...English as Official Language of United States of America The English language is originated from the Germanic tribes language, which has its roots from England in the form of Old English also known as Anglo-Saxon and has evolved into todays Modern English as we know it. English has become one of the most spoken languages in world, and is ranked as the second most spoken language. English should be the official language of the United States of America. Considered as an international language, it is the most learned and studied language throughout the world. United States laws prohibit the use of any other languages other then English on military installation or in Department of Defense buildings when conducting official business. These are just two reason of why I believe English should be the official language of the United States. In the United States, there are approximately 300 languages other than English that are spoken at home. English should be made the official language of the United States because it will knock down the language barriers for immigrants and they will be more likely to prosper in this nation, even though this may be a difficult process to accomplish at first, for many poor immigrants. In New York City, New York there are approximately thirty-five household languages other then English. If each of these subcultures of New York City have no common language, then it would create over thirty-five separate cities unable to prosper as one. Being required...
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...Running head: ENGLISH SHOULD BE THE LAW English Should be the Law Kevin Gunyak Robert Morris University Professor Paul Anderson Argument and Research Section O 2/24/11 Abstract In this essay I am explaining why English should be the Official language of the United States. Also I am going to be talking about many of the issues that exist because of the controversy over should English be the official language of the United States. Immigration is one reason why English should be the official language of the United States. I then explained why English should be the official language because jobs in America a based off the English language. To end my paper I took a different approach and explained why immigrants and others are against making English the official language. English Should be the Law What is the official language of the United States? There is currently no official language of the United States of America, even though most people believe it is English. In the United States English is the national and most common Language. There are many views on this issue and debates on weather English should be the official language go back as far as 1753. Throughout the world language is used to identify culture. United States immigrants are against making English the official language of the United States because they feel more comfortable talking in their own language. I believe English should be...
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...Should the United States have English as its official language? Patrice Hobbs Instructor: Tina Miller October 3, 2012 If you are anything like me, when asked, “what is the official language of the United States”’ you would answer with no hesitation’ “English”. Many people believe that there is an official language of the United States. The truth is that the United States doesn’t have an official language. Why wouldn’t a country so large, a country that so many people call their home have an official language? Hopefully this research will lead us to an answer as to why we don’t have an official language. There are many reasons as to why the United States should have an official language. Here are two of the most popular reasons. More than half of the states in the United States have adopted English as their official state language. You must ask yourself, “if the number is that great, why not have the rest of the country adopt it just the same.” Another reason why the United States should have an official language is to be able to conduct all government business in one language. Having English as an official language could possibly eliminate a lot of issues that have occurred and will occur due to words getting misplaced during translations. It will be very important for the United States to adopt English as its official language. Having an official language can possibly help with how the country flows. It will allow all government documents...
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...Press 1 for English…. Press 2 for Spanish… Why English Should Be Declared the Official Language of the Unites States of America Declaring English as the official language of the United States is a very controversial issue. We have one flag, one government, however no official language. Making English the official language would unite all Americans, no matter the race, creed, culture, heritage or ancestry. In 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “We have room for but one language in this country, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationally and not dwellers in a polyglot boarding house” (English-only movement/Wikipedia). There were as many as twenty different languages that could be heard around the time of our founding fathers. Today, there are presently three hundred twenty nine languages in the United States (US Census 2010). Immigrants of many nationalities have built our nation. Just look our nations motto, E pluribus Unum, (Latin meaning – out of many, one) which was adapted by the committee of Congress on July 4, 1776 to design “a seal for the United States of America”, which is carried by the American eagle. The nation has but one flag which we “pledge our allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” (MacAuthur). However, 236 years later the...
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...Should English Be the Official Language of the United States? Timothy Robinson Week 8 Assignment English 215 Official English benefits every resident of this wonderful place called America. The country works-because we have a common language. English is the key to opportunity in this country. It empowers immigrants and could make us truly united as a people. Common sense says that the government should teach people English rather than provide services in multiple languages. What would happen if our government had to provide services for about 311 languages spoken in the U.S. (Rhein, 2007)? Without a common language, how long would we remain the United States? Here is a solution to that, have the immigrants to learn the language so they can get all of the services they need. But from a social standpoint, English should not be and official language. Millions of people speak a language other than English. The United States is the most diverse country in the world. So why would we want to create a linguistically uniform nation? For starters, it would not be fair to people who has moved this country for hope of a better life. Yes eventually they would have to learn English; however it would great if others learn how to speak other languages to make it convenient for everyone, it would show that people are really for diversity, and it would limit the frustration of not understanding what a person is saying. People who cannot or do not speak English well often are look over...
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...English Should be the Official Language of the United States This is America and we primarily speak English, so English should be the official language of the United States. The movement to pass federal laws designating English as the Official Language of the United States has jumped to the forefront of political debate once again. As most debates have two distinct sides, so does this one. English only movements have surfaced many times in our country’s past but mainly at the local or State level (Brice, 2013). The argument has become more relevant recently due to well-funded lobbyist and immigration reform disputes. As with many controversial concerns in the political arena, this topic has become problematic. Activist are attempting to persuade political candidates, law makers, educators, social groups, individuals and the media by polluting the process with conjecture rather than critical analysis based in rational attestable information. In the interest of objectivity, we will use professional research and omit personal opinion while presenting arguments in support of this movement. We will equitably represent opposing views which demonstrate that there are legitimate concerns as to why the United States should not have English as the official language. To counter manipulative tactics and confusing statements, it is important to define the major terms associated with this topic: Official- A person who has a position of authority in a company, organization...
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...Should English be the Official Language in the United States 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. One of the greatest barriers today in the U.S. is the effectiveness of communication. Whether that communication is written or verbal there is a noticeable gap and is costly both in monetary and people. With many government challenges in the U.S.; it is still fighting the growing question, “should English be the official language of the United States”? With the increased in supporters of making English the official language; there are many supporting facts to substantiate this concern. The influx of the increasing number of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. has created a need to address this concern. The impact cost both the U.S. and the Hispanic population. Communication Defined Communication is identified differently to different people and systems. To a student in class, it is a means of learning new concepts and skills. To an employee, it is a way of making sure that the job gets done. To those who love us, it is a way of maintaining those relationships. To friends and co-workers, it is the tool that helps us to get along as stated in Communication in The Work Place (Cheesebro, T., O’Connor, L., & Rios, F. (2010)...
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...Wiggins 12/1/15 English 101 Prompt 4 I believe the United States should have an official language. There are too many languages and cultures here, and people should start to learn the English language in order to live here. When you go to other Countries you have to learn the language, why not here as well? It really doesn't make sense. A person’s culture is something that does not depend on the language you speak to a store clerk! If you wish to live in the United States accept that. We are a country that welcomes people’s diversity but we have taught English in our schools from the get go. There needs to be some give and take. If you speak another language in your home or when conversing with family or friends then because you live in America, that is your choice, but we are a united country and one of the things that keeps us together despite our differences is our ability to communicate with each other. The United States is a melting pot. How do we "melt" into one country if we have different languages and thus language barriers among us? In order to be united, we need to have a common way to understand one another. This does not mean that each culture should not be able to practice his/her own cultural traditions. In fact, the common language will allow us to share our own origins with one another. A common language allows the "melting" in our melting pot of a nation. Many of the arguments I've read against having English as the official language can be re-construed...
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...diversity. The widespread use of particular languages throughout the globe is attributed to several factors. Two of the most important are colonialism and international economic/political power. The dominance of English and Spanish colonial powers attribute to the linguistic formation of most of the Western Hemisphere. Imagine a world where the Axis of Evil triumphed during World War II. German, Italian and Japanese would likely be more prominent tongues on a global scale. The United States and United Kingdom have been high on the economic leaderboards for centuries, thus English has become a language of opportunity for people worldwide. Language on a global scale is an unseen, but well heard, struggle for power. Language is more than a means of verbal communication. A language can serve as a cultural vehicle that displays the global influence of a territory. Even it is possible for a language to carry multiple identities especially in context where people have social and cultural values they themselves create and at the same time are exposed to those social and cultural values they have no choice to avoid and; consequently become part of their identity (Dastgoshadeh, A., & Jalilzadeh, K, 2011). To most, learning English as an international language for the purpose of fulfilling communicative needs is a big threat to national, cultural and even religious identities as learning an international language causes people to lose their own language which is the carrier of all their cultural...
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...only logical for the United States to reflect its acceptance and open-minded ideals through language. Using Kwame Appiah’s cosmopolitanism as a guideline using conversation, America can be one step closer to the country it should be. The evolution of language, specifically English shown by Leslie Savan is the main reason why the world, never mind a country, can never really have one language. The English language is apparently the most spoken language in America, but it simply does not account for all speakers. What is recognized as the ‘normal’ dialect of English, the typical Mid-Western accent cannot be applied across the States so easily; as specific regions and states have developed their own set of culture and dialect. “This means that speakers of a ‘standard’ language (whatever the language) ‘have favorable attitudes toward the lower-class, nonstandard speech forms’” is an explanation ‘covert prestige’ Savan’s What’s Black, Then White, and Said All Over? Due to ‘covert prestige’ there will always be different forms of speech within all demographics but primarily the working class, thus forming multiple dialects of English. These different dialects are possibly too thick that different accents within the same country are mutually incommunicable; which is very true and proves that English language itself dialect-wise is already like several languages. Declaring English as an official language would need to follow up with a declaration of an official dialect; this in itself...
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...Different Languages in the US The United States has many different languages, but the most common by far is English, although other languages such as Spanish and French are also quite common. According to the CIA World Factbook, on a census taken in 2000: * 82.1% of Americans speak English * 10.7% of Americans speak Spanish * 3.8% of Americans speak another Indo-European language (www.cia.gov) These results can be slightly surprising since the assumption by many Americans would be that there are a higher percentage of people who speak English in the United States. Enrollment percentages in languages classes have also been on the rise, and since 1970 Spanish has been the most popular language that has been taken, followed by French. According to the U.S. Institutions of Higher Education: * 52.2% of students are enrolled in some sort of Spanish class * 13.1% of students are enrolled in some sort of French class (vistawide.com) The speakers of theses multiple languages can be found all over the United States, but languages like French and Spanish can be found in more concentrated in specific areas of the United States. English is by far the most commonly spoken language and can be found in high percentages in every populated area of the United States. According to the maps by the Modern Language Association or MLA, the Spanish language tends to be very highly concentrated in the American Southwest, Southern Texas, Southern Florida, and big diverse cities...
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...“Why English Should be the Official Language of the United States.” by Brandon Brice The article “Why English Should be the Official Language of the United States.” By Brandon Brice gives a viewpoint of the struggles the United States has because of the diversity of language in the country. He argues by giving reasons why it would be beneficial for a legislation to make English the official and only language of the country, to which he argues would be a way to unite the American population. This article makes a clear statement from the beginning what the author will be talking about thought out the course. The title “Why English Should be the Official Language of the United States” is already a statement rather than a question. One can already...
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...Understanding Language Policy Carmen DeLeon TSOL 500 Foundations of Bilingual Education Nova Southeastern University September 9, 2012 In an article entitled Ten Common Fallacies about Bilingual Education, James Crawford discusses ten common misbeliefs held by many in regard to bilingual education in the United States. Despite the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) who live in the United States, there is still a great lack of interest and concern regarding the education that they receive. Crawford has done an excellent job outlining some of the more common misunderstandings that surround the education of ELLs. The first fallacy that Crawford addresses is the misbelief that the English language is slowly being overtaken by other languages. While it is true that other languages have proliferated the culture in the United States, English has remained strong. Crawford cites several examples throughout history where English has appeared to be compromised by other languages. By 1900, there were at least 600,000 elementary school students, about 4% of the US total, receiving part or all of their instruction in German (Kloss, 1998 as cited in Crawford, 1997). He also points out in his article Legislating Language, Mandating Inequality, that "in 1890, the proportion of non-English speakers was 4.5 times as great as in 1990”. (Crawford, 1996). So, this is not a new issue. Speakers of other languages have been migrating to and settling in the US for the duration of...
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...Ashraf Shaikh English 711 Essay Assignment #3 Elizabeth Spencer 22nd April 2015 Bilingual Education or Not? The debate on whether United States should adopt the bilingual academic program whereby children speaking other languages are taught in two languages, in English and in a second, native language (Hayakawa, 1991). There have been studies and researches indicating the benefits of the bilingual academic program, particularly to the students – such as high academic scores, mental flexibility, improved personal identity etc. At the same time, there is evidence showing a number of downsides to the programs – such as double expense to the government, politicized aspects etc. The aim of this paper is to examine different aspects of the argument on the subject of bilingual programs in schools, and whether United States should make English as its official language. It also demonstrates the argumentative ability regarding the controversial issue of bilingual academic program in the United States. Honestly, I feel that the need to make English the official language of the country is preposterous. Only, because it practically is the main language of the country just unofficially. From a general point of view, the definition of bilingualism is whereby a person possesses the ability of easily and naturally speaking in two languages, without experiencing any problem whatsoever. However, from the context of United States of America, bilingualism has a controversial definition (Fallows...
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...English Should be the Only Language 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 multilingualism puts a large financial burden on the country. One specific service in which the cost outweighs the benefits is bilingual education. It is teaching non-English speaking students all school subjects in their native language. However, it lowers the standards for public schools and tends to create a segregated environment for the students. They also point out that the U.S. is a leading nation and English is the most used language in the world. Not forcing immigrants to learn English will actually impede upon their assimilation into America. Without correcting this problem, America will suffer from disunity and divergence. Multilingual government is very expensive. More than 120 multiple languages are spoken throughout the states. To support...
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