The ongoing debate across our great and diverse nation is whether there should be enacted into law an official native tongue: that being English. Throughout the world, the United States has been viewed throughout its existence as a nation to be a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities unlike any seen before. Since the time of the settlers, one could take notice quite easily the German Jagerhaus, the British Pubs, as well as the Italian eateries- each flared with a distinct flavor and language. This vast difference seen is what makes America unique. Up until the very recent future, it was unheard of anywhere but our great land to be able to sit in a classroom and have classmates from Asia, Europe, Africa, The Middle East and Latin America. This great blend of society continues to advance our perceptions of the world as well as hone in on the principle that it is okay to be distinctive. What purpose, then, would having a law in place requiring one to utilize a certain language? What may be surprising to learn is that this has been a long standing issue on the political dinner plate in America. Mandates have appeared on language as early as 1803 upon the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase from the French. This move required all citizens of the territory to conduct business, handle legal matters and instruct all students in schools in English (us-english.org). In 1847, a law was enacted to repeal part of the mandate set upon this area. The law authorized Anglo-French instruction to occur in public schools. This, along with all French language rights, was desecrated following the Civil War (The Civil War Society). During this westward ‘expansion’, many feathers were ruffled as a result. Another example is the acquisition of l... ... middle of paper ... ...Brian. Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (IIed). San Francisco: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. Martin, James J. An American Adventure in Bookburning in the Style of 1918. Ralph Myles Publisher, 1988. Pullum, George K. "Here Come the Linguistic Fascits." National Language and Linguistic Theory (1987): 603-9. Roosevelt, Theodore. Works Memorial Edition. New York: Charles Scribner's 11 Sons, 1926. Volunme XXIV. The Civil War Society. French-Americans in the Civil War. 16 02 2002. 31 10 2011. United States Department of Agriculture. Spanish Language of the United States. Government Report. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 2008. us-english.org. Background of Organization. 11 12 2008. Background of Organization. 1 November 2011. www.snopes.com. Official Language Vote. 14 09 2006. 10 11 2011.
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
Papers on Language and Literature 33:3 (1993). 325-333. The. Ragen, Brian.
Bilingualism should be celebrated and encouraged, rather than stamped out. Anzaldúa recalls that a teacher told her, “If you want to be American, speak ‘American.’ If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong” (2947). The irony in her teacher’s statement is that Mexicans and Native Americans inhabited North America long before it was colonized; so, technically speaking, Anzaldúa belonged in America more than her teacher did.
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.
Being made of diverse peoples, and being able to continue to use your own language may seem preferable as we encourage individuality and do not want anyone to disappear into the soup. This stand, however, also means that more people are needed as interpreters and that more programs and information needs to be readily available to ensure understanding. More people would have jobs associated with interpretation, whether on paper or face-to-face, in order to deal with the transition. If English was the official language, instead of just having interpreters in public places, there would be opportunities to learn the language with classes, etc. Presently, immigrants expect to have to learn some of English to get by, while the children have to learn it on their own to survive in school. With English as an official language, we would feel compelled to offer help to those we expect to learn the language. In part of Canada, where there are two languages, children are taught both languages. If we had an official language we would be responsible for insuring that everyone gets a chance to learn the language. As seen in the statutes of Section 3-3-31 of the Mississippi code, “…the purpose (of the st...
"American Civil War." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 16 May. 2014.
Language is part of the few benefits that immigrants bring with their culture. United States benefits from cultures of the many immigrants that migrate to the U.S. the variation of different languages brings great benefit to the U.
Burns, Olive Ann. “Boy howdy, ma'am you have sent us a fine book.” The English Journal. Dec. 1989: 16-20 Web. 14 NCTE Jan. 2014
Orsi, Richard J., and John F. Burns. Taming The Elephant: Politics, Government, And Law In Pioneer California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
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.
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.
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. An Introduction to Language. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2007.
Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2003). An introduction to language (7th ed.). Boston: Heinle.
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.
North, S. (2012), 'English a Linguistic Toolkit' (U214, Worlds of English), Milton Keynes, The Open University.