If you have ever wondered about the languages that are spoken in America apart from English, this article lists them all, along with extra interesting information.
Did you know that over 350 different languages are spoken in homes across America? It’s a diverse country with a rich selection of different languages far beyond the most commonly spoken language of English.
If you’re adding an English voiceover to a marketing campaign or other media aimed at the US, it could be time to build on that English voiceover and consider adding more language layers on your outreach. There’s a bigger audience out there to tap into, you just need to communicate your message using the right language.
To help you get some ideas of how your marketing could be more effective in America with the use of extra foreign language voice overs or subtitles, here’s an overview of the top 10 languages spoken in America after English:
1. Spanish
Spanish is a dominant language in America and is spoken by around 41 million native speakers – a massive 13% of the population. It’s actually the second largest Spanish speaking country globally, and the numbers of Spanish speakers in the country is growing at speed. For the biggest impact from a commercial voiceover, a Spanish voice over is essential when marketing to America.
2. Chinese
Chinese is a dominant language in America and is spoken by around 3.49 million Americans. Various kinds of Chinese language is spoken among those people, including Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien. The type of Chinese used in marketing might need to be specific to your target market, or the area of America you are targeting. A professional voiceover agency can help localise any voice overs or subtitles you want to add to your marketing material.
3. Filipino
Tagalog is a language that is official in the Philippines and is spoken in America quite vastly, because of mass migrations of immigrants within the last 100 years. One of the most prominent migrations was in the 1960’s and went on for many years as Filipinos sought work and a better education in America.
4. Vietnamese
Vietnamese is a quickly growing language in America, thought to be in part because of families reuniting in the country following the Vietnam War. It has been particularly growing in popularity as a language in America since the 1980’s.
5. French
French has been spoken in America for a long time because original French colonists claimed American soil across America. It can be learnt in American schools along with German and Spanish, and is a popular choice for students who want to expand their language horizons and capabilities. French Creole is also spoken widely in America and originates from a mixture of French and African language which occurred in the 1800’s – the height of the slave trade era.
6. Arabic
Arabic is spoken across America, with some areas in certain states, like New York, with large concentrations of Arabic people.
8. Korean
Korean culture is on the rise in America along with the amount of people who speak Korean. As well as native speakers, Korean is a popular language to study in America, too.
9. Russian
Russian is spoken largely in America due to a large amount of immigration from Russia which slowed just before the Millenium. Interestingly. Russian is one of two official languages on the International Space Station (along with English) and often NASA astronauts need to learn Russian as part of their training, as to communicate with the Russian astronauts they work with.
10. German
German language has been present in the USA since colonisation, like other European languages. Although the number of speakers has grown and reduced at different times, it remains a popular language choice, especially for learning.
Which Languages Will You Include On Your Marketing Material For America?
As you can see, America is much more than the English language. Any truly impactful marketing material needs to far extend English voices in order to fully reach its potential.