Should All American Citizins Speak English??

Question

i dont want to appear rude or discriminatory because that is not what i am trying to say here. i am just stating my opinion and i do not wish to offend anyone i just want to say how i feel.

it is my own personal belief that if you are an american citizin you should at all times speak english!

i went to DPS to get my permit the other day and there was a girl who was my age with her mom, her aunt i suppose and five other kids. dont ask me why the whole family came but they did. anyways, they were all shouting abnoxiously in spanish.

i just think there is no point of coming to a different country to "start a new life" if you are going to still speak your native language making it difficult for you and others to be of an understanding.

also, i was shocked by this, a house had a flagpole in the yard and on the flag pole they had the mexican flag flying above the american one!!! what is the point of becoming an american if you are not going to respect our country - your new country

Answer 1

Yes, I think the citizens of the U.S. should speak English. However, give the new immigrants a chance to learn it. I had relatives that came here from Germany and it took them some time to learn.

Answer 2

Lol, I always tell foreigners we don't speak English, we speak American. It's origin is English, but we've added our own twist to everything, like dropping the u from colour. Happens everywhere really. May even be many differences in dialect in different areas of your country also. I haven't been there, but I saw a British guy once on a t.v. show and I swear it was everything I could do to understand what the guy was saying. Generally I do well understanding people who speak English as a second language without the subtitles the t.v. provides, but it was even hard reading those he was speaking so fast! Lol! Ah, the differences in us all that make everyday life all the more interesting!

Answer 3

There are three parts to my answer.

Firstly, I believe that English should be declared the official national language of the United States of America. We need a common tongue so that we can all contribute to society. All students should be required to study the national language.

Secondly, it is a shame when children and grandchildren of immigrants lose their culture and language skills. These things should not be forgotten as immigrant assimilate into the new culture.

All laws should be observed by immigrants including the federal law which mandates that no other flag be flown higher than the Stars and Stripes. If both flags are flown, fly them at the same height, or if on the same pole, the US flag should be higher. At my college, we fly the flags of all 60+ nations represented by the student body. The US and state flag are stationary while the position of the other flags are rotated.

Answer 4

I will probably be SLAMMED for what I'm about to say---but, if any AMERICAN moved to a foreign country where English is NOT spoken and became citizens OF that country--we would be EXPECTED to speak the language and understand the language of that country----- Granted, there is no "OFFICIAL" language in the USA, but English is STILL the language of our forefathers AND the majority of the people who are Citizens of the USA... I don't mind if people who move here from foreign countries want to speak their "MOTHER TONGUE" when they are amongst others from that country who are here, BUT, in MIXED company, they should speak the language that most of the people around them are speaking... I tend to think it is RUDE when people get in an elevator in the USA and start speaking in some language that I do not understand .... it gives me the feeling that maybe they are talking about ME or something.... thing is, a LOT of the people who immigrate to the USA have no intensions of learning English or associating with anyone outside their small circle of family from their MOTHER COUNTRY.... if the tables were turned and we moved to THEIR country and BECAME CITIZENS of their country---we WOULD be EXPECTED to take on the customs OF THAT COUNTRY..... if we go to Iran, we have to wear the clothes and if we became citizens, we would have to give up EVERYTHING we have learned and know from the USA.... the people who move HERE and BECOME CITIZENS should do the same HERE.....

Answer 5

I am with you. As a French friend of mine used to tell people, "This is America, speak English." This friend speaks 5 languages, fluently, and has lived in the US for 20 years.

Unfortunately, these immigrants who refuse to learn English are using our own laws against us. The US has no national language, an oversight that was discovered over 25 years ago. And, we cater to these people by saying that we will provide interpreters.

Maybe we should all petition our government to make it a law that English is the language of this country, and that all people who want to become citizens, or work in this country have to learn English.

Answer 6

I understand what you mean.

i accept passport applications and i have had naturalized citizens show up. They have been citizens for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years and speak English no better than when they came off the boat.

It is almost like the Monty Python skit with the translation book. It comes off as they cannot be bothered to learn the language of their new native country

Answer 7

mmm... you mean GOOD English? Like.. showing you know PERFECTLY the language even in written form? I am afraid there wouldn't be many American citizens left.


By the way, you need to review rules for capitalization in English. Do you have a place to go once you lose your American citizenship?

I don't want to offend you with this comment either. I just want to say how I feel about this.
But seriously, look around you and tell me how many really know their own language. The U.S. has a huge problem ahead.

Answer 8

My opinion is that anyone
living in the U.S. citizen or non, should speak the national language--which is English!
The immigrants are getting
really cheeky. They don't even try to be nice anymore. They feel they are better than natural born Americans.
If this continues, I can foresee big problems.
The estimate I heard this
morning for "illegals" living in the U.S. is now 12 million!!!
Our country simply cannot
absorb that many non-citizens.

Answer 9

I do feel strongly that if you plan on living in a country that you should learn the language. As far as the family you saw... shouting obnoxiously in ANY language is annoying, but I don't think people should be discouraged from speaking their native language with people who understand it.

Answer 10

I am afraid for my DH on the job...he works with people who cannot warn him, if something is falling on him. He could be killed because they don't want to learn English. I think if we made it a requirement to speak English if you are in a public job where you deal with the public or in a job where your not knowing English could get someone killed, this country would be better off...

I called my Doctor's office the other day to get a prescription called in for me....the lady who I tried to talk to,,,kept telling me I had a prescription,,,I kept saying no, I want him to call in one for me...she just kept repeating over and over,,,you have perscription...I finally hung up and called back later...and got someone else...it was something of an emergency because I had a bad infection...but I had to wait for someone who could understand what I wanted....I am leaving that Doctor....