Problems with English-Only Policies

This article focuses English-only policies that are imposed in the workplace and the effects/possible effects that it has on employees whose first language is not English. While many companies are aware that they need to be "multilingual friendly" from a customer services standpoint and will hire bilingual and multilingual employees to accommodate non-English speakers' needs; they also impose rules that do not allow multilingual speakers to speak anything but English in the workplace, even within private, non work-related conversations. These companies feel that by imposing English-only rules, they are creating greater cohesion and unity among employees, but they are really only advocating uniformity.

Terms to Know:
• Communicative Competence: A person's ability to select a situationally appropriate code (language) (Speicher, 2002).
• Code Switching: Changing from one language or dialect to another either within or between conversations (Speicher, 2002)
• Monolingual: Using or knowing only one language (Dictionary.com)
• Bilingual: Using or able to use two languages, especially with equal or nearly equal fluency (Dictionary.com)
• Multilingual: Using or having the ability to use several languages (Dictionary.com)
• Monolingual English Privledge (Johnson, 2000): "The right not to be subjectied to varieties othe than [one's] own (Speicher, 2002)."

Looking at the Problem:
I. Communication
a. Communication Competence
i. Immigrants and multilingual speakers whose first language is not English, sometimes have heavy accents or trouble speaking English.
1. How do you feel this affects their place in the workforce?
b. Code Switching
i. This is something that is done naturally in conversation. ii. Many times, non-native speakers will switch to their native language when speaking with someone else of the same background.
1. Is this appropriate in the workplace? If so, when?
II. English-only Policies
a. Businesses are trying to impose English-only policies for a number of reasons:
i. To create unity ii. To avoid exlusion iii. Fear of being overcome by non-White, non-English-speaking minorities
b. Do you think the imposition of English-only policies helps to:
i. Create unity? ii. Avoid exlusion?
c. Some multilingual employees have gone as far as filing lawsuits claiming that it is discriminatory to not allow them to speak their native language at all while in the workplace.
i. How do you think courts have judged in these cases?
III. Multilingual Speakers
a. In the Workplace
i. Travel agencies ii. Airlines iii. Customer services oriented companies iv. International companies
v. Other?
b. In the Government
i. May have prevented WTC bombings and 9/11 had the U.S. Government employed multilingual immigrants that not only knew the language, but understood it and the culture attached to it (Schemo, 2001)
1. Would have been able to decipher/translate plans, audiotapes and letters that we had. ii. Other?
IV. Stifling Communication
a. How do you feel that the imposition of English-only laws may stifle communication within the workplace?
b. Do any of you have stories relating to this?
V. Enhancing Communication
a. The author feels that "English-only rules create stress and discomfort, neither of which is conducive to productivity or retention of bilingual employees."
b. If English-only rules were removed, how do you feel this would affect communication in this workplace?
c. Do you feel that the removal of English-only rules would increase interethnic communication?
VI. Moving Forward
a. Ways to tackle the English-only policy through training:
i. Diversity training that includes language ii. Train management and employees iii. Make the connection between language and identity
1. How would you feel if you were forced to speak in another language?
2. EXAMPLE: As said by one woman, "I mean, how can we function as a team if we don't even speak the same language…? Try harder. In America, we speak English."
a. How do these comments make you feel? Do you think these are fair?
b. Fact: Most immigrants do try to learn English and use it outside of the home. In fact, many struggle to teach 2nd generation immigrants their first language because of the predominant use of English outside of the home. iv. Discuss communicative competence and politeness
v. Stress the importance and value of being multilingual vi. Grant tuition reimbursement for employees whose 1st language is not English to take English language classes
VII. Relating it Back
a. How do you relate this back to other things we've discussed in this course?
b. OPEN DISCUSSION