English Only
Language has always been an important part of a country's culture and way of life. When the U.S. was founded, it was common to hear as many as 20 languages spoken along with many documents that were printed in different languages. There have been many debates over establishing a national language, and a movement arose that strives to establish English as the nation's official language. This movement is known as the "English Only" movement, and it "promotes the enactment of legislation that restricts or prohibits the use of languages other than English by government agencies and, in some cases, by private businesses" (ALCU). Many people whom support the "English Only" movement believes that multilingualism is too costly and inefficient for the government to operate in. Making English as an official language will have little day-to-day effect on the population and their lifestyles or private lives. They believe that declaring English as the official language is the fairest way to handle over 300 languages spoken in the U.S. (LIA). Many people support multilingualism and oppose having English as an official language because it is unfair to individuals who are not fluent in English. Also, they create false
On the opposing hand, organizations oppose official English because they feel it is a violation of individual's rights. They believe that "such laws are contrary to the spirit of tolerance and diversity embodied in our Constitution. An English Language Amendment to the Constitution would transform that document from being a charter of liberties and individual freedom into a charter of restrictions that limits, rather than protects, individual rights" (ACLU). There are some versions of the proposed English Language Amendment that disregards the government from providing services in languages other than English. These groups that oppose the "English Only" laws believe that it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It interferes with the right to vote for individuals who can not read English and with the right of workers to be free of discrimination in certain workplaces. "Today, as in the past, 'English Only' laws in the U.S. are founded on false stereotypes of immigrant groups. Such laws do not simply disparage the immigrants' native languages but assault the rights of the people who speak the languages (ACLU). Before World War I, bilingual education was common in areas where nonanglophone groups enjoyed political clout. During the 19th century, state laws, constitutions, and legislative proceedings appeared in languages as diverse as Welsh, Czech, Norwegian, Spanish, French, and of course, German. Many groups and organizations feel that making English the official language is essential and beneficial for the U.S. government and its citizens. These groups believe that official English promotes unity. "This long tradition of assimilation has always included the adoption of English as the common means of communication" (USE). Many studies show that immigrants learn English slower when they are supported by their native language. Since multilingual government services actually encourage the growth of linguistic enclaves, this causes the U.S. to divide into separate language groups because of racial and ethnic conflicts (USE). Also, immigrants will benefit from learning English by being able to participate in the government and the workforce. If immigrants were not proficient in English, they would be subjected to the low-skilled and low-paying jobs. "Knowledge of English leads to the realization of the American dream of increased economic opportunity and the ability to become a more productive member of society, which benefits everyone" (US
Some common words found in the essay are:
ENGLISH Language, English Studies, Amendment Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment, Knowledge English, Education Code, Nichols Research, James Crawford, World War, Crawford Proposition, bilingual education, official language, english official language, english official, english language, official english, nation's official language, declaring english, native language, individual rights, bilingual education programs, nation's official, english language amendment, english nation's official, english nation's,
Approximate Word count = 1683
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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