Language is a structured communication method conveyed through speech, writing, and body language. It is enormously diverse worldwide, especially in Asia, where approximately 60% of the world’s population lives. Businesses are paying more attention to language diversity, and not just because it refers to a specific language in an area of operation. Language variations are diverse communication methods that reflect cultural, geographical, and historical influences.
Though the multitude of Asian languages can present communication barriers, they can also be assets when considered through the diversity and inclusion lens. For business leaders, the many languages spoken in Asia can be turned into an asset when they are recognized as a source of fostering cultural understanding that strengthens values of diversity. If doing business in Asia, ensuring employees understand the cultural element of diverse languages is as essential as having an interpreter.
Respecting Language Diversity for All Its Value
According to professional translation service Tomedes, the 4.46 billion people in Asia speak some 2,300 languages. The most widely spoken are Chinese, Hindi, Bengali, Indonesian, and Japanese, but there are so many more – Mandarin, Hakka, Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tamil, and Thai, just to name a few. Languages come from different language families and are rooted in historical cultural development.
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