For as long as the United States has been a country, there has been controversy over establishing English as the official language. Even the idolized US President Theodore Roosevelt had a firm belief the US has “room for but one language in this country and that is the English language”. In a 2010 poll conducted by Rasmussen, eighty-seven percent of American voters said they would support making English the official language. Immigrants would also benefit from establishing English as the national language, because after learning English they would be able to actively participate in the democratic system employed throughout the US. Although the United States is a notorious melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, language should be legislated, because having multiple languages spoken in the public isolates minorities.…
There are many different ethnicities in the U.S, more than any other country in the world. It varies from Latino people, Pacific Islanders, Asian American, or African American. The United States is the only country where one can find all different cultures and languages. In the United States, English is not the only language which Americans use to communicate. Vietnamese, Chinese, or Spanish is very popular in the U.S. Therefore, according to the article “In Plain English: Let’s Make It Official,” the author Krauthammer argues that English should be the official language of the United States. So what are Krauthammer’s arguments and also what are the advantages and disadvantages if English becomes the official language of the United States?Canada…
Why the United States does not have an official language has been an ongoing debate for a long time. A lot of people are for it and a lot of people are against it. While conducting my research I learned that if the United States made English the official language of the country it would be going against the first amendment, Freedom of speech. Regardless of going against the constitution 27 states have made English their official language. Why is it so important to so many people that the United States have an official language? Would it aid immigrants in the assimilation process and make it more likely for them to succeed? Can other languages be used in the country for certain official purposes, if English is the sole official language? Does official English offend the idea of American diversity? Does it discriminate against non-native speakers? Does an adequate incentive exist to learn English without it being official? Is there anything wrong with the status quo? Do most countries in the world have an official language? Is it important for any tangible and practical reasons? Do English only laws threaten or enhance public safety? Is official English good public policy? (Debate 2010) These are questions that rise in everyone’s mind when the topic of designating an official language in the US comes up.…
In today’s society, there are over thousands of different languages or dialects speak around the world. And because America is such a diverse country with many individuals capable of speaking two or more languages, they tend to forget the importance of speaking English in America. As an American living in America, it’s not important whether they speak English or not, but what’s important is which language they choose to represent themselves freely.…
Currently, and surprisingly, there is no official language designated for the United States of America. Should English be that official language for our nation? The United States is usually thought of an English speaking country and the Official Language needs to be representative of the same for many reasons. The voting public is extremely divided; with some stating that the United States should remain language-less, others claim it should be Spanish, while another viewpoint is to choose multilingualism, and even some claim an unrecognized language of “American” should become the new official language. There are many views on this topic, heated debates, and political upheavals by both citizens and illegal immigrants of various backgrounds, not only the English and non-English speaking. This topic is extremely controversial among many groups; both political and non-political. The underlying ramifications of a decision; or lack thereof, many may not realize but will be presented thoroughly in addition to the mere implications of a decision finally being made on the topic on a nationwide basis and statewide level, will be weighed against each other. The results of the research efforts shall present several aspects concerning English as the official language of the United States including, but not limited to; language choices aside from English that are being presented as the official language, the financial ramifications between having and not having an official language, a brief history on the nature of English as the official language of the nation, a brief overview of the legal actions related to the same; and any incidental information that is deemed relevant pursuant to the nature of the research intentions.…
For years, there has been debate over whether or not the Congress should pass legislation which would make English the official language in the United States of America. On one side of the spectrum, supporters of the issue feel that official English would help to unify America under one language, thus promoting a faster, cost-effective and efficient way of communicating. On the other side of the argument, opponents feel that making English the official language would be a detriment to our unique “melting pot” culture and would discourage immigrants and tourists. Those against official English also claim that discrimination against non-native speakers may become a problem as well.…
The debate on whether the United States should make English the official language has been raging within the borders of the country for decades. Several bills have been presented to Congress over the years, but have stagnated due to the opposition on either side. Though there would certainly be drawbacks to introducing English as the official language of the United States, there would also be immeasurable benefit. Not only would an official language streamline government processes and reduce government spending, it would also aid the United States by unifying its’ people.…
Back then, it wasn’t uncommon to hear up to 20 different languages spoken in daily life. Today, those numbers are more staggering. According to U.S. English Inc., an advocacy group that supports declaring English as our official language, 322 languages are spoken in the country, with 24 of those spoken in every state and the District of Columbia. California has the most languages, with 207, while Wyoming has the fewest with 56. So why won’t Congress declare an official language? Because we are a nation of immigrants and these numbers prove it. Because declaring an official language would abridge the rights of individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals who are paying taxes and who are entitled to the same rights as those who speak…
English as a common ground is so that Americans can understand what is being spoken to each other. Americans should be able to communicate and read any material out in this country without wondering what is being said. Foreigners or non-English speaking citizens are increasingly becoming more segregated, creating poverty- stricken areas. The creation of these areas is due to the language barrier (US-English, 2012). Americans who speak English can find it insulting when other begins to speak to them in another language. Majority of the states have English as their official language. So when a foreigner begins to speak another language or attempt to communicate in English, it could be found offensive because if the same person were to go to their country, it would offensive if you did not speak their language. When living or visiting the United States, it would be safe to assume that everyone spoke English if it were the official language. No one would be insulted, nor would an individual find it hard to communicate with another. Making English the official language of the United States means that the government will be conducting everything solely in English. This includes all public documents, records, legislation and regulations, as well as hearings, official ceremonies and public meetings (US-English, 2012). “This means that everything will be conducted in the English language and that no one will have the right to demand government services in any other language” (ProEnglish, 1994). The government cost of multilingualism is in the hundreds of million dollars. Companies have to spend about 15 to 20 percent of production cost to use in translation services (CalRecycle, 1995). For example, Hospitals have to pay for translators to those who do not speak English. Translators in California are paid $45 to $50 an hour! While…
The English only debate has been an ongoing deliberation for many decades in the United States. Questions from political parties, legislators, and common people have been a hot topic on the English only subject and what they believe would be best for the nation (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008). Would having English as the national language of the United State unify the nation or would it tear it apart? Would it be politically correct? Would it be fair? Would it cause segregation? Would it be a security threat? These are just some of the questions that…
An imperative question that one must ask themself about whether or not to make English the official language of the United States is that, isn 't it better to learn and become familiar with languages other than one 's own rather than know only one language your whole life? It should be recognizable that different languages and cultures bring uniqueness to our country. Making English the official language here in the United States has advantage and…
English was founded with the sole mission of establishing an official language through the English Language Amendment (or ELA), attributing its motivations to the unification of the country. Because of its ‘coincidental’ timing, the nonprofit U.S. English is generally thought to go hand-in-hand with the birth of the English-Only movement and thus, the rejection of bilingualism. Influencing 30 out of the 50 states to pass Official English Legislation between 1981 and 2009, the heavily funded U.S. English has been met politically with more embrace than backlash. However, despite its wide support at both the individual and legislative levels due to the “unity” an official language could bring, legal scholars such as Judge James Crawford are suspicious of the real reasons behind the movement and organization’s popularity. In the preface of his book Hold Your Tongue: Bilingualism and the Politics of “English Only”, Crawford…
I live in Texas and I can honestly say that there is a language barrier between non English speaking people and English speaking Americans in Texas in the Hispanic community particularly. From the various articles and surveys that I have found there seems to be a great number of Texans wanting English to be declared the official language. On the other hand there some organizations saying it would be unconstitutional.…
I feel that English should be the official language of the United States. Though as I read on some of the articles I understand that there are pros and cons to the factor. Though today in the United States most of our country already speaks English. Which is a factor because more people can communicate with one another if they know English as their language. Other pros that I have read and agreed on is the fact if English was the official language that it would save the government a lot of money for printing other text and materials in a different language.…
This research will be an argumentative paper with information on both sides of the argument using the statement: “Should English be the Official Language of the United States”.…