Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Making English the Official Language

Satisfactory Essays
368 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Making English the Official Language
I live in Texas and I can honestly say that there is a language barrier between non English speaking people and English speaking Americans in Texas in the Hispanic community particularly. From the various articles and surveys that I have found there seems to be a great number of Texans wanting English to be declared the official language. On the other hand there some organizations saying it would be unconstitutional.
According to 2007 figures from the U.S. Census, more than 3.2 million Texans are limited English proficient, including 818,000 who were born in the United States. An examination of Census data finds that only one-quarter of immigrant Texans who speak Spanish at home speak English "very well," while more than one-half of immigrant Texans who speak a language other than English or Spanish at home are English proficient. U.S. Newswire, 75 percent of likely voters in Texas want English to be made the official language of the state, according to a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., including 52 percent who strongly support such an effort. The survey found that the overwhelming majority of Texas residents want the state to conduct business in English, including strong majorities within each political party and each section of the state.
On the other side of the debate LULAC says if the ongoing efforts to make English the official language of Texas and the United States are successful, English will not be the nation 's official language, discrimination will. The "English Only Movement" is merely the latest form of "linguistic racism" in Texas and in the United States. Antagonism and discrimination based on language goes beyond race and has victimized virtually every immigrant.

References

Legislation Introduced to Make English the Official Language of Texas. (2008, November 13). Targeted News Service, Retrieved December 7, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1595372471).

75 Percent of Texans Support Making English the Official Language ; Statewide Poll Finds Three-In-Four Residents Desire Common Language Legislation. (25 October). U.S. Newswire,Retrieved December 7, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1150795481).

Ortiz, F.M.(1986).English Plus Versus English Only. LULAhttp://lulac.org/advocacy/issues/english_vs_spansih/C.

References: Legislation Introduced to Make English the Official Language of Texas. (2008, November 13). Targeted News Service, Retrieved December 7, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1595372471). 75 Percent of Texans Support Making English the Official Language ; Statewide Poll Finds Three-In-Four Residents Desire Common Language Legislation. (25 October). U.S. Newswire,Retrieved December 7, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1150795481). Ortiz, F.M.(1986).English Plus Versus English Only. LULAhttp://lulac.org/advocacy/issues/english_vs_spansih/C.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In "Bassackwards: Construction Spanish and Other Signs of the Times," by Jay Nordlinger, delivers a message to Native Americans and immigrants who speak many different languages. This message states that in America, English must be used as the only common and official language. Jake Jamieson redelivers the same message in his writing “The English-Only Movement," Government, companies, or bosses at construction jobs.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In today’s society, there are over thousands of different languages or dialects speak around the world. And because America is such a diverse country with many individuals capable of speaking two or more languages, they tend to forget the importance of speaking English in America. As an American living in America, it’s not important whether they speak English or not, but what’s important is which language they choose to represent themselves freely.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different ethnicities in the U.S, more than any other country in the world. It varies from Latino people, Pacific Islanders, Asian American, or African American. The United States is the only country where one can find all different cultures and languages. In the United States, English is not the only language which Americans use to communicate. Vietnamese, Chinese, or Spanish is very popular in the U.S. Therefore, according to the article “In Plain English: Let’s Make It Official,” the author Krauthammer argues that English should be the official language of the United States. So what are Krauthammer’s arguments and also what are the advantages and disadvantages if English becomes the official language of the United States?Canada…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    That is still a question that does not have a definite answer. It depends on who is asking that questions. English skills have improved in California but they are not drastic changes. There has been improvement but it has been minimal. Students definitely need to learn English, without English proficiency, students will struggle throughout their lives. That is not the issue; everyone can agree that English proficiency is probably the most important thing a student can learn. The debate arises when the discussion of how students should acquire this proficiency, is brought into light. We do live in the United States and our main language is English, so if students are enrolled in our school systems, they should be able to speak English. The controversy of how to obtain proficiency in English will continue, especially in today 's society, where more people are trying to maintain their ethnic heritage. It will be interesting to see what our educational system will look like 10 or 20 years from…

    • 2357 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Georgia Voters Indicate Strong Support for Official English Amendment. (2007, 15 August). Business Wire. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1320847301).…

    • 2747 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    The English only movement has many pros that will greatly help the United States. If English is made the official language of the United States it will unite the people with a common language rather then divide by not understanding one another, it will allow people to feel comfortable in the workplace, and encourage immigrant workers to learn English. By making English the official language does not mean “English Only” it simply means that for the government to act officially and effectively the default language should be English which would mean that no one would have the right to demand government activities or records in any other language (Wilson, 2009). I personally feel that this would be a great idea simply because in order for the government to communicate there must be one official language. By making English the official language does not mean that cultural diversity is not accepted in the United States or that no one can speak their cultural background language it just means that in order for all government officials to be on the same page of communication, a common language must be established. Making English the official language would not prohibit the government from using other languages when there is reason for doing so, such as legitimate common sense needs (Wilson, 2009). I feel this would be great idea because then there would be no miscommunication or misunderstanding on anyone part due to language barriers.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This brings another point: Why is the U.S., an English-speaking country (or so you think), catering not only to the Spanish language, but to many others that you don’t even know about? Because the U.S. as a nation has never declared an official language. Many people have tried it with no success. In 1780, John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress that English should be declared the official language of the United States. His proposal was deemed "undemocratic and a threat to individual liberty.” This type of debate has been going on for years, with people on both sides of the fence. And yet, the issue isn't any…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In some eyes, linguistic diversity in the United States is a good thing, but in my opinion an English-only legislation would be most ideal. Not only does it create a national language for America, but it…

    • 589 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The English only debate has been an ongoing deliberation for many decades in the United States. Questions from political parties, legislators, and common people have been a hot topic on the English only subject and what they believe would be best for the nation (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008). Would having English as the national language of the United State unify the nation or would it tear it apart? Would it be politically correct? Would it be fair? Would it cause segregation? Would it be a security threat? These are just some of the questions that…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    An imperative question that one must ask themself about whether or not to make English the official language of the United States is that, isn 't it better to learn and become familiar with languages other than one 's own rather than know only one language your whole life? It should be recognizable that different languages and cultures bring uniqueness to our country. Making English the official language here in the United States has advantage and…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Establishing a national official language opponents say that it is undemocratic and believe it would violate the US constitutions protection of due process and equal protection. Proponents say that English only laws would save the government money in printing fees and single lingual publication (Mount 2010).…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Living in Texas most of my life I was no stranger to Americans who either didn’t speak English at all or whose first language wasn’t English. As I interacted with people, mostly from Mexico, I had a hard time understanding why they didn’t want to speak English . Although I’m ashamed to say it, I often viewed these people as less educated and meek. A statement that Ive heard all to often is that people who don’t speak English should learn our language or leave America. However, I’ve never considered myself racist or close minded, despite the fact that I often felt frustrated and uncomfortable while trying to interact with people whose first language wasn’t English. Being on the other side of this situation forever changed…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bilingual education and economic inequality are just two of the many issues Texans deal with in today’s society. In “What is Bilingual Education,” Stephen Krashen defines bilingual education as “any use of two languages in school – by teachers or students or both – for a variety of social and pedagogical (educational) purposes” (1). Bilingual education confrontations in Texas are due to the overwhelming amount and diversity of immigrants in the past fifteen years. While good for population growth, bilingual issues are putting stress on our education system. It seems society will always be adjusting to incoming students with language barriers, yet instead of helping them in the best possible way, we continue to debate on how people feel. (Krashen 2)…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    English Only Debate

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages

    America, we have a cultural diversity that is unlike any other in the entire world, people from every country in the world come to our borders wanting to start over with a better life, live the “American Dream”. And because of this our nation has turned into a giant melting pot of all different types of cultures, races, religions, and one of the most important, languages. Language is the main way we communicate, interact, understand each other and when that barrier is there, it is a hard one to get past. And of course there are different ways people feel like we should deal with this barrier, there are some who believe that we as citizens who speak English should also learn different languages so that we can more easily communicate with them. And then there are others who feel like they came to our country, they need to learn English like everyone else here does. This has turned into a very touchy subject to a lot of people because people become passionate about there on personal beliefs and the side that they have chosen to get behind. Both sides having very valid points as to why their side is the one that people should adopt as their own side, I personally have decided that I agree that when you come to this country then you should learn to speak the language if you plan on living here. But not because I think English is the superior language or anything like that, I believe it will just make things easier for me and the person who immigrated here to be able to work together and communicate. But of course since this subject is very much two sided, state laws have been passed protecting and or mandating certain things happen, trying to stop the arguing between the two sides.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people argue why not the other way around with learning Spanish and I can understand that it would be great if it was implemented more in schools at younger ages such as even starting as young pre-k. The only problem with that idea though is it isn’t, so the reason I say English should be learned in order to enter into the country is because that the majority of text/writings which cause the idea that English is the majority.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics