Would you ever sign a contract in another language? Depends on your nationality

WASHINGTON, DC – Only 26.7% of those surveyed across 8 different countries responded “Yes” when asked whether they would sign a contract written in a language other than their native tongue. This, according to a survey conducted by online translation agency One Hour Translation.

The survey, conducted from June to September 2015, was jointly carried out with Google Consumer Surveys based on a representative sample of 800 respondents – 100 each from the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.

47.9% of all respondents answered that they would not sign a contract that was written in a language other than their native tongue. But there was large variation between nationalities. In the USA, 73% of respondents answered they would not sign such a contract, while those in the UK and Australia responded similarly with 70% and 59% respectively.

Amongst non-English speaking countries, there was more openness to sign contracts offered in a non-native tongue. The Netherlands and Italy showed a high level of openness, with only 24% and 30% responding “No.” In Germany, however, 46% of respondents answered they would never sign a contract in a language that was not their native tongue. Amongst the Japanese, whose country boasts the 3rd largest GDP, only 14% responded that they would sign a contract in another language.

“The results of our survey clearly show that despite an ever globalizing world, business customers will usually only agree to sign contracts in a language they fully understand,” said Ofer Shoshan, CEO of One Hour Translation. “When signing a contract, not a single country, even among European respondents, has a majority that would sign a contract not in their native tongue. This shows the continued need for effective translation and localization to ensure successful business.”

The survey follows similar results of a One Hour Translation survey completed in Q4 of 2014 with 2,000 participants from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and French-speaking Canadians. According to that survey, 83% of Italians prefer to buy goods and services online in their native language, compared with 80% of Germans, 65% of the Dutch, 74% of French-speaking Canadians, and no less than 90% of Japanese people.