Officially English One of the things that makes the United States of America the wonderful country that it is, is the melting pot of cultures and overall diversity. We are a country founded by immigrants, which originally formed this country after our independence from England, and even though we are a country that is diverse and divided in many ways, we share one common aspect, and that is the use of the English language. This is why legislation should be passed stating that English is the official language of the United States. While both sides of the issue offer valid points, it is very possible that the decision of placing English as the official language could be used as a middle ground between the two, whenever it comes to evaluating …show more content…
Those who are pro-English have a few arguments that they use to support their side, like that of the social divide, and unnecessary government spending. Billions per year are spent by the United States government to facilitate the multi-lingual needs of our nation, and that amount can be cut drastically, by declaring one official language, and making all official documents solely in that language. They also argue that the divide between English and non-English speakers is a large one, socially and economically. According to studies conducted by the Journal of Population Economics, "results show that earnings increase with the English-language requirements of the occupation (Chiswick 368)". The opposing view is that of unity through diversity. They also believe that the imposing English as the official language not only discriminates against non-English speakers, but is unconstitutional entirely. It is a direct “slap in the face” of the first amendment of the constitution, freedom of speech (Rottman 1). According to Rottman, this has been especially apparent in the most recent bills that were placed on the discussion table, as these bills seek to single-out and isolate non-English speakers, in country where they should be welcomed with open
From the time the Pilgrims landed in this great nation at Plymouth Rock, immigrants have been culturally diverse and have spoken many languages. When the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, they did not know how to communicate with the natives. Through intense study the natives learned the Pilgrims’ language. Even with the common language they were still a melting pot of different culture. Some would say that America has gotten over the language/ cultural barriers and now almost everyone speaks the common language of English, but there are still many immigrants who do not know English. Bilingual education is put into public schools for this reason, so that immigrant children can be assimilated to English gradually. The national language should be English instead of the official language because America has prided herself in being very diverse. If we take away the diversity, then we take away the core values that America has always had since her founding.
On February 2009, The English Language Unity Act was introduced. This act would make english the official language of the U.S. What does that mean? It means that every service given by the government will only be given in english. So what's going to happen to all the people that don't know how to speak English? How are they going to understand? Well the only way is to force them to learn english. How can we do that? We can do this by showing them the benefits of knowing how to speak english.
It seems that this topic has been a heated debate for the past couple of decades, which has caused some division over the issue. I learned that there are a variety of pros and cons that you can argue about this issue. I chose to be a part of the pro English side for three reasons: I believe that making English our official language (1) would allow the education system to focus on English as the primary language, (2) it would unite our country in regards to racial discrimination, and (3) our government and business operations would be a little more streamlined.
English as the official language of the United States could benefit the U.S. Government and America as a whole. America has long since been a multicultural nation and has been an English speaking nation since it was founded. The constitutional and federal documents are all in English, which furthers the American people, believing English should be our official language. The majority of states already have English as their official language, for English has always provided a much needed cohesion to our diverse citizens since it was founded.
What makes a good person good? According to WikiHow, "We should learn to define our own morals ourselves. One of the simplest ways to do so is to love others, and treat them as you would like to be treated. Try to think of others before yourself. Even doing small things daily will greatly enrich and improve your life, and the lives of others around you." This quote shows us what we need to do in order to be what society thinks as, “good". In order to be a good person, you have to do good and moral things in your society consistently. However people might think that by doing one good thing once in a while will automatically make you a “good person”, but in reality it doesn’t.
“Man masters nature not by force but by understanding. This is why science has succeeded where magic failed: because it has looked for no spell to cast over nature”. From the beginning of time man and nature has been in conflict with one another because, as a whole, there is no cooperating. Each one tirelessly wants its way. The Man is fighting for dominance and nature w never yielding its authority. In American Literature, many authors illustrate this theme in their writing. Specifically the writers Jack London in The Law Of Life, Stephen Crane The Open Boat and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Fin. Each explores the relationship between humans and nature but with slightly different methods. Mark Twain uses nature in a realistic way, Jack London in a naturalistic way and Stephen Crane constitutes a combination of both.
English becoming the official Language of the United States is not just a controversial topic, it is necessary to keep America alive. American history and tradition is falling, and the ground on which she was founded is slowly fading. Americans must wake up to the importance of preserving the history of their culture. America is considered to be the greatest country in the world by even some who are not Americans. The “American Dream” is something people fantasize over all around the world. In order to keep the desire to be American, one must truly understand what it takes to be American. English is essential in living the American life. English should be the official language of the United States to give the people what they want, to recognize the historic role, and to limit controversy.
My stance on this issue is that; yes, English should be the official language of the United States.
As the number of states that make English their official language grows to thirty-one, the issue of enacting legislation to make English the official language has grown. In 1996, the House of Representatives passed a law to make English the official language but was stopped in the senate. Now emerging are conservative, pro-English groups like English Only who are swaying public opinion to make English an official language. Now over 20 years later the support for English as the official language has increased among American voters to an overwhelming 87% (English as an Official Language in the U.S.: Pros and Cons). However, are voters making the right choice, is making English the official language a good idea? English should not be the official
Many people think all around the world english should be the main and only language spoken; in this case it could be argued form both sides, Yes it should and no it shouldn't. We'll start off with why it should be the only language spoken. Making English the official language would encourage new migrants to learn the language of the country they have adopted as theirs. The end goal is to unite the American people, while improving the lives of immigrants and native-born inhabitants. official English would save billions in federal spending. The direct cost of translators and bilingual education alone are billions, and many of these costs are born by local governments. In this conclusion with everyone speaking english we would save billions of dollars for many things.
For many years, the thought of English being the official language of the United States has come with a little controversy. Some argue that English should be the official language because it is the most dominant language in the world. Some believe by doing so, it would create a stronger unity among the American people. Proponents believe that although the United States is diverse, it may be too much for the American people to juggle multiple languages. Others believe that English shouldn’t be the official language and instead be one of many prominent languages that are widely used in our nation such as Spanish, French, and Chinese. I believe English should be the official language in the United States. However, I believe more emphasis should be placed on learning new languages especially among youths in school and during developmental stages.
diminishing. It is hard for the Navajo and Cherokee children to express their culture because they learn English is school and not their native language. Generations will eventually fade out, and there will be no Navajo and Cherokee people if English becomes a standard language. We need to keep their history alive, so the spread of new cultures swarms. English becoming the official language would hinder assimilation for immigrants. Being an outsider in the world is terrifying enough; immigrants should not be demanded to learn English if they do not want to. According to Chairman Mauro E. Mujica, 97% our nation speaks English. There is only a remaining 3% that do not speak English. We do not need an official language to enforce the majority of the population to speak English. If English were made the official language of the United
One of the most controversial debates in this era is the issue of national language in the United States. Although many countries have declared English as their official language, the U.S. bicameral chambers have persisted to recognize English as the official language. In his article, “In Plain English: Let’s Make It Official,” Charles Krauthammer reflects on contrasting viewpoints in our nation regarding this matter, and supports his idea that a comprehensive plan for ensuring the rights of languages should be passed by the legislative bodies. He believes that America’s great success has been the astonishing capacity for acculturation with its influence of English language, and that immigrants are more conforming to English (LEO 707). Nathan Tabor, being another proposer and the author of “Speaking English Preserves Our National Heritage”, believes that our country has become a multicultural ground for several ethnicities with different backgrounds. Throughout his essay, he strongly emphasizes that all citizens should adapt to a common culture by accepting the English language as the official gateway to success in the American society. With the reliance on these perspectives, every citizen of the United States should accept the English language, which supports the American cultural traditions, ensures the idea of the American Dream, and preserves our union.
The English language arose from the early Anglo Saxon inhabitants in ancient England and spread to Scotland and other European countries via the British Empire and later to the United States through colonial political and economical influences. It later dispersed to other parts of the world through these same influences to become one of the leading languages of the world. It has over the years developed by adopting different dialects to create a language, which is the standard lingual Franca in many countries. The rapid growth of the English language and its adoption by different cultures across the globe is sufficient ground to make it the global language.
By having an official language implies that all official government documentations would be represented in one language. On the surface, this matter seems like it would not have a detrimental effect to Americans who are expected to know how to speak, read, and write English. Yet, for immigrants in the process of becoming American citizens, this would delay their ability to be represented in government affairs. According to National Education Association 's publication of Official English/English Only: More Than Meets the Eye, said that the result from only having English present “is an attempt to disenfranchise minority citizens” and instead “promotes divisiveness and hostility toward those whose first language is not English”. By not having documents translated to their language, this can demonstrate that they are not welcomed and, thus, unimportant. Not native english speakers would have a greater difficulty trying to assimilate into an English-only society if they were unable to understand the written/spoken content of their everyday lives. In addition, if English becomes the national language it would not speed up the process of learning English because there are other factors contributing to this delay. The government should take into consideration that it is very difficult for an immigrant to be expected to master a language that