English as the Spoken Language in America

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English as the Spoken Language in America In the beginning, this country was a melting pot. Many different people, from many different countries and ethnic groups, speaking in many different tongues came to America. English arose as the predominant language of the United States. Over time, people realized the importance of staying in touch with their cultural backgrounds, including the language of their native countries. The main problem presented now lies in communication and interaction with each other. It is obvious that miscommunication causes problems. An “English Only” law will unite Americans and give them all a common ground on which to communicate. It will diminish racial conflicts, as well as encourage immigrants to become involved in the U.S. society and become successful. It will also improve the efficiency of government operations. Declaring English as the official language of the United States will resolve current issues and prevent problems in the future. The biggest and most obvious problem with speaking many different languages in one united country is communication. Many immigrants do not learn English at all. In fact, 213 different languages are spoken in the United States, and approximately 10 million U.S. residents do not speak fluent English (“English Only” 3). Some immigrants gradually pick up the language, but do not learn enough to bridge the communication gaps between themselves and the government. Even everyday communication creates tension. For example, when I go to my college library and ask for help finding information, some of the library aides speak broken English that is difficult to decipher. The hired library aides have trouble understanding what I am trying to find and I have trouble understanding them when they try to help me out. It is a very frustrating situation for both the aides and me. Along with communication difficulties, the language barrier among immigrants contributes to racial tension and segregation. One look at the city of Chicago is a prime example of this situation. Many different cultures are isolated within the city because they cannot communicate with each other. Not having an official language encourages these concentrations of ethnic groups to stick together and not integrate themselves into society. Miscommunication among the groups generates animosity and competition for resources. This in turn a... ... middle of paper ... ...res operate more smoothly, and in order to help immigrants feel as though they too are an integral part of this society, we must declare English the official language of the United States of America. Bibliography Alter, Jonathan. “English Spoken Here, Please.” Newsweek 9 January 1984: 24-25. Debate Over English Only, The. March 1996. http://www.nea.org/ society.engonly.html (29 April 1999). “English Only.” ACLU Briefing Paper. 1996. http://www.aclu. org/library/pbp6.html (29 April 1999). “Issue of Quebec’s Independence.” The American Geographical Society Fall 1997:37. King, Robert D. “English as the Official Language:The Problem of Multiple Cultures.” Current (Washington D.C.) July/August 1997:3-8. Mc Bee, Susanna. “A War Over Words.” U.S. News and World Report 6 October 1986:64. “Reagan Information Interchange, The.” Congress Acts to Make English our Official Language. 1999.http://www.reagan.com/HotTopics.main/HotMike/document- 8.5.1996.3.html (6 May 1999). Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992. “U.S. English, Inc.” 26 April 1999. http://www.usenglish.org/incindex.html (6 May 1999).

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