Last updated on December 6th, 2019 at 02:35 pm

Houston, Texas: From the Earth to the Moon

In 1969, the first word was spoken on the Moon: “Houston”. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and what could be bigger than space and human curiosity? Today, Houston, Texas continues to reach for the stars, always trying to get higher and further. A cosmopolitan city of well over 2 million inhabitants, Houston lies at the heart of Texas culture.

Houston is home to NASA’s Lyndon B Johnson Space Center, consular offices for over 80 nations, a strong international community, and a thriving economy. Follow along to find out more about a Cool City in America, its languages, and how translation and interpretation services hold business, education, and community closer together.

Houston: A Global Reach

Houston, knows that globalism and multilingual exchange of knowledge is essential for our present and future. Houston relies on language services to conduct the business that makes the city what it is today. For instance, the Port of Houston handles more international cargo than any other port in the United States. The University of Houston is an internationally sought study destination, with upcoming travel dates to Seoul, Delhi, and San Jose. The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex on the planet, with some of medicine’s most brilliant minds working there to advance science for humanity’s well-being and receiving patients from all over the world. My own father was there in 1978 for a heart evaluation and his non-proficiency in English back then was a challenge for him.

The people behind those efforts to make them possible speak dozens of languages in scores of dialects and cannot afford errors when discussing measurements for the next space probe or unclear ideas when talking about a heart surgery technique. Professional translation and interpretation services keep people safe, save time, and let people get their work done.

Demographics of the City of Houston

Who lives in Houston? Where do foreign-born Houstonians come from? According to data from the Migration Policy Institute, Houston saw an increase of 60% in the number of foreign-born residents from the year 2000 to 2013.  To put that into perspective, the MPI estimates that to be nearly double the national growth rate. Of the several million people living in the Greater Houston area, about 1 in 6 are born outside the United States.

Most Houstonians born outside the United States come from Mexico, Central American nations, and Southeast Asia. The complex mix of languages and cultures is immediately evident in the younger generations, who are largely multilingual and English-proficient. To reach this powerful cohort, business owners must adopt a multilingual, globalized perspective. Language services are the way for a company to do so sincerely and effectively.

Languages of the Space City

English is widely spoken in Houston, but Spanish is not far behind here as it is in the entire United States. Over 140 languages are spoken by Houstonians, according to the last census. Houston is interesting for the number and diversity of the languages spoken by smaller percentages of people. These languages may have a smaller presence, but their foothold is sure and growing steadily.

Besides English and Spanish, the languages of Houston include Asian languages like Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Other languages present in Houston are Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, and Arabic, plus Pacific Oceanic languages like Tagalog, and African languages like Yoruba, spoken in Nigeria. This creates a rich, complex linguistic environment, where the services of translation and interpretation professionals remove language barriers each day, allowing individuals and businesses to communicate and interact.

Translation Services in Houston are the bridge for the local multilingual population to connect, and a major opportunity for local businesses, government agencies, and hospitals to have a global audience.

Impact of Houston’s Languages

Major Houston industries rely on language services companies to interact with clients, partners, governments, and employees. Here are a few areas in which professional translation and interpretation services can be found working in Houston and its surrounding areas:

• Science. We already know that Houston is a world-renowned center for scientific exploration. Scientists around the world need translators and interpreters so that they can communicate with each other clearly and accurately. Mistakes can lead to major setbacks, and JR Language wants to keep that from happening by using translators and interpreters skilled in the client’s industry.
• Energy. Companies working with the oil industry, petrochemicals, natural gas, and renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are housed in Houston. Combined with its scientific research capabilities, Houston is making great strides toward a greener, more sustainable energy grid. With the use of language translation services, companies exchange products and services, manuals, and training capabilities with partners and customers around the world.
• Medicine. The Texas Medical Center takes in hundreds of multilingual patients. There is much potential for mishaps when medical staff cannot communicate adequately with the patient. To provide proper care, medical facilities have professional translators and interpreters available so that patients can understand the physician’s directions, dosages for their medication, their insurance policies, and their treatment records.
• Finance. Remember the energy research mentioned above? Halliburton Company, one of the largest suppliers of energy products and services in the world, has dual headquarters. One is in Houston, the other in Dubai.  Phillips 66, another Fortune 500 company dealing in energy manufacturing, is headquartered in Houston.  Apache Corporation, also a major energy dealer, makes its home in Houston, Texas. These businesses have expenditures, profits, and rely on professional financial translators to deal with their multinational clients, governments, branches, and subsidiaries. Interpreters are vital for meetings, conferences, phone calls, tours, and interviews.

Translating Your Business for Houston

When it comes to language translation and interpretation services, Houston is sophisticated.  Only the best will do.  JR Language’s translators and interpreters are industry professionals who are fluent in the terminology and work with state-of-the-art technology to take on client’s multilingual work. Here are a few items our translation agency can help you with:

• Legal document translation Certified legal document translation is a must for doing business internationally. Formation documents, patents, contracts, memos, and more must stand up to legal scrutiny across language and culture.
• Website translation. JR Language can not only translate your website down to regional dialect, but we can localize your content for your audience with the right metrics, currency, colloquialisms, and cultural adaptation. What good is a translated website if the copy phrasing doesn’t make sense to the visitor, or the images are culturally inappropriate?
• Financial translation. Just like legal document translation, financial documents must stand up to scrutiny in the source and target languages. Our professional financial translators can make that happen in any language and dialect so that you can be confident that your financial documents are correct.

The Best Translation Services in Houston

Houston is a city that seeks knowledge and progress. Language services are an excellent way to advance society, and JR Language is a translation company devoted to breaking down language barriers whenever and wherever we encounter them. Join us today in exploring where translation and interpretation services can take us in our universe.