Do you think the US should have English as an official language?

Question

Please give me solid reasons to support your view. Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes absolutely. I would not be able to go into germany and start working, knowing no german, and expect to make a very good living. When you move into a country, you LEARN the native language in order to survive. I am from southern Arizona and see this problem every day. Instead of learning english, Many immigrants from Mexico (both legal and non legal) expect and demand that they get services in spanish. Then they complain that the only jobs offered to a spanish-only speaking person can only find jobs in agriculture and other forms of phisical labor. It is also a safety issue. all signs are in english and i have seen many auto accidents caused by someone not knowing what signs say. I not only believe that English should be the native language, but that immigrants should be required to take an english test after they have been in the country a year.

Answer 2

Yes, English should certainly be the official language of the US. It is important as a unifying factor. It also helps those coming here to assimilate into America. If you are truly going to be a part of a country you've chosen to live in, then why wouldn't you want to and be willing to learn the language?

Although most of us try to be understanding, it gets frustrating going into a store where the person waiting on you can barely make themselves understood.

(While I have some very close, intelligent, hard-working and well-off Hispanic friends, I don't think Mexico is necessarily sending us their best and brightest across the borders.) I do understand people wanting to improve their lives.

Answer 3

The United States has no legitimate language on the federal stage, however English is the de facto countrywide language. This implies that English is probably the most spoken and accredited language within the US, however there's no legitimate language. I consider listening to approximately a legislation they had been seeking to cross making English the legitimate language, however I bet it failed.

Answer 4

What you're really asking is, "should immigrants be required to speak English?" since the rest of us are taught in English every day we were in elementary school.

My answer is not easy. My Danish grandmother came to the US as a immigrant in the 1890's. She worked as a maid for a Danish doctor until she married, and only learned English at night school, after my father and two older uncles were born.

My Costa Rican grandmother married an American who helped build at the Panama Canal, and learned English from him, who spoke little Spanish. Neither were ever profficent in the other language. This grandmother would start a sentence in one language and finish it in another.

Consequently, no I don't think we need to make English the official language. Neither of my grandmothers could have made it under that law.

I do think we need to open our hearts to the people who want to improve their lives, and improve our relations with other countries. Mexico would not be sending us their best and brightest if their country was prosperous.

Answer 5

Yes. Because There needs to be a common language so that everyone can understand each other. Communication barriers are not only inconvenient, they are sometimes life-threatening. We need to stop enabling those who come into this country knowing no English; we have bent over backwards making documents, instruction manuals, signage, phone answering services, in various languages (particularly Spanish) which do not encourage the non-English speaker to learn the English language. We have to insist in some minimal degree of fluency in English so that citizens can function in our society without translators and other special treatment and accomodations(all of which are costly).

Answer 6

Good news! One of the laws recently passed did just that! English is the official language of the US!

Answer 7

I think it should be because it already is the official language. But I think that they should teach kids starting in kindergarten another language. Like make it a requirement. They should make you learn American Sign Language from Kindergarten through like 8th grade and then in high school you could pick any language you want to learn.

Answer 8

Yes because I do not think a nation can be truely unified if the people do not speak a common langage. If people can not talk to each other I'm afraid differences get exacerbated and bias grows.

Answer 9

No, b/c the US is a free country yet 60% of the US still doesn't know how to speak English correctly. Plus there are more people immigrating here, legally, that don't know how to speak English except their native tongue or language.

Answer 10

I thought it was already the offical language. If it isn't it should be.