Why isn't English the official language?

Question

Why isn't English the official language yet? Why is it that everyone in the US is beginning to learn to speak Spanish when everyone else in the world is learning to speak English? I find this kinda odd.

Answer 1

This is a question I've asked myself many times. Years ago,
when an immigrant applied for U.S. citizenship, they had to
study and learn many things about our history and culture,
one of which was how to read and write, (and converse) in
English.

Now I find that most U.S. Citizens are learning Spanish to
accommodate the legal and illegal immegrants. As far as I can
tell, this is the U. S. of America, it is not a spanish speaking
country. And ANYONE wanting the benefits of living in
America could show their appreciation by at least speaking
conversational English.

If any other ethnic immigrant wants to speak their native
language at home or among their friends, sobeit. That's
why New York had such a diversity of nationalities. They
brought their foods, dress, and language with them...but
they were STILL able to speak English.

I refuse to learn another language while living in my own
country.

Answer 2

It was never wrote down as a official language because we are a country of immigrants and English developed as a "common" language being the most of the immigrants where from the English colonies but reminders of other colonies that was once held by Spain and France can still be found in buildings and even in french and creole speaking people in southern Mississippi and Louisiana even today. We have always been a country of diversity and will always be one. However with most of the population speaking one language and "safety" signing for roads and emergency alerts it needs to be made a official language for the benefit of all citizens. Learning another language though has never hurt anyone and in the long run would be a good Idea. You might be able to help someone or better their lives by it.

Answer 3

Well, for the English to be the official language of the USA, the yanks need to learn it first.
About Spanish, it is very simple. It is the language spoken by most people after the dialect that the yanks call english. In many places you must know Spanish to get a job, be understood, and many other things

Answer 4

Don't wonder with this turn of events. It's just natural for an English speaking countries to learn other languages that they don't know, as it's natural for a non English speaking countries to learn how to speak English. You know your language already so it's just logical for you to learn something you don't know as others try to learn English.

The country that I came from it's official that English is an international language and considered our second language. Basing from this I can assume that it's a matter of choice from the countries or individual if they want to learn a second language.

It's so liberating that I can converse with you in English, I kind of wish you can speak mine too. (Mind you it' is not Spanish).

Answer 5

There is no need to make English the official language of the U.S. because it is already the language of power. People who are trying to learn Spanish in the U.S. surely already know English; other than that people want to learn English.

Answer 6

The main reason is because it is considered very ethnocentric for a country to declare it's language as the official international language. Also, English is a very inconsistent, difficult language to learn.

There has been a lot of argument about if the international language should truly be an international language, such as Esperanto, or if it should be chosen based on ease of learning. However people are very reluctant to say that we should choose English because a very small percentage of the world speaks it and it would be rather counter intuitive.

Answer 7

contrast this with for example, Brazil. their govt. accepts that Portugeuse is THE official language - and none other. They are a nation of immigrants just like here, with millions of blacks, Indians, arabs, jews, iberians, italians, Germans, etc. you easily meet someone in Brazil named "Higgins" "diTelli", "Schwartz", "Goldberg", etc. etc. but THEIR govt. has some pride in the national patrimony and heritage. Not all Brazilians come from Portugal by blood, but the country has a unity, a cohesion based on an official common language. And no one there challenges that Portugeuse is the official language. - or demands that this change to something else.

the USA simply has no PRIDE in English to be our official language. this would have been made a law centuries ago. But it wasn't considered important. Still isn't. It's govt. conspiracy at the highest level. to promote Spanish and suppress English.

I trust you understand better now .

Answer 8

well not really. Other countries in the world must have or maybe do the same thing too.Maybe English is more like a popular language than a professical language. I don''t know.that maybe why that other forgin cars have english labeled words on their radio.

Answer 9

The language used in the US is not English, but a non-standard variant. Once that is sorted out one could declare that "American", or whatever name you give it, is the official language.

Answer 10

first of all english is the third hardest language to learn. people who learn to speak spanish do it because there are many non-english speaking mexicans in the U.S.