NAFTA and its impact on language

When NAFTA came into effect in 1994, it was declared the largest free trade area in the world. The economic agreement reached among three nations, Canada, USA and Mexico was considered a potential economic giant due to the strength of one of the world's largest trading partners, Canada and the USA. Mexico could only benefit from this union. From a language perspective it was determined that all goods and products imported and exported in North America must include the three principal languages spoken by the population which is English, French and Spanish.

Since 1994, the linguistic impact of NAFTA has taken many years to manifest according to the agreement. From the start, I slowly observed the presence of Spanish labels on goods sold in Canada. Canada is an official bilingual country and all products sold have English and French labels and instructions. However, over a period of close to fourteen years the trilingual language dynamic is now quite evident when one purchases certain products and especially products sold in certain stores. Wal-Mart is a prime example of a NAFTA compliant organization. From what I have observed, products sold have labels and instructions in three languages. This includes household items, hardware, beauty supplies, hygienic needs, baby products, school supplies and the list goes on. Other stores in Canada that are relatively NAFTA compliant from what I observed are products sold in drug stores.

I purchased some hair care products recently and some baby lotion a couple of days ago and really paid close attention to the label written in three languages. Here is the example from HUGGIES lotion for babies:

Naturally refreshing with cucumber and green tea
* Lotion naturellement rafra?chissants avec concombre et th? vert
Crema naturalmente refrescante con pepino y t? verde

Moisturizes delicate skin
Hydrate la peau d?licate
Hidrata la piel delicada

These translations are simple and seemingly okay. However, the French and other Europeans have been known to critique the French on Canadian products. As for Spanish labels on products made and sold in the USA and exported abroad it would be interesting to know the opinion of the rest of world's Spanish speakers. The level of professionalism, experience and expertise in translation is a key requirement and I am sure NAFTA and those responsible for the language requirement have taken this into consideration.

The other bonus is it's just yet another great way to learn the complexities of three prominent world languages and completely indulge in the curiosities of language and translation if that's of your interest.

*examine this French translation from a grammatical perspective.

I originally posted my thoughts in my mini blog and will expand here in this thread in my next post. I have been examining the role of NAFTA as it relates to languages for a long time and truly believe that it will guarantee the survival and presence of English, French and Spanish in North America as transcontinental languages regardless whatever dominant minority languages are spoken in the continent. Canada, a country of open ethnic diversity could easily incorporate other languages such as Italian, Portuguese and Mandarin into this mosaic and with required labelling in these languages outside of the requirements of NAFTA. It would have a legitimate case for doing so. However, that?s another language issue separate from the requirements of the trade agreement.

To follow: 1/ examples of labels from products of major brand names such as Johnson & Johnson, HUGGIES, Life (an exclusively Canadian brand name), Proctor and Gamble. 2/ some thoughts about labelling in Europe and my observations about language on labels in a few countries.


-LDG.

Europe-

What happens in (Western) Europe?

Labels on products sold in (Western) Europe usually have a translation in more than one language. Prior to the EU, labels and instructions were multilingual and since the EU there is more of need and presence to have language diversity on products and instructions in more than one language. I was informed by a reliable source and I also observed that there's normally five languages on a label and the languages included are usually determined by three factors: where the product is made and distributed, where the product is made, distributed and the language of the four surrounding European countries and some labels include the four core European languages + a Scandinavian language or Dutch.

The four core European languages are English, French, German and Italian. How this is determined can be researched if you are interested, however, without a doubt population and economics are key factors. One important aspect to not omit when examining Europe and its labels and instructions as they relate to language is the understanding of regions. Europe is divided as follows:

Countries in Europe:

Eastern Europe: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine.

Northern Europe: Denmark, Estonia, Faeroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom

Southern Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Gibraltar, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City State), Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia), Slovenia, Spain.

Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Switzerland.

Source: Languages of Europe [OCLC - About languages and distribution in North America]

I am focusing on Western Europe and as you can see the core languages are German, French, and Dutch. Therefore products made and distributed in these countries will have the three aforementioned languages + Italian and English which has been my observation. It does vary however, there is much consistency.

RonS said:

Fascinating LDG! As I read your wonderfully written post I was sitting here thinking just how much labeling is done here in the US in Spanish now, and how this has been accomplished almost imperceptively. It is almost as if it has always been so. NAFTA has accomplished more than we realized in integrating our hemisphere.

Thanks for your post and I look forward to those that follow.

Click to expand...

RonS,

I completely agree with you regarding NAFTA's accomplishments. It has been done in seamless manner and in my opinion it's absolutely effective in the integration of North America from a language perspective. They still have a long way to go however, huge strides have been made since 1994. I am still trying to ascertain information around the political policies as they relate to language as per the trade agreement because some products distributed in Canada still only have English and French and the same holds true for the USA, which includes only English and Spanish. I am curious to know what determines what labels will have all three vs. just two especially products manufactured in the USA with subsidiaries in Canada such as Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever just to mention a few big competitors.

I ask that you keep observing this phenomenon because it's a requisite for the survival and presence of the three languages as being transcontinental, job creation and on a personal level a very constructive language learning tool.


Thanks for your input.

Some examples of labels to follow.


-LDG.

Language examples-**long post**

Here are some examples that reflect bilingualism and trilingualism on labels, instructions etc. Please keep in mind Canada always had the English/ French requirement. However, since NAFTA some products have English, French and Spanish. I don't know what the policy was (if even there was one) in the USA regarding labels and instructions in Spanish prior to NAFTA.

From a language perspective the issue is the actual grammar and translation. Who is doing the translations, who is reviewing the final versions, grammar issues and how generic is the vocabulary in both French and Spanish. Some of these questions can be answered by just reading the translations from English to French or English to Spanish on the labels. As mentioned before some of the French translations will raise some eye-brows by European French speakers or French speakers from other countries. Regarding the Spanish labels thus far I have not seen anything that can be considered out of the ordinary although questionable translations may exist. I think I know why the Spanish labels may be less "questionable" than some of the French ones. I will leave that for you as food for thought.


English/ French examples

Johnson & Johnson

Moisturizing baby bath= Nettoyant hydratant pour beb?s
Baby Powder= Poudre pour beb?s

Life Brand

Poudre pour beb? (no "s")
Baby oil gel= Huile en gel pour beb?
Flushable moist wipes= d?barbouillettes humides jetables dans les toilettes


HUGGIES

Kid's hand wash
Gentle on hands!

Lave-main pour enfants
Doux pour les mains!

Sensitive skin= peau sensible

Shampoo for everyday usage=
Shampooing pour usage quotidien

Baby bar soap= pain de savon pour beb?


English, French and Spanish

HUGGIES

Unscented/ non parfum?/ sin fragancia

Shampoo with conditioner
Shampooing avec revitalisant
Champ? con acondicionador

72 wipes/ *d?barbouillettes/ toallitas

* this word should spark some interest. For those who speak Quebec French vs. those who are from other French-speaking territories.

Lotion
Extra sensitive

Lotion
Extra-douce

Crema
Extra sensible

Made in Canada= Fabriqu? au Canada= Fabricado en los EEUU


Other Spanish examples that I observed that show linguistic variations (flexibility of language) on products, labels, instructions etc.

Clothes for women= Ropa para mujer// Ropa para mujeres

-From a grammatical perspective this is a classic example of how Spanish differs from English. Both forms are correct but the questions is "why". I know the answer and it's more than just completely understanding the grammar of the language. It's also an example of simply understanding Spanish in itself. I often see a few select posters critique or correct others in the Spanish forum (and they are incorrect themselves) well here's a challenge for you.


Baby Cream = Crema para beb?

Infant/ Baby Cereal= Cereal para beb?

Example of word/ phrases (with some variations) :

Peanut Butter = Crema de cacahuate/ Mantequilla de man?

-this is a great example because neither of these two words I use for peanut butter but the label will only have one of the variations. It depends on "who" did the translation or what is considered the most generic word for the product.

Chicken Noodle Soup= Sopa de pollo con fideos/ Sopa de pollo y fideo

Out from doing some research I decided to look at the website of some of these prominent firms and I must say HUGGIES website in Spanish is the most impressive. You should not have a problem finding related vocabulary and phrases if you look at what they offer online. HUGGIES?. They have HUGGIES Spain and HUGGIES Argentina. Huggies



-LDG.

Not sure about DR-CAFTA

A.Hidalgo,

Although I don't know the intricate details of DR-CAFTA simply due to lack of interest, the language requirements that I am discussing are unique to NAFTA as far as I know. I can't comment if the same holds true for DR-CAFTA with the integration of English on product labels and instructions. If you are curious you may want to research if there is a policy regarding language.

-LDG.

A.Hidalgo said:

How would this relate to DR- CAFTA if at all. I would presume that we will be seeing more labels in English and Spanish in the Dominican Republic?

Click to expand...

Follow up on the language policy-

Since I started this thread my goal was to dig a little deeper into NAFTA and its language policy and try to ascertain some more information as I continue to notice inconsistencies with the languages on certain products. The agreement was signed in 1994 and after fourteen years it seems like sufficient time to see the usage of three languages on all products. However, I have been observing for years that not all products have the three languages of the NAFTA agreement, English, French and Spanish. At first I thought that slowly overtime we would see all three however, I knew there had to be an underlying policy to explain what I have observed over the past few years.

During the week I bought some products in the Health & Beauty aids section of a Canadian chain called Zellers. I looked at the label and noticed that the labeling was in all three languages and also distributed in Canada. Once again in my mind it was inconsistent with what I had been seeing over the years with some products with English and French, some with English and Spanish and some with all three languages. Therefore my quest over the past two days has been to find documentation in the NAFTA policy if possible that specifies the criteria for labeling & packaging.

The product label that I purchased is:

Stocking Caps/Tuques/ Gorras de media

Quality, Style & Comfort- That's Calypso
Qualit?, style & confort: c'est Calypso / Calidad, estilo y confort- Eso es Calypso

Try some of our other fine products!
Essayez d'autres produits de la gamme
Pruebe algunos de nuestros otros productos magn?ficos

Lot de
Paquete de 2 pack

Made in China
Fabriqu? en Chine
Hecho en China

Distributed by:/
Distribu? par:/
Distribuido por:/

Hargell Ltd.
Toronto, Canada


After much research I found some information about the Labeling & Packaging policies in Canada with with regards to the NAFTA agreement which slightly clarifies the inconsistency I have been seeing on the product labels. In Section number 3.3 of the law Country of Origin Marking Program refers to Products that are divided into two categories- NAFTA goods and non-NAFTA goods. Non-NAFTA goods may have English & French and NAFTA goods may have English, French & Spanish.

'The Marking of Imported Goods Regulations provide that the country of origin marking on NAFTA goods may be in English, French or Spanish, whereas on non-NAFTA goods it may be in English or French. The Regulations further require the country of origin to be marked in a manner that is legible, sufficiently permanent and capable of being seen easily under normal handling of the goods or their containers. Also, the Regulations state that if the words ?Canada? or ?Canadian? (or any abbreviation thereof) or the name of any country other than the country of origin appears, i.e. in the address of the dealer, then the country of origin must appear in close proximity to such words and must be preceded by words such as ?made in?, ?produced in?, ?printed in?, etc. The reason is that the display of the word Canada or another country name may mislead the consumer into believing that the product has been made in Canada or that other country'.

Packaging & Labelling

-now this regulation may also explain why certain goods have English and French or English, French and Spanish if one uses the distinction of categories NAFTA vs. non-NAFTA that are used for the country of origin regulations for the names of products, ingredients, instructions etc. and not just to indicate 'made in', 'distributed in' etc. to detemrine the required language.

I also found some information from an excerpt of a book titled Global Trends Impacting on European Language Policy. On page 68 it is stated that:


'The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in the three dominant languages of the continent, English, French and Spanish. As it is exclusively a trading agreement there are no provisions for language policy, with the consequence that the laws of the linguistic market are allowed free rein. This is likely to strengthen English at the expense of other languages, and there is evidence that it is strengthening US corporate power'.

English-Only Europe?: Challenging ... - Google Book Search


Based on my observations and some recent research there is a distinction between NAFTA and non-NAFTA products which is required for part of the labeling as it relates to the Country of Origin regulation which defines the required languages indicated by 'made in', 'produced in' etc. but no clear defined laws or policy for the names of the products but it appears to coincide with the NAFTA vs. non-NAFTA product distinction.


-LDG.


My quote in post #1

From a language perspective it was determined that all goods and products imported and exported in North America must include the three principal languages spoken by the population which is English, French and Spanish.

Click to expand...

Some translation observations-

I purchased a laptop sleeve last week and observed the translations on the cover. Once again the language requirements of NAFTA are in effect but the translations must be correct or as accurate as possible.

On the front cover of the product it says:

Laptop sleeve
?tui pour ordinateur
Funda para laptop

IMO, these are good equivalents except laptop in Spanish. I did not know the English word was used, I have always heard and use el port?til. However, I just looked in an English /Spanish dictionary and el laptop is a word in Spanish as well. It also indicates Spain as where the predominant usage is.

On the back cover:

?Fits most laptops with screens up to 15.4?
?Protects your laptop
Slides easily into another case or tote
Durable neoprene fabric

Pour la majorit? des ordinateurs portatifs avec ?cran jusqu?? 15.4 po
Pour prot?ger l?ordinateur portatif
Se glisse facilement dans une autre sacoche ou dans un sac
?tui en n?opr?ne r?sistant

?Acomoda la mayor?a de los laptop con pantalla de hasta 15.4?
?Proteja su laptop
Se inserte f?cilmente en otro malet?n o bolsa
Estuche en neopreno durable


The Spanish equivalents of the English translations that I highlighted need correction. IMO, acomoda is not the best equivalent of the English and French. Does anyone else agree? I think an equivalent of the French would be perfect in Spanish. As well, proteja is a command as in protect your laptop and the English and French indicate protects or to protect your laptop. Protege or para proteger should be the translation.

I have noticed that verbs that end in ger present difficulty for speakers when writing. They do not realize the difference between protege and proteja or coge and coja etc.


-LDG.