English to French translation is rather tricky. The first question asked will obviously be which type of French do you require. French is the main language in France but is also spoken widely in Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg, and by approximately 300 million people around the world. So, you can see why English to French translation would be rather difficult and time consuming.

There are a few differences in the spoken French language. The way its speakers write their own language varies from one region to another and is largely dependent on the local culture, customs and neighboring influences. In its written form, the French spoken in the Canadian province of Québec ("Le Québécois") differs from standard French. For example, a "car" would be translated as "une automobile" in France and "un char" in Québec.

Some people would say, "The French language is just French." However, it varies in its spoken form from country to country. Depending upon who your target audience is, the differences are very important. The youth of France (and other countries for that matter) use slang, so in a translation, if it's for the youth, you would need a translator who understands the slang spoken.

Most French natives who are educated will understand the diversity of the language itself. For instance there is standard French and Belgium French. These vary when translated. So, you need to determine your target audience when choosing a translator. Whether you are targeting a French, Belgian, Swiss or Canadian audience, the choice of translator or translation service is of the utmost importance. This also encompasses the cultural habits and gestures of the language, so more than just an understanding would be necessary.

You may have an employee within your organization that can speak French and could perform an English to French translation for you, so you might try to have them translate your documents. The big drawback with this would be if the person doing the translation is not familiar with the various aspects of the French culture. Having learned French at a University, or even having a degree in the French language is often not enough to sustain the capacity of a large technical document or possibly a sales proposal with numbers and figures involved. Things can get misconstrued and it could possibly ruin a possible contract for you, or even lose a client. So, you would need to be very careful and look into the options of hiring a translation agency.

Choosing the right person or company to perform your English to French translations is important because of the information involved. With a few questions and possibly a telephone interview with the organization or individual, you will know whether or not this will be a suitable option for you. That the candidate knows well the differences between the Swiss, Belgian and Canadian audiences should be enough to set your mind at ease that you have made the appropriate decision in hiring this person or group for your English to French translation projects.