Well we had a debate on if everyone should know English in America, if it should be Americas official language and if all signs should be in English Or all different languages? I am curious to know what you guys think. Oh I think that they should have signs in all languages and that english SHOULDNT be Americas official language!!!!!
2007-05-08 17:02:06 · 15 answers · asked by almrox 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Yes I believe English should be Americas official language. If I went to China I wouldn't expect them to speak English just because I can't speak Chinese. I'd make do the best I could and if I planned on staying I'd have to learn the language.
2007-05-08 17:10:22 · answer #1 · answered by Sean 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am in Singapore and English is the official language as are all road signs and most posters.
However, in schools, Malay, Tamil and Chinese are taught. They are also considered our official languages. Other students from different racial backgrounds have the option of taking Thai, Urdu, Arab, Hindi, French, German, Japanese etc etc..
I think it's great that everybody learns English because then all of us can communicate and get along. In this country, it happens to be the 'neutral' language so we don't really have issues about it. It'll just be too confusing to have road signs in many different languages (How huge would those signs be?)
Most Singaporeans are already familiar with the languages spoken by other races here and I enjoy that fact very much.
Even if English is not considered an official language, if it is used most frequently, then it still becomes 'official' anyway.
To me it doesn't matter what status is given to a language because it is a 'living thing', that people use and has it's own meaning to the users. At the end of the day, it's a useful language to know.
2007-05-08 17:12:29 · answer #2 · answered by aken 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
English should be the official language. Period.
"There are 6,800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world. 2,261 have writing systems (the others are only spoken) and about 300 are represented by on-line dictionaries as of May 11, 2004." In other words, there's always going to be someone who feels left out. Moreover, one language is better for avoiding confusion and miscommunication. I attended a few governmental meetings while I was in South Africa, a country that now recognizes about 11 languages as being "official." Anyway, sometimes officials in attendance didn't speak all the same various languages. You had people jumping from Afrikaans to English to Zulu to....it was a mess!
I do believe however that America could do a better job of teaching its citizens/students other languages.
2007-05-08 17:20:53 · answer #3 · answered by lookin 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Spost826, sweetie, Christopher Columbus didn't speak English. And this country missed speaking German by one vote. And if you truly read the English on any legal document or government manual, good for you--thank a teacher.
I find it annoying to call someplace and be told "for English press 1" or to see a warning sign in a hall written in three languages, while trying to determine where on the page of instructions is a language I can read. I think we should decide on one language and stick with it.
2007-05-08 17:41:14 · answer #4 · answered by Jess 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
English is a language for science and technology but not for relationships. However when we are in public we need to communicate fast and very few other languages are as well suited, so you are free to complain, but the language in America will remain English. By example, how many words do you need to say 'danger bridge out'?
2007-05-08 17:13:56 · answer #5 · answered by Marcus R. 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am in favor of having English be the official language, used for signs, all official documents, and all court proceedings. Anyone born in the US has ample opportunity to learn the language, and all naturalized citizens are required to know it. The language that people speak in their private business can, as far as I am concerned, be anything they please.
2007-05-08 17:12:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
What the f*** are you talking about. All languages? This IS America! Americans died defending her from foreigners like you who would see her destroyed! I suppose the next thing your going to want to do is tear down the flag! If english is too hard for you to learn i suggest you go back to where ever you came from!
2007-05-08 17:37:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Are you serious. This is America. It is bad enough that many important forms are printed in Spanish including welfare forms. Why would we have to push 1 on the phone for English. This is our country. I have been all around the world and never felt that any other country was obligated to print things in English just to make it easy for me. I was in their country.
2007-05-08 17:09:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I dont see why they need to make it the official language. Pretty much anybody who functions or wants to function in normal American society knows English.
2007-05-08 17:59:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
English has been this countrys primary language since Chrisopher Columbus "discovered" this country in 1492. Its funny that no one, until this generation of "me me me" has ever complained about it. If this country should be forced into changing its ways to acommodate everyone else, then every other country should change to acommodate us, too. And thats just not thinking realistically. The immigrants come HERE. If they want to continue with their language, they should stay where they come from. Stop thinking youre so damned high and mighty that we should change to acommodate YOU. You came HERE, dammit...learn it or leave it!
2007-05-08 17:09:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋