Essay 3 Sample
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Matthew Williams
Professor Vagnoni
ENC 1101
5 December 2013
Multilingualism or Not?
Today in America, there is a raging debate going on: should we promote multilingualism or accept a "melting pot" ideology? The melting pot ideology dictates assimilating into a common culture and language. Views on this issue are very polarized, which make a compromise seem hard to accomplish. Two articles that pertain to this topic are "American
Multilingualism: A National Tragedy," by Franklin Raff published on WND.com, and "English
Only Laws Divide and Demean," by Warren J. Blumenfeld published in The Huffington Post.
Both articles are direct contradictions of each other with Raff saying languages other than
English are unduly practiced and embraced in America while Blumenfeld argues that America should promote the practice of multiple languages. While I do not find myself agreeing completely with either one, there are points in both that appeal to me and give me a better understanding of multilingualism, and the influences of its wide reaching effects on society.
In "American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy," writer Franklin Raff introduces an ad broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a Toyota car ad, which is touted to be the first "bicultural, bilingual" advertisement. The spot compares the benefits of being bilingual to a hybrid car. Raff claims that the ad agency responsible for the ad has bluffed in equating bilingualism to anything good. He even goes as far as to say that the effects of promoting bilingualism can be fatal. To support his claim of fatality he uses the situation in where doctors are unable to
Williams
2
comprehend their patients. He also brings up the fact that workers who are unable to comprehend safety regulations at worksites meet untimely deaths. Raff speaks of the Chicago school system, which has an overwhelming population of Hispanics and is also the worst performing of all school systems. He then introduces a janitor, who cannot
1
Matthew Williams
Professor Vagnoni
ENC 1101
5 December 2013
Multilingualism or Not?
Today in America, there is a raging debate going on: should we promote multilingualism or accept a "melting pot" ideology? The melting pot ideology dictates assimilating into a common culture and language. Views on this issue are very polarized, which make a compromise seem hard to accomplish. Two articles that pertain to this topic are "American
Multilingualism: A National Tragedy," by Franklin Raff published on WND.com, and "English
Only Laws Divide and Demean," by Warren J. Blumenfeld published in The Huffington Post.
Both articles are direct contradictions of each other with Raff saying languages other than
English are unduly practiced and embraced in America while Blumenfeld argues that America should promote the practice of multiple languages. While I do not find myself agreeing completely with either one, there are points in both that appeal to me and give me a better understanding of multilingualism, and the influences of its wide reaching effects on society.
In "American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy," writer Franklin Raff introduces an ad broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a Toyota car ad, which is touted to be the first "bicultural, bilingual" advertisement. The spot compares the benefits of being bilingual to a hybrid car. Raff claims that the ad agency responsible for the ad has bluffed in equating bilingualism to anything good. He even goes as far as to say that the effects of promoting bilingualism can be fatal. To support his claim of fatality he uses the situation in where doctors are unable to
Williams
2
comprehend their patients. He also brings up the fact that workers who are unable to comprehend safety regulations at worksites meet untimely deaths. Raff speaks of the Chicago school system, which has an overwhelming population of Hispanics and is also the worst performing of all school systems. He then introduces a janitor, who cannot
Cited: Blumenfeld, Warren J. ""English Only" Laws Divide and Demean." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 October 2013. Raff, Franklin. "American 'multilingualism ': A National Tragedy." WND. WND.com, 02 May 2006. Web. 16 November 2013. 8