I'm doing a debate on 'English the Official Language'. What are some good reasons why English should be?

Question

i have to be on the affrimative side (i have to be for all immigrants and the United states being a totally English society)

Answer 1

Here are 10 reasons that I feel are good ones:

"1. To stipulate that although government may use other languages, to be legally binding and authoritative e.g. "official," it must act or communicate in the English language.

2. To clarify that whenever there is a conflict in meaning between government laws, regulations, or pronouncements issued in more than one language, the English version is the authoritative one.

3. To clarify that unless government decides to provide it, no one has an entitlement or right to government services or documents in a language other than English.

4. To recognize the historical fact that the United States has been an overwhelmingly English speaking nation since it was created and that its constitution and foundational documents are in English.

5. To recognize that while the people of the United States value and respect diversity, they want to preserve English as their common language and therefore immigrants have the responsibility to learn English.

6. To conform to the majority of the states (27) that already have made English their official language.

7. To respond to the will of the American people, 85 percent of whom believe English should be our official language, according to a June 2006 Rasmussen Reports survey.

8. To conform to the rest of the world: Eighty-five percent of the UN's member nations have official languages. Fifty-two (52) of those nations have adopted English as their official language.

9. To avoid the costs, burdens, and conflicts that arise in nations like Canada or international organizations like the European Union that attempt to conduct business in more than one official language.

10. To bring the federal government into conformity with national institutions like the U.S. Army and the federal court system, who for practical reasons have decided to operate in English".

Answer 2

Official language isn't "a totally english society" it's having english spoken in all federal buildings and written on voting ballots.

that's it.


the simple reason for this is if we don't have a common language, we can't unite. Countries like Canada have had unity problems due to it's bilingual language.

Also, every other immigrant has had to learn english, whatever immigrants come here today are no different.

Answer 3

That's easy. If you live in the United States where English is our language then English is the official language. What language would you pick in our country of english speaking people? Duh! French is the language of France, German is the language of Germany, English is ours. How tough is that? This is not up for question. It is our language and that is the final answer. Anyone who wants to live in the United States has to speak and learn our language in order to live here. Plain and simple. There is no other option unless you want to give up our basic principals and ideals. I'm not prepared to give up those principals. Learn it, live it, love it, or go back.

Answer 4

because of the fact the U. S. is a rustic outfitted by utilising human beings from a style of ethnic backgrounds, no longer basically English-conversing ones. for my section, i'm for making English the respected language although. ;)

Answer 5

it shouldnt be. basically no americans care about learning another language so there shouldnt be one, and if there was one, then it should be either split into historic regions, like in new england people speak English, in the Middle colonies its Dutch, Swedish, and German, and down South its French and Spanish, and so on. If they were to pick one, then it should be 1. English, 2. German or 3. Spanish, because 1. people speak it, 2. most Americans are of that decent, 3. keeps growing enormously

Answer 6

1. Our history, our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and laws are writ en in English.
2. Our national language is English.
3. English is the closest thing to an international language that the world has, and it is still in ascendancy.

Answer 7

Although I don't agree with this arguement, I'll pretend that I do...

Good reasons for a national language:

Promotes nationalism and a sense of 'one' nation.

Costs less than having bilingual signs and paperwork.

Ensures that teachers will be able to effectively communicate in the classroom.

Cuts down on miscommunication through mistranslation.

Answer 8

There are none. This country makes a big deal about letting the market dictate our economics, but likes to make social laws, such as that "English only" crap. Despite our bad monolingual reputation,there have always been citizens in the U.S. who speak languages other than English. No need to legislate one language über alles!

Answer 9

Because is our language. Because inmigrants from other countries that came America long time ago learned the language, like the Germans, Italians, Russians etc... Because if we were the ones that had to inmigrate to other countries, you bet your sweet alley that they would not let us take their language, we would have to learn theirs.

Answer 10

It woould force the president to speak english instead of that gibberish he babbles.