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Why English should be the official language
Why should english be the official language essay
Essay on english as an official language
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If we look at the New Language Policy, we can see how they believe that making English the “official” language would be detrimental to society. They list a bunch of reasons why we should not just have English as the “official” language. They talk about how it is unnecessary because most of America only speaks English, but 21% of those people speak another language other than English. That means that 58% of America speaks only English, those aren’t very good numbers considering that is almost half of the American population. They also believe that changing the policy to all English is very ineffective. Even if you made laws to make English official it would not have a place in the school system. The American government would be racist for promoting such outrageous ideas. …show more content…
We have been dehumanizing people for a very long time and we should not be doing that, one instance would be Abu Ghraib but it would not be as severe as that. We as people are given a set of rights that cannot be taken away from us, rather than altered. One of those rights being the freedom of speech, but also “The Fourteenth Amendment forbids abridging the privileges and immunities of naturalized citizens.” (CCCC 5.) This amendment is supposed to help all non-United States citizens gain their rights when they become a citizen. The National Language Policy tells us how we can support other dialects just like vernacular; “Recognize that people learning English need time and encouragement to learn, and that their ability to prosper over the long term requires facility in the dominant American language.” (CCCC 6.) This shows with children and learning a foreign language like Spanish or French, they need help and
The society will be less divided and will function better under a common language. Although English-only movement has close connections to restrictionist, anti-immigration organizations, which suggests that the English-only movement has a wider, more far-reaching, and more negative agenda than simply advocating an official English language policy, English should be the official language of United States for two main reasons: first, In 1990 US census reported that 97.1 % of the US population speak English; second and most importantly, making English the official language of the United States refers solely to the language of the government, not of the people, private business, classrooms, or more. In addition, declare English the official language of the United States would make easier business and negotiations, more people will be able to participate in democracy system, the population will have a better understanding of laws, and the diversity of languages spoken in the US will not be affect, indeed, it would have an
To possess the ability to read and write, is to be educated, is it not? It is a plausible argument that can be made, but we must ask ourselves what limitations and obligations drive this argument. One can counter that there are none and that literacy is simply not black and white, but a spectrum of many shades and colors. Dennis Barron argues that English, a language prevalently used by people in approximately 61 countries around the world, should be banned instead of formalized in the US. He states that it is not what it used to be and that it places too many stigmas on languages that are not itself or a part of its eminent division. The essay that follows is a continuation of the argument that Barron has made; that English as a whole should be banned instead of formalized. We all possess the ability to be literate, English is not and will never be an instigator or inhibitor of that.
Recently immigrated parents often learn English from their children. Over 70% of Hispanic Americans in California are English Language Learners (ELL) and are given the resour...
The discussion of making English the nation’s official language has sparked an ongoing debate among many individuals for several decades. As of now, the United States does not have an official language due to the diverse population. Many individuals believe that by establishing an official language, the United States is being culturally insensitive, that diversity is the key to forming America’s identity. However, establishing English as the official language would promote unity among not only American citizens but also the nation.
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.
The English-only movement, also known as the Official English Movement, refers to a political movement whose principle goal is ratify a constitutional amendment declaring the English language as the only official language in the U.S. government. Its policies would pervade through operations at all levels of government. Once such an amendment comes into effect, all bilingual programs and translation services provided by federal, state, and local governments will be outlawed. Official government business will be conducted solely in English. This includes all public documents, records, legislation and regulations, as well as hearings, official ceremonies and public meetings ("What is Official English?" 1).
With the rapid economic development, more and more people try to immigrate to America and trying to learn English. Some parents would like their children just speaking English. However, there are some parents tend to keep their native language and teach to their children, in order to keep their culture alive. And in my opinion, parents should keep their old language alive.
By the next decade, both the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unlawful to keep students who couldn’t speak English from getting an education. Later, Congress passed the Equal Opportunity Act of 1974, which resulted in the implementation of more bilingual education programs in public schools.
Language can bring people together but can also isolate. The United States is known as a melting pot, not only does that refer to culture but also the many different languages. We know of language barriers, but very seldom do we think of the language barriers within our borders. Even with the language barriers it solidifies the need for a national language, the United States of America should allow the freedom to express one’s culture while maintaining English as our national language, therefore offering common ground to its citizens.
While reading this article, one of the most shocking sections was when the students were talking to Monzó and sharing their outlook on their place and their language’s place in society. These students, even at this early age, are feeling how devalued their first language has been. They feel like they have to speak the right* English, only use English in public places, never their first language, and that they must assimilate to the American culture as much as possible. This reminded me of a chapter in Lippi Green (2012)’s text. Within this chapter, Lippi-Green (2012) discusses how in the United States Spanish speakers are not only expected to learn English, but they are expected to learn and utilize the right* English determined by the majority and assimilate entirely to American culture.
The United States is made up of many different ethic groups. These groups vary from Latinos, Asian American, African American, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and etc. These ethnic groups come into America speaking many different languages. However, many people are still surprised to learn that the United States has no official language. Many assume that English is the official language of the United States. But despite efforts over the years, the United States has no official language. Because the United States has no official language, it is suffering with large costs. These large costs will lead us on a road to wasteful government expenses, language battles that fuel ethnic resentment, and in the long run serious ethnic and linguistic separatist movements. An official English legislation is the answer to the problem.
It's just outright disrespectful to growing minorities to make English an official language and could harm the economy. In order to increase the equality and progress the nation, it more fitting to make the United States have no official language and not discriminate or deter from completing their dreams in America. As times change and minorities grow and majorities decrease, the
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.
Although some people believe the entire world should speak English, the reality is that all Americans should have some degree of formal education in a foreign language. Foreign language skills could have a positive impact on race relations in America. The number of minorities in America is rapidly increasing. In fact, "minority" groups will soon form a collective "majority" of the citizens of America. Considering the fact that many minority groups speak English as a second language and America has no official language, compulsory foreign language classes are viable options.
Language has pioneered many interracial relationships and historical milestones. Language is a necessity for basic communication and cultural diversity. Being multilingual is a skill proven influential to a successful future. Due to rapid globalization, countries all over the world are stressing the importance of learning a second, or even third, language. With the exception of time and lack of resources, adults have very few widely applicable disadvantages to learning multiple languages. However, language learning as a child presents more complications. Some of those include not having enough funding at the elementary school level to introduce a program for secondary language, academic overload for the youth, stress for both the parent and student parties, and the mixing of languages. Not all of these complications are true in any or all situations, however, and the absence of them provides multitudes of opportunity for future career and academic success. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parents or the education legislation to decide whether they encourage the learning of a secondary language at the young age necessary for retention. “The general consensus is that it takes between five to seven years for an individual to achieve advanced fluency,” therefore the younger a child begins to learn, the more likely they are to benefit to the maximum potential (Robertson). Keeping the language learning in high school or beginning the process earlier is a greatly controversial discussion that is important to address because of the topic’s already lengthy suspension.