Should English Be Made the Official Language of the U.S?

November 4th,2011 Should English be made the Official language of the U.S? People in the last two decades have been divided on the issue of whether the official language of the United States should be English. Although making English an official language would alleviate some problems , its disadvantages clearly outweigh its advantages. The linguistic diversity, tradition and culture immigrants bring to this country enrich the United States. This is why English should not be the official language of the United States.

English should not be the official language of the United States because the US a multilingual society that embraces other cultures and languages. By making English the official language we offend the idea of American diversity. The United States has been enriched by immigrants for many years. As a sign of respect to all the immigrants in our country, English should not be the only official language.

The opposition claims that English is the most common language in America. Sharing a common language in America brings unity to America. It unites Americans who speak more than 322 languages by providing a sense of communication. According to “USE” English, 85 percent of the world’s countries have at Girgis 3 least one official language. Therefore, the U.S is at odds by not having an official language. Despite what the opposition says, establishing an official language would result in a loss of cultural identity in people whose first language is not English. According to the Linguistic Society of American Resolution “American unity has never rested primarily on the unity of language but rather on common political science” Although many countries have an official language, why should America follow? Being without an official language makes us different from other countries.

By making English the official language, immigrants will have a better chance of getting a job than others who can’t speak English. According to “USE”, millions of people cannot find good paying jobs because they lack the ability to speak English with customers. Despite what the opposition says, knowing another language actually opens up job opportunities. In large metropolitan areas such as New York, knowing another language is crucial. For example, “linguistic society” states that the U.S government only hires Americans who know another language. They have to handle routine investigations agents and communication with Unites States nationals who speak another language.

Some say English should be the official language because bilingual classes are very costly. They need to hire teachers, create tests in another language and buying different textbooks. Having bilingual education prevents immigrants from learning English. Although not having bilingual classes would cost less, English should not be the Grigis 3 official language because knowing another language makes it easier to communicate with many different people around the world. By having only English in schools gives non native speakers a disadvantage over native speakers. In the 1974 case of Lau v. Nicols, the Supreme Court ruled that “there is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilitates, textbooks, teachers and curriculum: for students who do not understand English are effetely foreclosed from any meaningful education”(U.S Supreme Court,414 U.S). The student’s ability to read at write in their first language will make the transition to English classes much simpler. It makes it easier to transfer from one language to another.

Having English as the official language does not deter diversity from occurring. There will still be other cultures and everybody will still have the freedom to speak the language they are most comfortable with at home. However , what exactly is English? There is American English, Ebonics and British English. English has many different dialects so how will we know which one is the right one? Also, making English an official language would prevent other countries from trading with one another. If English is the official language, then we can’t communicate with other countries.

Making English an official language would demand the right for each language to have their own service in their own language. There are over three hundred languages spoken in the U.S and having services in each language would adds millions of dollars Girgis 4 for the U.S government. Since immigrants are living in the United States, they should be able to speak English. However, English shouldn’t be the official language because it violates the First Amendment of peoples right to communicate and the right to equality. By having English as an official language it prohibits non-English government services such as applications for driver’s license and bilingual education. Also if the government does not offer a defendant with a language translator , they will not be able to defend themselves to the best of their ability. Having an official language makes it seem that English is more important than any other language in the U.S. Immigrants feel that their language is less respected than English. The United States is made up of immigrants who should have a right to their own languages. Immigrants bring with them cultures and traditions as well as their languages. By making English the official language, it discourages the speaking of other languages. If the United States is so culturally diverse, why must we only communicate in one language?

Girgis 1 Should English be the official language of the U.S?
Audience: Republicans
Purpose: To persuade
Forum: New York Times

Girgis 6 Works Cited
McDade, Kathleen. “Should English be the Official Language of the United States.” American Institute.Web.2005. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/550917/should_english_be_the_official_language_pg2.html?cat=9
Mujica, Mauro. “Why U.S Needs an Official Language.” United States Department of Justice.Web. 2004. http://www.worldandi.com/newhome/public/2003/december/cipub2.asp.
Walante, Craig. “Constitutional topic: Official Language.” U.S.English, Inc. Web. 2008 http://www.us-english.org/view/24

Reflective

This paper arguing whether English should be made the official language of the United States has taught me how to argue my point. To argue a position, you have to include both sides of the argument. By only giving one side of the argument, you will not be able to persuade the other position in your essay. You also need a strong thesis. I learned that a thesis is a statement that sums up your argument that will motivate readers to continue reading your paper. You have to make sure you have enough arguments to support your thesis statement in your body paragraphs.

The mock debate in class really helped me see the positive and negative outcomes of making English the official language. It helped me think of new ideas to write in my paper by providing the both sides. One side of the class was for making English the official language and the other side was against it. When both sides started to defend their case, I learned so much that I didn’t have knowledge of before. For instance, going into this debate I thought the students who were in favor of making English an official language would have no arguments to back up their points. To my surprise, they had just as much points as students who were against making English an official language. The worst part about the debate was the all the research we had to do. Although it took a lot of time, it was well worth it. Before the debate, we spent an hour doing research and collecting information. This debate helped all of us as a class become more confident as a speakers. To improve for our next debate, we have to speak in complete sentences and be more polite rather than demanding and overbearing.

The feedback I received from my classmates and professor really helped me improve my essay. When I received feedback on my 1st draft from my classmates, I learned that although I had good arguments against English being the official language, I needed more arguments for the other side. When I wrote my first draft I didn’t have a good thesis to back up my arguments. Through the help of my classmates, I was able to think of a good thesis that included my side of the argument and why I was in favor of it . The feedback I received from my professor taught me that if I’m talking about the United States, I cant say America because America includes South and North America. I also learned that you cant use the phrase “many people” because its not specific to who you’re referring to. This argumentative paper has taught me so much information that I didn’t have knowledge of before. For example, I didn’t know that 85 percent of the world has an official language and that there was over 322 languages spoken in the United states. Before I wrote this paper, I never thought there was so much debate on this issue for many years. After writing this essay, I know how to write an argumentative paper that’s includes both sides of the argument and the ability to defend my position.

Cited: Walante, Craig. “Constitutional topic: Official Language.” U.S.English, Inc. Web. 2008 http://www.us-english.org/view/24