The status of French in the world

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development has recently published an enlightening article that will show you how important it is to have your content translated into French.

French is widely spoken all over the world, with more than 220 million speakers on all 5 continents! It is taught in many countries. It is the official language of a myriad of international entities, including UN bodies and the Olympic Games.

French is an official language of 29 countries, second only to English in this category.

From a business perspective, it is also a language of reference that has to be reckoned with. So it is crucial to address your potential French-speaking clients in French. Think globally but act locally!

France and the French-speaking countries play an active part in the world economy, accounting for some 20% of world trade in goods.

As mentioned in previous posts, it is crucial to address new markets using the local language. It has been proven that localisation leads to a higher conversion rate. Consequently, having your website, business literature, press releases (among other documents) translated into French is crucial to engage successfully in French markets.

French also accounts for 5% of Internet pages, ranking between sixth and eighth of the languages most widely used on the Internet.

Find the whole article here: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy-1/promoting-francophony/the-status-of-french-in-the-world/