Last updated on January 16th, 2023 at 02:42 pm

Washington, District of Columbia

What happens in Washington, D.C. could not happen without language services. As well as the seat of our federal government, it is an international hub for business, tourism, colleges, and embassies. Without language services, Washington, D.C. could not function and would not be able to fulfill its important role for the nation and the world. Translation and interpretation resources for Washington, D.C. have effects that reach worldwide. Language service is part of the capital’s DNA.

Let’s take a look at a few of those effects and what goes into creating them.

Languages of Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C. has a high degree of language diversity. More people are speaking a language other than English at home; English is still the #1 spoken language in Washington D.C., however Spanish is the #2 most used language, followed by French, then African languages like Bantu and Somali, each with their own cultural connotations and values that must be localized during translation. Washington, D.C. is also a huge tourist mecca with people coming from all over the world to visit our capital.

Washington, D.C. Translation Services

Document translation services are a major need in Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas. The city is a major financial and legal center, and below are some examples of document translation that we handle often for our clients located in the capital:

• Personal legal document translation. These include immigration papers, birth certificates, academic transcripts, and wills.
• Commercial legal document translation. These range from documents of formation to patents to licenses to contracts.
• Financial document translation. From economic reports, bank statements, and tax records, financial documents must be translated for viewing by multilingual authorities and partners.
• Government documents, public and private. A good example is the Department of Health’s translated online resources on COVID-19 and elections and voter guides.

When we translate documents for Washington, D.C., our clients receive service from professional translators fluent in the source language, the target language, and the industry required. We use industry professionals to account for special industry terms, acronyms, unique syntax, and jargon so the translation will sound natural to the readers.

Translation for Non-Governmental Organizations

Many NGOs have a location in Washington, D.C. and provide a wide variety of services from community health promotion and education, to women’s and environmental issues around the world. What these organizations do can have large impacts on communities and governments, for example, The American Red Cross is an NGO that has had a worldwide impact when it comes to disaster relief.

Our Translation Company has provided translation services to many NGOs in Washington D.C. helping them communicate their data, research, and messages. Examples we have done include Spanish translation of environmental research for Central America and website translation into Arabic and French to support water quality in Africa and the Middle East.

As the world grows smaller and problems need to be addressed globally, translation services are vital to understanding issues and finding solutions.

Tourism Translation Services

Millions of people visit Washington, D.C. from all over the world spending billions of dollars. Without interpretation or translation of notices, non-English speaking tourists won’t be able to absorb the history of the capital and there is a lot to talk about. From the Lincoln Memorial to the Smithsonian to the Capitol, without translated notices or interpreted tours, that is just a large bearded man in a chair, a building with a lot of stuff, and big white building with a dome. Part of tourism is to learn about the history and culture of different locations and visitors need to learn in the language they understand. Without translation and interpretation, visitors may go back to their country with the wrong impression and not recommend visiting to others and may never return. Talk to them in their own language and they will tell their friends and family all about their adventures, what they learned, and may inspire others to visit.

Interpretation for Washington, D.C.

Interpretation services in Washington, D.C. are used every day in a variety of settings such as these:

• Government meetings between officials domestic and international.
• Public addresses from government officials to the public.
• Courtrooms and countless other legal settings, like discovery and testimonies.

There are two types of interpretation, consecutive and simultaneous. Consecutive interpretation has the speaker say a couple sentences, then pause, and then the interpreter delivers the converted version. This is most often used for occasions involving fewer people where a conversation will take place. Simultaneous interpretation involves the interpreter giving the converted speech to the listener a beat behind the speaker. This is often done using headsets, and sometimes the interpreter is in another room or in a booth. This is most often used for large presentation settings.

Language Services as a Human Right

Washington, D.C. is at the forefront of recognizing the importance of translation and interpretation as part of basic human interaction. The Language Access Act of 2004, enacted by Mayor Anthony Williams, mandates Washington D.C.’s government to ensure that residents who do not speak, read, or write fluent English will receive information on public services in their language of proficiency. The Office of Human Rights provides a multilingual card for individuals to carry that specifies the language they speak and requests language assistance. This includes access to a professional interpreter and any necessary documents translated into their language of preference.

Translation services for Washington, D.C. are recognized as a human right, as they should be everywhere. Translation and interpretation services assist and enable how human beings trade ideas, warnings, insights, and creations.

The Future of Language in Washington, D.C.

According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, of the over 5 million residents of the Washington, D.C. area, about 27% speak a language other than English at home. From Camille Ryan, author of the report and a statistician for the Census Bureau, “This study provides evidence of the growing role of languages other than English in the national fabric. Yet, at the same time that more people are speaking languages other than English at home, the percentage of people speaking English proficiently has remained steady.”

From D.C. to the World

Call Our translation company to find out more about how you can share information and communicate your ideas with your target language market by using multilingual websites, subtitled videos or with presentations and brochure translations. Work with a partner that can help you communicate from Washington DC to the world. Our language specialist will study your language services needs to give you recommendations and options, on approval we will assign professional translators for any language pair you require, with specific industry expertise and your translation project will be localized perfectly for the region, dialect, and culture intended.

Work with an experienced translation company like JR Language Services to make sure you say what you mean to say in the global arena.