French Translation Services: French language, culture and translation issues

Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Importance of High Quality French Translations

Accurate French translations are becoming increasingly important in today’s global business environment. Therefore it is becoming increasingly important to have access to accurate French translations and understand French Translation Service: The importance of high quality French translation.

This selection of articles provides an overview of the French language and French translation service issues to provide a concise and essential understanding of the dynamics involved in successful French business communication. A careful attempt will be made here to provide details about translation techniques and processes and how effective communication can be achieved with the help of professional French language translation.

There are certain similarities between the French and English languages, notably the same alphabets and a number of true cognates. Both these languages are related languages in a sense, because French is a Latin language with German and English influences, while English is a Germanic language with Latin and French influences. Perhaps more importantly than the similarities is the number of differences, both major and minor between the French and the English language. So this makes it important to carry out French language translation into English language with expert guidance to communicate accurately, effectively and efficiently to meet the communication objective especially in business and professional translations.

When dealing with languages it is also important to understand rules of etiquette and business practices of the culture in question, therefore special emphasis also has been provided to facilitate a better understanding and knowledge of French culture, etiquette and business practices.

Translation and translation services are the ultimate jobs for people who love language. However, there are a lot of misunderstandings about this field. Professional translations require superior language ability in at least two languages, in this case both French and English. In addition, any professional translator must be a true subject matter expert in his or her chosen field of specialization.

Translation and translation related services require the ability to accurately express information in the target language. The best translation is one where you do not realize that the text you are reading is in fact a translation, because it sounds just like it would if it had been written in that language to begin with.

And finally, translators and interpreters need to understand the cultures of both the source and target languages, in order to be able to adapt the language to the appropriate culture. Cultural sensitivity and a thorough understanding of etiquette and the value system of the culture of the target language are critical factors in providing a professional translation.

Even though translation and translation services require people with high competence in at least two languages to work in this field, in fact there are many working translators whose language skills are not up to the task. Using unqualified translators often results in poor-quality translations with mistakes ranging from poor grammar and awkward phrasing to nonsensical or inaccurate information.

In short, the simple fact of speaking two or more languages is not enough to make a good translator or interpreter - there's a lot more to it. Both translation and interpretation require many years of intense specialized study and years of experience to reach the highest level of competence. Professional translation services will cost more, but for businesses and organizations who need to convey a professional image in a foreign language, this is an important investment to make.

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This post was created by Textronics Communications Ltd. (www.textronics.com), a leading language and translation services provider since 1991. Our service offering includes translation, interpretation, proofreading, narration, transcription as well multi-lingual desktop publishing and web design services in all languages and subject matters. Our growing client base includes corporate, public and non-profit sector clients in Canada, the United States and Europe. Our language specialists are highly trained, tested and have many years of experience in their chosen subject matter and we consistently strive to offer high-quality language services at affordable prices. New clients can take advantage of a free test translation to try out our services first hand at no cost.
www.textronics.com – Communicate with the World

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French Language – History and Geographical Distribution

The French language descended from the Latin of the Roman Empire and therefore is known as a Romance language. Its development was influenced by the native Celtic languages of Roman Gaul and by the Germanic language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders.

French is the official language in France, Belgium (official language in the Walloon Region), Luxembourg (one of three official languages: German, Luxembourgish, French), Switzerland (one of the four official languages along with German, Italian, and Romansch, and is spoken in the region called Romandie).

Today around 300 million people use French as their first or second language. In 1999, French was the 11th most common first language in the world, with 77 million first language speakers and other 51 million second language speakers. There are 33 French speaking-countries - French is the official language in 33 countries, second only to English (spoken officially in 45), most of which form what is called in French La Francophonie, the community of French-speaking nations. French and English are the only languages spoken as a native language on 5 continents and the only languages taught in every country in the world.

French is the official language of France and its overseas territories as well as Bénin; Burkina Faso; the Central African Republic; Congo (Democratic Republic of); Congo (Republic of); Côte d'Ivoire; Gabon; Guinea; Luxembourg; Mali; Monaco; Niger; Sénégal; Togo; the Canadian province of Québec; and the Swiss districts of Vaud, Neuchâtel, Genève, and Jura.

French is one of the two or more official languages in Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey), Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti (the two official languages are French and French Creole), Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, and Vanuatu.

French plays an important role, either as an administrative, commercial, or international language or simply due to a significant French-speaking population in these countries: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Dominica (French patois), Egypt, Greece, Grenada (French patois), Guinea-Bissau, India, Italy (Valle d'Aosta), Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Poland, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Kingdom (Channel Islands), United States (Louisiana, New England), Vatican City, and Vietnam.

In Canada there are about 7 million native French-speakers, of whom 6 million live in Quebec, and French is one of Canada's two official languages (the other being English). By law, the federal government must operate and provide services in both English and French, proceedings of the Parliament of Canada must be translated into both these languages, and most products sold in Canada must have bilingual labels. Overall, about 13% of Canadians have knowledge of French only, while 18% have knowledge of both English and French. In contrast, over 80% of the population of Quebec speaks French natively, and 95% can speak it. It has been the sole official language of Quebec since 1974. The legal status of French was further strengthened with the 1977 adoption of the Charter of the French Language (popularly known as Bill 101), which guarantees that every person has a right to have the civil administration, the health and social services, corporations, and enterprises in Quebec communicate with him in French. While the Charter mandates that certain provincial government services, such as those relating to health and education, be offered to the English minority in its language, where numbers warrant, its primary purpose is to cement the role of French as the primary language used in the public sphere. Canada has the status of member state in the Francophonie, while the provinces of Québec and New Brunswick are recognized as participating governments.

In the USA French is the third or the forth most-spoken language after English, Spanish and possibly Chinese i.e. if Mandarin and Cantonese are grouped together. French was the most popular foreign language studied in the United States until the 1980s but since then Spanish has gained prominence due to the increasing number of Spanish speaking communities in the United States. Currently French is the second most studied language in the United States, behind Spanish and ahead of German.

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This post was created by Textronics Communications Ltd. (www.textronics.com), a leading language and translation services provider since 1991. Our service offering includes translation, interpretation, proofreading, narration, transcription as well multi-lingual desktop publishing and web design services in all languages and subject matters. Our growing client base includes corporate, public and non-profit sector clients in Canada, the United States and Europe. Our language specialists are highly trained, tested and have many years of experience in their chosen subject matter and we consistently strive to offer high-quality language services at affordable prices. New clients can take advantage of a free test translation to try out our services first hand at no cost.
www.textronics.com – Communicate with the World

French culture / etiquette / business practices

French culture has been predominant in the world for centuries. Due to its influence in different parts of the world and also due to immigration French culture has developed into a diverse culture.

The most commonly heard stereotype of French culture is that the French are considered rude. But basically the French are polite people, but there can be exceptions and those can be in any culture, country or ethnicity. The whole question of a culture being rude is quite debatable as something as accepted standards of politeness vary from culture to culture. To better understand the French culture it is important to forgo the myth of French rudeness.

The French language is the soul of the French culture, and therefore it is given a lot of prominence. Therefore when one is in France one should make an effort to speak some French. No one expects you to be fluent, but knowing a few key phrases can take you a long way. The French are proud of their language, culture and country. If one is respectful of their language and culture then the response will be similar.

Because of its rich and prominent culture the French take immense pride in themselves. Such cultural identities play a crucial role in French business culture, where appropriate conduct, mutual trust and understanding are the key to an organization’s success when doing business in France.

French culture – Key concepts and values

Centralization – It is one of the key elements of the French culture which has incidentally derived its origin from the long and notable history of centralization reflected in its geography, transportation system, government and business. Despite the democratic system adopted now, the remains of the power and authority of the monarchy still can be seen as a significant part of the French presidency today.

Individualism and individuality – Having a unique individuality is a key cultural characteristic of French culture, both in society and in business. This is mainly because a certain passion for uniqueness and freedom of opinion exists. Individualism is equally important in France, and in business environments great concern is placed on social status and being judged as an individual.

Uncertainty avoidance – Because of the French culture’s low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity a major influence on French business is the country’s attention to rules and regulations. French culture tries to minimize the possibility of risks by implementing rules, regulations and procedures.

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French business culture

Working practices

Generally in French business culture deadlines are open to negotiations unless specifically stated.
It is usually not considered late in France to arrive 10-15 minutes after the scheduled time for a business appointment and therefore it is considered acceptable.
Business organizations in France are highly organized and well structured. Consequently, rules and administrative practices are favored over effectiveness or flexibility.

Structure and hierarchy

In French business culture only the individual with the highest authority can make the final decision.
There exists a strong, vertical hierarchy in French business culture. French superiors generally take a dictatorial and authoritative approach.
It is essential that you work successfully with all levels of the business organization, despite the clear hierarchical structure.

Working relationships

Creating a wide network of close personal business alliances is very important.
It is particularly important to respect privacy when working in France. This is usually needed as the French have an inherent sense of privacy which manifests itself in their definite distinction between business and personal life.
Relationships must be forged before the business can actually begin.

Business practices

When an agreement is reached, the French may insist it be formalized in an extremely comprehensive, precisely worded contract.
A business meeting should begin and end with a brisk handshake accompanied by an appropriate greeting and the exchanging of business cards.
In French business culture it is customary to only use first names when invited to do so. Sometimes the French will introduce themselves by saying their surname first, followed by their Christian name.
Lunch is the best place to forge business relationships in France. The subject of business, however, should only be brought up by the host and at a later stage in the meal.
Despite the formality of French business culture, it is not uncommon practice to stray from the agenda during meetings. Initial meetings are often dedicated to information sharing and discussion, rather than reaching final decisions.

Business etiquette (Do's and Don'ts)

Ö DO maintain a constant air of formality and reserve during all business practices and at all levels within the business, using titles wherever possible.

Ö DO make direct but moderate eye contact with your French business colleagues.

Ö DO try to learn a few basic French phrases and use them whenever possible. Your efforts will not go unnoticed.

× DON'T discuss your family or other personal matters during negotiations.

× DON’T be put off by frequent differences in opinion and rigorous debate during business negotiations. The French will appreciate your ability to defend your position.

× DON’T rush or display signs of impatience with your French counterparts. The French take their time before arriving at a decision.

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This post was created by Textronics Communications Ltd. (www.textronics.com), a leading language and translation services provider since 1991. Our service offering includes translation, interpretation, proofreading, narration, transcription as well multi-lingual desktop publishing and web design services in all languages and subject matters. Our growing client base includes corporate, public and non-profit sector clients in Canada, the United States and Europe. Our language specialists are highly trained, tested and have many years of experience in their chosen subject matter and we consistently strive to offer high-quality language services at affordable prices. New clients can take advantage of a free test translation to try out our services first hand at no cost.
www.textronics.com – Communicate with the World