French Translation And Its Role In International Diplomacy

March 20^th marks French Language Day, a day observed by the United Nations to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity by raising awareness and respect for the history, culture, and achievements of each of their six official languages. Read below to learn about French translation and its significance for international diplomacy:

Background

With over 300 million speakers, French stands as the 5^th most spoken language in the world. 29 different countries speak French as their official language. French matured from the Gallo-Romance dialects of northern France and became the state language of France in 1539, replacing Latin. Interestingly, as the home to 31 Francophone countries with various dialects and local forms, no other continent has as many French speakers as Africa does, which often requires aid organizations operating there to seek the help of professional translation and localization services.

The History Of French Translation

France’s contributions and role during the Enlightenment Era and its colonial history have allowed for the language to be spread worldwide. After the French Revolution in 1789, the French language became the main pillar for propagation of republican ideals, which emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity. In the process, French became the formal language for academia and linguistic resource publications.

France is known for the literature of its great writers such as Victor Hugo and Molière. With the help of interpreting and translation services who know how to properly localize content, the French culture and its historically valuable contributions can be shared and celebrated across the world.

French Translation and International Diplomacy

A language as widespread and as commonly used as French has become a fundamental part of international diplomacy and is frequently used by organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Red Cross. These organizations all facilitate peace, promote human rights, and strive for sustainable development around the globe. As one of the UN’s official languages, French is indispensable in facilitating collaboration between international governments and communities.

Using French in higher settings, such as diplomatic matters, requires the support of skilled language service providers. There are more than 70 different French dialects spoken around the world. Translators working with political or legal documents for the UN must have a broad apprehension of different French dialects and their nuances. One of the most used dialects in the entire sub-Saharan Africa, differing itself from European French by its pronunciation and vocabulary, is Français Populaire africaine which, thanks to French translation, translates into Popular African French.

Understanding these different dialects is also important for interpreters. The UN assembles frequently in order to discuss ways of improving and implementing their ideology. These conferences benefit from simultaneous interpreting services, which allow meeting attendees to understand what’s been said and contribute valuable ideas to the conference in real-time.