French Translation Services
Business Language Services is based in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, and has been providing language services to businesses in South Wales and around the world for over 25 years. Since the company’s beginnings, one of our key specialisms has always been French translation (both English to French and French to English translation). We work with a wide network of qualified, experienced and professional French translators and proofreaders, who all work into their native language. You can rest assured that your French language projects will be in safe hands, with our in-house project managers also offering French expertise.
BLS is a Corporate Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and a Full Member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). We are also certified to ISO 9001:2008 and as such all of our projects adhere to strict industry-regulated guidelines.
Every one of our in-house project management team is a linguist at heart, and coupled with an extensive database of French translators, editors and proofreaders, we can supply the very best quality translation, adapted to your specific requirements. Many of the freelance translators on our team have worked with BLS for more than a decade, some since the company began, and you can therefore rest assured that we will select the right people for your project. Every French translator working for BLS must fulfil strict quality criteria, as well as pass at least one test translation, and they all undergo continued monitoring and quality assessment.
More Information
English to French translation has been one of BLS’ key specialisms since the company began and we have a wealth of expertise working on French translations of all kinds. Many of our regular clients require French translations on an ongoing basis and we provide them with the consistency and quality of work that they demand. We have experience translating all manner of texts into French, in very varied fields. For example, we translate huge, complex technical manuals for a local manufacturer’s export department, marketing materials for a software developer, and a wide variety of business documentation for a French engineering firm, including training materials, presentations and contracts. We were also chosen as the exclusive translation partner for the European Federation of Local Government Chief Executive Officers (UDiTE), translating all of their publications, correspondence and documentation into French, when their serving President was the CEO of Cardiff Council.
Many of our French translation projects are complex in nature and can extend over a period of months. Our project management team have a great deal of experience overseeing long-term projects while maintaining consistency and ensuring the highest quality end product. We have an enviable understanding of how to manage work over weeks, months and even years, coordinating multiple files and varying timescales. We offer a very flexible approach to all of our customers’ requirements, and can work with many different file formats, to suit you and your systems. The file types we are most frequently asked to deal with include MS Word, Excel, HTML, PDF and FrameMaker.
At BLS, we understand that every project is unique, and we therefore work closely with our customers to ensure that each of their projects is handled appropriately. Every project is assigned to a dedicated Project Manager (PM), who will oversee it from start to finish. The PM stays in regular contact with the customer to keep them abreast of progress, and also supervises the linguists assigned to the project. As professional translators themselves, our PMs are also responsible for final quality assurance, and can offer recommendations and assistance on any aspect of the work being carried out.
BLS has many years’ experience with face-to-face interpretation in French, and can provide reliable interpreters for any eventuality. Our professional French interpreters can accompany foreign guests on a site visit, travel with your staff abroad, or provide interpreting services at multilingual events such as conferences or exhibitions. We work with an extensive network of French speakers, both in Wales and across the UK, who are selected based on their qualifications and experience.
BLS can also provide you or your staff with expert French language training. All our courses are bespoke, so we can develop a training programme to suit you, whether on an individual or group basis. Classes can be paced to meet your requirements; for example, we offer intensive full-time study weeks, or weekly drip-feed sessions. Our Cardiff office is fully equipped to host classes, or we can deliver the training at your workplace.
Whatever language service you are looking for, we can offer you a professional but personal service. BLS is passionate about language and we pride ourselves on our flexible attitude and competitive pricing.
Please contact us on + 44 (02920) 667666 or via email to
in**@bu**********************.uk
.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The French Language
French (français) is a Romance language, descended from the Latin spoken during the Roman Empire. It took over from Latin as the official language of France in 1539. Most native French speakers are found in France, followed by French Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco and Luxembourg. It is also an official language in Italy, Haiti, Lebanon, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal and the Seychelles, among numerous others. The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking states that organises activities to benefit French-speaking populations and promote the French language, while respecting cultural and linguistic diversity.
French was very much a lingua franca from the 1600s to the 1900s, particularly in Europe, due to France’s dominance on the continent, only relatively recently being overshadowed by English (following the emergence of the USA as a world super power). It is still, however, the third most spoken language in Europe. The number of Francophones worldwide has also risen exponentially over the last three decades. It is an official language of both the United Nations and the European Union, as well as many other international organisations (e.g. the International Olympic Committee, NATO) and approximately 30 countries.
Most French words derive from Latin, or are constructed from Latin or Greek roots, though a limited number of words have been adopted from other languages, most notably from English (e.g. ‘le week-end’), Italian (e.g. ‘piano’) and German (e.g. ‘leitmotiv’). The English language is beautifully littered with French words and phrases, such as ‘à la carte’, ‘crème fraîche’ and ‘joie de vivre’.
The French Academy, officially established in 1635, acts as an official authority on the French language, though only in an advisory role. It regulates French spelling, grammar and usage and publishes what is widely accepted as the official dictionary of the French language. In more recent years it has made attempts to prevent the anglicisation of French (i.e. by discouraging the use of words such as ‘l’email’ in favour of ‘le courriel’). The Alliance française, founded in 1883, is an organisation that aims to promote French (language and culture) worldwide, primarily by teaching French as a foreign language. France is top of the list of the most visited countries in the world.
Business Language Services Ltd. (BLS) specialises in French translation (both English to French and French to English). We have a broad network of highly experienced, qualified professional French translators, who only translate into their mother tongue. What’s more, all our French translations are proofread by a second, independent linguist. We can cater for all varieties of French and can also localise existing content. BLS has an extensive database of French interpreters, selected according to their expertise, specialist knowledge, friendly attitude and professional reliability. BLS also works with some of the best French language tutors, enabling us to offer you tailor-made courses to match your precise needs and suit your ongoing work commitments.