Official Language

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One of the many issues in the United States today is why isn't there an official language? With most every country you research you will find that an official language has been established. With the United States being what many would call a "melting pot" because of the many nationalities that inhabit it, how can a unanimous decision be made about which population's language is the official, most dominantly spoken one? 7As one of the major centers of commerce and trade, and a major English- speaking country, many assume that English is the country's official language. But despite efforts over the years, the United States has no 2official language (USConstitution). An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other territory. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a language a legal status, even if that language is not widely spoken. 2True official languages are those designated as such by a regulation or law. In spite of this, 2many languages are considered to be de facto official languages, meaning that although a language may have no official status in a particular country, it is the most commonly used language in that country and the one usually used in official settings. One example of this is the English language in the United States. The US has no official language, 2but because English is used for most official matters and the most commonly spoken language, it can be considered the official language in practice if not in law (Wikipedia). An official language is not to be confused with a national language, although the national language ma... ... middle of paper ... ...ntry. Since the overwhelming majority of the American population spoke English, the founders may not have thought it necessary to declare in law what existed in fact. (Usefoundation) The 13United States does not have an official language, but English is spoken by about 82% of the population as a native language (Wikipedia). Some may wonder why we 12have we not had an official language before now? And what makes now such an important time to create one. I agree with Congressman Toby Roth, who stated, "In America today, we see our country breaking up into ethnic, racial, and linguistic groups as never before. We could become an America that ceases to be one nation, one people-to paraphrase the Pledge of Allegiance. English is the common bond that holds our people and our society together as a nation. We must preserve English by making it our official language." (pbs)

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