What you need to know when you are looking for translation services in Los Angeles

There are 3.5 million people in the city of Los Angeles, while Los Angeles County is the largest county in the nation at 10.1 million people. Nearly one in three county residents was born outside the United States.

What languages are spoken in L.A.? Percentages vary depending on the source, but only about 40% speak English as their native language. About 38% speak Spanish, 11% speak an Asian or Pacific Islander language and about 7% speak other Indo-European languages.

Significant percentages of the people in each category speak English less than well. As many as 2.5 million L.A. County residents are limited English proficient. Imagine the challenges the public schools have in bringing students up to a level of proficiency in English so they have a better chance at future success. Schools work with family members to be interpreters which is a tall order since as many as 35-90 different languages are spoken daily in the schools!

It is likely that family members at home struggle with understanding the world around them and assimilating to a new culture when they are speaking their native language and asking their children to serve as interpreters when needed.

These are possible areas where non-English-speaking, or limited English-speaking residents can use some help from a translation service:

• Understanding the immigration process and the path to citizenship
• Negotiating a lease agreement for an apartment or working with a realtor on a home purchase and applying for a mortgage
• Translating legal documents into English sent them from their home country, or the opposite need to translate English documents into their native tongue to send overseas
• Understanding the “legalese” of wills, contracts, taxes, and laws
• Understanding medical terms, diagnoses and treatment plans for someone who needs medical attention

The growth in a more culturally diverse population means that the Los Angeles city and county have many translation opportunities. If you need expertise in marketing, legal, financial, technical or medical translations, contact Teck Language Solutions, Inc.