Should everybody in the U.S. speak English?

Answer 1

it would be more convenient to those of us who only speak english, and it would be beneficial to people who have a different FIRST language, as English is our majority language, but I don't think it is something that should be mandated. The whole 'idea' of the US is that we're supposed to be free to live our lives as we please and we;re supposed to respect and embrace different cultures.. it's not fair to tell a chinese family that they MUST speak english if chinese is what they've always spoken.

Answer 2

In the last couple of years I have found that very few people in the U.S. speak English. They just think they do.

Answer 3

Absolutely. My grandparents came over from Italy and had to learn. I say if you want to live here you should speak English and pay taxes like the rest of us. Yes, keep your language, but learn English also. Never loose your heritage by forgetting your own language, but learn English I say.

Answer 4

HELL YES! The last time I checked, it was America! Granted it is the "melting pot", "the land of the free" ... blah blah blah but you don't see Americans going to any foreign country expecting the residents there to speak English or to see signs everywhere posted in English, do you? Of course not. I think it should be a prerequisite. If you want to be in this country permanently, you should have to pass a test to show you can speak the language. It's ridiculous that I - an American citizen born and raised - have to go through a bunch of crappy button pushing, listening to a bunch of options in other languages just to get my account balance over the phone, use the atm, pay for an item using a credit card, order something on the phone, even walk through a store now ... The signs are in two languages, the menus are in two languages, there are even commercials on Spike tv in spanish now ... This is America. If you want to live here and reap the benefits, learn the language for crying out loud! I certainly wouldn't go to Mexico or Italy and expect everyone there to cater to me and know English. I would be a visitor in a foreign country and it would be my responsibility to know how to speak their native tongue. As it should be here - where we speak English!

Oh please, don't get me started!

Answer 5

I think that everyone in the U.S. should speak English, it is beneficial to everyone, yet I don't think that anyone should have to give up their native language, just have English as a base language.

But I think that new immigrants should have a "transitional" time a couple of years to study before they are required to speak English to stay in the country.

Answer 6

While it's helpful to be bilingual (or trilingual, etc.), as a nation, we need a set national language for the simple common reason of order and being able to communicate with one another. Our most common language is English (and was decided to be English over German when our country was first established), so therefore the most logical national language would be ENGLISH.

A BIG YES to that.

Answer 7

Saaay What ... LOL... everybody does be able ! everybody ought to ought to learn English, the difficulty is ADULTS choose or ought to comprehend English in the past they arrive right here or learn it quickly while they arrive to usa, yet third international countries do no longer enable dissimilar them to benefit English. usa desires to limit each language yet English - oh wait, individuals did that, politicians would not enable it :) !

Answer 8

ABSOLUTELY! Im not prejudice in anyway shape or form BUT I think if u r going to be here u should be able to speak the language! They come over and that fine BUT they take a drivers test in THEIR language? How can they read our road signs if they cant read or speak English??? Isnt that a tad dangerous? if we go over to another country we have to learn their language soooooo they should be able to speak ours as well

Answer 9

Let me put it this way: Foreign countries won't speak English for us and to us if we went to visit their country! Shoot, Quebec refuses to speak English even to and for the English Canadians!

Answer 10

It is a free country. How can you tell everyone what language to speak? Do you think we should have language police arresting people for speaking another language on the street? On the other hand, all children are required to attend school, and they are all taught to speak English. And studies show that they do all learn English. Sometimes adults have a harder time learning English, but usually they want to, otherwise they are not going to be able to get a good job. If we want immigrants to speak English, we should make greater efforts to provide courses for people to learn English. Then they would be able to keep up with their kids.