Last updated on June 14th, 2023 at 03:54 pm

The need for translation services in the city of Chicago

Blown Away by Chicago

Chicago, Illinois is a city of action. With a population of almost three million, the Windy City never stops trading, communicating, connecting, and swapping ideas. Regarded as the city for investors by IBM’s yearly report on world trade locations, Chicago has no shortage of opportunity for the business looking for an international and multilingual presence. Thousands travel to and from Chicago every day, carrying with them information that will power tomorrow’s economy. How can your business make an impact in the Greater Chicago area? Language translation services are a perfect place to start.

Chicago’s Global Commerce

Companies based in Chicago extend their reach abroad into 170 countries and thousands of locations among them. Language services for their vendors, partners, and employees is one way they accomplish and maintain profitable relations across nations. Translation service companies make conducting international business possible by not only translating between languages but by localizing a company’s message to local cultures. Legal document translation is important to make sure that a business’s practices line up with the local legal system so that licenses, patents, and contracts will be clear and accurate.

Some nations with commercial ties to Chicago are:

• Brazil. This vast, culturally and linguistically diverse South American nation has presences in Chicago that include WEG Industries and investment firm 3G Capital. 3G Capital is heavily invested in Chicago-based Kraft/Heinz. The dominant language of Brazil is Portuguese, but hundreds of languages are spoken there, including Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese, as well as indigenous languages like Ticuna and Bororo. Professional translation services enable productive conversations between Chicago and Brazil.
• Canada. Rich in natural resources, Canada has hundreds of businesses located in the Chicago area, including Canadian National Railway and Bank of Montreal. Vice versa, Chicago has many presences in Canada, like Boeing, Motorola, and Groupon. Canada has two official languages, English and French, but many other languages are spoken by Canada’s large immigrant population, like Chinese and Punjabi. JR Language provides accurate, localized translation between the businesses and organizations of Chicago and Canada.
• Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun is a technological superpower, producing innovations in fiber optics, robotic technology, and smart agriculture that Chicagoan investors are keen to connect with. Japanese businesses hold almost one thousand locations in Chicago, like Bridgestone and Sony. Chicago has placed interests in Japan, including Nalco and McDonald’s. English to Japanese and Japanese to English translation services for websites, marketing materials, and legal documents allow strong connections to form between Chicago and Japan.
• India. Industries like textiles, food processing, and mining help make India one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. India has placed branches of major companies like Air India and State Bank of India in Chicago. Chicago-area companies like Hyatt and Abbott Laboratories have locations in India. Dozens of languages are spoken in India, such as Gujarati, Bengal, and Tamil. A professional translation company can help your business choose the right language for translation and communication so that you can confidently reach out to India, at home and in Chicago.

Languages of Chicago

In the greater Chicago area, which is home to almost 8 million inhabitants, English is the dominant language, followed closely by Spanish. Arabic, Polish, Chinese, and Tagalog are also spoken in communities around Chicago, with some neighborhoods showing a high concentration of speakers. Within city limits, about 30% of Chicago residents speak a language other than English in their private lives. Spanish is the most common language next to English, but demographics vary widely depending on the neighborhood.

In Chicago and its surrounding areas, immigrants form an essential part of the human capital available as business owners, taxpayers, shoppers, and community members. Recent estimates place immigrant-owned businesses at 20% of Chicago’s commercial makeup. Your business will miss out on a huge portion of Chicago’s buying power without using professional translation and interpretation services. Best of all, businesses and communities that share a language or culture talk to one another. A Chicago business that reaches out to a community with professionally translated ads, web pages, and documents shows expertise, courtesy, and sincerity, something that will not go unnoticed.

Interpretation Services in Chicago

Verbal translation or interpretation is another important aspect to consider in Chicago. Whether it is an important business meeting with a partner who does not speak English, a medical appointment with a patient who speaks a different language, or simply showing a client around town, utilizing a professional interpreter can be vital to success.

Verbal interpretation is another important language solution used to effectively communicate with people who do not speak English. Within Chicago, there are two interpretation methods that are primarily used. The first method is the consecutive interpretation. Consecutive interpretation is generally used in a meeting were back and forth discussions take place between people of different languages. An example of meetings like this taking place in Chicago are business meetings and negotiations, legal meetings such as attorney-client meetings, and depositions.

The other method that is commonly used in Chicago is simultaneous interpretation. Simultaneous interpretation usually takes place at meetings and events where there is one presenter speaking to a group of people. The presenter will not be pausing throughout for the interpreters to relax the message; therefore, they must interpret in real-time with the use of audio equipment. Some examples where simultaneous interpretation is being used are industry conferences, company-wide meetings and training, and community meetings where there are people who speak multiple languages.

Whether it be a consecutive or simultaneous interpretation, JR Language Translation Services in Chicago provides trained and professional interpreters that are prepared to assist in various settings and meetings.

Speaking to Chicago

Even if someone also speaks English, they most likely prefer to shop and conduct business in their native language. If your company offers products and services translated to that language and localized to their culture, your company will be much more attractive to the multilingual population. Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of advertising, especially in this digital age where communication across thousands of miles is instantly available. How can your business become popular among Chicago’s multilingual population? We have a few ideas:

• Website translation. A well-translated website is an essential part of a multilingual campaign, no matter the language.
• Social media translation. When marketing to speakers of your target language, social media is a perfect way to localize your message. Shareable content is a goldmine of free exposure and data that can be used to get more likes, clicks, and sales.
• Video translation is an effective and versatile form of multilingual marketing. Whether the video is narrated, subtitled, captioned, or spoken by live actors, professional video translation is the way to get your video watched and shared.
• Legal translation. No business can survive in the multilingual community without the professional legal translation of formation documents, terms and conditions, patents, licenses, and more. JR Language uses professional translators skilled in the legal system of the source language and target language to produce the best legal translations available.

Using a professional translation agency in Chicago prevents mistakes that waste time and resources while producing accurate, localized results. This improves your brand image and opens your circle of influence to thousands of new customers and partners. Using professional translation services also improves the inner workings of your business by encouraging the use of clear, concise language free of vague terminology or words easily confused for others. Contact JR Language for a consultation and find out how your business can reach beyond Chicago to the world.