Multilingual
Provide access to government information and services for people with limited English proficiency.
Demand for multilingual digital content is growing. In response to this demand, federal agencies are publishing more digital content in multiple languages. Expanding digital content in languages other than English is essential to building public trust, effectively serving communities, and ensuring government content is accessible for all.
Related Policy
Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency
Multilingual: essential knowledge
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Top 10 best practices for multilingual websites
Tips for creating and managing multilingual government websites.
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Introduction to translation technology
Learn how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
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Select a language: Help a user to choose their preferred language
U.S. Web Design System technical guidance on how to support users in their language of choice.
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Designing for translation
Learn about the importance of communicating information in several languages and designing for translation.
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Bilingual glossaries, dictionaries, and style guides
Multilingual resources that improve the way we communicate with people in languages other than English.
Multilingual events
Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency
Hosted by Digital.gov and the Multilingual Community of Practice and Communicators Community of Practice
The plain language tie to translating digital content
Hosted by Digital.gov and the Plain Language Community of Practice and Multilingual Community of Practice
USWDS Monthly Call - September 2022
Hosted by Digital.gov and the U.S. Web Design System
Language Connections: Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content
Hosted by Digital.gov and the Multilingual Community of Practice, and the Web Managers Community of Practice
Multilingual news
Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov’s first social media takeover with USAGov
Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams. — via USA.gov
Designing with empathy
Discover the transformative power of empathy in design with USAGov’s benefit finder. From simplifying applications to a mobile-first approach, the revamped tool not only functions efficiently in two different languages and cultural contexts, but demonstrates the consideration for users in challenging situations. Explore how empathy turned a government service into a compassionate lifeline, creating a product that genuinely understands and meets people where they are. — via USA.gov
In 2023, TTS stepped up to meet growing technology demands for government
GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) celebrated major milestones and met growing demand for its services in 2023. This wrap-up summaries key successes in five areas: improving customer experience, modernizing federal technology, innovating for the future, focus on equity and accessibility, and building the technology workforce of tomorrow. — via General Services Administration
The CFPB Language Access Plan for consumers with limited English proficiency
The Language Access Plan describes the CFPB’s policy and how the CFPB’s language access activities are implemented across operations, programs, and services. — via Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Speaking your language USAGov outreach approach to bilingual content
As a bilingual program, USAGov aims to give English and Spanish-language audiences the information they want in the cultural context they need. Here are a few main things the team learned when transcreating messaging through the USAGov and USAGov en Español outreach channels. — via USA.gov
Resources on Multilingual
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Introduction to translation technology
What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
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Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation
In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.
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Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides
Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
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Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience
Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
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Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites
Ten tips for creating and managing multilingual government websites.
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Department of Justice 2022 Memo Reaffirming the Mandates of EO 13166
Executive Order 13166 was issued in August of 2000 and this memorandum reaffirms its mandate.
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Improving Access to Services for People with Limited English Proficiency (Executive Order 13166)
EO 13166 requires federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have meaningful access to them.
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Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Spanish Health Care Terms in the United States
A list of common English health care and medical terms, and their Spanish translations.
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Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Internet Resources
A list of additional Internet resources to help standardize the use of Spanish across government.
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Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Information Technology Terms
A list of common English information technology terms, and their Spanish translations.
More News and Events on Multilingual
108 posts
Spring 2024 Community Summit
Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov’s first social media takeover with USAGov
Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams. — via USA.gov
Designing with empathy
Discover the transformative power of empathy in design with USAGov’s benefit finder. From simplifying applications to a mobile-first approach, the revamped tool not only functions efficiently in two different languages and cultural contexts, but demonstrates the consideration for users in challenging situations. Explore how empathy turned a government service into a compassionate lifeline, creating a product that genuinely understands and meets people where they are. — via USA.gov
In 2023, TTS stepped up to meet growing technology demands for government
GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) celebrated major milestones and met growing demand for its services in 2023. This wrap-up summaries key successes in five areas: improving customer experience, modernizing federal technology, innovating for the future, focus on equity and accessibility, and building the technology workforce of tomorrow. — via General Services Administration
The CFPB Language Access Plan for consumers with limited English proficiency
The Language Access Plan describes the CFPB’s policy and how the CFPB’s language access activities are implemented across operations, programs, and services. — via Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Speaking your language USAGov outreach approach to bilingual content
As a bilingual program, USAGov aims to give English and Spanish-language audiences the information they want in the cultural context they need. Here are a few main things the team learned when transcreating messaging through the USAGov and USAGov en Español outreach channels. — via USA.gov
Celebrating 20 years of USAGov en Español
USAGov en Español is excited to celebrate their 20th anniversary this month! Since 2003, the website has been a trusted guide to government information and services for Spanish speakers. Explore this timeline of USAGov en Español’s milestones, name changes, and accomplishments as they’ve served Spanish speakers and federal partners over the past two decades. — via USA.gov
Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government
OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA). — via The White House
NASA Releases First Season of Spanish-language Podcast
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, NASA is releasing new content for Universo curioso de la NASA, the agency’s first Spanish-language podcast. A five-episode season will start Tuesday, September 19, with new episodes released weekly. In each episode, Universo curioso will highlight the contributions of NASA’s Hispanic and Latino workforce to the agency’s groundbreaking work in Earth and space exploration. The season features interviews with NASA experts, including an astronaut, a space weather scientist, an astrochemist, and oceanographers. Episodes focus on some of NASA’s top missions, bringing the wonder of exploration, space technology, and scientific discoveries to Spanish-speaking audiences around the world. — via National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency
Hosted by Digital.gov and the Multilingual Community of Practice and Communicators Community of Practice
Why vote.gov supports multiple languages
According to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau survey, nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. To help make the voting process accessible to everyone who is eligible, vote.gov works with state election offices, federal agencies, and non-partisan organizations to create a national source of accurate voting information and clear registration instructions in multiple languages. — via USA.gov
Introducing the new USA.gov
We’re excited to share that the new USA.gov and USAGov en Español are live. However, we’re not finished. See what we’ll be working on in the future. — via USA.gov
Testing Beta for Accessibility
The USAGov team strives to ensure all our websites are accessible to as many people as possible. This includes those who need the use of specialized assistive technologies when browsing the internet. In building beta.USA.gov we deliberately validated that it met Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 compliance requirements. Our testing approach includes a three step hybrid method that may be suitable for other agency use. — via USA.gov
The plain language tie to translating digital content
Hosted by Digital.gov and the Plain Language Community of Practice and Multilingual Community of Practice
Building Beta: The Foundation
The USAGov program has been developing a new iteration of our bilingual sites, USA.gov and USAGov en Español. In the process of building beta.USA.gov and beta.USA.gov en Español, we’ve been rethinking our work style and priorities. Follow the “Building Beta” series to learn how we’re reimagining the way we approach product management, usability, accessibility, content creation, analytics, and outreach. — via USA.gov
Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories
At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, we’re always looking for better ways to connect people to government information through social media. Using stories has helped us increase our engagement rate and our number of followers as we deliver helpful information to people. Stories may be a good addition to your agency’s social media strategy, too. These three tips can help you get started. — via USA.gov
Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency
We listened to feedback from people who use our materials in various languages to make sure people could find the information they need most, in the language they prefer. Now we’re relaunching our pages in multiple languages. — via Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Nearly 68 Million People Spoke a Language Other Than English at Home in 2019
Sunsetting Go.USA.gov: Final User Statistics
The digital landscape has changed significantly since we launched the Go.USA.gov service in 2009. Over the last two years the team looked carefully at the program holistically, taking into consideration the future of the program, the current landscape related to using shortened URLs and alignment with strategic business goals. In early 2022 we made the difficult decision to initiate steps to sunset the service. — via USA.gov
Putting People at the Center of Digital Government
USAGov and USAGov en Español are working to reimagine the way we provide government information and services to the public. The USAGov team is an example of how GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) is aligning and living up to the challenges outlined in the President’s Management Agenda. The focus in 2022 has been on centering the work around the people we serve. — via General Services Administration