To recognize the historical fact that the United Sates has been an overwhelmingly English speaking nation since it was created and that its constitution and foundational documents are in English. 5. To recognize that while the people of the United States value and respect diversity, they want to preserve English as their common language and therefore immigrants have the responsibility to learn English. 6. To conform to the majority of the states (31) that already have made English their official language.
Hayakawa was to make English the official and only language spoken by the US government and all subsidiaries, has since been proposed nearly every year thereafter. This would mean that any interactions within the government and any interactions between the government and its citizens must take place only in the English language. Hayakawa expressed the concern that “…bilingualism threatened the nation’s ability to maintain a public sphere shared by all citizens. Without a ‘common language’ the nation risked hopeless fragmentation” (Davis & Igler, 2002). This apprehension is one of the main arguments that the movement, now known as Official English, uses to propel their campaign to declare English as the official language of the United States.
When he was asked whether he would favor the prohibition of the bilingual ballot, he simply stated, “Of course not.” Wills’ continues in the next section stating that our national identity and our federal laws are being weakened by immigration that is influenced by these bilingual ballots. He also uses this anecdote in the fourth section by showing how our laws are weakening. That these illegal immigrants are able to ask for bilingual ballots because the law is weakening and they are able to immigrate into the country in illegal ways without knowing how to speak English or know anything about our politics. Although the chief rhetorical aim of the article appears to be to inform Americans rather than persuade them as to why the bilingual ballot should be prohibited, why is Will not taking up a more serious tone if he felt so strongly about the
In fact, by merely eliminating the bilingual and multilingual courses, the government would have millions of dollars to spend on foreign language courses for all students. Also, basic education courses could be helped by the elimination of such bilingual courses that are currently suffering from a severe lack of funds. The seriousness of this debate can not be underestimated, for to do so would lead to the reprimand of Untied States history. It is currently in our own hands as to the fate of our fellow Americans as to what road we shall travel. For to create some sort of dual linguistic society would change the scope of the moral cloth that makes Americans who we are.
English Only Legislation Literature Review Emmanuel Santiago ENG 201 Professor Sheila Figueroa January 9, 2011 Our country was founded on the ideals of freedom and religious tolerance. America’s founding fathers intended for us to be a nation of tolerance towards cultural diversity too. Early projects by members of Congress to obtain an English only legislation have failed to make any significant progress. Immigrants already understand that success in America cannot be attained without proficiency in the English language. Do we need federal legislation to further assert this fact?
That is your right in this great nation we live in. As for me, I would like to take this opportunity to present you with the reasons why I am passionately a supporter of making English the official language of the United States. In this paper you will learn about some vital arguments for and against making English the official language. This paper will show you the affect not having an official language has on taxpayers, how it affects logistics within our nation and how the lack of a standardized language in the conduct of business has a significant impact on our nation that can not be ignored any longer. I feel we need an official language placed into law now!
Illiterate adults struggle with communicating through letters or emails. How can anyone possibly get information from a school or business if he or she cannot read? This is one of the biggest problems with people who cannot read or write because not only can they not read the text in a letter or an email but it is also hard for illiterate adults to comprehend what the text says verbally with the help of a person who can read. Often, illiterate adults would have to remember the phone number that was giving to them or they would just be stuck with no information that they might’ve needed. Illiterate adults cannot read a phone book in order to get a number.
However, because of strong emotions, the goal on both sides has become a mixture of historical facts, myths and half truths. (Bosiak). Some supporters of the English only movement believe that current policies such as bilingual education are deterring people from learning English. The current English-Only Movement, which states that English be the official and only language used in the United States, influences the lives of ESL students, their families and the teachers that work with them (ERIC). English only supporters state that bilingual education is ineffective and actually hinders the academic progress of children.
Official Language Of The U.S. Roberto Dominguez English Comp II Professor Sipple October 17, 2011 Abstract The reason for my topic is to let people know that the United States should have their own official language, which should be English. My focus is to show how much the Unites States would benefit by making English the official language. I mention some sources on how it will benefit us and also how it has cost us to be a multilingual country by spending millions on services that comes in many languages. In countries all over the world have their own official language that most people talk in that certain country? If you go to France everyone talks French, if you go to Spain people speak Spanish, if you go to Germany everyone there speaks German.
Although it was written in 1789(“The story of the Bill of Rights”), The First Amendment has stood the test of time like a champ. This amendment gives us freedoms that we consider as basic unlike other countries, who are not as fortunate to have them. The US Constitution, Amendment 1 states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Eventually this amendment caused a lot of court cases to come about. From people protesting to others burning draft cards The Frist Amendment has been used as an excuse for almost anything although not everyone is successful with pleading it. One important case is