Beliefs about Bilingual Labels on Consumer Products

Abstract

There is increasing number of people living in the United States who do not speak or read English, and who understand exclusively Spanish. The present study sought to gain insight into people's beliefs on issues related to the use of bilingual labels (English and Spanish) on consumer products. The results of a questionnaire completed by 342 U.S. citizens showed strong agreement that people who intend to live in the U.S. should learn English, and that bilingual labels are important to people in the U.S. who do not read English. They also strongly disagree that bilingual labeled products should not be sold in the U.S. and that such labeling would indicate a lower quality product. Implications for the use of two or more languages on labels of U.S. consumer products are discussed.