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Because English is the most popular official language in the world, more than three fourths of all nations have incorporated it as their official language (“Myth vs .Reality"). America is one of the few countries in the world (1 out of 15) that does not have an official language. However, according to myriad nations, English has been beneficial because it is the gateway to opportunistic achievement.
For example, many Swiss residents believe that English is the most useful language, and Koreans believe that the language has led to many skills and successes. India and Columbia believe that the English language is a vital necessity for economic trade, commerce, and global competition (U.S. English Foundation Research). I believe that if we make English the official language of American government, it will unify American citizens, cut costs of translating documents, and it will empower immigrants to utilize the necessary tools it takes to be successful in America.
Having government documents translated to 300+ other languages is time-consuming and expensive. Proficient in: English As A Communicative Language
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Instead, the money and time can be utilized to helping immigrants adapt in an English-speaking environment for English schooling and jobs. To give an idea of how much is spent on translating documents, "the City of San Francisco must spend $350,000 for each language that a document is translated into under the city's bilingual government ordinance" (U.S., "Costs of Multilingualism”).
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Furthermore, it is tedious to hire translators for every major language in order to translate documents. In class we discussed the significance of creole languages and pidgins, which are two or more non-intelligible native languages that come together to form one language in order for two people of different languages to understand each other to some degree. A creole stems from a pidgin in that it can become the first language of the descendants, replacing the native language (“Creole Languages"). Translating creole and pidgin
There is no point in actually translating into creole and pidgins as well because there might be people who understand only their native words in creole, but not the words of the other native language(s). Translating all these documents proves to be an ineffective idea due to error and confusion because language and culture are constantly changing globally.
Unfortunately, government agencies increasingly seek to cater to immigrants instead of promoting the learning of the English language. What is the result of this? The result is that an immigrant can walk into virtually any government office and demand services in their native tongue and receive them, no questions asked. This does not give them the motivation to learn English and use it to help them succeed (House Hearing, 109 Congress). Furthermore, when Americans travel to other countries, many will attempt to learn the language for their benefit. If people from other countries are traveling here, why shouldn't they learn the English language?
For example, my sister has been taking French for about four years in school, and she has always had a dream to travel to France and utilize the language in a French environment. I had asked her what she thought about this issue, and she agreed that in order to adapt to a new country, you should learn the language first in order to understand everyone and be able to get around.
Learning the language also comes in handy if she is lost or confused while in France. I do want to clarify, however, that it is perfectly okay to speak English with an accent, and that those who do not approve of accents are vehemently racist. The American Dream, which is the idea that if you work hard you will attain success, is a popular notion among immigrants. Therefore, if they are willing to work hard to be successful, it should go without saying that they should work hard to learn the language in order to fit in with Americans while still maintaining their cultural identity.
The English language has the power to unify all Americans because society will function more efficiently under one standard language so that everyone can be on the same level or brought up to that level if they are not there already. A Quebec commentator argued in his essay in Time magazine that it is possible for America to experience linguistic divisions unless customs are changed so that English is the official language (Thomsen, “Every New American”). Ironically, American diversity is only preserved through one common language to bring people together culturally and have an amalgamation of races and religions (Gallaway 18).
When people understand one another, it eliminates the vulnerability of misunderstandings and suspicions. According to a Pew Hispanic Center survey done with Mexican immigrants in America, the ones that were living in the U.S. for six to ten years (45%) spoke poor English or no English at all. This shows that English is not emphasized enough, but it should be in order to establish a languid form of communication. Even though it is somewhat necessary to accommodate other peoples' languages to a certain extent, it is of utmost importance that they are progressing in educating themselves to learn English. This is achieved through H.R. 997, which is a law that makes the government use English but also gives exceptions for multilingual operations (House Hearing, 109 Congress).
The idea that English should be the official language is supported by a Rasmussen poll of June 2006, which shows that 88% of Americans favored English as a common form of communication in America. English as been viewed as the common language of America, but it was never officially identified. Making English the official language does not mean "English only"; it means that you can still speak your mother tongue in America, but it is crucial to become familiar with the English vernacular as well. This relates to other countries, such as Canada not speaking only French and Columbia not speaking only Spanish. Uniting people of all races with one language will open minds to other cultures as well as create a basic understanding of each other.
I think that having the government have one common language (English) will bring American citizens together, save the expenses of translating documents, and it will enable immigrants to take advantage of the skills they have to accomplish their dreams in America. Perhaps there will not be a necessity for creoles and pidgins to be subject to being minority languages because everyone will have to know English as a form of equal communication. It is important for immigrants as well as native-born Americans to strive to learn English as a primary tool to fulfill the American dream.
Not only will it benefit them, but it will benefit everyone around them because there will be less confusion and more ideas being verbally expressed effectively. Instead of being lazy and taking the easy way out by giving immigrants what they want, which is everything in their language, we can encourage them to adopt the English language. In conclusion, making English the official language would create positive changes in society in terms of culture, diversity, and economy.
The English Language Should Be Officially Used by the American Government. (2023, Mar 27). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-english-language-should-be-officially-used-by-the-american-government-essay
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