Official Language Debate

“We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.” --Theodore Roosevelt, 1907. Declaring one language the official language to be spoken by all citizens in the United States, it professes unity, and portrays to all other countries that the country cannot be divided, especially not the border between languages. America was founded on the idea of something special, unity. (It is called the United States for a reason.) By speaking the same language it creates an unified environment. Creating an end to discrimination to those who do not speak English. It creates a better future, a safer future for every citizen in the country, by uniting together as a

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.

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.

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.

There are many supporters in favor of English being the only recognized language spoken in America and there have also been many opponents. The debate has driven many states to pass their own laws concerning the English language. As we know, the United States is a nation known as a “ Great Melting Pot” built by immigrants whom many can not speak and parse English. Most immigrants faced difficult barriers by being discriminated against and the cause of their cultural name. If an immigrant name was stenuous to pronounce, they changed it. Immigrants brings their cultures and languages, as well as their customs and traditions. Making English the official language of the US

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.

The fact that many people want to make English as the official language they have not seen the benefits of having a wider variety of languages in the country. Although there are many benefits having many different languages in the country, what type of benefits will the country obtained by having English as the official language? Will it actually united the people more? Or will it make it fall apart? In order to find the answers to this questions it will probably be best to talk with a someone that is involved with linguistics and find a similar situation in other countries to use as

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

Many people in the United States have a sense of comfort with their own culture and language to the point where they will not abandon those things in order to pick up a new language and lifestyle. In the article named, “Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public,” written by Myriam Marquez, she explains how her family continues to use the Spanish in public in the United States, even though they have lived in the United States for over 40 years. Marquez explains, “For me and most of the bilingual people I know, it’s a matter of respect for our parents and comfort in our cultural roots” (542). People are simply not going to change who they are and where they come from just so they can conform to the normal population of the United States. For the most part, people who come the United States are happy that the country has not implemented a national language law because the people who come here can

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

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 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.

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.

Who can argue against the fact that a successful government must be unified in, if nothing else, its communications? However, the debate over the official language spread deep. Remembering the previous paragraph, foreigners will be here no matter what. They are the majority in some communities. This means that there is a whole population of consumers speaking and understanding only a language other than English.