The invention seeks to display the setting of a spoken language, which is used in a printer, in such a manner that the setting can be understood irrespective of set values. Messages indicative of settable items as well as settings are stored in a language message map. Both the message and the setting regarding a language setting among the settable items are expressed in the English language and stored. When a status print is performed, messages concerning the items that have been set and the corresponding settings are read out of the language message map and are printed.