So you've done
some research, and you've heard some experts. Now, in the comment box at the bottom of this post, identify what is, in your view, the best reason to support Official English legislation and the best reason to oppose it. (You don't have to hold both reasons to be valid.)
PRO:
ReplyDeleteThe best reason I can see to support Official English would be all of the money the government spends to print official documents in languages other than English.
CON:
The worst reason I can see to support Official English would be all of the cultural values America would suppress as a result of that decision.
- Noelle
Pro: For me, I suppose the best argument for the official English law would be that learning English would help immigrants succeed in America. While I don't really see it, if an official English law would help non-speakers learn then I'd be all for that. I can't imagine how difficult it is to navigate a place where effective communication is difficult or impossible. It also makes it easy for non-speakers to become isolated or for someone to take advantage of them.
ReplyDeleteCon: Personally, I think the best argument against official English is that the law would be rendered essentially useless because of all the loopholes. I think that the law is far more symbolic than anything else. I think a law making English the official languages signals to U.S. citizens, those looking to become citizens, and to the rest of the world that we are intolerant and closed-minded. Anywhere else, maybe this debate would be different. Perhaps if we were in France, I'd argue for official French. However, this is America, and part of the reason we succeed is our "melting pot” ideology. I think an English only law undermines that message.
Caitlin
Pro: I agree with Caitlin. The best argument for English to be the official language is to help make America one large community and to ensure that non-English speakers are able to succeed. Years ago, I became friends with a lady from Iraq. She did not speak English. She had to rely on an English speaking family members to always be with her in public.This put a strain on her two sons (college students with jobs, not much time for their mother). Though I did not speak her language, I did take her shopping and out to lunch. We used hand gestures and facial expressions to communicate. She was willing to learn the English language, but she had no one to teach her.
ReplyDeleteCon: As Pappa's stated, "Virtually useless. Just a document too many loopholes."
Pro: It’s hard to find a good argument for the pro side after investigating what passing Official English would really do, but if I had to suspend my logic and believe that it would do anything positive for anyone I would go with the argument that it would motivate English proficiency for non-English speakers and make their lives easier.
ReplyDeleteCon: There is no clear evidence that legislation would really help either the economy or non-proficient English speakers or any plans about how that would happen. It would be merely symbolic of intolerance.
Pro: I believe my pro is similar to what my other classmates have said. I believe that it will help America become a larger community and that it will help immigrants within America be able to succeed and be able to rise up to their true potential here in America. I believe that it will help those who cannot speak English perhaps gain an incentive to learn English in order to be able to shift in and out of both English culture and their original culture due to speaking both languages and it would help them in getting a job or career. It would also help if they made programs that were willing to teach immigrants the English language and help them, rather than leaving it to them (I think many do not know how to even begin to learn or where for that matter) to try it for themselves when many do not know where to begin.
ReplyDeleteCon: As with what others have said, there are just too many loopholes and that it’s really just symbolic, meant to supposedly unite Americans, and that it really just looks good on paper and nothing else. It would also, in my mind, undermine what America really is about and how we are a multicultural nation, formed by many nationalities and ethnicities. If this was passed it would undermine this since this is how America had its beginning.
-Kate Hatton-
For: Like others have said, I think that having one official language would make us come together as a community. It could also save us money on certain documents being printed in all of these different languages. Another pro could be the potential to have more assistance available to non-English speakers to learn English, which could lead to their success in America.
ReplyDeleteAgainst: Like Paula (and others) said, even Pappas mentioned that it would pretty much be a useless piece of paper due to the loopholes in it and the other laws protecting non-English speakers' rights. It also could cause us to get a bit of slack from other countries due to our apparent intolerance. It also doesn't promote the diversity in which we as Americans usually pride ourselves for having if we take away other languages. With the studies done showing the benefits of bilingualism, we would think that promoting other languages would be something we should push for, and not against. Making English the official language gives many Americans even more reason to not branch out and learn about other languages and cultures, which can also be detrimental to the preservation of these other cultures in America.
For- English as an official language could create a greater sense of community and could level the playing field in the job market.
ReplyDeleteAgainst- English as an official language would make us a mockery to the rest of the world, and would only serve as a piece of symbolic legislation to show the rest of the world that a nation built on immigration is hypocritical and closed minded. English as the official language would also be a genocide on the plethera of cultures within the united states, taking away an essential part of identity.