What you should know about Marketing your Products in Quebec Canada
You might be surprised to learn that the second largest numbers of French
speaking people in the world are located in Quebec, Canada. There are approximately
6.7 million French speaking Canadians in the providence of Quebec, making
the total number of French speakers nearly one forth of the total population
of Canada. Because of this high population of French speakers located in
Quebec, the official provincial language is both Canadian French and English.
Business opportunities abound north of the border in Quebec, just as they
do in the rest of Canada. However, as a United States business, it is important
to realize that doing business in Canada often means doing business in both
the English and Canadian French languages. While most business people in
Quebec do speak English, making verbal communication a non-issue, the Canadian
rules and regulations do state that most written documentation and product
labeling be in English and in Canadian French as well. Plus you will find
companies appreciate when you make an effort to communicate in the local
language.
Language Requirements and Solutions
Canadian Customs, the British North America Act, the Official Languages
Act, and the Quebec Charter of the French Language all govern the various
rules and regulations which specify French and English language bilingual
business practices.
For any U.S. business doing business in Canada access to written translation
services is a must. Your product labels, trade documents, and instruction/operating
manuals need to be in Canadian French and English. Through the use of translation
software packages, your American business can easily translate all of your
documents from English to Canadian French.
Choosing the Right French Translation Program
One of the most popular French language translation software products on
the market is Systran. They are the considered the leader in the automatic
translation software industry and French is one of their most accurate languages.
When working with French translations you will learn that Parisian French
is considered the worldwide standard for books, movies, broadcast and documentation.
Canadian French is the dialect spoken and written in Quebec. While it is
very similar to the French language of France, it does have its subtle differences.
You need to select a professional translation program with additional tools
that allow you to add terminology for Canadian French. This can increase
the accuracy of your translations and give you more control over the conversions.
The ability to easily and inexpensively translate from English to Canadian
French gives your business the ability to do deals in Canada which your competitors
cannot. While they may be struggling with the higher costs of human translation
services, you can easily translate many documents yourself using your own
computer.
One bonus of using software is that you can use it to translate Canadian
documents instantly. This insures that if your Canadian business partners
send you e-mail or documents in French you can easily translate them into
English without the delay of waiting on a translation agency.
Learn about the Culture
Just as there are variations in the population of United States citizens,
there are variations in Canadian citizens as well. While translation from
English to Canadian French is essential for your business, it is also important
to learn about the local customs and culture of any area you wish to do business
in. By learning about the local ways of doing things, you can avoid many
pitfalls and become as successful in Canada as you are here in the United
States of America.
Related Material:
French Dialects
French Translation
Software
10 Tips for doing business in Quebec
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