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…
In some eyes, linguistic diversity in the United States is a good thing, but in my opinion an English-only legislation would be most ideal. Not only does it create a national language for America, but it…
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.…
The English only movement has many pros that will greatly help the United States. If English is made the official language of the United States it will unite the people with a common language rather then divide by not understanding one another, it will allow people to feel comfortable in the workplace, and encourage immigrant workers to learn English. By making English the official language does not mean “English Only” it simply means that for the government to act officially and effectively the default language should be English which would mean that no one would have the right to demand government activities or records in any other language (Wilson, 2009). I personally feel that this would be a great idea simply because in order for the government to communicate there must be one official language. By making English the official language does not mean that cultural diversity is not accepted in the United States or that no one can speak their cultural background language it just means that in order for all government officials to be on the same page of communication, a common language must be established. Making English the official language would not prohibit the government from using other languages when there is reason for doing so, such as legitimate common sense needs (Wilson, 2009). I feel this would be great idea because then there would be no miscommunication or misunderstanding on anyone part due to language barriers.…
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.…
America is a wonderful country that holds a distinctive quality and that is the acceptance of people from different ethnicities and race to form part of America. Numerous Polls have consistently proved that most Americans believe immigrants who are in the United States illegally should be granted legal status if they take the steps of learning English. This is understandable and should be reinforced. What can't be fair is forcing all immigrants to learn English regardless of their goals in this country. It is great that the United States has no official language. It is a much better idea to allow immigrants to choose whether they want to become legal citizens or not.…
From the perspective of the opposing side, everyone has the right to their own language. By making English the official language of America the nation would be denying certain rights and services to those who are non-native speakers. Moreover, America is known to be a “melting pot”, a multicultural nation built and maintained by immigrants. It is they who bring with them their multitude of cultures and languages that give the nation its diversity. These different languages and cultures lend to the nation an uncommon uniqueness. Furthermore, as pointed out by Dennis Barron, official English may be unnecessary as “without legislation [the United States has] managed to get over ninety-seven percent of the residents of this country to speak the national language. No country with an official language law even comes close.” He goes on to explain that in today’s era, non-native speakers are learning English “faster than earlier generations of immigrants”. He proposes that, instead of official English, the United States should adopt "English Plus", which would encourage residents to speak both English and another language. By doing this, culture in the United States would be more universal and the U.S. itself…
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…
As said in the Washington Times, “Making English the official language would encourage new migrants to learn the language of the country they have adopted as theirs… to unite the American people, while improving the lives of immigrants and native-born inhabitants” (Brice). This explores the ways in which English brings the whole country together, while actually bettering the lives of immigrants. In the long run I believe immigrants will create a better live for themselves by learning English because it opens up so many more doors and opportunities once they can communicate and have a common tie with the rest of the country. With this policy, it will require them to learn English, which will end up actually improving their lives in the English-dominated America.…
All immigrants to the United States should be required to learn English. It would be in their best interest that they learn English. If they didn’t learn English then they would be an outcast to their peers. It would be very difficult for the immigrants to communicate with other people without knowing English. English is spoken throughout the United States so the immigrants wouldn’t know anything that is going on around them.…
Nothing unites a country more than its common language because from a language comes a history and a culture. (John Howard quoted in Migrants to sit English test, ABC Online, 11 December 2006)…
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.…
Many people argue why not the other way around with learning Spanish and I can understand that it would be great if it was implemented more in schools at younger ages such as even starting as young pre-k. The only problem with that idea though is it isn’t, so the reason I say English should be learned in order to enter into the country is because that the majority of text/writings which cause the idea that English is the majority.…
America, we have a cultural diversity that is unlike any other in the entire world, people from every country in the world come to our borders wanting to start over with a better life, live the “American Dream”. And because of this our nation has turned into a giant melting pot of all different types of cultures, races, religions, and one of the most important, languages. Language is the main way we communicate, interact, understand each other and when that barrier is there, it is a hard one to get past. And of course there are different ways people feel like we should deal with this barrier, there are some who believe that we as citizens who speak English should also learn different languages so that we can more easily communicate with them. And then there are others who feel like they came to our country, they need to learn English like everyone else here does. This has turned into a very touchy subject to a lot of people because people become passionate about there on personal beliefs and the side that they have chosen to get behind. Both sides having very valid points as to why their side is the one that people should adopt as their own side, I personally have decided that I agree that when you come to this country then you should learn to speak the language if you plan on living here. But not because I think English is the superior language or anything like that, I believe it will just make things easier for me and the person who immigrated here to be able to work together and communicate. But of course since this subject is very much two sided, state laws have been passed protecting and or mandating certain things happen, trying to stop the arguing between the two sides.…