Interactúa con tu ciudad

Meriden facilita el uso de su sitio web en cualquier idioma

It does not need to be said that America is unlike many other countries in the world. So many facets of American daily life are unique. Among them is the fact that America is a melting pot of people from all those other countries, as well as a Native population that give our state its name from the Mohegan-Pequot language. To this day, many people still speak their native tongues, whether Italian, Tamil, Spanish, Arabic or Polish, a multitude of tongues could be heard in Connecticut Towns and Cities. And that’s why Meriden added a new feature to their website through Google to allow translation into any number of languages.

According to the USA.gov website, the United States has never formally adopted an official language, although it is widely understood that English is the most common language spoken in the States. But over 350 languages are spoken in the US, according to the Census Bureau.

That was exactly the impetus behind City Clerk Michael Cardona’s request to make the changes to Meriden’s website, as well as forms and applications. According to a CT Insider article, Cardona has been in the process of translating city forms into Spanish, which is the second most spoken language in Meriden.

The immediate benefit is obvious – you are eliminating a barrier to entry into municipal services and opening up your government to residents regardless of their chosen language. It often goes unsaid, but English is a very difficult language to learn because the language itself is a melting pot – Hound is a Germanic word, Canine is a Latin word, and Dog is of unknown origin; and that’s just one animal. So folks who have learned English as a second language, even with proficiency, still feel more comfortable in their first language.

Using the translation is seamless. Clicking a button on the website brings up a menu of languages, and once its selected, it only takes a second to translate the entire website. According to the CT Insider article, there will be other features and changes that will be coming to the Meriden website.

Since this nation is truly a melting pot, we should make it accessible to all who want to participate the way that Meriden is doing, starting even small with just a website. Whether you speak English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Farsi as your first language, you should be able to access and understand what is going on in your hometown.