Should it not be mandatory for all US citizens to speak the English language?

Question

Why do we have phone prompt options for Spanish in America? And why do we Americans provide dissability benefits for those who cannot speak our language? I had no choice but to learn English when I immigrated to America.

Answer 1

Ideally yes,
Ideally there should be lots of mandatory things...

but realistically there are many factors to consider, age of person, disability, actual time within the country.

For example would you require a mute to speak. Or teach english to a 89 year old. Should immgrants speak english at the 8th grade level. most american speak at this level.

Will they speak the KINGS ENGLish, because you know in america, we speak a form of english. Will we from a new buracracy to purify the English/American Language.


Realistically if i am a company or service, i would rather be effective and efficient by providing other languages than be xenophobic.
For example if sell medicine in other countries besides the US i would use the other languages on my labels...makes good business sense.

We provide benefits to many people that do not speak English because we are not monsters, if a child was dying you would save that life without asking if they spoke English....you wouldn't let a human life die because of it even you are not a monster.

Besides, your question is full of anger and bias. What you fail to point out is that most of the quality universities int the Untied States require a foreign language.

In fact many school districts require foreign language to graduate. There is a definite value in multiculturalism.

As a college educated person you must see that...




By the way the US is planning to build a superhighway four football fields long from Canada to Mexico.
They plan to implement one currency to easy trade,
and plan to make English, Spanish and French the official languages.....maybe not today or tomorrow but soon....i am not making this up.

Answer 2

I think it should be mandatory - it's the national language after all, and just about EVERYWHERE you go in the USofA will have signs, notices, adverts in English.

Why do we have options for Spanish and some others? It's the land of dreams some still think. America is a melting pot, and the largest non-English as a first language group is Spanish speaking. As a nation, it will only create chaos if there was not a means to help this large group to function, and take part, in the USofA government and quality of life opportunities.

Take example the DMV. In many states it's offered in Spanish, and perhaps a few other languages. If this was not an option, the non-english speaking people would more then likely just drive with out permits, which would cause more problems for everyone else.

All you can do is support your local ESL groups and try to help the minority community embrace the NEED to learn some english.

Answer 3

Yes!!! The great thing about this country is that we all speak one language but have our own different culture backgrounds. I don't know what is happening now. I feel that we should not cater to people who do not speak English, they should be forced to learn if they want to live here. Spend a little time in Miami, FL and you will see how warped it has become. People actually said to me that because I live in Miami I should speak Spanish and not in a nice way. I felt like I was living in another country. I would go into stores and not be able to ask a worker for help because they didn' t speak english. At my jobs I was the outcast because I didn't speak spanish. Those experiences have really made me mad. My grandparents immigrated from Italy, they wanted to be American and learn the language and be a part of this country. I feel that now the immigrants from spanish cultures come here with an arrogance. They want to take advantage of what this country has to offer but they don't really want to be considered American. I am married to a first generation cuban whose parents have lived here for fifty years yet they can not speak english. When I asked why they said they didn't have time and they never wanted to come here to begin with. They had to come because of Castro. If you are not proud to be here then you shouldn't be here and I have no respect for that. You are a visitor and have to earn respect and rights. Speak english, don' t lose your cultural background but speak english. What is happening to this country because of this is not good and it is going to cause a lot of tension and prejudice.

Answer 4

Only English

Answer 5

English should be the official language of the USA!

I am Native American and learning the Native languages is very difficult when you aren't around them to hear them spoken. If anyone would like to learn the language of my people, they can, but not b/c it should be mandatory. No one is saying people can't speak their own language with their own people, but we must have a unified language in public in order to converse fluidly. Everyone is not going to be able to understand all the languages of all the people in the USA. So one needs to be official so everyone will learn the SAME one. We can still, as always, have our little groups who will speak THEIR languages when together as, WE the Native Americans speak it on our reservations when together, and we can still have our Pow-wow's and converse in our language.We can still hear the drums and have our ceremonies and rituals.

Answer 6

Hum speak only english well that means Indians wont speak in there native language your children or mine will never hear the drum and chant of an indian pow wow again or secret code talkers we needed so much, Never hear the beautiful mexican songs I enjoy so much even though I dont understand them. No more hawaiian hula songs and chants the language will surely be lost and the storys they convey, No german songs at octoberfest no italian tenors and no chinese in chinatown that does not sound very american to me .
America Is a place where people can be themselves and live in peace raise a family and enjoy life.
We dont tell you to stop talking english even though your on Indian and mexican lands.

Answer 7

Without a DOUBT! No matter where you live in this world, if you call it home, you should without a doubt speak the language. Why can't people get this. No where else in this world, except for the good old USA can you come from somewhere else, don't speak English and still get everything you want including welfare and childcare free.

Answer 8

It should not be mandatory, but if you don't speak English, than you have to understand it will be much harder for you to get along in society. If you don't speak English than that's your problem and you shouldn't make it everyone else's problem by saying other people should learn your language. It should not be mandatory.

Answer 9

A bilingual person is a blessing, a bilingual society is a curse. The United States needs one official language to keep the uniformity a government needs to run properly. Adding more languages to serve a minority of its people would be more taxing and inefficient than teaching that minorty an official language.

Answer 10

Yes, everyone should learn English. Not knowing English is a disadvantage in this country, so if we accommodate things for people who don't know English it's like a crutch to lean on instead of bettering your situation.

That's why immigrants, legal or not, come to this country: to better their way of life and their children's lives as well. But if they don't learn English, their lives will never be as good as it could've been if they had learned English.

Answer 11

Nope English should be optional ... but speaking Red India should be mandatory - after all the country rightly belongs to the Red Indians and the White Man came along and stole it from them... and then brought in black slaves