Brexit and the Translation Industry

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

One particular piece of news that seems to be on everyone’s mind and in everyone’s mouth is “Brexit”, which refers to the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. A vote was held on June 23rd, and a little more than half wanted out. It seems particularly odd to many people for a number of reasons, one being that the UK was one of the founding members of the European Union back in 1993. Other reasons include the economic impact the decision to leave will have on the UK.

To better understand exactly what all of this means, let’s take a look at a few things first. For starters, the UK, or United Kingdom, and Great Britain are not the same thing. The United Kingdom includes Great Britain (which consists of England, Scotland, and Wales), but it also includes Northern Ireland. Those four countries together form the United Kingdom, and, though they do defer to a central UK parliament, have a fair amount of autonomy. The term “Brexit” is not exactly the best one to use to describe what the referendum of June 23rd was about, as it implies that only Great Britain would be leaving the European Union.

Economically, the UK leaving the European Union has already had repercussions, as the pound sterling, also known as the British pound, has dropped in value from $1.50 to $1.36. This happened in one day, so one can only imagine what will happen just a few weeks from now. Essentially, the UK will have to fend for itself now, without the economic help of the rest of the European Union. As a result, some economic and business barriers will appear, making trade with the UK more difficult for countries like the U.S., for example.

How does all of this affect the translation industry? Well, the economic consequences could be quite negative for countries that trade with the UK. Some say that it will just involve rethinking the way business is done with the UK, but in terms of translation and localization, it could mean less work geared towards clients and customers in the UK. Some companies might cut ties altogether with the UK, out of fear based on economic factors or due to different political views. So far, there seem to be only two types of opinions regarding Brexit: those in favor and those not. Business owners may feel the same and conduct their business accordingly.

Another factor to consider in terms Brexit’s effect on the translation industry is the fact that there will no longer be a nation or sovereign state, in the case of the UK, with English as the official language. Though English has become more and more popular in Europe, a lot of its popularity could be attributed to the UK being integral in the founding of the European Union. Now, with the UK out, there is almost no reason to use English in any formal European Union meeting. However, no decisions have been made concerning this, but the English language will surely have less influence in the European Union from now on.

Category: Business Translation