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Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YBF
[LEFT]Should English be the Official language of the United States? Meaning that ALL immigrants would need to learn the language upon entering this country. No dual signage, driver’s license tests, voting and all other government documents would be in English only...etc etc
Yes or No and why?[/LEFT]
Yes, it should be the official language.
Nobody who lives here is willing to talk about it, but things are considerably segregated here in Northern Virginia because of the language barrier. Language is pretty divisive and English is the main tongue here so everyone in the US needs to learn english.
I don't think that's correct. I won't comment on your unnecessary commentary, but I'm pretty sure that the U.S. has never had an official language.
Never before in the history of the USA have so many "immigrants" come here so unwilling and incapable of adapting in any way. Many come today with no intention of ever learning the language of this country. They aren't coming because they care anything about the history or culture of the USA, they come for the big easy money, the government programs and because it's very easy for anyone to move here.
A couple of weeks ago I called DishNet TV to make some changes in my program. The young man who answered spoke English but really not so well as I would have preferred. It turned out that he was in India, of course. He said he spoke 5 languages Hindi, his native language, English from the British influence and 3 Indian languages. I don't know but he told me early on that India is the 2nd most populous country in the world, which was right, and that it is made up of 23 states with 1600 languages being spoken there. That means different regions speak different languages and from town to town they are different.
This young man had a problem in that his girl friend couldn't speak very good Hindi so couldn't talk to his grandmother at all. He is teaching her Hindi and one of his other languages.
If you want to get along in India it is a good idea to speak English, he said. Of course, Hindi is also very common. However, we could be speaking that many languages if we allowed all to keep their original language.
English isn't really tough for most from Mexico as long as they aren't adults. Most schools down there teach English starting early in school.
A woman working in a clothing store once told me that she is forcing her children to learn Spanish in school. That was in Dodge City where nearly half of the people, today, are of Mexican descent and most of them from Mexico. She said that they would need both languages when they grow up but there was a family with three little interpreters who spoke outstanding English although their parents didn't speak it at all.
Southward bound is very much right about people needing to pass a test on American History and Government in English not so many years ago. It was that way into the 1960s when we started to be overrun by people with PC as their main thing. I knew many people in the 50s that were immigrants and knew more about our history and government than many who were born here.
Look up the definition of balkinization and you should have the answer as to why having English as the official language is so imperative. Unless it is, that is where America is headed. "Diversity" and "Multi-culturism" is a concept that has gone too far, and unless we reverse course the nation will one day be a modern Tower of Babel.
No, the United States has not had an official language since it's inception, I see no need to change things now. There are good arguments for a national language, but I hold with conservative tradition on this point. More government regulation in this area is just not necessary.
Also, the OP's--and many poster's--ideas are in error.
How does one learn a language upon entering the country? It takes years of training to learn a language. My ancestors never mastered more than a few words of English, and chances are that neither did your family's first generation of immigrants unless they came from an English-speaking country. Talk to your elders and see what they have to say, if any of them have memories of a grand or great-grand who spoke the language of their homeland and probably just learned enough English to get by at the general store, or maybe they just sent their kids to do anything that would need translating.
People do it everyday. I am not saying they have to read/write and speak as well as an English major but they should be able to at least speak as well as the average uneducated American.
Immigrants should have to be gainfully employed, behave lawfully, and contribute their fair share of taxes. It would be great for them if they were fluent in English, but that's never been a requirement of the U.S. and there's no overwhelming reason it need be now.
This is nonsense. Mandarin is the official language of China, yet there are dual Chinese/English signs everywhere in major and minor cities. The same in Italy with Italian, Japan, Slovakia, and nearly every country on Earth. Having an "official" language will not mandate eradication of dual-language signing or government forms. That is a fantasy.
Look up the definition of balkinization and you should have the answer as to why having English as the official language is so imperative. Unless it is, that is where America is headed. "Diversity" and "Multi-culturism" is a concept that has gone too far, and unless we reverse course the nation will one day be a modern Tower of Babel.
"Balkinization" refers to re-opening divisions, hatreds and separatism among various ethnic groups that were forced to peacefully co-exist during the Tito-Yugoslavia era.
"Balkinization" refers to re-opening divisions, hatreds and separatism among various ethnic groups that were forced to peacefully co-exist during the Tito-Yugoslavia era.
And that is happening here right now with all the PC movements toward diversity. The fact that Tito managed to take in some diverse states doesn't say it can only happen there. In 100 years we may see the same kind of thing being said about what was once the United States of America. Hopefully that won't happen but it is happening at too rapid a pace now.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,792,165 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YBF
Should English be the Official language of the United States? Meaning that ALL immigrants would need to learn the language upon entering this country. No dual signage, driver’s license tests, voting and all other government documents would be in English only...etc etc
Yes or No and why?
Immigrants who come here should learn basic English at least. That is part of the deal so, yes, I agree BUT I would go along with signs and driver's test in a foreign language- when you take it the first time after you arrive here. But it should be made clear that "this license expires in 4 years and you will be required to come back and take the exam again in ENGLISH.
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Check the language problem of India
