Making English an Official Language

“Press 1” For English
Rachel Hoffman

Composition II
Justin Remeselnik
March 17th, 2010

One Nation Under English
Quick what is the official language of the United States? English right? Wrong. Today in America, the melting pot theory has created a nation of millions of immigrants from all over the world. Record numbers of non-English speaking immigrants live their daily lives not having to speak a word of English! And instead of encouraging new immigrants to learn the English needed to succeed in our society, the government continues to promote "diversity" by trying to operate with the growing numbers of foreign languages. Becoming a more unified nation starts with the United States making English the official language.
A very important website proenglish.org, “..is the nation 's leading advocate of official English working through the courts and in the court of public opinion to defend English 's historic role as America 's common, unifying language, and to persuade lawmakers to adopt English as the official language at all levels of government” (proenglish n.d.). Men and women from all different backgrounds and walks of life have come together to provide people various facts, and information as to why English should be the official language of the United States.
President Theodore Roosevelt once said, "We have one language here, and that is the English language, and we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans." Making English the official language of the United States does not mean English only. “Having English as our official language simply means that for the government to act officially, it must communicate in English. “It means the language of record is the English language, and that no one has a right to demand government services in any other language” (proenglish n.d.). Those who still wish to communicate to family members, and friends in their native language should be able to freely, but when involving themselves in the work place or in government affairs, they need to be fluent in English. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) continues to say English workplace policies are discriminating against non-English speaking employees, and illegal under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The courts however have backed work places that want to put English language policies into effect. Former US senator Bob Dole makes a very good point: “Promoting English is not an act of hostility, but a welcoming act of inclusion. Thousands of children are failing to learn the language that is the ticket to the American dream” (Peart, 1996). Work places enforcing English speaking policies are doing the right thing. Speaking fluent English in the United States will guarantee a better paying job, and in turn a better life. Thirty of the fifty states have made English their official language. Many others have official English legislation being introduced. These states are also mandating that driver’s licenses be printed in English. With over half of the states having English as their official language the standard of where America is headed with pro English laws has been set. Think about this: “Eighty-five percent of the UN 's member nations have official languages fifty-three of those nations have adopted English as their official language” (proenglish n.d.).
America’s English Future A large contributor to America’s future success is education. Rosalie Pedalino Porter EdD, is director of bilingual and English as a second language programs in Newton, Massachusetts. She knows firsthand what it is like to be a part of the language minority in America. In her book Forked Tongue The Politics of Bilingual Education, she explains that “language minority children now account for ten percent of all American school children, and in some districts these children constitute twenty five to sixty percent of the entire school population” (Porter 1990). These children will one day shape the future of the United States, and Americans need to make sure that the children are being educated properly, and to do so, they need to make certain that they are able to speak English. Multilingual education programs costs the federal government over two hundred million dollars a year. “Multilingual education began as an effort to allow students to temporarily continue their academic studies in a language they understand while they learn English” (Peart, 1996).
“Despite thirty years of failure a politically powerful bureaucracy continues to push bilingual education because it is heavily subsidized and generates teaching and administrative jobs as well as higher salaries and more spending. Some educators and activists promote bilingual education as a means of "maintaining one’s cultural heritage." That is not the job of our public schools but the job of the family and the community. With 327 languages spoken in the U.S. today, the job of our schools is not to maintain native languages, but to give students the tools they need to succeed as citizens of an English-speaking country”(proenglish n.d.).
Multilingual education is ultimately failing children in the United States, if knowing how to speak fluent English was a higher priority for immigrants the government wouldn’t have to spend tax payer dollars on programs to educate them in their native language.
Programs like English Immersion (ESL) work: “In these programs, students spend one full school year (or longer, if necessary) intensively studying English. After that, they continue developing their English skills by using them in English-language classrooms. In California and Arizona test reports show students learn English in A Lexington Institute study published in 2008 reported that some of the highest-performing students in California public schools are children who started kindergarten with little or no English. In June 2009 Massachusetts announced that in seventeen of the forty-two Boston high schools the valedictorian of the graduating class was a student who had come from another country within the past few years, without knowing any English. Thanks to English Immersion classrooms these students not only learned English rapidly but were able to achieve the highest possible degree of success in high school two years on average, and achieve passing scores on reading and math tests as well” (proenglish n.d.).
Being a unified and educated nation is very important especially when the United States is a super power. Opposing arguments say official English is an anti-immigrant policy, and for that reason, unnecessary. “Making English our official language also sends an important message to new immigrants: that the U.S. intends to protect its linguistic unity as a nation, and that as applicants for admission they have the responsibility to learn English as their first step in pursuing the American Dream, and full participation in American life” (McAlpin, 2006). The United States has always welcomed those who want to come to make a better life for themselves and their families. Making English the official language of the United States is not discriminating against immigrants, it is simply giving them the same opportunities as every other Americans.

References

English Only Arguments For. (n.d.). Elon University. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from …..http://www.elon.edu/eweb/students/civic_engagement/election_2006/ImmigrationReformAr…..gumentsFor.xhtml
Eskin, L. (1988). Pro-con: should English be our official language?. Scholastic, 120.n17
McAlpin, K. (2006). Mass Immigration, Language, and Assimilation Common Sense on Mass …..Immigration. Common Sense on Mass Immigration - A Collection of Mini-Essays (p. 10). …..Social Contract Press.
Peart, K. (1996). English Spoken Here Should schools and street signs be in English only?. …..Scholastic, 129n6, 7-8.
Porter, R. P. (1990). Forked Tongue. The Politics of Bilingual Education. New York: Basic …..Books.
ProEnglish: The English Language Advocates. (n.d.). ProEnglish: The English Language …..Advocates. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://proenglish.org

References: English Only Arguments For. (n.d.). Elon University. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from …..http://www.elon.edu/eweb/students/civic_engagement/election_2006/ImmigrationReformAr…..gumentsFor.xhtml Eskin, L. (1988). Pro-con: should English be our official language?. Scholastic, 120.n17 McAlpin, K. (2006). Mass Immigration, Language, and Assimilation Common Sense on Mass …..Immigration. Common Sense on Mass Immigration - A Collection of Mini-Essays (p. 10). …..Social Contract Press. Peart, K. (1996). English Spoken Here Should schools and street signs be in English only?. …..Scholastic, 129n6, 7-8. Porter, R. P. (1990). Forked Tongue. The Politics of Bilingual Education. New York: Basic …..Books. ProEnglish: The English Language Advocates. (n.d.). ProEnglish: The English Language …..Advocates. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://proenglish.org