Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Discuss 3 postives and negatives for declaring English the offical language of the US. Discuss how such a policy might affect Politics, Business in America, and Education.

Good Essays
721 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Discuss 3 postives and negatives for declaring English the offical language of the US. Discuss how such a policy might affect Politics, Business in America, and Education.
I believe that there are many positive aspects of declaring English the official language of the United States. First of all I believe it would help our government save money. Almost everyone you go especially in government offices any form you fill out or poster you read on the wall is in both English and Spanish. The government could easily save money by making English the official language, requiring that people who wish to become U.S. citizens learn to speak it, that way they would not have to spend so much money making sure that important forms and posters are printed in English and Spanish. This would also help to make sure that everyone in the U.S. could communicate with each other. Nothing is worse than going to a store or calling a home or business and not being able to speak to or understand someone. I also think that making English the official language of the U.S. would help people to get jobs. I can not tell you how many times Spanish only speaking immigrants came into my old job, at Energi Personnel, needing help to find jobs. It was extremely hard to communicate with them and to help them get a job considering that they only spoke Spanish. Employers want employees that they can easily communicate with, not ones that they have to go out of their way to figure out how to tell them to complete a simple task.

Although there are many positive aspects of making English the official language of the U.S. there are also just as many negative aspects. The United States was founded as a country of freedom. Freedom of speech is one of our most important rights in this country. Many people believe that making English or any other language for that matter takes away that right. It would take away the individualism that people love so much in this country. Taking away individualism could also keep immigrants from coming to this country and could force many to leave and go back to where they came from. Affecting individualism in this way could also greatly affect the economy of the U.S. causing it to largely decrease. Making English the official language would also easily increase culture of victimization. Immigrants that are in this country now that do not speak English can say that it is the governments' fault that they can not get jobs because they do not speak English. Someone would have to teach these people how to speak English, requiring non-English speaking citizens to attend some sort of a class. This intern would only cost the government more money to organize these classes.

The decision to make English the official language of the U.S. would definitely affect business in America, politics, and education largely. Business in America could easily decline from this sort of a decision. If English were made the official language then for one it might be easier for businesses to hire employees because they would not have such a large necessity hire bi-lingual employees. Education would most definitely be affected because schools would have to create classes for those students who don't already know English. Spanish classes may not be near as popular either because students would not have as great an interest in learning the language. Politics would be affected because the decision would greatly increase culture of victimization. For years after the decision there would be arguments about individuals' rights, i.e. freedom of speech.

Despite all of the negative aspects of making English the official language of the United States, I firmly believe that the positive out weighs the negative. Communicating is something that we all have to do everyday. When two people do not speak the same language it creates a large sometimes unavoidable conflict. Communication is one of the most important keys to a successful society. As our society grows and continues to adopt new languages we lose more and more ability to communicate with one another. This will in turn eventually take its toll on our society and could cause it do decline. The more languages we continue to adopt the faster the toll will be taken. I do believe that English should be made the official language if for no other reason that to be able to communicate with other citizen better and more feely.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In today’s society, there are over thousands of different languages or dialects speak around the world. And because America is such a diverse country with many individuals capable of speaking two or more languages, they tend to forget the importance of speaking English in America. As an American living in America, it’s not important whether they speak English or not, but what’s important is which language they choose to represent themselves freely.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For as long as the United States has been a country, there has been controversy over establishing English as the official language. Even the idolized US President Theodore Roosevelt had a firm belief the US has “room for but one language in this country and that is the English language”. In a 2010 poll conducted by Rasmussen, eighty-seven percent of American voters said they would support making English the official language. Immigrants would also benefit from establishing English as the national language, because after learning English they would be able to actively participate in the democratic system employed throughout the US. Although the United States is a notorious melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, language should be legislated, because having multiple languages spoken in the public isolates minorities.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different ethnicities in the U.S, more than any other country in the world. It varies from Latino people, Pacific Islanders, Asian American, or African American. The United States is the only country where one can find all different cultures and languages. In the United States, English is not the only language which Americans use to communicate. Vietnamese, Chinese, or Spanish is very popular in the U.S. Therefore, according to the article “In Plain English: Let’s Make It Official,” the author Krauthammer argues that English should be the official language of the United States. So what are Krauthammer’s arguments and also what are the advantages and disadvantages if English becomes the official language of the United States?Canada…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why the United States does not have an official language has been an ongoing debate for a long time. A lot of people are for it and a lot of people are against it. While conducting my research I learned that if the United States made English the official language of the country it would be going against the first amendment, Freedom of speech. Regardless of going against the constitution 27 states have made English their official language. Why is it so important to so many people that the United States have an official language? Would it aid immigrants in the assimilation process and make it more likely for them to succeed? Can other languages be used in the country for certain official purposes, if English is the sole official language? Does official English offend the idea of American diversity? Does it discriminate against non-native speakers? Does an adequate incentive exist to learn English without it being official? Is there anything wrong with the status quo? Do most countries in the world have an official language? Is it important for any tangible and practical reasons? Do English only laws threaten or enhance public safety? Is official English good public policy? (Debate 2010) These are questions that rise in everyone’s mind when the topic of designating an official language in the US comes up.…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Preface: This was written for my English Composition II class and submitted October 22, 2010.…

    • 2747 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    The English only movement has many pros that will greatly help the United States. If English is made the official language of the United States it will unite the people with a common language rather then divide by not understanding one another, it will allow people to feel comfortable in the workplace, and encourage immigrant workers to learn English. By making English the official language does not mean “English Only” it simply means that for the government to act officially and effectively the default language should be English which would mean that no one would have the right to demand government activities or records in any other language (Wilson, 2009). I personally feel that this would be a great idea simply because in order for the government to communicate there must be one official language. By making English the official language does not mean that cultural diversity is not accepted in the United States or that no one can speak their cultural background language it just means that in order for all government officials to be on the same page of communication, a common language must be established. Making English the official language would not prohibit the government from using other languages when there is reason for doing so, such as legitimate common sense needs (Wilson, 2009). I feel this would be great idea because then there would be no miscommunication or misunderstanding on anyone part due to language barriers.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The multilingualism debate in the United States has two sides; one side advocates for multilingualism in order to embrace different cultures and ideas, while the other side supports an English-only policy to unify the country. Although we are a nation of diversity and some think an English-only policy limits immigrants from being as equally successful as English-speakers and prevents diversity from being present in our country, I disagree. I advocate for an English-only policy in the U.S. because having a common language among all unifies the diverse country together, and allows immigrants to participate democratically and politically, and succeed economically. An English-only policy not only creates a necessary bond, but it also doesn’t limit individuals culturally or nationally because everyone is still free to communicate and…

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Back then, it wasn’t uncommon to hear up to 20 different languages spoken in daily life. Today, those numbers are more staggering. According to U.S. English Inc., an advocacy group that supports declaring English as our official language, 322 languages are spoken in the country, with 24 of those spoken in every state and the District of Columbia. California has the most languages, with 207, while Wyoming has the fewest with 56. So why won’t Congress declare an official language? Because we are a nation of immigrants and these numbers prove it. Because declaring an official language would abridge the rights of individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals who are paying taxes and who are entitled to the same rights as those who speak…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In some eyes, linguistic diversity in the United States is a good thing, but in my opinion an English-only legislation would be most ideal. Not only does it create a national language for America, but it…

    • 589 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    English as a common ground is so that Americans can understand what is being spoken to each other. Americans should be able to communicate and read any material out in this country without wondering what is being said. Foreigners or non-English speaking citizens are increasingly becoming more segregated, creating poverty- stricken areas. The creation of these areas is due to the language barrier (US-English, 2012). Americans who speak English can find it insulting when other begins to speak to them in another language. Majority of the states have English as their official language. So when a foreigner begins to speak another language or attempt to communicate in English, it could be found offensive because if the same person were to go to their country, it would offensive if you did not speak their language. When living or visiting the United States, it would be safe to assume that everyone spoke English if it were the official language. No one would be insulted, nor would an individual find it hard to communicate with another. Making English the official language of the United States means that the government will be conducting everything solely in English. This includes all public documents, records, legislation and regulations, as well as hearings, official ceremonies and public meetings (US-English, 2012). “This means that everything will be conducted in the English language and that no one will have the right to demand government services in any other language” (ProEnglish, 1994). The government cost of multilingualism is in the hundreds of million dollars. Companies have to spend about 15 to 20 percent of production cost to use in translation services (CalRecycle, 1995). For example, Hospitals have to pay for translators to those who do not speak English. Translators in California are paid $45 to $50 an hour! While…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The English only debate has been an ongoing deliberation for many decades in the United States. Questions from political parties, legislators, and common people have been a hot topic on the English only subject and what they believe would be best for the nation (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008). Would having English as the national language of the United State unify the nation or would it tear it apart? Would it be politically correct? Would it be fair? Would it cause segregation? Would it be a security threat? These are just some of the questions that…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    An imperative question that one must ask themself about whether or not to make English the official language of the United States is that, isn 't it better to learn and become familiar with languages other than one 's own rather than know only one language your whole life? It should be recognizable that different languages and cultures bring uniqueness to our country. Making English the official language here in the United States has advantage and…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    English Only Debate

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages

    America, we have a cultural diversity that is unlike any other in the entire world, people from every country in the world come to our borders wanting to start over with a better life, live the “American Dream”. And because of this our nation has turned into a giant melting pot of all different types of cultures, races, religions, and one of the most important, languages. Language is the main way we communicate, interact, understand each other and when that barrier is there, it is a hard one to get past. And of course there are different ways people feel like we should deal with this barrier, there are some who believe that we as citizens who speak English should also learn different languages so that we can more easily communicate with them. And then there are others who feel like they came to our country, they need to learn English like everyone else here does. This has turned into a very touchy subject to a lot of people because people become passionate about there on personal beliefs and the side that they have chosen to get behind. Both sides having very valid points as to why their side is the one that people should adopt as their own side, I personally have decided that I agree that when you come to this country then you should learn to speak the language if you plan on living here. But not because I think English is the superior language or anything like that, I believe it will just make things easier for me and the person who immigrated here to be able to work together and communicate. But of course since this subject is very much two sided, state laws have been passed protecting and or mandating certain things happen, trying to stop the arguing between the two sides.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people argue why not the other way around with learning Spanish and I can understand that it would be great if it was implemented more in schools at younger ages such as even starting as young pre-k. The only problem with that idea though is it isn’t, so the reason I say English should be learned in order to enter into the country is because that the majority of text/writings which cause the idea that English is the majority.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Knowing the English language can make you more desirable to employers when going for a job interview. For example Latinos who talk very little English make 31% more money than a Latino who knows no English (xxxx). But a Latino who can speak fluently English will make up to 67% more then one who does not speak the language at all (xxxx). English is used in all schools in the US to teach children so for parents to know English makes it easy to communicate with their children and the teachers since they bounce back and forth between their primary language at home and using English when in school. If you learn English, you won’t just have access to a greater proportion of the vast amount of knowledge available on the internet; you’ll be able to educate yourself still further by being able to read books and newspapers…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays