The amount of money it costs to be a country without an official language is astronomical. The latest research shows, “English and Spanish are just two of nearly 400 languages spoken here” (Ross 1). For many years now the United States has been one of the most diverse places in the world. With so many languages spoken here, businesses have to use translators to negotiate with one another. This is why many people agree that “The U.S. Congress and individual states should adopt legislation making English the official language of government, so that government business should be conducted in English, with common-sense exceptions for services related to health and safety” (Mujica 47). The non-supporters of making English the official language …show more content…
By making English the official language, it would save money on driving tests, voting ballots, and other important documentation. It is found that, “Drivers tests is offered in Spanish, election ballots are printed in several languages, and courts cost and immigration offices employ translators. The cost of providing multilingual services, including bilingual education, add up to hundreds of billions of dollars each year” (Keddle 1). It is well known that the United States has considered making English the official language, and also that all business and documents be conducted in English and English only. This has come to offend many of the immigrants who live here or plan to live here in the future. They argue that there are not enough classes available for them to take and that if they do happen to find an available class, it cost too much money. They cannot afford to take the classes as well as support their families. They feel like the government is trying to take away their freedom rights. The immigrants try to explain to the government that, “Forcing immigrants to give up their native language robs them of their culture and heritage” (Keedle 27). Immigrants know their rights like, “…the United Nations Human Rights Committee laid down in 1993 that the right of freedom of expression includes ‘freedom to express oneself in a language of one’s choice’…” (Andrássy 1). Every person has a choice to express themselves in anyway they choose. The
The government implementing English as the official legal language of America is imperative because a conformity of communication within our borders is needed to unify the vast diversity. Our mighty country was founded on providing all citizens with equality including inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The United States is a progressive nation that welcomes people from far and wide to come and savor the God-given freedoms enjoyed by all. With all of the diversity from the countless immigrants coming in to our port cities, looking for a more prosperous future, a necessary tie is needed to bring the people of the nation together. Interaction with others
In the article “Should English Be the Law?” the author Robert D. King tell us about several civilizations that were influenced by all different types of language. The point is there are countries out there that don’t want a singular language. Some countries such as India in their constitution nineteen different languages are recognized. But then other countries like America a bill was passed in 1996 making English the national language. Truth is every country is different some want a national language and some don’t I feel no one should be forced. The government should just do as the people request.
The army and federal court system already operate in English for practical reasons, and by having an official language, the workings of the government would be more streamlined. Such a bill would mostly apply to government policy and federal documentation, and would make it clear that unless the government decides to provide it, no one is entitled to government services or documents in any language other than English; if there is a communication issue with laws or regulations in more than one language, English would take precedence. In a recent national survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans assumed that English was already the official language set by the United States Constitution, according to the Associated Press, 1987. (James Crawford 1) The lobbyists ‘U.S. English’ believe "It is a shared language that has allowed us to rise above our differences and come together as citizens of one nation... there was no resistance to the notion that learning English was the price of immigration." (James Crawford 1) In November of 1986, California voted on Proposition 63, a referendum to make English the official language of the state: three-quarters of the electorate were needed to pass, and it is not surprising that it did pass. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Virginia had already passed
A serious issue will occur when 311 languages are spoken throughout the United States , and not one of them is recognized as the official language. I have personally experienced the difficulties of trying to communicate with individuals in my own community, because of the language barrier. This controversy has existed
The fifteenth chapter of Susan Tamasi and Lamont Antieau’s Language and Linguistic Diversity in the US is titled “Official English.” This particular chapter briefly looks into the history of linguistic laws in the United States followed by an examination of whether or not the United States should have English as its official language. Tamasi and Antieau provide multiple convincing arguments for each side of this issue, which consists of those for English as the sole language of government and those against such a measure. Overall, however, there are many underlying beliefs and nonlinguistic concepts—like national identity and history, politics, and economics—related to language and its usage in America. First of all, Tamasi and Antieau debunk
Although the founding fathers decided to leave the idea of establishing a national language out of the Constitution, there have been several movements to establish English as the national language since then. Even though none of these movements could garnish enough support to make this into a reality, they have been influential in that English is the official language in 31 states. In recent years, five additional states have considered legislation that would mandate English as well (Schwarz 2014). Since many individual states have sided on the issue, it poses the question of if the national government should follow the trend as well. A strong argument can be made that the United States should make English as the official language because it would promote unity and patriotism among Americans, be economically beneficial for the nation while rightfully placing the responsibility to learn English on the non-English speaking immigrants.
“No Habla English”. “21 million people living in the United States cannot speak English. Citizens are not just speaking Spanish, but Chinese and Russian are rising fast.” (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2009) To force a citizen to speak a new language is discrimination. Non-English speaking citizens and immigrants that are without good English skills will fall academically, in the judicial system and when receiving proper medical care.
Immigration, legal or not, has been a problem for the United States for a long time. In the U.S., promoters of bilingualism have supported the use of other languages for public services, including government documents, hospitals services, voting ballots, and bilingual education. In their essays “A Nation Divided by One Language” and “Viva Bilingualism”, James Crawford and James Fallows claim that it is not necessary to declare English the official language of the U.S. On the other hand, in their essays “English Should Be the Only Language” and “Why the U.S. Needs an Official Language”, S. I. Hayakawa and Mauro E. Mujica argue that English should be made the official language. They contend that
Language is considered a vital tool in the construction of someone’s identity and an expression of culture. English is the most widely spoken language in the world. The number of people who speak it as a second language is increasing dramatically. In the last couple of decades immigrants have chosen to make the United States their home, but some proceeded with caution by slowly adapting to the English language and culture. Others don’t want to learn and adapt to the English culture simply because they believe it will separate them from their own cultures and traditions. Therefore, the question struggling to be answered is, should English be the official language in the United States?
Since the early 1800’s, our nation has been trying to adopt English as a universal language among our citizens. Louisiana, in 1807, was the first state to begin this movement in its constitution as a condition to admittance to the Union. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, there were several tens of thousands Spanish speaking civilians that moved into our country, and this didn’t include the other non-English speaking people who lived among us. While we remain to be a free country, we are a people who needs to be on the same page. Laws and education need to remain consistent throughout.
There are millions of people traveling between the U.S. and other countries each year, each person bringing and taking our culture and theirs with them. If we were to make English the official language to be spoken, it would cause many people to feel unwanted or in other words unwelcome and cause them to not +want to stay or visit with us. So if we were to tell them that they needed to change and learn a new language that is like taking away who they are and where they are from. Many people argue that, if they choose to come to this country, they should choose to learn its language. Anywhere you go the people from that country expect anyone to learn that countries language due to respect on coming. "If I were going to Mexico" they say, "I would expect to learn Spanish." This argument ignores two important aspects about immigration
Though America does not have an official language, English is the most spoken language. First, English is the language of the forefathers; those who are the foundation and reason our country is still in existence today. Whenever the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution were written, the Englishmen wrote them in English. Nonetheless, English has been spoken for many, many centuries. To add to that, the English language is what ties the country back to it’s roots. Secondly, knowing the English language does not just stop at ordering food at a restaurant, it is the language that countries use to trade with one another. Immigrants who know English do not have as much trouble ordering food or trying to sell items to other people. English is the native language of the United States; therefore, learning the language should be a requirement.
The debate of instituting English as the official language in the United States is a debate that has been going on for centuries. Many people believe that English should be the official language because we are American, and Americans speak English. However, many of those people fail to realize that we all come from different heritages and corners of the world. Language should be an art of expression, one where people of all heritages and backgrounds can speak in the language that they have learned. Implementing English as the official language in the United States would be to essentially ignore and disrespect all of the heritages, nationalities, and religions that make the United States a unique place to live. The United States is
There are emotional and legal concerns surrounding whether immigrants should learn to speak English. Domenico Maceri (2009), an award-winning author and foreign language instructor at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria California, states “I never met an immigrant in the United States who needed laws to be reminded that English is necessary to succeed” (par. 9).
The United States should have a language policy that English should be the official language of the nation. There are multiple reasons that this should happen and one of the reasons is economic. One of the argument of this issue is that the U.S. is spending a significant amount of money on the translating of official documents into many languages and to provide an interpreter for the official proceedings. So having an official language would mean that the U.S. wouldn 't have to spend so much money on providing those types of services, that way we can use the resources to spend on other issues that the nation needs to focus on. This is a convincing argument for having English as the official language of the U.S. Not only that but, many people who want English to be the official language see that a common language that will hold our country and culture together.