LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
French Language Solutions
Volatia is a leading provider of professional French language translation and interpreter services. Whether you are in the United States or anywhere else in the World, Volatia is uniquely capable of bridging all of your French to English language and cultural barriers.
The secret sauce is our proprietary technology, coupled with our vast network of qualified professional interpreters and translators.
Over 18,000 Interpreters are available on demand. Simply download our app or call our language line to access interpreters in more than 300 languages, including American Sign Language, 24/7/365. You can also schedule an interpreter for an in person meeting through terpX or by calling 877-VOLATIA or emailing customerservice@volatia.com.
The effort of translating your written materials demonstrates your commitment to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of your business relationships. Volatia can help you turn every written message into the language your customers understand.
Unleash your team with terpX, the most user-friendly and comprehensive Interpreter management and scheduling platform. This proprietary technology is designed with purposeful automations for organizations that provide or manage interpreter services on demand.
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion are no longer optional dimensions for any business. Volatia guides your organization to develop and implement a language access program that ensures equitable communications for your customers, workforce, vendors, and partners.
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European French
STANDARD/INTERNATIONAL
It is often referred to as Standard French or International French. Usually this is the dialect taught to those looking to learn French as a second language.
MARSEILLAIS
Marseillais French is considered unique due to its rhythmic intonations. It tends to be spoken very quickly. Every syllable is strongly noticeable, including a final “e,” so “France” becomes “France-er.”
BELGIUM
Even though there is a strong Dutch influence in the country almost half of the population in Belgium speaks French. The Belgian French accent is very comparable to the French accent due to the proximity of these countries.
North American French
QUEBEC
Vowels and nasal intonation are intense and It is where you will notice more the differences between Standard French and Québec French.
It is said that the pronunciation of Canadian French is more similar to that of the 17th century than the current French of France.
Occasionally the sound "e" at the end of the word is pronounced "a".
LOUISIANA
Louisiana French is three dialects as following: Colonial French, Modern Louisiana French or "Acadian" French, and Louisiana Creole French.
It is a language that is a mixture between French and African languages and it has a very distinct sound from Standard French.
Now it’s believed that the Colonial and Acadian dialects have merged into modern Louisiana French but persist different from Louisiana Creole.
MISSOURI
It is the last remnant of the form of French once spoken widely in the region known as the Illinois Country, which was colonized as part of French Louisiana.
Asian French
VIETNAMESE
Vietnamese French is spoken in Vietnam and it has the largest French speaker’s population in Asia.
Nowadays, the number of French-speakers in Vietnam and the number of students taking the language decreased significantly.
CAMBODIAN
Cambodian French is still used as a second language in some schools, universities and government offices, but most of the business settings and younger generations choose to learn English.
LAO
Lao French is the diplomatic language of Laos and Nowadays It is possible to notice a decline in the Lao French language after the country's independence.
INDIAN
Indian French is the French spoken by Indians in the previous colonies of Pondichéry, Chandannagar, Karaikal, Mahé and Yanam.
African French
ALGERIAN
There are three characteristics that make this dialect unique:
What is most characteristic of Algerian French is the pronunciation of r. Some letters (like d, t, l and n) are different in many cases.
Algerian French is influenced by Arabic words and pronunciations.
It is the accent that sets this dialect apart from Standard French. Grammar and words are similar.
Caribbean French
HAITIAN
In spoken Haitian French words are spelled out in a different way. For example, the word ‘yes’ is ‘oui’ in Standard French and “wi” in Creole).
French Dialects
Greeting Norms
One popular greeting in French is the ‘la bise’ (kiss on both cheeks) and the most common conversational ways to greet someone in French are: Salut. (Hello; Hi.) Bonjour. (Hello; Good morning.) Bonsoir. (Good evening.)
When entering a shop or restaurant, you should always greet with a bonjour or bonsoir, depending on the time of day. When leaving, you should always say merci and bonne journée or bonne soirée.
Not greeting is considered rude. Respect is shown in verbal greetings by referring to the person as “Madam,” (‘Mrs’) “Monsieur” (‘Mr’) or “Mademoiselle”. The formal form of ‘you’ is known as ‘vous’ . The informal address known as ‘tu’. Both of these words mean the word “you” in English.
Communication styles
French communication tends to be very direct because people are not afraid to share their opinions and argue for their positions. Sometimes this direct style of communicating is misunderstood as rudeness by other nationalities.
Personal space and touching
The French generally value their personal space. Touching during a conversation is acceptable only if you are familiar or have intimacy with the person that you are talking to.
Eye contact and gestures
Maintaining a direct eye contact is understood as a form of respect and It is considered to be extremely rude not to make it. In a restaurant for example If you want the check just make a writing gesture and they will get it.
Thumbs up means “okay.”
A circle with the thumb and forefinger means “zero.”
French Culture Reference Guide
Belgium
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Canada
Chad
Ivory Coast
Djibouti
France
Haiti
Equatorial Guinea
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Mali
Monaco
Niger
Rwanda
Democratic Republic of Congo
Senegal
Seychelles
Switzerland
Togo
Vanuatu
French is the official language of 24 countries. Of course, the French language is spoken around the world as a primary language by over 97 million people. As a world language that is spoken in many countries, more than 300 million people speak french on a regular basis.
