Did you know that in the UK, despite the fact that over 92% speak English or Welsh as their main language, there are plenty of additional languages spoken.
If you plan to add a foreign language voiceover or subtitles to a marketing campaign or other media aimed at the UK market, it could be a good time to enhance it by adding more language types to it. It means tapping into a much larger UK audience overall, which is particularly helpful if you are targeting more diverse communities, or you want to be as accessible to the masses as possible in your campaign.
To help you get an idea of the languages that could be useful to include in your next UK based marketing campaign or educational resources, here’s an overview of the top 10 languages spoken in the UK after English:
1. Local Languages
It is important to recognise that a lot of people speak Irish, Scottish and Welsh. Although Welsh is the only local/ indigenous language that is listed as an official language, all local languages are relevant, especially if you want to localise marketing really well. Including it as a voiceover or subtitle option could even enhance the overall polish and acceptance of your marketing in communities where speaking the local language holds a sense of pride and importance.
2. Polish
The 2013 census revealed that Polish was the UK’s second most popular language, and despite the impact of Brexit causing many European nationals to leave, Polish still remains prominent in the UK and is worth considering as an additional voiceover or subtitle language for marketing and educational material.
3. Punjabi
There are lots of Punjabi speaking immigrants in the UK, along with their descendants. This is because of Britain having such a large presence in India over the last two centuries. The language continues to be spoken across the country and in very specific pockets of Punjabi speaking communities.
4. Urdu
Urdu is a popular language in the UK that is quickly growing in popularity year after year. The Indo-Aryan language is also known as Lashkari language and is the national language of Pakistan. England is home to many Urdu speakers because it is home to the largest Pakistani community in Europe.
5. Bengali
Bengali is spoken in the UK in various forms, including Bengali dialects such as Chittagonian and Sylheti. It is a first language of many, but is thought to be predominantly generationally taught, and so many of the 210 million people who speak it do so as a second language.
6. Gujarati
During the time that England had presence in India in the last two centuries, many Gujarati speakers emigrated to the UK. Because of this, the language remains prominent in the UK and much like Bengali, continues to be taught generationally and is taught as a second language across the country. This is especially true in areas where original Gujarati immigrants have settled and multiple generations are now thriving and speaking both English and Gujarati.
7. Arabic
Arabic is an important language in the UK because it is so prominent within various areas of business. As, like Japanese, Arabic also has various nuances that go beyond the written and spoken words, if you choose to use Arabic in your marketing for the UK it is important to use a professional foreign language voiceover company. This will avoid any faux pas being made, so you can benefit from providing an Arabic translation without risking your brand or marketing campaign.
8. French
French is spoken across the UK by people who are bilingual, people from France who live in the UK and those who may know some French having learnt it at school. French Creole is also spoken in the UK, which is a mixture of French and West African that was created during the height of the slave era.
9. Spanish
Spanish is a common second language for many people in the UK, and it is also spoken by Spanish people who live in the UK too.
10. German
German is available to learn in schools and is a common second language for many people in the UK, and it is also spoken by German people who live in the UK too.
Which Languages Will You Embrace For Your UK Marketing?
As you can see above, there’s a lot more to the UK language-wise than English, which means alot of untapped potential if you’re only putting marketing out in English so far! Why not reach out to a professional foreign voiceover and subtitle company today to make your marketing more accessible and effective?
