Spanish is a romance language that originated from Latin. Like most modern languages, it began as a "root language" and has grown and changed over the centuries as it is influenced by neighbors, invaders and the general passing of time. As a spoken language grows, it defines itself by various regional and cultural factors that form dialects. Some dialects become widely accepted and standardized. They become an accepted language of their own. In the 1200s, King Alfonzo X, "the learned-King of Castille and Leon", forwarded his dialect of choice. This is how the Castilian dialect of Toledo evolved into the written and educational standard in Spain. We refer to it as European Spanish.

Spanish is spoken in various forms worldwide. In the United States we typically use Standard Latin American Spanish. Latin American Spanish is less clearly defined than European Spanish. So while Latin American Spanish speakers can pick up European Spanish with little difficulty, speakers of European Spanish may encounter problems in understanding Latin American Spanish. What this means is that when your focus becomes reaching and communicating with the Spanish-speaking people of Europe, your choice should be European Spanish.

The European Union will become one of the largest market zones in the world, as well as one of the most varied. Spain is the natural gateway into Europe and effectively establishing communication there can open doors for you. European Spanish has a well-defined grammar that is more stringent than in other Spanish variations. Our goal is to offer a text that will be culturally and linguistically addressed to a thriving economy of 40 million people.

Reaching a target audience is so paramount to the success of any translation, that we have found need to step even further into the realm of European Spanish - Catalan. Catalan is one of the other official languages spoken in Spain. It is spoken in Catalonia, the most industrialized area of the country, well known for textiles, wines, etc. Although Spanish is the official language in the whole nation, Catalans have a soft spot for those who approach them in their own language. This should be considered when targeting this portion of the country.

Since it is the ultimate goal of any translation to be not only a full and faithful representation of the source, but to be easily understood and embraced by those for whom it's intended, targeting your audience correctly is of utmost importance. Over 350 million people worldwide speak Spanish. It is the official language of twenty nations. It is one of the official languages of the UN and its institutions, the European Union and many other international organizations. Knowing which form of this diverse and beautiful language to use will make all the difference in the success of your translation.

Why Do We Use Standard Latin American Spanish?