Copalana Website Translation / Localisation Review (French)
Challenge
Copalana is a Swiss-based social enterprise dedicated to making it easier for people, non-profits, and socially responsible businesses to connect, collaborate, and create positive impact. Because our community is international, we're committed to making our platform accessible in as many languages as possible.
While we've already translated much of our website into French using machine translation, we know that automated translations can't always capture the nuances of natural language. We're looking for a volunteer with native or near-native French proficiency to review our existing translations, identify inaccuracies or awkward phrasing, and suggest improvements that make the content feel natural, clear, and welcoming.
Although the website is written in standard French, most of our French-speaking users—and many of the non-profit organisations using Copalana—are based in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland, particularly around Geneva and Lausanne. We also have users and partner organisations from other Francophone regions, including parts of Africa. We're therefore looking for someone who can help ensure the language feels natural and appropriate for a Swiss French audience while remaining clear and accessible to French speakers more broadly.
By helping us improve the French version of our website, you'll make Copalana more accessible to French-speaking users, enabling more organisations and volunteers to discover opportunities to create positive social and environmental impact.
Expected outcome
- Review the existing French translations across Copalana's public website.
- Identify any incorrect, unnatural, or misleading translations.
- Suggest more accurate, fluent, and user-friendly French wording while preserving the original meaning.
- Consider whether the tone, terminology, and level of formality are appropriate for users in French-speaking Switzerland while remaining accessible to the wider Francophone community.
- Highlight any terminology that should be used consistently throughout the site.
- Where appropriate, provide brief notes explaining significant translation changes or cultural or regional considerations.
The work can be completed entirely remotely and at the volunteer's own pace. Ultimately, the key deliverable would be an updated spreadsheet / database of the current translation strings, which we can import into the website.
Resources provided
We'll provide everything needed to complete the review, including:
* Access to the website content requiring review.
* The original English text and spreadsheet of currently translated strings for reference.
* Background information about Copalana, our mission, and the audience we serve.
* Support from our team should any questions arise during the review process.
Program structure
1. Introduction and onboarding
- Receive a short introduction to Copalana, our mission, and the terminology we use.
- Discuss and agree on the translation review process.
- Gain access to the relevant website content and supporting materials.
2. Translation review
- Review the assigned sections of the website.
- Record suggested corrections and improvements.
3. Feedback and clarification
- Discuss any questions or ambiguous wording with the Copalana team if needed.
- Finalise the suggested translations.
4. Project completion
- Submit the completed review.
- Final meeting for debrief and thankyou.
- Our team will incorporate the approved improvements into the website, helping provide a more polished experience for French-speaking users in Switzerland and across the wider Francophone community.
Skills
Languages
UN SDGs supported
Nonprofit mission
We want to make it simple and inspiring for everyone to contribute personally to solving socially relevant challenges. We envision a world in which it is easy for people to support others and to address the issues we face together.