English Language Translation

World class English language translation from qualified professional linguists

• Number of English native speakers globally: 340 million
• Number of countries where English is an official language: 54
• Approx. percentage of world trade conducted in English: 38%

English is a West Germanic language, first spoken in early medieval England. It has since become something of a global lingua franca – up to 1 billion people are thought to speak at least some English as a second language. The name comes from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to England. English vocabulary has been strongly influenced by other Germanic languages, as well as by Latin and Romance languages, especially French, following the Norman invasion of 1066.

Early Modern English began in the 15th century, helped by the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible. From the 17th to mid-20th centuries, the global reach of British commerce grew along with the British Empire: Modern English spread to every corner of the world. English is the third most widespread native language in the world, after Standard Chinese and Spanish – but it is the most widely learned second language.

English has an immensely rich variety of accents and dialects, within countries such as the UK as well as internationally. The Alexika office team even has a Yorkshire-English dictionary! Did you know that a Yorkshire term for tired is ‘powfagged’, and that someone who grumbles is a ‘chunterer’? The English used in the UK and the USA is sufficiently different for Alexika to offer an Americanisation service: essential for marketing messages. We offer translations into and out of English, to and from all major business languages.

In May 2017, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, provocatively declared that English was losing its importance in Europe as a result of Brexit – and went on to deliver a speech in French. Time will tell if there was some truth in his assertion!