice and reflections on how to better know Jesus Christ.  It covers the topics of repentance, confession, faith, acceptance, growing into Christ, and prayer.

First published in 1892 this book has been translated into more than 140 languages.

8) Andersen’s Fairy Tales

Andersen’s Fairy Tales contains a complete collection of fairy tales written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. This collection contains many cherished tales such as “The Little Mermaid”, which tells the tale of a young mermaid who sacrifices everything for love and “The Princess and the Pea”, which tells the tale of a young woman whose royal identity is established by a test of her physical sensitivity. Other stories include famous tales such as “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, and “Snow Queen”.

This collection of Andersen’s works from 1835-1852 has been translated into 153 different languages.

7) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus, as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax. He (Professor Aronnax) along with his servant Conseil and a Canadian harpoonist Ned Land, embark on a journey to track down a giant sea monster but instead end up discovering the Nautilus, an extraordinary submarine built by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Together Nemo and Aronnax explore the marvels under the sea.

This science fiction book written by author French Jules Verne was first published in 1870 and has since been translated into 174 languages.

6) The Little Prince 

This poetic tale, accompanied by watercolor illustrations by the author, is a whimsical tale in which the narrator, a pilot, becomes stranded in the Sahara desert.  While worrying about his dilemma he is approached by a very serious little boy with blonde hair. “Please,” asks the boy, “draw me a sheep.” Throughout their time stranded in the desert the pilot and the Little Prince illustrate a clever and captivating tale of the importance of life.

This children’s book has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and is one of the 50 best-selling books ever published. Written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a French writer, this book has been translated into more than 180 languages since publication in 1943.

5) The Watchtower 

Another document written by Jehovah’s Witnesses that makes it’s way into our list is the magazine The Watchtower. This magazine, first published in 1879, attempts to connect contemporary themes with Biblical prophecies.

This magazine has a circulation of approximately 42 million copies a month and has been translated into 195 languages.

4) The Pilgrim’s Progress

The Pilgrim’s Progress contains 108,260 words and is divided into two parts, each an unbroken narrative with no chapter divisions. Do you think you can handle it? This work of Christian literature is one of the most famous classics to be printed. It is an allegorical novel depicting Christian’s journey through life to reach heaven. It is filled with vivid and complete human portraits of each of its characters.

Part I was written by John Bunyan in 1679 while he was imprisoned for conducting unsanctioned religious services. This section of The Pilgrim’s Progress predominately revolves around Christian, a devout Christian, and his pilgrimage to Celestial City.

6 years later, in 1684, Bunyan published a sequel (also titled The Pilgrim’s Progress) depicting instead of a male’s pilgrimage, a female’s.  Part II follows Christiana, Christian’s wife, and their children’s journey to Celestial City.

The Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into 200 languages.

We’ve reached the top three!

3) What Does The Bible Really Teach?

This small book written from a Jehovah’s Witness group in 2005 is a Bible study tool designed to aid its audience in learning about biblical teachings. It addresses religious issues such as: Who is Jesus Christ? and What is the kingdom of God?

Since publication this book has been translated into 244 languages.

2) The Adventures of Pinocchio

The story of Pinocchio takes place in a small Italian village where a woodcarver, by the name of Gepetto, carves a puppet out of wood and calls him by the name Pinocchio. Pinocchio dreams of one day loosing his strings and becoming a real boy. Disobedient, prone to telling lies and getting into mischief, Pinocchio finds it difficult to be good. With a nose that grows when he tells lies, this puppet cannot become human until he changes his ways.

Written by Italian Carlo Collodi in 1883, this children’s book has been translated into 260 languages.

1) The Bible 

The Bible is a collection of ancient religious texts and is considered to be the word of God in both Christianity and Judaism.

The Bible is the most read and sold book in the history of the world, with an estimated sale amount of 100 million copies annually it’s not surprising that this text received the number 1 spot on this list. It has been translated into 469 languages!

_{Information and data compiled from:
Oropeza, Eric. “Top 20 Most Translated Books in History.” http://www.ehow.co.uk. eHow UK, 2013. Web. 05 June 2014.}

_{Database: Index Translationum
Index Translationum – World Bibliography of Translation.” Index Translationum – World Bibliography of Translation. N.p., 2013. Web. 05 June 2014.}

_{Database: Amazon
Amazon Books. Amazon, n.d. Web. 05 June 2014. <www.amazon.com>.}

_{Database: Spark Notes.
SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 05 June 2014. <www.sparknotes.com>.}

Are you uncertain of what to call the animal celebrated this Lunar New Year? Is it the Year of the Goat, the Ram or the Sheep?

All three animals have been mentioned as the key focus in this year’s celebration, which began today, Thursday February 19, 2015, and employs the Chinese zodiac cycle of a rotating troupe of 12 symbolic animals. For instance, this past year, 2014, was the Year of the Horse and 2013 was the Year of the Snake. But why is there such creature confusion this year?

It all branches from the fact that the Chinese use one character for these horned animals — translated as “yang” in Mandarin, when used to mean goat, is seen as something strong with a “quiet spirit.” A sheep is considered gentler and more docile.

Geography can make a difference in what people use to define the year. Sheep are raised in northern China, while goats are more common in southern China, which can play into what the year is called depending on one’s location. Generally, people in mainland China seem to prefer to call it the Year of the Goat.

If you are an English speaker you may just want to go authentic: Year of the Yang.

Here is a closer look at the animals:

Goat

A goat is a hardy domesticated ruminant animal that has backward curving horns and (in the male) a beard.

Sheep

A sheep is a domesticated ruminant animal with a thick woolly coat. Sheep are over one year of age. They have usually produced offspring.

Ram

A male sheep is called a ram. Buck is the slang term for ram. A young male is called a ram lamb. In parts of the United Kingdom, a ram is called a tup.

Physical differences

• Sheep
  • and

  goats

  • have numerous physical differences. Most

  goats

  • have hair coats that do not require

  shearing

  • or combing. Most

  sheep

  • grow

  woolly

  • coats that need to be

  sheared

  • at least annually.

  Lamb

  • tails are usually docked (shortened) whereas

  goat

  tails are not.

• Sheep
  • have an upper lip that is divided by a distinct philtrum (groove). The

  goat

  does not.

• • Male

  goats

  • have

  glands

  • beneath their

  tail

  • .

  Sheep

  • have face or tear

  glands

  • beneath their eyes and foot or scent

  glands

  • between the toes. Male

  goats

  • develop a distinct odor as they grow in sexual maturity. The odor is very strong during the

  rut

  • (

  mating season

  • ). Sexually mature

  rams

  have much less of an odor, if they have an odor at all.

Source: http://www.sheep101.info/sheepandlambs.html
http://www.sheep101.info/sheepandgoats.html

Sources Cited: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/chinese-new-year-it-year-goat-sheep-or-ram-ewe-n308361

Welcome to our third Fact or Fiction Friday! Today’s trivia question has two parts, both are either fact or fiction (one is not fact and the other fiction). This one should be fairly easy if you know your regions! The question is… New England French is a variation of European French and is primarily spoken in Pennsylvania. Fact? Or Fiction?

New England French is a variation of European French and is primarily spoken in Pennsylvania. Fact? or Fiction?

The answer is… 

New England French is a variation of Canadian French spoken in the New England region of the United States. The largest communities are in Maine.

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

New England French is one of the three major forms of the French Language that developed in what is now the U.S., the others being Louisiana French and the nearly extinct Missouri French. The dialect is considered endangered, but its use is supported by bilingual education programs that have been in place since 1987!

Below I have listed the number of French-speakers by state:

Whether you need translation, interpreting or global marketing into New England French, or anyone of the over 200 other languages we serve, reach out to us.

Come back next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday! Have a great weekend.