Languages, flags and inclusion

I’ve made the decision to use flags in my communication, even though I recognise it presents an inclusion issue.

🔎 In Chris‘ newsletter « Monday Mindset » from September 30th 2024, he shared a video about the problems with representing languages using flags. It really resonated with a dilemma I’ve been facing in my marketing efforts.

When I discussed it with him, he said, “I believe that one thing we can do when we communicate is explicitly acknowledge the limitations of certain communication.”

So, let’s talk about the limitations of using flags to represent languages in marketing.

You might have noticed that I use the French, Spanish, and British flags in my banner and on my website to indicate that I translate from English and Spanish into French.

Why I chose to use flags:

✅ Widespread usage: flags are commonly used to represent languages, making them instantly recognizable.

✅ Clarity for non-speakers: my audience includes people who may not speak my working languages, so flags offer a visual shortcut to understand what I do.

✅ Familiar associations: due to the hegemony of French, Spanish, and English in global commerce, these flags are often seen as shorthand for their respective languages.

✅ Language specificity: I translate into French from France, and it’s important for my clients to know this. While speakers of different French varieties can understand each other, I wouldn’t feel comfortable translating into Canadian French, for example.

✅ Client base alignment: most of my clients are from the UK and Spain, so it makes sense to use flags representing their languages.

Why it’s problematic:

❌ Language diversity: France, Spain, and the UK aren’t the only places that speak these languages. They are spoken across multiple continents, and using just these flags excludes countries in America and Africa for example, where they are also official languages.

❌ Missed opportunities: I want to work with organisations from other Spanish- and English-speaking countries, so this lack of representation in my branding could be limiting.

❌ Hegemony: using these flags reinforces the dominance of certain countries over the languages they represent. This goes against my values of inclusion and diversity.

❌ Simplification of cultures: using a flag to represent a language assumes the country is linguistically homogeneous. In reality, many countries have a rich diversity of languages spoken within their borders, and using a flag to represent a language erases that complexity.

❓ So, here’s my real question—have you ever thought about this? Do you have any solutions that align with inclusive communication while still being clear for clients?