There is a significant target market for English to French translation, as 77 Million people worldwide speak French as a first language. The largest number of French speakers live in France (51 Million), followed by Canada (6.7 Million). In fact, with Quebec being the second largest province in Canada (with respect to population), almost a quarter of Canadians claim French as their first language. With Canada being the largest trade partner for the US in the world, the French language should be high on the priority list for any American company. Other countries using French as an official language include Switzerland, Belgium, and many African countries.
How do I get over 10,000 visitors a month to this site and
earn a nice supplemental income?
Read
the story here...
For French, more than for most other languages, dialects are extremely important, even in writing. The two most important dialects of the French language that you will be concerned with in making a decision for your English to French translation services are Quebecois and Parisian French. Quebecois is the language used in Quebec, Canada, while the official written language in France will be Standard, or Parisian, French.
The differences in the two are significant, not only in colloquial language and in pronunciation, but even in written usage. While there is no language barrier between the dialects, the choice of words will usually depend on the target for your French translation. While Quebecois is full of Anglicisms in the spoken word, for example, Quebec writers tend to be a lot more conscientious than French writers to use French words rather than words of English origin wherever possible. Example: E-Mail can either be simply left as e-mail or email or be translated as courriel (short for courrier électronique). While both versions are understood in both countries, the former seems to be more common in France, while the latter, French, version is more common in Quebec.
If you target only one of the countries, France or Canada, your choice is clear. If you target both countries, you will have to make a decision: create two separate English to French translations, or use the one for the country that you deem more important for your business. Keep in mind though that Quebecers are more accustomed to Parisian French (especially through movies dubbed in France) than French people are to Quebecois.
Before you decide which agency to hire for your English to French translation services, read the following article:
Or try my free
Translation Quote Request Service
. I have pre-selected five quality translation agencies. You fill out your project description once, and it is sent to these agencies. Within 24 hours, you will receive up to five competetive quotes for your project.
