English as official language amendment

[NLT]

Learning another language assists in the development of critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and memory. As far as which one, that is up to the parents and the school. My kids learned Castilian Spanish from my wife, a former teacher. I would suggest US kids learn spanish or Mandarin Chinese, they will be the most dominante besides english in the future.

The same can be said about learning to read music and play an instrument. Should that be mandatory too

Yes.

 

[Unkotare]

An official language only means that all government employees and all official documents must be in English.

That's one reason why it will never happen.

 

[manifold]

Learning another language assists in the development of critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and memory. As far as which one, that is up to the parents and the school. My kids learned Castilian Spanish from my wife, a former teacher. I would suggest US kids learn spanish or Mandarin Chinese, they will be the most dominante besides english in the future.

The same can be said about learning to read music and play an instrument.

Do you think it's really the same?

The same? no. Learning to read music and play an instrument is more valuable IMO.

 

[manifold]

An official language only means that all government employees and all official documents must be in English. It has nothing to do with what language people speak.

Are there any official documents that aren't in English?

 

[emilynghiem]

Instead of focusing on just language,
I am more concerned that all citizens receive standard education and training on the Constitutional laws, DUE PROCESS, knowledge and agreed financial and legal responsibility for costs of prosecution/incarceration and public services incurred, and CONFLICT RESOLUTION training or access to assistance.

Language is not enough, but content and responsibility for the laws needs to be agreed upon for citizenship, like agreeing to the rules of the road or of the classroom in order to participate and exercise privileges as a member of society.

I am more concerned about equal legal rights and financial responsibility that people currently do not have equal knowledge, access, training or experience in.

If we address THAT issue through local schools and governments, the language it takes to educate all citizens to be fully informed, empowered and able to represent and defend their interests would take care of itself. It would probably involve bilingual education, where communities, schools, and local districts and states make sure their citizenry
can function smoothly without barriers from either language or other social disparities.

I think it's ridiculous for people to expect to move to another country and not learn the predominant language or assimilate into the culture, and instead expect the natives to accommodate and adjust to THEM.

That being said, I don't see any reason why English specifically HAS to be the official language of the US. It is the de facto predominant language here, ie. the vast majority of people who live in the US speak it. If, at some point, the vast majority of people in the US - legally, let me just throw in right now - spoke something other than English, then THAT should be the language we conduct business in and the one that new immigrants learn to fit into their new home.

In other words, my support is for the common sense idea of expecting the minority of new people to adjust to the majority around them, rather than the other way around. It isn't for English specifically. So no, I don't support an amendment ordaining English as an "official" language. I support the people standing up and telling their government officials to cut the PC, butt-kissing crap and stop costing us money in order to appear "multicultural" and "tolerant".

 

[emilynghiem]

An official language only means that all government employees and all official documents must be in English. It has nothing to do with what language people speak.

Are there any official documents that aren't in English?

The ACA?

 

[Katzndogz]

An official language only means that all government employees and all official documents must be in English. It has nothing to do with what language people speak.

Are there any official documents that aren't in English?

They are in English the same way they are in Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Farsi, and a number of other languages as well. English is treated as just another foreign language.

Why do you suppose that the language of flight is English world wide? All pilots, all air traffic controllers, all aircraft personnel must speak English. Why can't an Italian pilot only speak Italian and communicate with Chinese air traffic controllers who only speak Chinese?

We spend billions of dollars making sure that our government documents are in dozens of languages. The savings alone would make a huge difference in government spending. This does not prohibit anyone from speaking any language they wish.

 

[Vandalshandle]

I guess that we would have to come up with new words for "garage" and parachute", for example, since they are actually French words....

List of English words of French origin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Unkotare]

I guess that we would have to come up with new words for "garage" and parachute", for example, since they are actually French words....

List of English words of French origin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They are part of the English lexicon now. No need to give them back.

 

[Unkotare]

English is treated as just another foreign language.

No, it's not.

 

[Unkotare]

We spend billions of dollars making sure that our government documents are in dozens of languages. The savings alone would make a huge difference in government spending.

It would make virtually no difference at all in the overall scope of government spending and wastefulness.

 

[Unkotare]

The same can be said about learning to read music and play an instrument.

Do you think it's really the same?

The same? no. Learning to read music and play an instrument is more valuable IMO.

You're wrong on both counts.

 

[DGS49]

English should be formalized as the "Official Language of the United States," because you cannot function as a U.S. citizen unless you understand English, fluently.

In addition to all the practical, convenience things, many of which can be gotten around, you cannot intelligently vote in any election unless you can avail yourselves of information from a variety of sources. To rely on translations of selected materials makes you subject to the whims and prejudices of the translator.

Also, it makes no sense that the U.S. Federal government has to make materials available in Spanish, just to that non-English speaking people can understand them. If you live here and want to be a permanent resident you MUST learn English, or you will rightly be denied (some) of the privileges of citizenship.

 

[Katzndogz]

English should be formalized as the "Official Language of the United States," because you cannot function as a U.S. citizen unless you understand English, fluently.

In addition to all the practical, convenience things, many of which can be gotten around, you cannot intelligently vote in any election unless you can avail yourselves of information from a variety of sources. To rely on translations of selected materials makes you subject to the whims and prejudices of the translator.

Also, it makes no sense that the U.S. Federal government has to make materials available in Spanish, just to that non-English speaking people can understand them. If you live here and want to be a permanent resident you MUST learn English, or you will rightly be denied (some) of the privileges of citizenship.

There's your problem right there. The US government does not want people functioning as US citizens. They only want people functioning according to how the government wants them to function. Do you really think democrats will stand for Americans being able to talk to one another, speak the same language and gang up on democrats?

 

[manifold]

Do you think it's really the same?

The same? no. Learning to read music and play an instrument is more valuable IMO.

You're wrong on both counts.

No I'm not.

 

[NLT]

The same? no. Learning to read music and play an instrument is more valuable IMO.

You're wrong on both counts.

No I'm not.

am to

 

[Unkotare]

The same? no. Learning to read music and play an instrument is more valuable IMO.

You're wrong on both counts.

No I'm not.

Using language is an essential human function. Playing music is not. Any person within a wide range of normal mental capacity can and will learn to use language; a first language at least completely. The same cannot be said for music. Your comparison would work a little better if you were comparing playing an instrument to singing. A little.

 

[manifold]

You're wrong on both counts.

No I'm not.

Using language is an essential human function. Playing music is not. Any person within a wide range of normal mental capacity can and will learn to use language; a first language at least completely. The same cannot be said for music. Your comparison would work a little better if you were comparing playing an instrument to singing. A little.

The point was how learning to read music and play an instrument helps in other areas of brain development and function. And that's a fact, jack.

 

[Unkotare]

No I'm not.

Using language is an essential human function. Playing music is not. Any person within a wide range of normal mental capacity can and will learn to use language; a first language at least completely. The same cannot be said for music. Your comparison would work a little better if you were comparing playing an instrument to singing. A little.

The point was how learning to read music and play an instrument helps in other areas of brain development and function. And that's a fact, jack.

You attempted a false equivalency.

 

[Unkotare]

you cannot function as a U.S. citizen unless you understand English, fluently.

As a matter of fact, you can.