How Can We Make English An Official Language?

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

On August 1 of last year [1996] the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would make English the official language of the United States. I honestly believe this is best practice at least for the United States. If everyone speaks English then there is no language barrier within the country. Everyone can go to the store or ask for anything without a problem. This might help the economy as well because some people who speak another language find it harder to buy anything in an all English-speaking store. I know this from personal experiences since I work in a convenient store.

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

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.

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

English should be enforced as the national language of America as it would promote unity among all citizens. Language can act as a form of disunity because many non-English speaking immigrants feel isolated in the United States as it is challenging for them to effectively communicate with others. These citizens struggle to complete even the simplest task that requires some form of communication

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?

Across the United States the amount of people who speak English as a second language or do not speak it at all keeps growing. This means some people could have neighbors that they cannot even ask for a cup or sugar from. There are even sections of the U.S. where immigrants have their own communities and they mostly do not speak English with each other. It is crazy how in a country whose foundation is English has portions of the population where it’s not spoken at all. A foreigner goes to a foreign country and expects to meet people that know the native language. It should be the same for the United States. Although not having English as the official language make coming into the U.S. easier for immigrants, English should be the official language of the United States.

Currently, the United States does not have a designated official language. Although it is perceived as an English-speaking nation, there has been a turbulent discussion among the American people as to whether English should be the official language. Making English the official language of the United States would create an all-American attitude. As immigrants come to America, they should adopt a distinctly American identity. An official language does not imply that no other language should be spoken within the United States borders. Having an official language will create a common means of communication among diverse communities. The United States should make English its official national language because not having a designated language in

In “Why No Official Tongue?” by Shirley Brice Heath I found many surprising and agreeable ideas involving the debate on whether or not the United States should have a national language. I personally believe that it is unnecessary for the United States to have an officially declared national language because most immigrants have a need and natural inclination to learn English in order to achieve success in America. This article provides historical proof from the colonial era that multilingualism does not threaten the English language.

For many centuries Congress has been trying to pass a law making English the official language but has yet to be successful. In today’s society the most commonly used and heard language is English it is then followed by Spanish and so on. To pass the law that would make English the official language the government would have to provide programs to help the non-English speakers learn English. Thus getting rid of the language barriers that prevent people from understanding each other.

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

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.