Are you for or against making english the national language? Why or why not?

Question

Please, let's keep this civil. Please refrain from remarks about how you think immigrants are ruining this country (that is a different discussion).

The truth is, I'm on the fence on this one, and would like to hear intelligent arguments from either side. If you can't provide an intelligent argument, please pollute someone else's question.

Long answers are better than short ones.

Answer 1

I am for it.


If you want to live here the least you can do is speak our language

Answer 2

I am for it. America has always been a nation of immigrants, but it is vital that we be united by a common language. previous waves of immigrants have assimilated into the american culture within a generation or so, and this is largely due to their children learning english, if not themselves.

Continuing to foster a foreign language isolates that population from the american mainstream and forces those people into cultural enclaves, which are almost by defination at the bottom of the socio-economic scale. They do themselves no favor by continuing to solely speak a foreign language.

On a more personal level, I cannot justify taxpayer dollars being spent on bilingual publications, road signs, etc. I find it appalling that Utah publishes a drivers' license handbook and written test, thus putting drivers on the road who cannot comprehend road signage. I see this as presenting the motoring public with an unnecessary risk to motoring safety, especially when drivers are now faced with an ever increasing number of distrations to their driving.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY, LEARN THE LANGUAGE. Do yourself a favor. I would certainly have no expectation of special consideration if I lived in a non-english speaking country, and I believe the flip side of this should be true as well.

Answer 3

Very simply, not having an official language results in taxes being wasted. Documents have to be prepared in multiple languages, requiring translators and checks to make sure the translator is being accurate, and then there are extra printing costs etc. If you support multi-language legal proceedings, then you have the extra costs of translators plus extra time for cases. It is inefficient, and really unnecessary.

The European parliament and the UN are two examples of a complete bureaucratic nightmare in operation, with millions of dollars spent on simultaneous translations.

Remember that anyone wishing to become a citizen is required to prove they understand and can speak English; and this year, this test became more difficult. This demonstrates that English is de facto the official language of the country. We need to pass laws to make that more evident.

This does not mean I support forcing people to use English at home, or that I am against multi-culturalism. I don't want to waste my taxes on this nonsense. However, if a parent wants to pay to send a child to a school that is bi-lingual, or they want to pay for any other service, such as a translator for themselves, then I'm fine with them sticking to their original language.

Answer 4

Yes English is an Internationally recognized language not only in business but in Air control as well. Making English the national language will also save millions of trees that are cut down to produce all the duplicate forms in Spanish, we won't even go into the costs to manage those forms.

Answer 5

I think that English should be the national language because our forefathers who founded this country spoke English. I think it's silly to change a country's language because a large population of people who immigrated here speak a different country. I think that we already make enough accomodations as it is. It is in my opinion that you need to adapt to the country you live in. If you move to France you would learn French or if you moved to Italy you'd speak Italian. It shouldn't be any different here...

Answer 6

Please do not take offense at this, and I may even answer it, but since you don't allow contact in any other way I wanted to note you.

I "liked" my answer about "Tights" but yours will keep me chuckling for awhile. TY

Steven Wolf

Now.......... I have traveled extensively in my long years on this globe, and certainly there are conversational issues that arise, when in country where one might not "speak" or "understand" the language. IE: "Public Bathroom" BUT I think WE owe it to ourselves to attempt GETTING IT before the fact.

With no offense to anyone of any other country of origin I have been in countries where the people were most helpful, and too, in countries where they might give me directions like this....My example, in my ignorance at the time might have been trying to find my way to the "Louvre." I'll translate in English.

"Yes sir, travel in that direction for approximately 300 kilometers, until you approach a Big rock that looks like a Bear. Turn to the right. Follow that until you see a Large BEAR that looks like a Rock. Turn to the right again and follow that road for approximately 300 kilometers. You will come to a City, and within it you can solicit directions as to how to navigate to the "Louvre."

By following those instructions and trusting they were correct, I end up back in the same city, but perhaps a block away from the person who directed me.

We live on such a small plot of land in a Universal sense. Why must any culture make it difficult for another to experience new explorations?

Had I been treated with respect, and advised the same way, I might have returned to France, Paris, etc.,,,But I won't.

Steven Wolf

Answer 7

I think English is the national language. English is the most spoken foreign language in other countries.

Answer 8

Against

This is America, in America a continent with over 950 million people the vast majority about 700 million speak Spanish. In the future we ought to work towards a coherent integrated world, speaking the same language will go a long ways towards achieving that goal. I think we ought to learn America's language, we ought to learn Spanish.

Answer 9

for.

the constitution, the base of federal law, was written in english.

the majority of people speak english.

for hundreds of years, immigrants came, and had to learn english. why is now any different? my grandparents came to america, not speaking english, and learned. they didnt say "hey lets print everything in my language so i can vote comfortably"
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a little clarifiction though, making english the national language means that english is spoken in federal buildings and on voting balllots. thats it.
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no one is saying that you have to speak english all the time, if english was made national language there still would be ethnic neighborhoods, like the many found in new york, where almost everything is in that language. the only difference is that the voting ballots would be in english and the post office would be in english.