The Global Language Landscape

Introduction: In this week's strategic newsletter, we take a look at the intricate world of language, building upon last week's discussion on the "Rules of the Game." Language is a fascinating subject that profoundly impacts our lives, both within the countries we inhabit and the ones where we conduct business.

I am a UK and also a US citizen. I found out surreptitiously that UK English has differences to US English. To compound this, my wife is French Canadian, her English is even more different in expression and terms. Previously, I had lived in Germany, and so I had to learn some German. Communication to and from my German coleagues in either language was expressed and understood differently. I have traveled and worked across Asia and the same nuances of understanding natives of other languages speaking English, apply. Through all of this I realized that language can have a great effect on strategic business goals. Today, we delve into the cultural nuances of English and other languages, their usage, their measurement, and languages strategic significance in business, making this a must-read for those interested in cultural aspects or engaged in international trade.

The Role of Language in Culture: Culture resides at the core of Informal Institutions, which we discussed in last week’s newsletter. Within the broader cultural context, there are four primary characteristics: language, education, social structure, and religion. Each of these elements can be a deciding factor in your business transactions. Inadequate knowledge about any of these cultural aspects can lead to increased transaction and transition costs for both your company and clients. In this issue, we'll specifically explore language and its strategic measurement and use, with a factual perspective, taking into account global and subcategorized influences. Side note: The following numbers were derived from research in my book, Simple Strategic Planning. https://tinyurl.com/5c5fznpf Time and variances will have moved these numbers, but in my research and experience, not dramatically. Therefore, the following is a guide.

Top Ten Global Native Languages: Let's start by looking at the top ten most spoken languages based on native tongue:

1.????? Chinese - 28%

2.????? Spanish - 14%

3.????? English - 12%

4.????? Hindi-Urdu - 10%

5.????? Arabic - 9%

6.????? Bengali - 7%

7.????? Portuguese - 7%

8.????? Russian - 5%

9.????? Japanese - 4%

10.??? Punjabi - 4%

While many might assume English to be the global lingua franca, it represents only 12% of native speakers worldwide. However, when considering language use in business, the statistics paint a different picture.

Language used in Global Business: In the realm of global business, the language landscape shifts significantly:

1.????? English - 22%

2.????? Chinese - 21%

3.????? Hindi-Urdu - 13%

4.????? Spanish - 10%

5.????? Arabic - 8%

6.????? French - 6%

7.????? Malay, Russian, Bengali, and Portuguese - All at 5%

Here, English emerges as the dominant language of international commerce.

Official Languages vs. Native Languages: Interestingly, many countries have an official language that differs from their native tongue. For instance, there are 59 countries that use English as an official language over their native language. Most of which can be traced back to the British colonial legacy. When you tally up the populations of these Official English-speaking nations, they encompass 41% of the world's population. Therefore arguably, English is used in businesses by 41% of the world populations. Other languages used as official languages in various countries include, French; used in 29 countries, Arabic; 26, Spanish; 21, and Portuguese; expressed in 9 other countries.

Yet, that’s not the end of how the world measures language. There is more. In today's tech-driven world, as with everything else in our global lives, there is now another newer measurement of how language is used. Language use is now also defined on the world wide web or the internet.

Language on the World Wide Web: The most popular languages displayed on the world wide web are:

1.????? English - 34%

2.????? Chinese - 25%

3.????? Spanish - 10%

4.????? Arabic - 6%

5.????? Portuguese and Indo/Malaysian - 5% each

6.????? French, Japanese, and Russian - 4%

7.????? German - 3%

Conclusion: From a marketing perspective, for all industries, this information is invaluable for targeting or better still, influencing potential clients with products and services. Collectively, native English language with its multiple variations together with the use of Official English language absolutely dominates global business. This makes doing business worldwide simpler for many countries. But remember there are nuances to localized English, even if it’s official. Adding to this fact, is that now English is also the most popular language on the world wide web, where written English should not be so complex, but look out for the color or colour, or those specialized and specialised spellings.

Executives Outcomes hope you've enjoyed this unique snapshot of how languages are perceived, utilized, measured, and categorized worldwide. If you're eager to delve deeper into this intriguing subject or have any feedback to share, please don't hesitate to reach out directly. Your insights and inquiries are always welcome as I continue to explore the ever-evolving world of global strategic dynamics.

"I’m Phil Wilton, your Executives Outcomes are my business, because your executive decisions, and your outcomes are just as important to me, as they are to your business’s success."

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