Should English Become The National 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

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

“Language is power. If you cannot understand or be understood you have no power. You are at the mercy of everyone.” – (Rudat, 1994, Stow, Dodd 356) Should Americans be required to learn Spanish as a second language? The construction of our nation stands on documents written in English, however English is not our official language nor has it ever been. America is a “melting pot” in which English is the most prominent language, followed closely by Spanish. Requiring Americans to learn Spanish is a great controversy; I strongly believe that it should be a requirement, because it improves academic achievements, career success, and cultural and social understanding. The controversy has great counter arguments such as the double standard Americans are held to, and further division of the country. Regarding the counterarguments, I still firmly believe that it should be a requirement because the integration of a second language in our schools is more beneficial to our country’s success as a whole.

There is a saying foreigners use that goes “If you speak three languages, you’re trilingual. If you speak two languages, you’re bilingual. If you speak one language, then you’re probably American.” Living in America, the home language is English. So when foreigners come and are unable to pronounce or understand the traditional language, they come off as a useless individual to some members of American society. On the contrary, America is one of the few countries that is so heavily dominated by just one language. There are around 40 million Spanish-speaking citizens in America, however, compared to America’s population of over 320 million people, that is under fourteen

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?

English has never been the official language of the U.S. and as a result the U.S. becomes divided by those who speak English and those who don’t. 31 states have already adopted the law of English as the official language and more states are also trying to do the same (Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know English or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not

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.

Over the past years people from all over the world have come to America bringing their own languages and cultures. The United States is thinking into passing a law that makes English as the official language. The United States should not make the English as the main language as it will affect people coming over that just want to work and look for opportunities. With this law, all the people migrating to the United States will have to pay for tutoring to understand and comprehend the English language. A reason why the United States should not focus on making the English language official is because over 20 percent of people living in the United States don't know the English language or don't know how to talk it very well.

English has never been the official language of the U.S. and as a result the U.S. becomes divided by those who speak english and those who don’t. 31 states have already adopted the law of english as the official language and more states are also trying to do the same (Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know english or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not

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.

Even though other countries have their own official language, not making English the official language in the U.S. will help preserve the different cultures that decide to live in the US. Communities are built based on cultures and the U. S. economy depends on other countries and their people.

I really enjoyed reading your post. I chose that the United States should have an official language, so it was nice to see reasons why someone feels that we should not. Over half of the countries around the world have a language that is considered their official language (“Official American,” 2005). You brought up a few good points to why it would not make sense to have an official language here in America. You pointed out that we already exist with so many spoken languages here, so it would not make sense if we changed it now. You also said that this is one of the reasons why America is considered the mixing pot.

No nation can survive without preserving its own unique identity, language and culture. Yes, America is made up of millions of people who are either descended from immigrants or who immigrated here themselves. I myself can boast of British, French, German and Cherokee ancestry. I’m quite the mutt. But I have never referred to myself as Euro-American or Native-American or any other hyphenated label; I am an American. I’m not suggesting that anyone, natural born, naturalized, legal or illegal, should cast aside all of their heritage. But if you wish to live in America you should fully assimilate yourself to the very unique culture that we’ve developed over these two plus centuries. Learn to speak English. It should be your first language.

Bosnia is a country in southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bosnia is a very beautiful country full of many outdoor attractions; in the 1990’s, as I stated before, Bosnia was under attack and many of the residents left and fled Bosnia. Most of them left and left everything behind. The first Bosnian family settled in Bowling Green on Jan. 1, 1993, and since then a total of 2,226 Bosnian people have sought refugee resettlement services from the Bowling Green International Center, not counting secondary migrants, who settled in Bowling Green later without help from the International Center, said Tatiana Sahanic, director of the center’s refugee program. (BG Daily News) This is something I know about firsthand, because I was one of those residents who fled. Don’t get me wrong, I love living in the United States, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering every once in awhile “What if I had stayed? So, doing my final fieldwork project about Bosnian immigrants were an easy

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.