One of Bracken’s hallmarks—our fully remote, global team—is central to how we promote ourselves to clients, colleagues, and new coworkers. To be effective in our work, collaboration and communication are essential parts of our team’s process. Whether through Zoom calls, Slack messages, or more traditional email chains, conversation is at the forefront of our day, every day.

Whether we’re discussing ongoing projects, swapping stories about pets (frequent flyers often make guest appearances on calls), or debating the best way to describe the weather in our neck of the woods (Arizona vs. Pennsylvania vs. Minnesota vs. North Carolina vs. Nevada… and the list goes on!), these chats often reveal something special—our unique accents and the colorful ways we describe everyday things, like “traffic circle” versus “roundabout” versus “rotary” (Bracken’s small percentage of New Englanders stubbornly hold onto the latter). These interactions remind us how powerful language can be in building connections.

Although modern English is our primary mode of communication during meetings, we’re always curious about the other languages our team members use in their daily lives—especially as we’ve welcomed new members throughout 2024. To satisfy this ongoing curiosity, we sent out a quick questionnaire—and what we learned about Bracken’s linguists may surprise—and impress—you!

In this post, we’re excited to share a snapshot of the many languages (both official and playful) that make Bracken’s team so extraordinary.

A World of Words and Dialects

To uncover our team’s linguistic diversity, we asked everyone to share the languages they know and their fluency levels—beginner, intermediate, or expert—along with their ability to read, write, and speak each language.

We expected common entries like Spanish and French, and we even hoped for some creative responses like fictional languages. But the sheer variety of responses we received left us amazed—and a little speechless.

As the results rolled in, we were delighted by some unexpected entries from our linguists! Here are a few highlights:

Fun Languages:

• Pet-speak (how your pets communicate with you… and vice versa.)
  • To be specific, Bracken hosts many self-identified Cat Linguists (at least six fluent experts, although likely more).

• Frisson (the language of music and emotion)
• Dance
• Klingon
• Vision-to-Reality (translating excellent ideas into tangible offerings—whether that’s a blog, PowerPoint, white paper, infographic, website page, or beyond!)
• British English (multiple experts!)
• Varying languages from a galaxy far, far away:
  • Galactic Basic (expert—what we on Earth would refer to as English)
  • Aurebesh (basic, read-only)
  • Mando’a (intermediate, read- and write-only)
  • Shyriiwook (basic, colloquially known as Wookiee, best translated visually and auditorily)

Code Speaks, Too

Our tech-savvy team members can program in multiple languages, including proficiency in:

• Python
• HTML
• CSS
• VBA
• Google Apps Script

A Diverse Language Palette

While translating technical expertise into conversations with pets, pirouettes and pliés, or the languages spoken among the stars might be a challenge, our team is equipped to offer professional services in a wide array of languages across the globe. Here’s the impressive lineup:

World Languages:

• English (in addition to American and British English, we also have Old English (West Saxon) and Middle English on our roster)
• Spanish
• German
• Swiss German
• Turkish
• French (including one team member who has read over 60 novels in the language—très impressionnant!)
• Dutch
• Danish
• Hindi
• Odiya
• Telugu (intermediate level)
• Bengali (intermediate level)
• Punjabi (understanding only)
• Sanskrit (basic—although one team member once had an expert grip on this ancient language, enough to write essays and hold debates in it!)

Let's Talk Life Science

What started as a simple survey turned into a celebration of the incredible diversity within our team. The variety of languages we know—whether spoken, written, or expressed through art and code—illustrates just how versatile and talented our group is.

At Bracken, we’re ready to provide marketing, regulatory, analytics, and consulting services to make your life science easier. And we’re prepared to do it in a multitude of languages—spoken and beyond. Contact us today to learn more.