Engaging an interpreter
Working with people who speak a language other than English
When seeking the assistance of an interpreter or translator on behalf of a young person, it is vital that the appropriate language be identified. Some people may use a non-standard variety of a language such as a dialect, for example Hokkien (Chinese), Lebanese (Arabic).
The following information is intended to provide general information regarding countries and the major languages/dialects spoken.
|
Country
|
Language/Dialects
|
|---|---|
|
Afghanistan
|
Afghani, Pashto, Dari
|
|
Albania
|
Albanian
|
|
Argentina
|
Spanish, Italian, German
|
|
Austria
|
German
|
|
Belgium
|
Flemish, French, German
|
|
Bosnia-Herzegovina
|
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
|
|
Brazil
|
Portuguese, Spanish, German
|
|
Bulgaria
|
Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Turkish
|
|
Cambodia
|
Cambodian, Chinese, French
|
|
Chile
|
Spanish
|
|
China
|
Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka Hokkien, Teo-Chew
|
|
Croatia
|
Croatian
|
|
Cyprus
|
Greek, Turkish
|
|
Czech
|
Czech, Slovak, German
|
|
Denmark
|
Danish, German
|
|
East Timor
|
Tetum, Hakka, Portuguese
|
|
Egypt
|
Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial language, Armenian
|
|
El Salvador
|
Spanish
|
|
Eritrea
|
Arabic, Tigre, Tigrinya
|
|
Ethiopia
|
Amharic, Tigrinya, Harari, Oromo, Somali
|
|
Fiji
|
Fijian, Hindi
|
|
Finland
|
Finish
|
|
Former Yugoslavia
|
Serbian
|
|
France
|
French
|
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
Greece
|
Greek
|
|
Guatemala
|
Spanish
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Chinese, Cantonese, Chinese dialects
|
|
Hungary
|
Hungarian, Slovak, German, Romanian
|
|
India
|
Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Rajaput, Gujerati
|
|
Indonesia
|
Indonesian, Malaysian, Chinese dialects
|
|
Iran
|
Farsi (Persian), Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, Kurdish, Pashto
|
|
Iraq
|
Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, Kurdish
|
|
Israel
|
Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic
|
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
Kenya
|
Swahili, English
|
|
Korea
|
Korean
|
|
Laos
|
Laotian, Miao/Meo, Hmong, Chinese dialects
|
|
Lebanon
|
Arabic (Lebanese), Assyrian, Armenian
|
|
Republic of Macedonia
|
Macedonian, Albanian
|
|
Malaysia
|
Malay, Chinese dialects, Tamil, Punjabi
|
|
Malta
|
Maltese
|
|
Mauritius
|
Mauritian, French, French-Creole, Hindi
|
|
Netherlands
|
Dutch
|
|
Nicaragua
|
Spanish
|
|
Norway
|
Norwegian
|
|
Pakistan
|
Urdu, Punjabi
|
|
Philippines
|
Tagalog (Filipino), Hokkien
|
|
South Africa
|
English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Swahili
|
|
Romania
|
Romanian, Serbian, German, Hungarian
|
|
Samoa
|
Samoan
|
|
Singapore
|
Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, Tamil, Punjabi
|
|
Slovakia
|
Slovak, German, Czech
|
|
Slovenia
|
Slovenian
|
|
Spain
|
Spanish
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Sinhalese, Tamil
|
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
Switzerland
|
German, French, Italian
|
|
Syria
|
Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian
|
|
Taiwan
|
Mandarin, Chinese languages/dialects
|
|
Thailand
|
Thai, Hokkien Chinese languages/dialects
|
|
Tonga
|
Tongan
|
|
Turkey
|
Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian
|
|
Uruguay
|
Spanish
|
|
Vietnam
|
Vietnamese, Chinese languages/dialects
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
English, Shone and other languages/dialects
|
