In an article entitled “The new requirements to protect French are driving away businesses” published in the December 29 edition of Dutywe could read that various American and Canadian companies have “decided in recent months to stop operating or delivering [leurs] produced in the province. They would do so because of the new “provisions of the Charter of the French Language, initially adopted in 1977, concerning the obligation of companies to draw up contracts, job offers, invoices and delivery documents in French, among others “.
It is important to emphasize that all countries in the world require that documentation relating to goods and services crossing their borders be available in the national language(s), for two fundamental reasons.
The first is national sovereignty. In Italy, Germany and Turkey, life takes place in Italian, German and Turkish.
The second is protection of the public. Instructions for installing a child car seat must be fully understood by parents, regardless of the country of origin of the seat.
In other words, the obligation to translate applies to any company that wishes to export its products and services to a country that speaks a language different from the one in which it is located. Translation allows you to enter a market and prosper there. As Canada has two official languages, French translation for American and Canadian businesses is not a new thing, or should not be.
In this regard, it is interesting to note that no less than 29 American states out of 50, or almost 60%, found it necessary to adopt legislative provisions to protect English, although it is the lingua franca of the world. Throughout human history, many communities have been and still are isolated. However, no other country than Quebec has been surrounded by such an imposing and monolithic bloc on the economic, military, cultural and linguistic levels. No wonder he feels the need to protect his identity and culture.