Have you ever traveled abroad to a non-English speaking country? If you weren’t familiar with the language spoken there, doubtless you found it a little frustrating trying to accomplish even simple business transactions. You might not have purchased certain items or even seen some parts of the country due to the exasperation you felt trying to communicate. Now imagine living there full-time and the challenges you would face.
There are many who live in this country who confront this issue daily. No matter where you reside in the United States, you’ve no doubt observed the increase of foreign language speaking people in your area. Spanish is, by far, the most spoken non-English language in the U.S. with more than 37 million speakers. But there are also 20 million others who speak different languages. The latest census figures aren’t available yet, but the chart below gives you an idea of the wide variety spoken, and the numbers are only continuing to rise. And just like everyone else, one day they too may need your services.